The Pulse: Caught in the Crosshatch—A Cautionary Tale of Detective Work
Fresh PCB Concepts: Designing PCBs for Harsh Environments—Reliability Is Engineered Upstream
Elementary, Mr. Watson DFX—Basically a Basket of Crabs With Spreadsheets
New DownStream Software Supports Flex, Rigid-Flex and Embedded Component Designs
November 17, 2020 | DownStream Technologies, LLCEstimated reading time: 1 minute
Downstream Technologies has released new versions of their industry-leading PCB post-processing solutions CAM350 / DFMStream V 14.5 and BluePrint-PCB V6. With these releases, both products will now support the importation and visualization of CAD designs containing flex, rigid-flex and embedded component data in both 2D and 3D views.
“Flex and embedded component designs have become more popular as electronic products have become smaller and more complex, especially in the military, aerospace, medical and commercial markets,” said Rick Almeida, one of DownStream’s founders. “With these new releases our tools support full flex/rigid-flex bi-directional passing of stack-up data, as well as unique documentation features not found in any tools."
This release is the first of several planned releases supporting flex, rigid-flex and embedded components. It focuses on importing and visualizing flex/rigid-flex data created by PCB CAD tools in 2D & 3D view ports, as well as easily documenting complex rigid/rigid-flex stack-ups and provides the ability to share that documentation with PCB fabricators.
Key Highlights and Features to Support for Flex/ Rigid-Flex and Embedded Components
- Import / Export ODB++ and IPC 2581 Modification
- Import / Export Modification to support PCB Core Material Data
- Stack-Up Visualizer Modification
- 3D View Port Modification
- Area Tool Modification
- DFM Analysis Modification
- Parametric Solder and Paste Mask Generation
- Assembly Panel Creation
- New Documentation Objects
- Output Generation
Availability
CAM350 / DFMStream V 14.5 and BluePrint-PCB V6 will be available December 2020 to all DownStream customers as part of a maintenance release. Actual features and content will vary based on the end-user configurations. Contact local sales offices for configurations and pricing.
About DownStream Technologies
DownStream Technologies LLC is a software and services company focused on helping engineering organizations optimize and automate the PCB Release Process. Our tools redefine how engineering professionals post-process PCB designs to create and distribute all the deliverables required for a complete PCB assembly release package. CAM350® provides verification, optimization and output generation to efficiently drive PCB fabrication. DFMStream® is a comprehensive, yet easy-to-use tool suite designed to help engineers and designers verify design and manufacturing rules on PCB design databases, Gerber and NC data any time during the PCB design cycle. BluePrint for Printed Circuit Boards® works with CAM350® (and other PCB CAD systems) to help users quickly produce comprehensive electronic drawings to drive PCB fabrication, assembly and inspection processes. More information about DownStream can be found at downstreamtech.com
Share on:
Testimonial
"The I-Connect007 team is outstanding—kind, responsive, and a true marketing partner. Their design team created fresh, eye-catching ads, and their editorial support polished our content to let our brand shine. Thank you all! "
Sweeney Ng - CEE PCBSuggested Items
Indium to Showcase High-Performance AI Application Solutions at SEMICON SEA 2026
05/01/2026 | Indium CorporationAs a leading provider of advanced materials solutions for today’s demanding AI applications, Indium Corporation® will feature its high-reliability product portfolio at SEMICON SEA 2026, May 5-7, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
ACCM Unveils Negative and Near-zero CTE Materials for Large-Format AI Chips
04/21/2026 | Advanced Chip and Circuit MaterialsAdvanced Chip and Circuit Materials, Inc. (ACCM) has launched two new materials: Celeritas HM50, with a negative coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of -8 ppm/°C to offset the positive CTE and expansion of copper with temperature on circuit boards, and Celeritas HM001, with near-zero CTE and the low-loss performance needed for high-speed signal layers to 224 Gb/s and faster in artificial intelligence (AI) circuits.
SMTA Ultra HDI Symposium, Day 2: Fragile Supply Chains, Fierce Innovation
04/14/2026 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007The Arizona weather yielded another beautiful day as we gathered for the second day of SMTA’s annual UHDI symposium. After the first full day discussing the role of AI in business and the how-tos of implementation, Avondale Mayor Mike Pineda kicked off day two, proud to showcase his city and to declare its important place in the continued development of the West Valley, an increasingly important area for tech and manufacturing.
KYZEN Focuses on Aqueous and Stencil Cleaning Solutions at SMTA Monterrey Expo and Tech Forum
04/10/2026 | KYZEN'KYZEN, the global leader in innovative environmentally friendly cleaning chemistries, will exhibit at the SMTA Monterrey Expo & Tech Forum.
Solder Paste Innovations for Enhanced Reliability from MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions
04/10/2026 | Real Time with... APEX EXPOJason Fullerton of MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions discusses innovative alloys like Innolot MXE, low-temperature solder options, and polymer reinforcement strategies. Learn how these solutions address the growing demands of high-performance computing and larger component assemblies, ensuring optimal performance and cost-effectiveness.