Elementary Mr. Watson: Chasing Checkmarks, Not Signal Integrity
Target Condition: Rethinking the PCB Stackup Recipe
Connect the Dots: Evolution of PCB Manufacturing—Lamination
Design for Profitability: Avoiding Fabrication Issues and Minimizing Costly Revisions
July 31, 2013 | Mark Thompson, CID, Prototron CircuitsEstimated reading time: 1 minute
Note that I use the term “design for profitability,” or DFP, as opposed to any of the other acronyms such as DFM (design for manufacturability), DFT (design for test), or DFA (design for assembly). I’m taking this approach because it really all comes down to profit, doesn’t it?
Designers have the power to design profit into the board, or, conversely, inadvertently increase costs and remove profit from the PCB. In this article I am going to go over just a few of the challenges that fabricators routinely face and some typical solutions, especially solutions that can affect your bottom line.
I will start with DFM. Generally, this is the first stage for prototyping and DFM depends greatly on the capabilities of your chosen fab shop. Some designs are finished with autorouters after the critical traces have been hand-placed. It is at this point that unintended issues can arise between design and fab.
An example of this is same net-spacing violations where a track may “double back” near a surface mounted component, creating same-net spacing violations (Figure 1). Whereas the software does not see these as legit violations because they are same net, a fabricator knows that any features creating spaces below 0.003” can easily flake off at the image stage and create havoc elsewhere in the form of shorts. Edit time must be taken at the fab stage when these same-net spacing violations occur and the slivers eliminated. Some CAM software packages have a sliver fill option, but again this requires additional edit time at CAM.
Read the full article here.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the March 2013 issue of The PCB Design Magazine.
Share on:
Testimonial
"In a year when every marketing dollar mattered, I chose to keep I-Connect007 in our 2025 plan. Their commitment to high-quality, insightful content aligns with Koh Young’s values and helps readers navigate a changing industry. "
Brent Fischthal - Koh YoungSuggested Items
Mouser Electronics Celebrates Its 2025 Best-in-Class Award Winners
10/01/2025 | BUSINESS WIREMouser Electronics, Inc., the New Product Introduction (NPI) leader™ empowering innovation, is pleased to announce the 2025 recipients of the Mouser Best-in-Class Awards.
Elementary Mr. Watson: Chasing Checkmarks, Not Signal Integrity
10/01/2025 | John Watson -- Column: Elementary, Mr. WatsonFor the September 2025 issue of Design007 Magazine on signal integrity, I explored how the PCB is similar to a military obstacle course: walls that sap energy like impedance mismatches, barbed wire that cuts like crosstalk, and mud pits that drag a signal down like attenuation. The takeaway was clear that a PCB is not a flat drawing; it's an electromagnetic ecosystem filled with hazards that test every signal that dares to cross it. The real danger lies not in the obstacles themselves, but in the fact that many designers never see them.
Target Condition: Rethinking the PCB Stackup Recipe
10/01/2025 | Kelly Dack -- Column: Target ConditionMarie Antoinette is attributed with saying, “Let them eat cake,” but historians now agree she likely never said it. It was probably revolutionary propaganda to paint her as out of touch with the starving masses. Yet, the phrase still lingers, and oddly enough, it applies to the world of PCB design.
Connect the Dots: Evolution of PCB Manufacturing—Lamination
10/02/2025 | Matt Stevenson -- Column: Connect the DotsWhen I wrote The Printed Circuit Designer's Guide to...™ Designing for Reality, it was not a one-and-done effort. Technology is advancing rapidly. Designing for the reality of PCB manufacturing will continue to evolve. That’s why I encourage designers to stay on top of the tools and processes used during production, to ensure their designs capitalize on the capabilities of their manufacturing partner.
Siemens, ASE Collaborate on Workflows for ASE’s VIPack Advanced Packaging Platform
09/25/2025 | SiemensSiemens Digital Industries Software announced that it is collaborating with Advanced Semiconductor Engineering, Inc. (ASE), the leading global provider of semiconductor manufacturing services in assembly and test, to develop 3Dblox-based workflows for the ASE VIPack™ platform using Siemens’ Innovator3D IC™ solution, which is fully certified for the 3Dblox standard..