Consumer & Industrial Electronics

PCB assembly process and what a PCB librarian needs to know

The PCB assembly process: The 4 Things a PCB librarian must know

April 16, 2024

PCB assembly is one of the main fields that a good PCB librarian needs to know in detail, as it is the point where your board components interact with your final design. Understanding this interaction and the PCB assembly process in general is vital for your initial library creation and to ensure a seamless Design for Manufacturing strategy early in your design process.

By Bill Ji

6 MIN READ

Are you normal?

March 5, 2024

Siemens recently commissioned a survey through Aberdeen Research looking at the state of the Printed Circuit Board (PCB) industry within North America and Europe to learn about the challenges the PCB industry sees. It covered the technologies they are implementing, the general timelines they are given, and to learn how Design for Manufacturing (DFM) strategies and software are being leveraged to help meet a company’s overall goals

By Patrick McGoff

4 MIN READ

What’s New in Valor NPI 2311

December 19, 2023

Each new Valor NPI release brings exciting features and improvements, and Valor NPI version 2311 is no different. One of the most prominent recent changes for release 2311 is the 3D board viewer. This allows users to toggle between the typical 2-D board view, and a 3-D board view. While less visually prominent, the addition of high-risk component detection is no less impactful among the overall improvements. The Valor Parts Library now associates individual components with a manufacturing risk value. This allows you to consider at-a-glance relative yield values based on component choices. Valor NPI version 2311 also facilitates the placement of XD components in a zigzag array.

By Maya Shani

4 MIN READ

What is the PCB Design Process?

September 6, 2022

The PCB design process can be different depending on your company, but the fundamental aspects are all the same –…

By Don Kost

3 MIN READ

PCB Stackup Design e-book

January 28, 2022

While not the final word on the subject of stackups, Bill’s e-book goes a long way to helping you plan ahead, providing an important voice in a space that is surprisingly lacking in content. I would also recommend exploring Z-planner Enterprise, a stackup tool that Bill has spent years developing. Now all you need is a sharp pencil.

By Patrick Hope

3 MIN READ

Valor Parts Library: What You Need to Know

December 27, 2021

Validating the PCB footprint with a comprehensive component library Are you familiar with the Valor Parts Library? Whether you are…

By Tova Levy

< 1 MIN READ

How do you do PCB Stackup Planning?

December 8, 2021

Being able to quickly qualify materials based on your known electrical tolerances, and not upon the materials availability of your selected fabricator is key for efficient stackup design. This allows you to optimize the design around the available materials and take complete control of your stackup.

By Don Kost

3 MIN READ

Flex & rigid-flex PCB DFM: Learn from the expert

November 24, 2021

Flex and rigid-flex circuits use unique materials in the manufacturing process and must be handled differently than FR4 PCBs.

By Patrick McGoff

< 1 MIN READ

Creating Custom Automation in Valor NPI Using Scripting Languages

November 10, 2021

The most modern language supported and delivered with Valor NPI is Python. If Perl is your language of choice then an additional module needs to be acquired through Active State. When all else fails there is the legacy C-Shell that is also included with Valor NPI.

By Max Clark

3 MIN READ