Printed Circuit Boards

Composite-material heat sink for printed-circuit boards

2006-11-02T11:00:00.000-06:00

NASA Tech Briefs, Jan 2000 by Holz, Jill M, Niemeyer, Lee, Puckett, David

This is a lightweight alternative to an aluminum heat sink.

Goddard Space Right Center, Greenbelt, Maryland

A laminated composite-material plate has been developed for use as a lightweight heat sink and mechanical support for rigid printed-circuit boards (PCBs) that hold surface-mounted electronic components. This composite-material plate is intended to replace a conventional aluminum heat-sink plate. The aluminum plate weighs 0.63 lb (0.29 kg), whereas the composite-material plate weighs only 0.36 lb (0.16 kg).

An advanced laminated composite is attractive as an alternative to aluminum in several respects:

* The orientations of fibers in the laminae can be selected to tailor the properties of the laminate.
* The bending stiffness of a typical advanced laminated composite material is eight times as great as that of aluminum; this is an important advantage because PCBs that hold surfacemounted components are relatively intolerant to flexing. (The intolerance to flexing arises because flexing can break the beads of solder used for attachment in surface mounting.)

* The density of a typical advanced composite material is two-thirds that of aluminum.
* The coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of a quasi-isotropic composite laminate is typically less than one-eighth that of aluminum. The lower CTE of the composite material, in concert with the CTE of the PCB material, promises an increase in fatigue lives of solder joints, and thus increased reliability.

* The effective thermal conductivity of an advanced composite material can be made to exceed that of aluminum; as a result, better heat-sink performance is attainable. As a consequence of better heat-sink performance, heat-generating components can be packed more densely; thus, a greater degree of miniaturization is possible.

The composite-material heat-sink plate (see figure) comprises (1) a quasiisotropic laminated core of graphite fibers in a cyanate ester matrix and (2) a 0.002in. (0.05-mm)-thick aluminum skin backed with a film adhesive. The laminated core consists of six laminae; the quasi-isotropy is achieved by stacking each lamina with its fibers at an angle of 600 with respect to those of the adjacent lamina. This fiber orientation was chosen because it optimizes the strength and stiffness characteristics of the laminate. Because the thermal conductivity is greatest along the fibers and it is desired to maximize widthwise thermal conduction in the heat sink, the fibers in the 0' plies are oriented along the width of the heat sink. The aluminum skin is wrapped around the laminated core to provide a continuous ground plane for the PCBs.

This work was done ly fill M. Hok Lee Niemeyer, and David Puckett of Goddard Space Flight Center. For further information, access the Technical Support Package (YSP) ftee online at www.nasatech.com under the Materials category.

GSC-14142

Copyright Associated Business Publications Jan 2000
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved

PADS, Viewlogic meld PCB design, layout - PADS Software and Viewlogic Systems; printed circuit boards

2006-10-25T11:19:00.000-05:00

PADS Software and Viewlogic Systems last week strengthened their ties to provide a more integrated offering for the design and layout of printed circuit boards (PCBs).

The two companies will separately provide an integrated, compatible suite of PCB design tools, the likes of which are only provided now by broad-line CAE vendors, such as Mentor Graphics, Cadence Design Systems and Intergraph.

"It's unique in that you have two separate vendors developing in their area of expertise and then working to integrate those products for the user...and using standards and integration to accomplish it," Diana Harotian, VP of marketing for PADS, told Electronic News.

"Viewlogic provides all of the design analysis and simulation aspect of circuit design. We provide all the (PCB) physical layout, manufacturing and fabrication aspects," said Rick Almeida, PADS product marketing manager.

He said the single vendors providing the complete PCB design-layout solution "by trying to provide all the pieces of the solution...get defocused. What we have here is two best-in-class providers, Viewlogic and PADS, working together to provide a tightly integrated solution to the customer."

The executive continued: "We've had an existing OEM relationship with Viewlogic. What we're doing now is partnering with them to both penetrate into the desktop mainstream market. We're bringing about a higher level of integration between multiple vendors that could only be previously accomplished with one vendor...other vendors like Intergraph, Cadence and Mentor, who provide both CAE and PCB layout."

The interface between the Viewlogic and PADS functions will be shown at this week's Design Automation Conference (DAC) in San Francisco: "their schematic capture product cross probing with our Power PCB layout product. We'll be showing that cross-probing functionality at DAC," Ms. Harotian said.

Viewlogic and PADS will be introducing the new capability over the summer and will have it available for delivery by October, she said.

Last year, Viewlogic--along with Cooper & Chyan Technology and Zuken-Redac--joined PADS' Vendor Integration Alliance (EN, Design Software, June 27, 1994). All will participate on "level two" of the program, where the vendors link the databases of their respective tools.

Building on this existing OEM relationship, Ms. Harotian said this new strengthening of the partnership "denotes our intention to be much more closely tied. Prior to this, Viewlogic has sort of been very open-ended with respect to PCB and hasn't given specific focus to a vendor."
She added: "We're going to be working toward a common interface and products that have a much closer look and feel essentially so that to the end user it'll be much more transparent usage of different tools. We're both working against similar standards and they're using some IPC-related codes...developed internally as a mechanism to enable more of the crossprobing communication between our products. We're also making that available to other vendors as well."

PADS, she said, is "a printed circuit board company, PCB layout and design company, partly EDA, the middle component before you get to manufacturing...Viewlogic does front-end simulation as well as other tools as well as the schematic capture. It is the schematic capture that ties most closely to our products that enables the user to take advantage of the other things they offer in EDA. That's how the link works."

The executive said Viewlogic and PADS will continue to sell their respective products separately through independent channels. She noted that PADS recently introduced Power PCB at a basic price in the $18,000 range.

The new partnership is "really the intention to work at a very different level together" and will include both marketing and technical cooperation "in that we both have dedicated engineers to this interface process," Ms. Harotian said.

Rick Lucier, Viewlogic PC group VP, said: "Viewlogic recognizes the performance that the PADS-PowerPCB product will deliver to PC users. In response to demand from our customers and prospects, we have decided to strengthen our partnership with PADS and provide the market with unified design solutions."

Through the integration of these product sets, the two companies intend to set a standard for inter-process communications (IPC) that can be used by other vendors, and the industry as a whole, to create unified solutions from best-of-breed products, they said. As the result of this enhanced relationship, Viewlogic will become the first company to meet the criteria necessary to become a "level three" participant in PADS' VIA program, it added.

VIA links combine PADS' PCB design systems with third-party tools for analysis, mechanical CAD, test and manufacturing. In addition, the program provides PADS customers with access to emerging technologies, complementary design tools and a road map for integrating their own, internally developed design tools into PADS' design environment.

Viewlogic's PRO capture "level three" status denotes a database-level integration, achieved through the active engineering efforts of both companies. At level three, PADS certifies the integrity of the integration link.

"PADS believes that the timing is perfect for our companies to strengthen our existing partnership. The industry is clamoring for new design solution options developed with an understanding of the need for software from vendors to interoperate. Our combined design solutions will provide the industry with its first new choice in a front-to-back EDA solution to come about in the 1990's," Ms. Harotian added.

Fasteners for Printed Circuit Board Attachment

2006-10-11T10:42:00.000-05:00

Surface-mount fasteners reduce damage to PC boards during attachment.
PennEngineering® Fastening Technologies, Danboro, Pennsylvania

No matter how sophisticated or advanced, electronic components must be attached reliably and securely if they are to deliver optimum performance. Beyond this universal requirement, particular attachment demands often will emerge. Printed circuit (PC) boards carry their own set of challenges, based on function and location in an assembly.

Incorporating PC boards may require component-to-board, board-to-board, or board-to-chassis attachment; some boards may need to be stacked or spaced; and others may have to be removed and reattached from time to time. As a result, strides have been made in fastener products for use in or with PC boards and in the methods used to attach them.

In the electronics industry, concerns about potential (and expensive) damage to PC boards during fastener installation in the final stages of manufacture have recently prompted an innovative solution: surface-mount fasteners. These can be mounted on PC boards in the same manner and at the same time as other surface-mount components utilizing standard automated surface-mount techniques. The fasteners simply become another board component.

Panel fasteners for surface mounting are already on the market (with standoff and right-angle fastener types to come). The panel fasteners serve well in applications requiring easy removal and reinstallation of boards. Hybrid metal/plastic panel fasteners feature an electro-tin-plated steel retainer and a separate metal Phillips drive screw captivated in an ABS cap. The metal retainer adheres to the board for mating with the cap and screw. The fastener assembly is completed when the screw is snapped into the soldered retainer. (A spring action of the cap's plastic "fingers" holds the screw in the retracted position. When tightened, the plastic cap completely covers the retainer.) To keep pace with automated PC board assembly lines, retainers for these panel fasteners are packaged on tape-and-reel (each reel holding 465 retainers). Screws are packaged separately in bags.

As fasteners join the lineup of other soldered surface-mounted components, users find they can reduce the risk of damage to boards (and resulting scrap) that may occur when improperly installing fasteners with offline equipment, reduce handling of loose parts and realize labor savings, and boost production. Installation is fast and secondary operations are eliminated.
The electronics industry increasingly seeks fastener attachment that will reduce hardware requirements and promote specific functions, and broaching fasteners offer practical alternatives to traditional "loose" hardware. They install permanently in all types of PC boards and reduce excess parts.

A broaching fastener is a knurled-shank fastening device that can be pressed into a hole to provide a strong threaded or unthreaded attachment point in non-ductile (non-metal) materials. Specially formed axial grooves around the shank of the fastener "broach," or cut into, the material, creating a firm, interference-type fit resistant to rotation.
Among these fastener types and their functions are:

* Broaching Nuts. Steel or stainless steel nuts for pressing into PC boards offer permanent threads for board mounting or components. Only a mating screw is required for final component attachment.

* Broaching Standoffs. Threaded or unthreaded fasteners in steel or stainless are designed for stacking or spacing boards. A specialized brass-type fastener features a spring action to hold a PC board securely without screws or threaded hardware, and allows for the board to be snapped into place and easily removed (then replaced) without tools. A brass type with a flare-mounted design delivers even greater pullout performance.

* Broaching Threaded Studs. These phosphor bronze fasteners can be used as solderable connectors or as permanently mounted mechanical fasteners with external threads.

* Broaching Board-Mount Assemblies. With captive screws, these one-piece, stainless board-mount screw assemblies enable easy mounting and removal of boards. All types install simply, quickly, and permanently. For nuts, standard standoffs, and one-piece board-mount assemblies, the fastener is placed in the anvil hole and the mounting hole in the board is placed over the shank of the fastener. Squeezing force is then applied until the fastener's shoulder contacts the board. Flare-mounted standoffs utilize a punch flaring tool and a recessed anvil to apply squeezing force until the shoulder of the fastener contacts the board. As the fastener seats itself in proper position, the punch tool flares the extended portion of the shank outward to complete installation. For threaded studs and snap-action standoffs, the fastener is placed into a mounting hole and squeezing force is applied until die fastener head contacts to the board.

Evolving applications have paved the way for a variety of other fastener types for board-related attachment applications. Ideal for boards with plated thru-holes, stainless self-expanding fasteners feature a self-expanding shank, which ensures positive contact with the plated thru-holes and eliminates any risk of shaving the plating out of a hole. A flat punch and anvil are engaged to squeeze the fastener with sufficient force so that the tips of the projecting knurl teeth are embedded and the inside shoulder of the knurl contacts the board. As the fastener seats itself in the proper position, the shank expands outward to complete installation.

Grounding standoffs install into steel or aluminum chassis to ground PC boards. Their barrel end is placed into a punched or drilled round mounting hole in the chassis and a squeezing force is then applied until the head is embedded and flush with the surface.Because every board-related application will be governed by distinct parameters, the experienced hardware manufacturer will be in the best position to help arrive at the best-suited fastening and assembly solution.This article was written by Jay McKenna, Special Products Manager for Penn Engineering® Fastening Technologies of Danboro, PA. For Free Info Visit http://info.ims.ca/5081-123.

iNEMI Lead-Free Assembly & Rework Project Reports Results at IPC Printed Circuit Expo/APEX/Designers Summit; Project team reviews conclusions of three

2006-10-05T10:22:00.000-05:00

The Lead-Free Assembly & Rework Project team will discuss these findings and more at the Wednesday forum. The team is also scheduled to give a final report at IEEE's Electronic Components and Technology Conference (ECTC), May 31-June 3 (http://www.ectc.net/).

The project final report will be available on CD in June ($150 for non-members). Watch www.inemi.org for details.About iNEMIThe International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative's mission is to assure leadership of the global electronics manufacturing supply chain. Based in Herndon, Va., the industry-led consortium is made up of approximately 70 manufacturers, suppliers, industry associations and consortia, government agencies and universities. iNEMI roadmaps the needs of the electronics industry, identifies gaps in the technology infrastructure, establishes implementation projects to eliminate these gaps (both business and technical), and stimulates standards activities to speed the introduction of new technologies. The consortium also works with government, universities and other funding agencies to set priorities for future industry needs and R&D initiatives. For additional information about iNEMI, visit www.iNEMI.org.

(1) "Delta-T across assemblies" refers to the difference between the "coolest" solder joint and the "hottest." iNEMI measurements indicate that T can range from 5 degrees C to 25 degrees C, depending on the size and thermal mass of the assembly.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative's (iNEMI's) Lead-Free Assembly & Rework Project is featured as one of the free forums at this week's IPC Printed Circuit Expo/APEX/Designers Summit conference. The project team will report on their three-year collaboration to develop lead-free assembly and rework processes for large, double-sided, thick IPC Class 2 printed wiring boards (PWBs). The forum (#F06) is scheduled from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. PST on Wednesday, February 23.

"This project closely followed the initial work and results developed by the first iNEMI lead-free development team," says Jerry Gleason, R&D engineer for HP and co-chair of the iNEMI project team. "We focused on furthering lead-free process development, including second-level assembly and rework processes. We also evaluated manufacturability, toolsets and components. All assembly and component rework processes were conducted on production equipment to ensure that test results reflected 'real-world' processes."

Thick boards, such as the ones used by the Lead-Free Assembly & Rework Project, pose significant challenges for lead-free processing. They require more heat, have greater Delta-T across assemblies(1), and may require a slower reflow oven line speed. As overall board size increases, process windows tend to shrink.

Rework poses additional challenges. The higher temperatures used for lead-free processing place greater stress on components and boards, which is exacerbated by cumulative heat exposures. The combined reflow and rework heat cycles can result in a single assembly being exposed to as many as five thermal heat excursions (two reflow passes, a wave solder pass and two local hot gas rework passes). Internal package structures within components and PWBs must survive all processes and still provide long-term reliability. Component effects include increased moisture sensitivity levels (MSLs) and resulting shorter exposed floor life; while PWB laminates must minimize internal layer delamination, via cracking, and board warpage.

"The key to reliable surface mount reflow as well as hot gas rework processing is to understand the effect temperature has on components and PWBs, while controlling the manufacturing line to newly specified operating windows," explains Charlie Reynolds, an engineer for IBM Microelectronics Division and co-chair of the Lead-Free Assembly & Rework Project. "The iNEMI project was organized to investigate these effects and we successfully developed processes for both reflow and rework that provide for the assembly of large, thick IPC Class 2 boards with a wide range of components using the lead-free iNEMI-recommended SnAgCu solder alloy."

The project team designed a special reliability test board utilizing high-temperature laminate intended for Pb-free soldering. These large (7" X 17"), thick (0.135"), double-sided boards had 14 layers, and were assembled with SMT and wave assembly processes, using the iNEMI-recommended Sn3.9Ag0.6Cu solder.

Half of the test boards were passed through a series of representative component rework protocols. Each build group was then subjected to a series of mechanical bend tests and 5700 cycles of accelerated thermal fatigue reliability stress tests (0 degrees to 100 degrees C), followed by failure analysis.

Highlights of project findings include:

1. IPC Class 2 lead-free SMT reflow process windows will shrink when compared to current tin-lead processes. The lead-free SnAgCu-based alloy systems have a near-eutectic melting point approximately 34 degrees C higher than the tin-lead eutectic point.

2. Multiple heat cycles caused laminate and via damage. The higher lead-free processing temperatures placed greater stress on components and boards and exacerbated the cumulative heat exposures. The board thermal performance observations have been shared with the IPC's Printed Board Base Laminate Materials Committee to highlight the concerns and challenges lead-free processing entails.

3. Based on iNEMI test results, lead-free SMT first-pass reflow processing typically had the following characteristics:
--Four- to six-minute cycle times.
--Temperatures ranging from 230 degrees C to 250 degrees C for joints and body temperatures.
--Delta-T ranges from 5 degrees C to 20 degrees C on a single assembly.
--Time above liquidous ranging from 60 to 90 seconds.

4. The use of nitrogen was shown to promote wetting, and created shinier looking solder joints (improved aesthetics). If there are aesthetic concerns, the use of nitrogen will ensure lead-free soldered joints "look better." The study between air vs. nitrogen showed no significant difference in microstructure formation and reliability performance (based on pull/shear tests) for SMT assembly.

5. SMT reflow using an air atmosphere was shown to produce properly formed and reliable solder joints.

6. Trials and testing recommended that the coldest solder joint on any lead-free assembly should be no less than 230 degrees C.

Software creates printed circuit board designs

2006-09-21T10:22:00.000-05:00

DipTrace is equipped with PCB layout module, schematic capture, and component/pattern editors to design component libraries. Schematic can be converted to PCB with one mouse click, and designer can instantly renew PCB from updated version, keeping existing placement, routed traces, board outline, and mounting holes. Design rule check function checks clearance between design objects, and feature comparing PCB to schematic detects design mistakes and corrects them before prototyping.

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New circuit board design software helps electronics engineers and technicians create PCB board designs in half the time with half of the usual costs.

DipTrace is an advanced PCB design software application that comes with PCB Layout module, Schematic Capture and Component/Pattern editors to design your own component libraries. Besides being very simple to learn, which is quite an accomplishment for an engineering software application, the software has a very intuitive user interface and many innovative features that most marketed PCB Design packages lack.

For instance, a schematic can be converted to a PCB with one mouse click. The board designer can instantly renew the PCB from an updated version of schematic and keep existing placement, routed traces, board outline, mounting holes and other work. DipTrace has a high quality automatic router, superior to many routers included in other PCB layout packages. It can route a single layer (bottom side) and multilayer circuit boards, and there is an option to autoroute a single layer board with jumper wires, if required. Smart manual routing tools allow users to finalize the design and to get the results they want in a blink of an eye.

Accurate shape-based copper pour system with different possible fill types and thermals can be placed to plane layer and manufacturing costs can be reduced by minimizing the amount of etchant. Another important feature is Design Rule Check (DRC) - the function that checks the clearance between design objects, minimum size of tracks and drills, which ensures board accuracy.

A feature comparing a PCB to a schematic helps detect possible design mistakes and correct them before prototyping.

The program supports different output formats, like DXF, N/C drill files for the Numerically Controlled drilling machines and Gerber files that most board manufacturers use. Very important feature for hobbyists is automatic creation of isolation poly lines and exporting them to DXF, DXF files can be converted to G-code with free ACE Converter tool. DipTrace also contains an impressive number of standard libraries with 50,000+ components.

While the least expensive software to perform similar functions is likely to cost thousands of US Dollars, the unlimited version of DipTrace is available for 495 US Dollars, DipTrace Standard (1000 pins) and DipTrace Lite (500 pins) are available for 295 USD and 145 USD, accordingly.

Also, there is completely free version available for students and hobbyists with 250 pins limit!
Full-featured 30-Day trial and free version with 250 pins limit are available at http://www.diptrace.com

COPYRIGHT 2005 ThomasNet, Incorporated
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group

PADS, Viewlogic meld PCB design, layout - PADS Software and Viewlogic Systems; printed circuit boards

2006-09-15T10:05:00.000-05:00

MARLBOROUGH, MASS.--PADS Software and Viewlogic Systems last week strengthened their ties to provide a more integrated offering for the design and layout of printed circuit boards (PCBs).

The two companies will separately provide an integrated, compatible suite of PCB design tools, the likes of which are only provided now by broad-line CAE vendors, such as Mentor Graphics, Cadence Design Systems and Intergraph.

"It's unique in that you have two separate vendors developing in their area of expertise and then working to integrate those products for the user...and using standards and integration to accomplish it," Diana Harotian, VP of marketing for PADS, told Electronic News.

"Viewlogic provides all of the design analysis and simulation aspect of circuit design. We provide all the (PCB) physical layout, manufacturing and fabrication aspects," said Rick Almeida, PADS product marketing manager.

He said the single vendors providing the complete PCB design-layout solution "by trying to provide all the pieces of the solution...get defocused. What we have here is two best-in-class providers, Viewlogic and PADS, working together to provide a tightly integrated solution to the customer."

The executive continued: "We've had an existing OEM relationship with Viewlogic. What we're doing now is partnering with them to both penetrate into the desktop mainstream market. We're bringing about a higher level of integration between multiple vendors that could only be previously accomplished with one vendor...other vendors like Intergraph, Cadence and Mentor, who provide both CAE and PCB layout."

The interface between the Viewlogic and PADS functions will be shown at this week's Design Automation Conference (DAC) in San Francisco: "their schematic capture product cross probing with our Power PCB layout product. We'll be showing that cross-probing functionality at DAC," Ms. Harotian said.

Viewlogic and PADS will be introducing the new capability over the summer and will have it available for delivery by October, she said.

Last year, Viewlogic--along with Cooper & Chyan Technology and Zuken-Redac--joined PADS' Vendor Integration Alliance (EN, Design Software, June 27, 1994). All will participate on "level two" of the program, where the vendors link the databases of their respective tools.

Building on this existing OEM relationship, Ms. Harotian said this new strengthening of the partnership "denotes our intention to be much more closely tied. Prior to this, Viewlogic has sort of been very open-ended with respect to PCB and hasn't given specific focus to a vendor."

She added: "We're going to be working toward a common interface and products that have a much closer look and feel essentially so that to the end user it'll be much more transparent usage of different tools. We're both working against similar standards and they're using some IPC-related codes...developed internally as a mechanism to enable more of the crossprobing communication between our products. We're also making that available to other vendors as well."

PADS, she said, is "a printed circuit board company, PCB layout and design company, partly EDA, the middle component before you get to manufacturing...Viewlogic does front-end simulation as well as other tools as well as the schematic capture. It is the schematic capture that ties most closely to our products that enables the user to take advantage of the other things they offer in EDA. That's how the link works."

The executive said Viewlogic and PADS will continue to sell their respective products separately through independent channels. She noted that PADS recently introduced Power PCB at a basic price in the $18,000 range.

The new partnership is "really the intention to work at a very different level together" and will include both marketing and technical cooperation "in that we both have dedicated engineers to this interface process," Ms. Harotian said.

Rick Lucier, Viewlogic PC group VP, said: "Viewlogic recognizes the performance that the PADS-PowerPCB product will deliver to PC users. In response to demand from our customers and prospects, we have decided to strengthen our partnership with PADS and provide the market with unified design solutions."

Through the integration of these product sets, the two companies intend to set a standard for inter-process communications (IPC) that can be used by other vendors, and the industry as a whole, to create unified solutions from best-of-breed products, they said. As the result of this enhanced relationship, Viewlogic will become the first company to meet the criteria necessary to become a "level three" participant in PADS' VIA program, it added.

VIA links combine PADS' PCB design systems with third-party tools for analysis, mechanical CAD, test and manufacturing. In addition, the program provides PADS customers with access to emerging technologies, complementary design tools and a road map for integrating their own, internally developed design tools into PADS' design environment.

Viewlogic's PRO capture "level three" status denotes a database-level integration, achieved through the active engineering efforts of both companies. At level three, PADS certifies the integrity of the integration link.

"PADS believes that the timing is perfect for our companies to strengthen our existing partnership. The industry is clamoring for new design solution options developed with an understanding of the need for software from vendors to interoperate. Our combined design solutions will provide the industry with its first new choice in a front-to-back EDA solution to come about in the 1990's," Ms. Harotian added.

COPYRIGHT 1995 Reed Business Information
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group

PADS, Viewlogic meld PCB design, layout - PADS Software and Viewlogic Systems; printed circuit boards

2006-09-15T10:01:00.000-05:00

Benchtop System performs lead-free soldering operations

2006-09-06T10:02:00.000-05:00

Utilizing Smartheat technology, MFR Series Multi Function Rework System can solder, desolder, and rework complex electronics assemblies. Compact power unit offers 2 ports for attachment of various MFR Series tools, and multiple units can be interlocked to power as many tools as necessary. Offered with various heater tips and tip cartridges, system protects sensitive components from damage by ESD-safe materials and built-in ground continuity-sensing technology.

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OK International will set a new industry standard with the launch of its MFR Series -Multi Function Rework System at APEX 2006. Utilizing its powerful 'Smartheat' technology, this system meets all of today's lead-free soldering challenges.

With a single bench-top unit even the most complex electronics assemblies can now be soldered, desoldered and reworked using a comprehensive array of tools that set a new standard for flexibility, capability, reliability and value.

The MFR Series - Multi Function Rework System has a compact power unit which offers two ports to which any of the MFR Series tools can be attached quickly and easily for rework applications, SMT tasks and through-hole soldering and desoldering. For heavier or more varied workloads, multiple units can be interlocked to power as many tools as necessary.

The MFR Series offers a choice of heater tips or tip cartridges. The heater tips are designed to provide a cost-effective option to meet the demands of point to point production soldering; while tip cartridges are suitable for high performance soldering and rework applications.

The MFR Series tools, interchangeable heater tips and tip cartridges are extremely easy to assemble and use, and are ideal for demanding lead-free materials. This is due to OK International's powerful and long established SmartHeat technology, which takes the guesswork out of heat management by sensing the amount of heat energy needed at the pad and providing this accurately and instantaneously.

With this technology solder joint reliability and quality are guaranteed, cost of ownership is minimized, throughput is maximized and the PCB and components are protected from heat damage. Sensitive components are further protected from damage by ESD-safe materials and built-in ground continuity-sensing technology.

Tools in the MFR Series include:

o The patent-pending MFR-PTZ Precision Tweezer System whose unique dual fine point adjustment and pivot action allows even the smallest SMT devices, such as 0201 chip capacitors, to be handled during rework.

o The MFR-SRC Solder/Rework Cartridge System for fast, high performance soldering and rework applications.

o The MFR-PST Production Solder Tip System for cost-effective point to point production soldering.

o The MFR-DSI and MFR-DSX desoldering stations.
The lightweight hand pieces are designed for comfort and control with optimum tip-to-grip distance, while an impressive range of tip cartridge and heater tip geometries ensures easy access and precision performance in a wide variety of applications.

OK International's "Auto Standby" and "Auto Off" functions use innovative motion detection technology to save on energy usage and prolong tip life. The tip condition is enhanced by a special work stand design that incorporates tip cleaning and maintenance. Cost of ownership is further minimised as the MFR Series requires no calibration.

Incorporating the well-known Metcal, Techcon Systems and Impell product lines into its recently consolidated company structure, OK International draws on decades of design, manufacturing and application experience from different sectors, to match its world-class products with world-class support at a local level.

For further information, please contact:
OK International T: 714 799 9910
e-mail: pwood@okinternational.com
Website: www.okinternational.com

COPYRIGHT 2005 ThomasNet, Incorporated
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group

LED Fault Indicators suit printed circuit boards

2006-08-29T10:46:00.000-05:00

Featuring 1-piece design, LED Fault Indicators integrate LED light sources, holders, and mounting pins through injection molding process. Units are available in single, dual, triple, and quad LED versions, furnished with T-3 LEDs in unlimited range of colors and intensities. Typical green unit has peak wavelength of 565 nm, with axial intensity of 50 mcd at forward current of 20 mA. Applications include communications equipment, power management, and control systems.

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PALATINE, IL-Lumex Inc. is introducing its family of PC board fault indicators featuring an innovative one-piece design. These units integrate LED light sources, holders, and mounting pins, through a precision injection molding process. Because of their integrated design, these units require no additional factory-side assembly, and due to their tight-tolerance lead spacing, they are much easier to "auto insert." The result is a dramatically reduced installed cost, compared with conventional assembled fault indicators. The Lumex units are ideal for communications equipment, computer, power management, control system applications, or anywhere a fault or static indication is needed with mounting directly on the circuit board.

Lumex's One-Piece LED Fault Indicators are available in single, dual, triple, and quad LED versions, furnished with T-3 LEDs. An unlimited range of LED colors and intensities is available, since virtually any LED can be used in the injection molding process.

Electro-optical characteristics vary depending on the LED(s) chosen, but a typical green unit has a peak wavelength of 565 nm, with a typical axial intensity of 50 mcd at a forward current of If = 20mA.

Samples of many models are available from stock, with production quantities in 6 - 8 weeks. Pricing varies depending on model specified and quantity ordered. Minimum order quantity is generally in the range of 1,000 - 5,000 pieces each. A typical dual unit with two green LEDs is less than 20 cents each in quantities of 5,000.

For more information on Lumex one-piece LED fault indicators, visit www.lumex.com/product listing.asp?id=1006114.

Or contact Lumex, Sales Department,
290 E. Helen Rd., Palatine, IL 60067 USA.
Phone: 1-800-278-5666.
FAX: 1-847-359-8904.
E-mail: lmxsales@lumex.com
World Wide Web: www.lumex.com.

In Asia, contact Lumex's Asian Pacific Headquarters at 3F, No. 972, Sec. 4, Chung Hsing Rd., Chu Dung, Hsin Chu County, Taiwan, ROC.
Phone:+886-3-582-1124.
FAX: +886-3-582-1154.
World Wide Web (in Chinese): www.lumex.com.tw

Lumex, a member of the ITW family of companies, is a leading designer, manufacturer and distributor of opto- and photo-electronic components, devices and displays. These products are used mostly in the man-to-machine interface, and in some cases, for the detection of motion, short-range signaling, and fiber communications. Lumex now offers thousands of items, with an emphasis on both application-specific and customer-specific parts for the North American, Asian and European markets.

The company is headquartered in Palatine, Illinois and Chu Dung, Hsin Chu County, Taiwan, ROC, with manufacturing facilities in Illinois, Taiwan and China, and distributors throughout North America, Europe and the Pacific Rim. Since its inception in 1980, Lumex was established as a global organization offering application-specific solutions-but with the manufacturing efficiencies normally associated only with volume operations. Lumex received its initial ISO 9001 registration in 1996.

COPYRIGHT 2005 ThomasNet, Incorporated
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group

Test Points suit high-density printed circuit boards

2006-08-12T11:31:00.000-05:00

RoHS-compliant, surface-mount Series TP-108 features 0.070 x 0.135 in. pad size and 0.060 in. profile. Test points are manufactured using 0.010 x 0.040 in. phosphor bronze No. 510 spring-tempered flat wire alloy and 100% matte tin over nickel underplate for reflow solderability. Equally suitable for automatic or manual test, units accurately identify faults, both during and after manufacture. They are rated to 2 A and operate from -55 to +125A[degrees]C.

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Miniature and Compact, Test Points Simplify Safe and Reliable Testing on High-Density Circuit Boards

Denville, NJ, August 24, 2005...Components Corp., a world leader in the design and manufacture of circuit board hardware technology, today announced the availability of the 100% RoHS-compliant TP-108 Series of ultra-low profile test points. Offered to satisfy the space conservation requirements of high-density PCBs, especially those engineered for mounting high pin count packages, the surface mount devices boast a 0.060" profile, and a 0.070" x 0.135" pad size. The TP-108 is notably constructed utilizing a proprietary technology developed expressly to yield long life and unrivaled durability. The technology includes the utilization of flat wire to facilitate a larger area for mounting the device to the board. This bigger area is a significant benefit as it helps minimize mechanical stress on the devices' connections to the solder pad to enhance the durability and reliability of the connection for miniature probes, clips and j-hooks. Moreover, the test points' loop configuration holds these devices securely, and eliminates the potential for slippage and puncture wounds frequently associated with posts and turrets.

Components Corp's newest RoHS-compliant test point series is ideal for employment by fabricators of SMT printed circuit boards challenged by testing smaller, high-performance boards with greater functionality. Equally suitable for automatic or manual test, TP-108s offer the ability to easily and accurately identify faults both during and after manufacture. They may be confidently specified for use in a wide array of applications ranging from consumer electronics, to medical and aerospace.

The test points are manufactured using a 0.010" x 0.040" phosphor bronze #510 spring-tempered flat wire alloy, and a 100% matte tin (0.0001 min.) over nickel (0.0001) underplate for reliable reflow solderability. They further feature a current rating of 2 A, and an operating temperature range of -55 to +125 degrees C. Designed for automatic placement by standard pick-and-place equipment, parts are supplied on 8 mm wide, 4 mm pitch, conductive polycarbonate tape that meets ANSI/EIA-481 standards. Test points are offered on 7" reels/1,000 pieces, or 13" reels/5,000 or 8,000 pieces. For more detailed specifications visit http://componentscorp.com/details/tp108.html.

Pricing for Components Corporation's TP-108 Series of ultra-low profile, RoHS-compliant test points is $0.080 ea., in quantities of 1,000. Delivery is from stock to 4 weeks. Samples are available upon request.

About Components Corporation

For over 60 years, Denville, NJ-headquartered Components Corp. (www.componentscorp.com) has been a global leader is the design, engineering and manufacturing of precision printed circuit card edge connector, printed circuit test points, preform jumpers and hardware, and battery contacts. The Company remains committed to solving the industry's most demanding interconnect and testing challenges with high-quality and innovative products for the broadest range of mission-critical applications. It's leading industrial, military, commercial and consumer customer base have come to rely on Component Corporation's in-house tooling capability to ensure the excellence and economy of products regardless of the quantity required. The Company's products are marketed through a worldwide network of sales representatives and distributors (http://componentscorp.com/html/search.asp.).

COPYRIGHT 2005 ThomasNet, Incorporated
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group

Software facilitates printed circuit board design

2006-08-08T11:30:00.000-05:00

DipTrace v1.21.r5 is equipped with PCB Layout module, Schematic Capture, and Component/Pattern editors to help users design their own component libraries. Automatic router can route single layer and multi-layer circuit boards, while Design Rule Check function checks clearance between design objects and minimum size of tracks and drills, ensuring accuracy. Feature comparing PCB to schematic helps detect possible design mistakes and correct them before prototyping.

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New circuit board design software helps electronics engineers and technicians create PCB board designs in half the time with half of the usual costs.

DipTrace is an advanced PCB design software application that comes with PCB Layout module, Schematic Capture and Component/Pattern editors to design your own component libraries. Besides being very simple to learn, which is quite an accomplishment for an engineering software application, the software has a very intuitive user interface
and many innovative features that most marketed PCB Design packages lack.

For instance, a schematic can be converted to a PCB with one mouse click. The board designer can instantly renew the PCB from an updated version of schematic and keep existing placement, routed traces, board outline, mounting holes and other work. DipTrace has a high quality automatic router, superior to many routers included in other PCB layout packages. It can route a single layer (bottom side) and multilayer circuit boards, and there is an option to autoroute a single layer board with jumper wires, if required. Smart manual routing tools allow users to finalize the design and to get the results they want in a blink of an eye.

Accurate shape-based copper pour system with different possible fill types and thermals can be placed to plane layer and manufacturing costs can be reduced by minimizing the amount of etchant. Another important feature is Design Rule Check (DRC) - the function that checks the clearance between design objects, minimum size of tracks and drills, which ensures board accuracy. A feature comparing a PCB to a schematic helps detect possible design mistakes and correct them before prototyping.

The program supports different output formats, like DXF, N/C drill files for the Numerically Controlled drilling machines and Gerber files that most board manufacturers use. Very important feature for hobbyists is automatic creation of isolation poly lines and exporting them to DXF, DXF files can be converted to G-code with free ACE Converter tool. DipTrace also contains an impressive number of standard libraries with 50,000+ components.

While the least expensive software to perform similar functions is likely to cost thousands of US Dollars, the unlimited version of DipTrace is available for 495 US Dollars, DipTrace Standard (1000 pins) and DipTrace Lite (500 pins) are available for 295 USD and 145 USD, accordingly.
Also, there is completely free version available for students and hobbyists with 250 pins limit!

Full-featured 30-Day trial and free version with 250 pins limit are available at http://www.diptrace.com

COPYRIGHT 2005 ThomasNet, Incorporated
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group

Kovac Software puts ‘the cat among the pigeons' by releasing its completely free PCB design system.

2006-08-02T10:07:00.000-05:00

Kovac Software, a leading developer of Windows based 2D and 3D graphics software, is pleased to announce the availability of AutoTRAX EDA, a desktop electronic board-level design software suite for FREE! It is not a demo program and contains no timeouts or limits. It is truly free…AutoTRAX EDA combines schematic capture, circuit simulation, PCB layout and 3D modeling of both parts and the final board with extensive CAM integration.

What's the catch? "Well there really isn't one!" Says Ilija Kovacevic, founder of Kovac Software. "After our recent successes developing 3D software for Template Graphics Software in San Diego and the award winning 2D interactive form designer for the e-forms management product marketed by Cardiff Software, Inc., in Vista, California, we reviewed the current electronics CAD market. While it appears to be flooded with products, upon closer examination there is a lot of consolidation at the top end. It reminds me of the story of big fishes eating little fishes etc. Meanwhile at the bottom end there are a lot of ‘one man garage products' that are going nowhere. What does this mean for the design communit?, Well as is usual in industries when the main players such as Mentor Graphics, Cadence and Altium are swallowing up their competitors, prices remain high. For example, just look at Altium's new Protel DXP product which is to be priced at $7,995US. This is certainly not good news for the design engineering industry."

"The time is now ripe for someone to ‘put a cat among the pigeons' and provide a viable alternative. Similar to the way Lunix shook up the Unix business, the board level EDA industry needs a fresh alternative that has been designed for the 21st century, not a collection of programs each with a different look and feel bundled together

"Why AutoTRAX EDA? "

Here at Kovac Software we have taken a fresh look at the desktop EDA market and have coupled our extensive experience in user interfaces, 2D/3D graphics and simulation together with the latest software design methodologies to rapidly develop the next stage in EDA software. Kovac Software is working with leading CAD suppliers Solidworks and Autodesk to integrate the electronic design cycle and the mechanical design cycle. No longer can electronic designers ‘throw the finished PCB over the wall' to the mechanical designers saying ‘can you squeeze that in somewhere'".

Schematic Capture and simulation.
AutoTRAX EDA features a powerful drag and drop schematic capture module with integral SPICE simulation and virtual instruments giving the user a virtual electronics workbench with oscilloscopes, function generators, spectrum analyzers and many others. Tight design rules prevent invalid designs such as schematics with wires going nowhere or connected to blank space.

PCB Designer.
The schematic capture module is tightly integrated with the PCB designer.
The engineer can rapidly create their final boards using the PCB design wizard. The fast interactive autolayout/autorouter ensures an accurate error free design within a short time.

3D solid modeling.
In order to ensure that the design will integrate with the mechanical enclosure, AutoTRAX EDA incorporated the unique Active3D solid modeler to provide views of the final board and communicate the design to third party CAD/CAM programs. The Active3D part designer is truly a pleasure to work with. The designer can create basic parts, drag and drop pre-made parts from the design gallery and add parts to the design gallery. Next materials can be dragged from the design library and placed onto parts. A built in photorealistic renderer provides a professional photographic quality image for incorporation into other documents.

CAM collaboration.
Finally the designer can send their finished work to production using AutoTRAX EDA's comprehensive CAM interfaces. Kovac Software is working closely with SolidWorks and Autodesk to provide a complete desktop design solution.

Open database.
All the modules are tied together via AutoTRAX EDA's distributed open format part database."

The desktop EDA industry is about to get a wake-up call!" says Ilija Kovacevic with a wry smile.

AutoTRAX EDA is available for free download from <http://www.autotraxEDA.com> complete with printable Adobe PDF manuals. In addition printed copies of the manual can be ordered on-line.

About Kovac Software.
Kovac Software was formed in 1990 and has developed many ‘shrink wrap' 2D and 3D computer graphics programs. These were distributed via offices in San Diego and Tokyo. In addition Kovac Software has developed component software for leading companies such as Silicon Graphics, Solidworks, IMSI and PTC. Recently Kovac Software developed the award winning form designer for Cardiff Software in southern California.
<http://www.cardiff.com>.

About Ilija KovacevicIlija Kovacevic received his B.Sc.(Hons) in physics at Birmingham University. After working in the electronic industry at both National Semiconductor and Motorola, he founded Kovac Software. His main research interests are in computer simulation and making complicated software seem simple. In his spare time he combines cycling with competitive power lifting. He is the 1990 British 125Kg. Powerlifting champion.

ContactsIlija Kovacevic
Ilija@kov.com +44(0)1889 505094
Kovac Software
Fair Oak, Skeath Lane, Sandon Bank, Stafford ST18 9TD, England
Telephone +44 (0)1889 508094
http://www.autotraxEDA.com

This article courtesy of http://pcbindex.com.

High-Temperature Labels suit PCB manufacturing processes

2006-07-21T13:32:00.000-05:00

Resistant to temperatures up to 750[degrees]F, labels enable traceability and tracking all through production and manufacturing process, including lead-free soldering processes. They withstand chemical and solvent washes on PCBs and are suited for lead-free soldering baths, reflow, and IR ovens. Products, supplied as blank or pre-printed, allow variable data to be added in-house, on-demand, with thermal transfer, laser, or dot matrix printer.

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Computer Imprintable Label Systems (CILS), the leading manufacturer of high-performance label identification systems, has launched a new range of high temperature resistant labels.
The new labels are manufactured in the widest range of materials resistant to temperature extremes up to 750[degrees]F. They also withstand chemical and solvent washes on PCB s, and are ideal for lead free soldering baths, reflow and infrared ovens. They are ideally suited for traceability and tracking all through the production and manufacturing process.

They are perfect for American manufacturers with international customers in order to comply with the European RoHS Directive for lead free soldering that requires a higher temperature for processing.

CILS high temperature resistant label range can be supplied blank or pre-printed and variable data can be added in-house, on-demand with a thermal transfer, laser or dot matrix printer.

Leslie Kavanagh
Operations Manager
CILS INTERNATIONAL
Computer Imprintable Label Systems LLC
900 Cummings Center - 213T, Beverly MA 01915, USA
Toll Free: 888-921-8877 / Tel: 978-921-8877/ Fax: 978-921-0833 / Email: lkavanagh@cils-international.com / www.cils-international.com

COPYRIGHT 2006 ThomasNet, Incorporated
COPYRIGHT 2006 Gale Group

PCB-Mounted Transducer measures currents up to 100 ARMS

2006-07-20T11:10:00.000-05:00

GENEVA, Switzerland and MILWAUKEE, WI (June 6, 2006) - LEM has introduced the LAX 100-NP, a miniature PCB-mounted transducer for the measurement of currents up to 100ARMS. This new Closed Loop Hall-effect sensor can be configured, by means of the primary connections on the PCB, to measure currents up to 16.67, 25, 33.33, 50 or 100ARMS. Its design simplifies integration with power modules in drive and inverter designs.

Because the same transducer can be used for different current ranges, ordering and stock-holding are simplified. Also, in systems where a number of different currents have to be measured, this can be achieved with a number of LAX 100-NPs but only a single reference, reducing cost even further.

This new transducer is only 16.35mm high. It features a wide maximum bandwidth of DC to 300kHz and an overall accuracy of better than [+ or -]0.91 percent at a primary nominal RMS current of 100A. Typical linearity error is [+ or -]0.06 percent at 100A and temperature drift is 200 microamps max from 0 to +70[degrees]C. The Closed Loop Hall-effect technology results in no insertion losses and a fast response time (few ms). The LAX 100-NP, CE marked, comes with a five-year warranty, conforms to the EN50178 standard and is suitable for industrial applications such as variable speed drives, UPS, SMPS, air conditioning and home appliances.

LEM is a market leader in providing innovative and high quality solutions for measuring electrical parameters. Its core products - current and voltage transducers - are used in a broad range of applications in industrial, traction, energy, automation and automotive markets. LEM's strategy is to exploit the intrinsic strengths of its core business, and develop opportunities in new markets with new applications. LEM is a mid-size, global company with approximately 700 employees worldwide. It has production plants in Geneva (Switzerland), Machida (Japan), Beijing (China), plus regional sales offices, and offers a seamless service worldwide. Further information is available at: www.lem.com

Contacts
Ted Smith
Applications Engineer
LEM USA Inc.

New SchmartBOARD is the First in New Family of Populated I/O Boards

2006-07-19T09:50:00.000-05:00

SchmartBOARD, a company that manufactures a new type of tool to help engineers, students and hobbyists create electronic circuit prototypes, has released a SchmartBOARD prototype board that is populated with components for RS232 I/O functionality. The circuit on this board is centered on Analog Devices ADM202E RS232 controller chip. As with all Schmartboards, this populated board will mechanically connect to other Schmartboards utilizing Schmartboard's patent pending technology.

The features of the board include:
· 2 channels (2 transmit and 2 receive)
· RS232 and V.28-speeds up to 230Kb.
· Operates from a single 5V Power source
· ESD protected in excess of +/- 15Kv. on all I/O lines
· 4 LEDs(2 for transmit, 2 for receive)
· Preinstalled headers for transceiver lines
· Preinstalled headers for +5v and Ground

According to Analog Devices Director of Interface and High-speed Networking Products, Peter Real, "We believe that the Analog Devices ADM202E was a good choice for the Schmartboard RS232 board, because of the flexibility of the chip. We are happy that Schmartboard saw the advantages of utilizing our RS232 solution.

"Schmartboard started shipping its new prototyping technology in October 2003. According to Neal Greenberg, SchmartBOARD's VP Sales and Marketing, "We have successfully implemented phase one of our roadmap which is made up of unpopulated though hole and surface-mount Schmartboards. Phase two, will include populated Schmartboards, initially I/O in functionality starting with this RS232 board. The suggested retail on the RS232 module is $15.00."

About SchmartBOARD
(www.schmartboard.com)

SchmartBOARDTM is committed to helping engineers, students and hobbyists develop electronic circuits faster, easier, and less expensively than previously possible. Schmartboard's patent pending Electronic Circuit Building Blocks makes this possible. More information about Schmartboard can be found at www.schmartboard.com

This article courtesy of http://pcbindex.com.

You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice and the author name and URL remain intact.

Dip Trade - Professional Schematic and PCB Design Software

2006-07-18T11:07:00.000-05:00

Are you looking for a professional and easy-to-use PCB Design software with powerful autorouter and reasonable price?

Try DipTrace and you will be surprised! DipTrace is a complete state-of-the-art PCB Design System. It includes:

PCB Layout — PCB design with an easy to use manual route and autorouter.
Schematic — Schematic Capture and export to PCB.
Pattern Editor — allows you to create part footprints.
Component Editor — allows you to draw parts and make components.

DipTrace provides the following features:

Easy to learn user interface
To design a schematic, simply select and place components onto your document and connect them together using the wire and bus tools of schematic capture program. Multisheet design is supported. Then select the menu option “Convert to PCB” to convert the schematic to PCB layout. When you create or edit design objects they are highlighted to improve your work.

Easy to use manual and powerful automatic routing
DipTrace pcb software includes an advanced automatic router that is able to route single-layer and multi-layer boards. Available with a “rip-up and retry” algorithm. Autorouter achieves extremely high completion rates by going back and re-routing nets to make space for connections that could not be routed on a previous pass. Use the intelligent manual routing tools to finish the design and to get the best results you want. Unlimited board size is supported.
Shape-based copper pourPowerful copper pour system can help to reduce your manufacturing costs by minimizing the amount of etching solution required. To use it, all you have to do is insert a copper area on your board in the pcb layout program and any pad or track inside the selected area will be automatically surrounded with a gap of the desired size.

Accurate Design Rule Check (DRC)
The DRC function allows you to check the clearance between design objects, minimum size of tracks, and drills. Errors are displayed graphically and you can fix them step-by-step and rerun the DRC in one click after any corrections.

Manufacturing output formats
DipTrace provides support for a number of different manufacturing output formats. Using this pcb software you can produce N/C Drill files for numerically controlled (N.C.) drilling machines and RS-274X Gerber files for sending to board manufacturers. Vectorizing function allows to export true-type fonts and raster images. Also, you are able to export the board to other CAD/CAM packages using AutoCAD DXF.

Producing PCBs using milling method
DipTrace allows you to export edge polylines to DXF. The DXF files can be converted to G-code with Ace Converter (it's free). Before edge exporting the DRC function of pcb layout program checks the design and shows possible problems if exist.

Standard component libraries
DipTrace package includes component and pattern libraries which contain 50.000+ components from different manufacturers.

Creation of your own libraries
Component and pattern editors allow to design your own symbols and patterns, to create complete components simply connect them together by means of component editor.
... and much more! http://www.diptrace.com/

OR-KAV Appointed as Israeli Representative for Printed Circuit Board – PCB – Netlist Compare Tool.

2006-07-17T12:28:00.000-05:00

Cadalist-Enterprises has announced the appointment of OR-KAV of Or Yehuda, Israel, to sell and support the DOCTAR design and netlist compare tool in Israel.

The DOCTAR software compares two printed circuit board (PCB) design files and reports what has changed. It is used by leading electronics companies for hardware design reviews, ECO documentation, PCB cost estimation, and validating designs migrated from one CAD system to another. "OR-KAV is a long-standing, highly-respected Israeli EDA firm with a well-earned reputation for customer support" says Matt Van Wagner, Director of Sales and Marketing for cadalist-enterprises. "We are extremely pleased to team with OR-KAV to provide sales and technical support to our growing customer base of printed circuit board designers in Israel."

"For Voltaire's board design engineers, the Doctar tool has contributed extremely to our sense of security in second round layouts." says David Ophir, Board Design Engineer at Voltaire, Herzeliya, Israel. "Doctar detects both design and schematic mistakes by reporting changes between revisions and helps to isolate only the desired ones. We established better quality control on the outputs (netlists and BOM's) that represent our designs."

"In today's design cycle too much of the engineer's time is spent on comparing design files. Because some customers use a number of EDA vendors and the engineers and layout designers pass design rules and changes back and forth without leaving their desktops, they need top quality, easy to use and affordable solutions to review their hardware product designs," says Ruth Pe'er, Chief Executive Officer for Or-Kav. "We have always focused our value-add to our customers and believe that the DOCTAR design compare tools will help our customers to better track changes, control outsourced design and ensure accuracy in as short a time as possible.

"DOCTAR supports Allegro, Cadence, GenCAD, Mentor, Orcad, P-CAD, PADS, PowerPCB, and Viewlogic input file format formats. Reports are output in HTML web-browser and Excel formats with high-level summary as well as detailed reporting to component/net level.

DOCTAR software runs under Windows NT/2000/XP operating systems.Evaluation copies of DOCTAR can be downloaded from: DOCTAR Design Netlist Compare Tool

About cadalist-enterprises, LLC cadalist-enterprises

Cadalist provides software and services for managing printed circuit board (PCB) design data from design through manufacturing.

About OR-KAV
Or-Kav (www.or-kav.co.il)[OR-KAV is a leading provider of solutions for the design of electronic circuits in all stages. In addition, Or-Kav provides a wide variety of services that complement its products. The array of solutions offered by Or-Kav linking all the design stages and assuring reliability and continuity of information.

CONTACT: cadalist-enterprises LLCMatt Van Wagner, matt@cad-e.com 603-577-750412 Dublin Court, Bedford, NH 03110 USAOR-KAV Ruth Pe'er,
info@or-kav.co.il 972 3 533 95 32
NOTE: DOCTAR is a trademark of cadalist-enterprises. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

This article courtesy of http://pcbindex.com.

You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice and the author name and URL remain intact.

PCB Prototypes

2006-07-15T13:56:00.000-05:00

A PCB is the acronym for Printed Circuit Boards, which are cards or circuit boards that are composed of a very thin flat metal or hard plastic-type board called an insulator. It is upon this that computer silicon chips and other similar electronic components are mounted. These PCBs are then used in electronic appliances like televisions, computers, washing machines, digital cameras, and so forth.

A prototype can be considered the first working model of an invention. So in this case, a PCB prototype is the first circuit board that is invented for a new electronic device. By using this PCB prototype in the electronic device, the inventor can see if the prototype serves its purpose in the invention. Once the electronic device is made to function with the PCB prototype, any mistakes that take place can be rectified in the prototype. In this way, the PCB prototype saves the inventor of the electronic appliance lots of money, as any mistakes that may be present in the PCB will be pinpointed before the actual commercial manufacture of the PCB.

Without having a PCB prototype, the model of a new invention will be of no use if its PCB is not in good condition and up to requirements. Electronic appliances are getting more and more technologically advanced by the day. This advancement is done through changes on a PCB prototype, which is then tried on the appliance to see if the advancement is in right order. Using different materials of the PCB also account for changes in the PCB prototype. You can use fiberglass, Teflon or cross-linked polystyrene for the PCB, and it is through the PCB prototype that you find out which PCB material best fits your PCB. Nowadays, new PCBs are in use in electronic appliances, thanks to the PCB prototypes.

Prototypes provides detailed information on Prototypes, Prototype Makers, Pcb Prototypes, Car Prototypes and more. Prototypes is affiliated with Invention Patents.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Damian_Sofsian

Pad2Pad.com - custom PCBs online - including components

2006-07-15T01:11:00.000-05:00

Welcome to http://www.pad2pad.com/ - where you can instantly design, price, and order your custom printed circuit boards with components.

Pad2Pad is the remarkable new way to get the custom boards you need. Download our free software, design your board, and click to order. Your board will be manufactured, assembled with components and delivered. Even better, your cost is low due to the Internet and free software.

Pad2Pad's mission is to provide easy, convenient and low-cost fabrication of custom boards and assembly of components via the web.

By fully leveraging the Internet, software, and state-of-the-art PCB manufacturing technologies, our goal is to minimize your cost in time, dollars, and effort. We anticipate further cost savings from high processing volume.

This exciting new web service allows you more easily and conveniently then ever to:
- Produce boards for existing products
- Design and make new products
- Fabricate replacement boards
- Create scientific equipment
- Test new inventions
- Fabricate boards for user
- assembled kits
- Make any electronic devices you need

Making custom boards using conventional vendors can be a cumbersome process of back and forth emails, calls, and software issues. And online services are often not economical in production or don't offer component assembly.Additionally, if using CAD software, the available software options are often expensive, poorly designed or complex.

Because of these obstacles many fabricators avoid customers seeking short runs. And even for long runs customers are discouraged from doing too many what-if price quotations.Pad2Pad solves these problems and streamlines the entire custom fabrication process from the user's screen to delivery at the user's door. The free Pad2Pad software offers powerful features in a state-of-the-art easy user interface. Software commands are included for creating board layout, evaluating designs, getting automated price quotations, and ordering.

The Pad2Pad web site delivers quality products with greater convenience than ever before.Whether you are making a single test jig or producing boards for 100,000 cell phones, Pad2Pad will be a key factor in your success.

This article courtesy of http://pcbindex.com/.You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice and the author name and URL remain intact.