MUNICH – Zuken will incorporate design principles and layer stacks from Würth Elektronik into the next version of its PCB design software as part of a new collaboration that will help create higher quality PCB designs.

The inclusion of the printed circuit board fabricator's design rules in CADStar will optimize and simplify the PCB construction process, resulting in improved manufacturability and affordability, Zuken said.

"We’ve defined a shared set of design principles for PCB features such as layer stack-ups, route-widths, spacing and via sizes. By implementing them as templates in CADStar during the layout process, we can achieve significant benefits in reliability and efficiency for developers, designers and manufacturers," said Stefan Keller, product manager for HDI/microvia at Würth.

With PCB designs becoming more complicated and manufacturing costs squeezed, it is more important for PCB designers to communicate design details to their PCB manufacturers at an early stage. Ignoring this step can lead to unbalanced designs, inaccurate design data, increased costs and reduced reliability. Zuken and Würth Elektronik’s collaboration addresses this critical issue.

"The adverse effects of design data not defined with upfront manufacturer-driven rules occur mostly when designing complex, high-speed printed circuit boards. For impedance-controlled boards with fine pitch BGA components and HDI microvias, the layer structure must be designed with precision and specifications of both the components and PCB manufacturer must be considered," said Jeroen Leinders, CADStar distribution manager at Zuken

Würth Elektronik’s design rules and layer structures will be incorporated into the latest version of CADSTAR as templates which can be applied during the layout process. They will be available for download from Zuken Global Support for all on-maintenance customers.

PCB West: The Silicon Valley's leading printed circuit design and manufacturing conference: Sept. 25-27, 2012 www.pcbwest.com

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