Support for rigidflex design complete system for designing flex and rigidflex pcbs. The ability to define and characterize multiple pcb bending lines in a design. One such example was a project completed at fluke corp. Rigid flex printed circuit boards are boards using a combination of flexible and rigid board technologies in an application. Rigid flex circuits bring together all the awesome features of both rigid printed circuit boards and flexible printed circuit boards integrated into one combined circuit called the rigid flex printed circuit board. You can look up the references for your requirements. Xpedition s correctbyconstruction environment simplifies the design process from creation of complex rigidflex stackups, to definition of bend areas with associated constraints, to accurate output for manufacturing. Top 5 pcb design guidelines every pcb designer needs. Fpc has the potential to offer product developers and designers significantly. The purpose of this webpage is to describe the minimum data and information required. Business business, international computers and office automation circuit printing printed circuit boards printed circuits. The course was written by john michael pierobon, who has an advanced engineering degree from purdue university. Flextoinstall ul marking in accordance with ul94 or ul796f possible these design rules apply to. Intelligent recognition of rigidflex design elements lets you make changes at.
The system goes through the rules from highest to lowest priority and picks the first one whose scopes match the objects being checked. Below are some of the ways that a flexcircuit can solve your designpackaging problems. As suggested earlier, any successful rigidflex design requires that the design team work closely with the fabricator. Flexible circuit designs share many of the same challenges as rigid pcb designs, but there are. Additional resources are available on our literature page, including our quality manual. Meeting flex and flexrigid design challenges mentor graphics. Indesign rules coupled with this enhanced definition ensure that the design is correct by construction. Rigidflex, like altium rigid flex, can have many benefits, and many designers are at least considering it today who previously did not have to. We would be happy to provide you with indepth consultation to determine the optimum solution. Introduction rigidflex printed circuits means hybrid systems, which combine the characteristics of rigid and flexible circuit substrates in one product. Oct 09, 2016 there are some articles about the rigid flex circuit. Practical design guidelines for flex chapter 5 introduction flexible circuits are obviously unique among electronic packaging technologies in that they o. In most rigid flex circuit boards, the circuitry consists of multiple flexible circuit inner layers selectively attached together using an epoxy prepreg bonding film, similar to a multilayer flexible circuit. Publish to pdf, print or web with a controlled view of a projects history and.
In this example, the display components are mounted directly on the flex circuit with a stiffener and require new design rules. The ability to define and characterize multiple pcb. Design guides and rules bonding sheet design folder area no adhesive area no adhesive area 45 o bs design by. To deal with these challenges and drive project success, designers have had to rely on their individual skill and experience, as traditional pcb design tools dont provide much help in avoiding flexrigid pitfalls. Along with those benefits come new design challenges that. For hybrid circuit design, including polymer thick film circuits, see also chapter 8. Basic designs of flexrigid printed circuit boards by markus wille, ruwel. Full 3d, folded and unfolded viewing and clearance design rule checking. Mar 19, 2014 rigid flex uses stiff and flexible materials to create the circuitry needed for a product. Early in the rigid flex pcb design process, its essential to give ample. More pcb designers are facing higher pressures to build ever more densely populated electronics, and with that comes additional pressure to reduce costs and time in manufacturing. Design rule checks, the fab usually has to call the designer or engineer to clarify issues that.
Rigidflex circuits a guide book for designers 6 flexcircuit materials. Early in the rigid flex pcb design process, its essential to give ample consideration to how choices made in the board design will result in reduced costs while maintaining reliability. Multiple pcbs connected with cabling which used to be the normal design are now constructed into one threedimensional pcb body. There are basically different ways to create a system. Presently nearly every imaginable type of electronic product employs flex. The design engineer prepares only one layout including the interconnections. Assignment complete design project package submit by week 7, lecture 2.
According to the rules, bearing capacity of the base under the pavement the placenta should be uniform across the entire section of a certain new road, with the condition that. Actual sizes if your design requirements exceed the capabilities stated above, please contact the factory to see if. Most rigid flex boards consist of multiple layers of flexible circuit substrates attached to one or more rigid boards externally andor internally, depending upon the design of the application. With a welldefined set of design rules, you can successfully complete board designs with varying and often stringent design requirements. Rigid areas provide excellent hard mount points for. Circuits designed primarily as flex circuits have great opportunities to increase your design capabilities when integrated rigid areas are added. Rigid flex design guidelines 18 requirements for flex quote fabrication.
Are you maximizing your rigidflex pcba board development. Rigid flex pcb san francisco circuits rigidflex circuits. In fact, the global market for flex rigid flex boards more than doubled in the past 4 years alone. If you would like to get a quick estimate on how much your rigid flex design might cost, try our rigid flex cost estimator. Below you will find the minimum data information requirements needed to place your flex or rigid flex circuit board order. Iconnect007 the printed circuit designers guide to. Rigid flex pcb with air gap bonding sheet epoxy 12. We go where others willflexible circuit not and heater. The top pcb layout design rules for rigidflex pcbs tempo. Design, pavement, flexible and rigid, heavy vehicles 1. Rigidflex pcb design best practicesdownloadjaapson blog.
Altium designer rigid flex guidebook for pcb design. A 14 width with drawing lip for marking accurate lines and quilt seam allowances. Replace multiple hardboards and connectors with a single flexcircuit or rigidflex circuit. As a result, designers have to do many more manual checks in order to benefit from the advantages of this technologyand to ensure that their designs can be fabricated according to their intent. Rigid flex pcb design guidelines engineering technical.
Pcb designers working with flex or flexrigid technology face many challenges, every one of which has the potential to derail a project and cause costly design failures. Only one set of drawings is needed and only one article is purchased and kept in stock. This rigidflex guide book, and the new design capabilities within altium designers pcb editor for. Rigid flex pcb design guidelines engineering technical pcbway. Single side flexible pcb single side flexible pcb cover layer type. Rigidflex printed circuits traditionally consist of multiple layers of both rigid and flexible substrates laminated together into a single cohesive construction, electrically interconnected by means of plated throughholes pth on a printed circuit board pcb. The all flex design guide is a significant tool that you will find very helpful in designing a highly reliable flexible circuit optimized for all flex manufacturability. The following golden rules for the project aim for successful production and eliminating preventable respins.
The demand for increased electronics in an ever smaller space is driving more design to consider volumetric solutions and 3d interconnection is the a key capability for rigid flex reduced assembly costs rigid flex circuits integration of flexible areas with rigid elements which support. Rigid flex circuits have been used in the military and aerospace industries for more than 20 years. Fci design guide lawrence berkeley national laboratory. Rigidflex is not just another ordinary flexible circuit. Today, however, flex and flexrigid designs are becoming more and more complex so its vital that modern design tools.
An introduction to rigidflex pcb design best practices. Flex and rigidflex fundamentals, the new book on flexrigidflex printed circuit boards by american standard circuits is a must have desk reference for any pcb designer, oemodm, contract manufacturer and pcb fabricator. Rigid flex design guidelines click to enlarge broadly speaking, a rigid flex design will closely resemble a hardboard design, with the flexible layers fully extending into the rigid areas of the board. Designing flexible circuits is sponsored by all flex. Aug 24, 2018 the advantages of the rigid flex printed circuit boards can be highlighted as below, they provide room and opportunity for design improvements by possessing the three dimensional flexibility as a rigid flex pcb can take various geometrical shapes without affecting the reliability, durability and efficiency of the system. Freeform integration of electronic elements through all three dimensions of space is. Use compact component technology smt and compact layout to reduce current loop areas. Rigid flex circuits, rigid flex circuit boards flexible circuit.
The standard layer buildups for rigidflex circuit boards are as follows. The technical information details our standard manufacturing capabilities but note, we also consider various flex designs that are outside of our typical parameters, for those. If possible insertion of wide copper tracks for tear protection c g g r. All flex design guide the all flex design guide is a significant tool that you will find very helpful in designing a highly reliable flexible circuit optimized for all flex manufacturability. A combination of flexible and rigid substrates laminated into a single package presents unique challenges and opportunities. The technical information details our standard manufacturing capabilities but note, we also consider various flex designs that are outside of our typical parameters, for those, please inquire within. Flexible circuits provide four major benefits over rigid pc boards. Flex rigid board rigid flex glossary 2 1fi2fl glenair, inc 2122 air way, glendale, ca 321fi2 4241fl56fififi. This rigidflex guide book, and the new design capabilities within altium designers pcb editor for rigidflex design, reflect a commitment to that openness. Rigid flex circuits are characterized by having conductors on both the flexible and rigid layers of the circuit. Flex design rule is a vinyl covered 20 lead flexible design curve that is easily positioned for designing and drafting different shapes. You might not be, unless youre applying the pcb layout design rules we share.
The tradeoffs required to produce a successful rigidflex design translate to a set of design rules the designer can develop with the fabricators input. The purpose of this webpage is to describe the minimum data and information required to generate the tooling for your order. In its most typical configuration, the rigidflex is a series of rigid pcbs. When we published our first guidebook on rigidflex pcb design, flexible circuit technology was still in its infancy. Regard distances of drill holes and smd pads to flexrigid transition, see wurth elektronik design rules. All contentions are resolved by a priority setting. Rigid flexible printed circuit board rfpc rigid flex pcb. Quotegenerated cost comparison of rigidflex design versus rigidcablerigid pcb assembly. Great for measuring curved seams and designing curved quilt border patterns. Automating interlayer indesign checks in rigidflex pcbs.
Rigid flex pcb design guidelines printed circuits llc. Rigidflex can have many benefits, and many designers are at least considering it today who previously did not have to. Rigid flex circuits medical, aerospace and military. A blend of rigid and flex emphasizing the best of both constructions, adding synergistic capabilities neither possess alone. Automating interlayer in design checks in rigid flex pcbs by ed hickey, product engineering director, cadence flexible pcbs flex rigid flex make it possible to create a variety of products that require small form factors and light weight, such as wearable, mobile, military, and medical devices. Business business, international computers and office automation. A processs for applying legend, marking, lpi solder mask, and silver ink conductors. We go where others will flexible circuit not and heater. The technology requires understanding in order to assure successful deployment.
The circuits must then use additional films usually pi or pet, sometimes flexible solder mask ink for coverlay. Documents for manufacturing flex rigid circuit boards basically, standards must be regarded such as ipc2223, ipc60, the basic design guide from wurth elektronik, as well as variantspecific design rules and our drying recommendations. Since that time, weve seen a surge of interest in rigidflex design, with wearables becoming a common thread in our daily existence. However, we shall discuss those aspects of the design connected to choice of technology, components, pwb layout and production on pcbhybrid circuit level. Please respect the basic design guide of wurth elektronik for design rules regarding structures, via sizes and soldermask. We can accommodate almost any file format such as dwg, dxf, gerber, proe, and solid works. They may often prototype as a rigid design for proof of concept, but later create rigid flex versions for production.
The insulating material upon which a conductive pattern may be formed. Designers in rigid flex applications start with rigid flex because it is the only method of achieving their product goals. Support for rigid flex design complete system for designing flex and rigid flex pcbs. Rigid flex circuits, rigid flex circuit boards flexible. Actual sizes if your design requirements exceed the capabilities stated above, please contact the factory to see if an alternate process or tooling are available.
Staggered length circuits bookbinder construction for ease of. As a first step, rigidflex designs require closer collaboration between the designer and fabricator than traditional boardandcable designs. Plated throughholes extend between the flexible and rigid sections and electrically connect multiple conductor layers. In the past, seasoned pcb designers bypassed rigidflex circuit design by connecting two. Below you will find the minimum data information requirements needed to place your flex or rigidflex circuit board order. Four layer flex circuit polyimide coverlay adhesive plated copper through hole copper layer 2 solder access hole polyimide coverlay double layer flex circuit copper layer 1 plated through vias techetch can provide circuits with plated through vias. Apr 12, 2016 the maturation of rigidflex technology. Rigidflex pcbs drive additional rules when the flex circuit is folded or bent inside an enclosure. General circuit design is outside the scope of this book. A circuit containing rigid pcb boards connected by integral flexible areas where the flexible materials and circuitry run through both rigid and flex areas. The rigid flex valu build program offers the lowest overall material costs for rigid flex design, while also providing a very safe starting point for designers who are new to rigid flex design. John michael has taught hundreds of technical courses throughout the world, and speaks several languages fluently. We go where others willflexible circuit not and heater design guide.
Ensuring reliable products with new rigidflex design rules. Ability to export folded or partially folded 3d step models of a board for mcad collaboration. State of the art design of rigidflex substrates, a manufacturer. Whether in medical technology, sensors, mechatronics or in instrumentation, electronics. To ensure correctbyconstruction design, designers need indesign interlayer. Rigid flex uses stiff and flexible materials to create the circuitry needed for a product. Rigidflex pcb design guidelinesdownloadjaapson blog and. Typical rules for compound designs mechanical constraints. Introduction to printed circuit board pcb design ipc.
Background flexible circuits have seen explosive growth in recent times owing to their numerous advantages as an interconnection medium. There are some articles about the rigidflex circuit. The technical information details our standard manufacturing capabilities but note, we also consider various flex designs that are outside of our typical. Rigid flex can have many benefits, and many designers are at least considering it today who previously did not have to. As a result, rigidflex designers had to manually determine how to translate a 3d design of both the rigid and flexible sections into a flat, 2d representation suitable for fabrication. Basic designs of flex rigid printed circuit boards by markus wille, ruwel. Fabrication basic designs of flexrigid printed circuit boards. Design rules change around the flextorigid transition. Good emc design is a large field and the reader should consult the specialised literature. There are very few generic rules when it comes to flexiblecircuit design. A via is a metalized through hole that connects the conductive layers of a flexible circuit.
By allowing vias to basically connect to any possible layer, designs can have a smaller footprint by utilizing extra space in in the inner layers of a multilayer pcb. For ease of flexing multilayer and rigid flex designs, the use of staggered length design is. Meeting flex and flexrigid design challenges mentor. The two kinds of circuits in the rigid flex pcb are interconnected with the help of via mainly plated through via pr pth.
Variations from these defaults are of course also possible, please contact us. Features a common design guideline for a rigid flex pcb is the four layer process. This further required them to manually document all areas that were flexible. Pi and pet films, as well as thin flexibleepoxyandglassfibre cores, form common substrates for flex circuits. Rigid flexible printed circuit board rfpc rigid flex. No vias in flexible area with flexrigid use teardrops round routing in flexible area preserve nfp non functional pads on flexible layers reliability risk please respect the basic design guide of wurth elektronik for design rules regarding structures, via sizes and soldermask. The standard layer buildups for rigid flex circuit boards are as follows. In fact, the global market for flexrigidflex boards more than doubled in the past 4 years alone. Lecture 2 will be a simple project on how to define a flex design. Foreword sierra protoexpress amit bahl sierra protoexpress december 20 the past year or two have been very challenging in the printed circuit board industry. Learn about the specific design guidelines, materials and uses that you should.