Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1327102
JANUARY 2021 I DESIGN007 MAGAZINE 11 designers face in creating a stackup. Barry Olney provides an overview of his 30 years in stackup planning, with links to many of his ear- lier columns on the topic. And Mark Thomp- son explains why proper stackup design really comes down to communicating your design intent to your fabricator. Martyn Gaudion of Polar Instruments explains why a seemingly simple concept such as layer stackup can be so complex, and what role software tools can play in stackup design. And Tara Dunn helps break down many of the myths surrounding flexible circuit stackup design. It's 2021 now, and I'm glad to see 2020 in the rear-view mirror. We have a couple of COVID- 19 vaccines now, and it's looking like we may be nearing the end of this. The world has come together to fight this thing; there's nothing we can't do if we work together. I hope to see you in person this year. Have a great 2021! DESIGN007 Andy Shaughnessy is managing editor of Design007 Magazine. He has been covering PCB design for 20 years. He can be reached by clicking here. let the fabricator do all the stackup heavy lift- ing, assuming that since the fabricator is going to be manufacturing the board, it's wise to let the fabricator set up your stackup. But does the fabricator have access to all the necessary information? This month, we peel back the layers of the PCB stackup. We begin with an interview with TTM's Julie Ellis and Richard Dang, who explain the tradeoffs that go into even the sim- plest design, and why designers and design engineers need fabricators' help to get stack- ups right. Next, Bill Hargin of Z-zero presents an opposing theory: Only OEMs have all the information needed to create a good stackup, and PCB designers and engineers need to own their design and stop relying on fabricators to do their stackups. Insulectro's Mike Creeden shares a laminate supplier's view of proper stackup design. Eric Bogatin provides seven tips to remember for your next stackup design, and Cherie Litson offers a handy formula for estimating your PCB's layer count. Try it out. Our columnists really do some heavy lift- ing on the topic of stackups this month. Tim Haag breaks down the various challenges that