Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1401769
70 PCB007 MAGAZINE I AUGUST 2021 It's summer and we are adapting to our sec- ond COVID summer. However, things are most definitely a bit different these days. Re- cently I got an order, just like every day. e designer had spent the last three weeks com- pleting the design and got it approved for or- der placement. e next step in the flow is when the purchaser spends a few days to get prices right, and then the order can be placed. Anything Wrong With This? No, it's business as usual to make sure the design is correct, and prices are negotiated to save money. is is an everyday operation in this industry. However, in a normal year, with normal material lead times, and without esca- lating material prices, that is how it works. Today, Things Are a Bit Different Let me elaborate on an example from the last few weeks. I was contacted by a designer re- questing a stackup for an eight-layer PCB. is was a quite standard stackup that could work for most eight-layer designs, meaning that he would need impedance per design, but not controlled, no microvias, and no critical thick- ness requirements. But this designer always requests a stackup including the exact materials used, to match his lines to the stackup. Basically, this stack- up works for most eight-layer designs, even for those with impedance lines. As long as we don't change the track, gap, and stackup, it will work. Aer this, the designer spends two to three weeks on the design. Aer one week he Holy Cow, What a Lead Time! The PCB Norsemen by Jan Pedersen, ELMATICA