Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1457913
82 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I MARCH 2022 We will discuss the tools NextFlex has devel- oped to simplify the design process, shorten- ing development cycles and ultimately time to market, and we will share how NextFlex and its consortium members from across the eco- system are coming together to create materi- als databases and process development kits (PDK). We will describe how the materials and process database, FHE PDKs, reference designs, and managed reuse blocks are part of a new design process vision that promises to streamline FHE design and manufacturing. Finally, we'll talk about how, through these efforts, new FHE reference designs are emerg- ing, and how we'll be using these along with other reference modules to come up with a truly plug-and-play approach to FHE that reduces the amount of time and effort it takes to manufacture and design FHEs. The Many Considerations When Designing for FHE When it comes to designing FHE, its appli- cation drives the design considerations for the device as both a mechanical and electronic system. ese considerations involve an inter- related set of choices based on application, environment, materials, process, and encapsu- lation. FHEs have a wide variety of applications; for example, medical bandages that monitor vital statistics, monitoring systems for helicopter rotor blades, security tokens embedded into uniforms, and armbands that warn when a toxic gas concentration is too high. A primary question is whether the application will require a static bend form factor, where we apply the device and it stays as is, or will it be in dynamic, bending, and flex situations. Figure 1: FHE design must account for differences between flexible and rigid PCBs.