Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1512857
22 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I DECEMBER 2023 their fabricator that their PCB design is impos- sible to build without making significant man- ufacturing-related modifications. PCB fabricators are tuned to standard uni- form boards that make manufacturing rela- tively easier than when they are not uniform. is does not mean that fabricators can't han- dle odd or unconventional geometries, because most can. Addressing the board handling and NC drill files for odd board outline geometries or contours and slots are just a few things that can potentially add to the complexities PCB fabricators are forced to deal with today. Just know that odd or unconventional geom- etries potentially have additional costs, lower yields, increase risks, and lengthen lead times with regard to manufacturing preparation and execution when dealing with anything outside the industry norm (i.e., nonuniform PCBs). is, however, is not an issue for the EDA tools offered by Siemens. Our solutions, including our MCAD-ECAD co-design tools, can easily handle simple to extremely odd or unconventional, complex geometries. is includes dealing with the multiple board out- lines, stackup zones, and constraint regions typically found in today's complex PCBs and rigid-flex designs. We highly recommend the industry best practice of consulting your PCB fabricator from the very beginning of the design cycle so that all potential issues and concerns, from design to fabrication, are addressed or mitigated. Some round PCBs have components that need to be placed at odd angles, like 33 degrees. How does Siemens approach this sort of task? As stated earlier, our solutions can easily han- dle simple to extremely odd or unconventional complex geometries. is includes component placement orientations such as the assembly of off-45-degree components. No matter what degree of component orientation is required for a design regarding placement, our solu- tions and approach in addressing odd-angle component orientation are not an issue for us and are implemented no differently than plac- ing and rotating per the industry norm. Again, we highly recommend the industry best prac- tice of consulting with your fabrication and assembly supplier(s) as early as possible in the design process and well before the design is finalized. at way all concerns and issues can be addressed up front, yielding the best poten- tial for a successful design-for-manufacturing PCB. Some designers say that even today, PCB design software tools don't do a good job with 360-degree arc routing on the edge of a circular PCB. But Siemens seems to have this capability. What should designers do differently when routing circular boards? Siemens addressed the issue of 360-degree arc routing on the edge of circular PCBs many years ago. e key is a solid and seamless MCAD-ECAD integration and collaboration that includes bi-directional data exchange and communication. Tight ECAD-MCAD integra- tion passes on complex geometries as designed Stephen Chavez