Software-supported review process shortens time to market

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ROHM Semiconductor GmbH

The reviev of PCB-Investigator: data, processing, optimisation

How does PCB-Investigator change the review process? First, a decision has to be made to store each change to a product centrally in a valid ODB++ record. Whereas previously a series of reviews involving printouts were required, now each participant can load the ODB++ record into their PCB-Investigator for evaluation.

This process is aided by four versions of software that reduce the complexity via domain-specific pre-selections: The Basic Edition focuses on graphical representation, the Developer Edition concentrates on electrical properties, the Fabrication Edition prioritises questions of PCB fabrication and assembly, and the Ultimate Edition is designed for users who need an overview of every aspect. The ability to compare PCBs with one another and with previous version in all respects at the push of a button translates into savings on development costs and makes it easier to reuse or eliminate parts.

The ability to ‘plunge’ interactively into every information layer of an ODB++ record at any moment saves time and reduces the number of prototypes. For example, EMV experts or assembly specialists can raise an alarm at an early stage if they recognise layout decisions as problematic.

PCB-Investigator makes it possible to simulate changes and output the results to a report. The development status, stored centrally in ODB++, does not change in the process. New versions are only generated in the CAD systems of the corresponding departments.

Communication regarding the versions and their reviews can be organised via Sharepoint, for example. Everyone involved in the project in any way has the intuitively designed CAD system installed on their computer, and the number of users who can open the PCB data at the same time is limited only by the number of floating licences that were purchased. For communication with external offices (customers or the EMS) it is possible to create a license-free viewer that automatically connects to the data.

Take BSH Hausgeräte GmbH for example: 144 workstations at this company were equipped with PCB-Investigator in a short time. Maximilian Achter, System Administrator for ECAD at BSH, reports: “The situation was sometimes completely chaotic. A layout designer for 20 developers was constantly under siege. The developers were coming and going non-stop with questions for the designer. Today, anyone could answer almost all of the questions themselves using visualisations of the current ODB++ records. And they could do it at the same time, not one after another.”

PCB-Investigator not only helps obtain the best possible evaluations from ODB++ records. The tool also offers numerous functions for analysing and improving layouts. Automatic calculation of lengths and distances helps designers avoid disadvantageous component arrangements and potential manufacturing problems. Another strength of the CAD program is its ability to include and depict components. It connects the 2D world of ECAD with the 3D world of MCAD. Components are more than just electronic functions and electrical properties stored for a specific region of a two-dimensional circuit diagram; they are three-dimensional objects.

Consequently, PCB-Investigator bridges the gap between the placement of the circuit diagram and the construction of a housing for the electronics. Given the unflagging trend towards miniaturisation, significant advantages may result if a dialogue takes place at a very early stage between the development, production and deployment stations of a PCB.

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