Design for manufacturability for electronic design: a system for evaluating printed circuit design tradeoffs

A system for evaluating printed circuit design (PCD) tradeoffs during the electronic design process has been developed. The system consists of a stand-alone PC-based software tool and support documentation which describes system operation, content, methodology, optimization processes, and printed circuit technology selection criteria. At any stage of the PCD process, the system can be used to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of potential board design alternatives. Example design tradeoffs include board cost vs. circuit density, electrical performance vs. cost, and cost vs. manufacturability. All tradeoffs are based on a set of models and metrics which predict board density and technology requirements, board cost, fabrication yield, and expected electrical performance ranges. System models and metrics are based on actual production fabrication capabilities. The system´s potential for significantly reducing overall PCD cycle times while simultaneously satisfying overall board design constraints has been demonstrated