Automated printed PCB design-for-manufacturing flow replaces traditional, manual error-prone processes

Valor NPI [New Product Introduction] design-for-manufacturing (DFM) technology is said to automate printed circuit board design reviews based on the PCB technology and manufacturing processes employed. Unlike traditional DFM methods that limited the use of DFM technology to subject-matter experts, the new Valor NPI is said to let designers benefit from DFM without having to be experts.

Based on the market-leading Valor NPI technology, this new release makes rules set-up easy and extracts PCB design intelligence to automatically perform DFM analyses with the highest level of productivity. The set-up time for DFM rules is said to be reduced from weeks to days, and by using quality rules, DFM results viewing time can be reduced by up to 50%.

Valor NPI software is said to seamlessly connect PCB design, fabrication, assembly, and test processes. The Valor NPI application automatically extracts relevant PCB design technology from the design data to determine the correct PCB technology classification. The Valor NPI tool then maps the PCB classification to the constraints associated with the applicable manufacturing processes. Thus, only the DFM checks necessary for that design execute using the correct DFM values for that PCB technology classification. This automated capability provides a streamlined DFM analysis and results reviewing process.

“We found the new Valor NPI software greatly simplifies our DFM process,” Rick Dehart, PCB Technology Analyst at National Instruments commented. ”The set-up for DFM rules is quite logical and delivers exactly what we would expect. It allows us to review a design against all our vendors’ capabilities automatically so that we can focus on optimizing our designs for manufacturing instead of managing our DFM system.”

This new release is said to provide easy set-up and maintenance of the DFM rules regardless of technical complexity. The Valor NPI release works with all major PCB layout tools: Mentor Xpedition and PADS suites, Cadence Allegro, Zuken Board Designer, and Altium products.

For additional product information: www.mentor.com/npi