Magnum CCC

Instruire & Consultanta

Instruire & Consultanta Courses

4. Printed Circuit Board Layout Design (OrCAD)

4.1 OrCAD Layout, basic level

Course Contents

The course provides the participants with an overview of PCB design and presents, based on numerous case studies and examples, a practical approach on development of on-board interconnection structures. It presents fundamentals of PCB design and footprint libraries creation. A Flash movie, which is destined to a better understanding of PCB design flow, is also presented.

Course Duration

2 days - 1.5 days for the course and 0.5 day for performance evaluation, remarks and discussions.

Course Outline

DAY 1

  • Introduction in OrCAD PCB Layout. The Layout design flow and design environment. PCB projects.
  • Import of SCM netlists; ECO procedure.
  • Fundamentals of CAD printed circuit board design: setting up the board; creating of board outline; placing of components; routing the board.
  • Basics of PCB footprints creation.
  • Methods for components placement: manual, interactive and automatic.
  • Methods for conductive tracks routing: manual, interactive and automatic.

DAY 2

  • Optimizing the printed circuit structure.
  • Final operations and checking of PCB layout.
  • Course summary/review
  • Multiple-choice test for the theory
  • Practice exam
  • Instructor/student conference with technical remarks and final discussions

Course Notes

A set of course notes and various printed technical documents will be provided to each participant.

Fee

200 EUR/participant, minimum 2 participants or
500 EUR/company, unlimited number of participants
  • For independent specialists the fee can be lower, based on negotiations.

Performance Evaluation

A final exam will be used at the end of the course to evaluate the performance. The exam is divided in two parts, one multiple-choice test for the theory and one practice exam focused on engineering aspects of the course.

Who should attend

The course is designed for electrical and electronics managers and leaders involved in supervising PCB design, engineers, professors in the field of electronic packaging, and students who wish to get an overview of PCB design and to learn more about the design flow. The course is focused on various practical aspects and, due to a large number of examples which can be directly applied in practice, is addressed to people who want to learn quickly the basics of PCB design.


3.2 OrCAD Layout, standard level

Course Contents

The course provides the participants with a systematic overview of PCB design and presents, based on numerous figures, formulas, case studies and examples, a practical approach on development and manufacturing of on-board interconnection structures. The chapters cover a large area of topics, from fundamentals of PCB design to signal integrity analysis and CAE-CAD tools. Some Flash movies, which are destined to a better understanding of PCB design flow, are also presented.

Course Duration

3 days - 2.5 days for the course and 0.5 day for performance evaluation, remarks and discussions.

Course Outline

DAY 1

  • The OrCAD Layout design flow and design environment.
  • Setup & management of OrCAD PCB projects.
  • Import of SCM netlists; ECO procedure. Problems during SCM-PCB transfer process; solving the interface problems.
  • Fundamentals of printed circuit board design: creating and setting up the board; creating and editing various types of obstacles; placing of components; routing the board.
  • Using spreadsheets to manage design data and rules; the importance of "spreadsheet" menu in high performance/high quality PCB design.

DAY 2

  • PCB footprint libraries. Types of libraries. Managing footprint libraries.
  • Creating and editing PCB footprints; THD & SMD footprints; specific design aspects.
  • Placement of components: manual, interactive and automatic.
  • Inter-tool communication - a method of high performance CAD design.
  • Optimization of PCB connections - "pin and gate swap" procedure. Back-annotation to Capture.
  • Introduction in signal integrity analysis.
  • Routing of PCB interconnection structure and generation of conductive tracks: manual, interactive and automatic. Grid-based and grid-less (shape-based) auto-router engines.

DAY 3

  • Optimizing the printed circuit structure. Using thermal relief items and copper pour zones.
  • Finishing and checking of PCB projects. Ensuring manufacturability. DFM methods.
  • PCB post-processing for documentation and manufacturing.
  • Course summary/review
  • Multiple-choice test for the theory
  • Practice exam
  • Instructor/student conference with technical remarks and final discussions

Course Notes

A set of course notes and various printed technical documents will be provided to each participant.

Fee

350 EUR/participant, minimum 2 participants or
800 EUR/company, unlimited number of participants
  • For independent specialists the fee can be lower, based on negotiations.

Performance Evaluation

A final exam will be used at the end of the course to evaluate the performance. The exam is divided in two parts, one multiple-choice test for the theory and one practice exam focused on engineering aspects of the course.

Who should attend

The course is designed for electrical and electronics engineers involved in PCB design, professors in the field of electronic packaging, technical managers, and students who wish to get a comprehensive overview of PCB design and characterization, and to learn more about various applications. The course is focused on various practical aspects and, due to a large number of formulas and examples which can be directly applied in practice, is addressed also to R&D engineers and researchers from innovative companies involved in development of high performance electronic products.


3.3 OrCAD Layout, advanced level

Course Contents

The course provides the participants with a systematic presentation of PCB design aspects and offers, based on numerous figures, formulas, case studies and examples, a practical approach on development and manufacturing of on-board interconnection structures. The chapters cover a large area of topics, from fundamentals of PCB design to technology, signal integrity analysis and CAE-CAD tools. Some Flash movies, which are destined to a better understanding of PCB design flow, are also presented. Additionally, various errors and mistakes found in practical projects, which often appear due to "time to market" pressure are explained and discussed.

Course Duration

4 days - 3 days for the course and 1 day for performance evaluation, remarks and discussions.

Course Outline

DAY 1

  • The OrCAD Layout design flow and design environment. Interfacing OrCAD Layout with other blocks and CAD-CAM software systems.
  • Design and manufacturing standards. Importance of standardization in CAD design. Management of OrCAD PCB projects based on standards.
  • Import of SCM netlists; ECO procedure. Problems during SCM-PCB transfer process; solving the interface problems. Case studies based on practical projects.
  • Fundamentals of printed circuit board design: creating and setting up the board; creating and editing various types of obstacles; placing of components; routing the board. Case study: low complexity PCB layout design without netlist import.
  • Using spreadsheets to manage design data and rules; the importance of "spreadsheet" menu in high performance/high quality PCB design. Case studies based on practical projects.

DAY 2

  • PCB footprint libraries. Types of libraries. Managing footprint libraries.
  • Creating and editing PCB footprints; THD & SMD footprints; specific design aspects based on standards. Advanced topics in libraries/footprints management.
  • Placement of components: manual, interactive and automatic. Introducing in auto-placement. Using and optimizing auto-placement. Advantages and disadvantages.
  • Optimization of PCB connections - "pin and gate swap" procedure. Advanced issues: manual vs. auto swapping. Back-annotation to Capture. Cross-probing in OrCAD environment.
  • Introduction in signal integrity analysis and electromagnetic compatibility at board level.

DAY 3

  • Routing of PCB interconnection structure and generation of conductive tracks: manual, interactive and automatic. Theory of auto-routing. Auto-routing vs. interactive routing. Using routing strategy files. Solving routing problems.
  • Grid-based and grid-less (shape-based) auto-router engines. Smart Route and Specctra stand-alone routers. The work environment. Opening and saving designs. Setting up the board for routing. Auto-routing and batch routing of PCB. Editing the board.
  • Optimizing the printed circuit structure.
  • Reference planes - total planes, partial planes. Using thermal relief items and copper pour areas.
  • Finishing and checking of PCB projects. Ensuring manufacturability. DFM methods. Case studies based on practical projects.
  • Advanced PCB post-processing for documentation and manufacturing. Interfacing the designer with the manufacturer.
  • Introduction in CAM systems. Gerbtool environment. Configuration, basic operations, performance tips, menus and commands. Aperture Conversion Rule files. Standard Gerber vs. extended Gerber formats. Excellon vs. Sieb & Mayer drilling formats.

DAY 4

  • Course summary/review
  • Multiple-choice test for the theory
  • Practice exam
  • Instructor/student conference with technical remarks and final discussions

Course Notes

A set of course notes and various printed technical documents will be provided to each participant.

Fee

500 EUR/participant, minimum 2 participants or
1200 EUR/company, unlimited number of participants
  • For independent specialists the fee can be lower, based on negotiations.

Performance Evaluation

A final exam will be used at the end of the course to evaluate the performance. The exam is divided in two parts, one multiple-choice test for the theory and one practice exam focused on engineering aspects of the course.

Who should attend

The course is designed for electrical and electronics engineers involved in PCB design, professors in the field of electronic packaging, technical managers, and students who wish to get a comprehensive overview of PCB design and characterization, and to learn more about various applications. The course is focused on various practical aspects and, due to a large number of formulas and examples which can be directly applied in practice, is addressed also to R&D engineers and researchers from innovative companies involved in development of high performance electronic products.

3. Circuit Simulation (PSpice)
5. Computer Aided Manufacturing (GerbTool) and interfacing the designer, manufacturer and assembler