[SI-LIST] Re: Layout service recommendations - THINGS TO LOOK FOR
- From: Alex McPheeters <amcpheeters@xxxxxxxx>
- To: martin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx, <si-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 01 Aug 2002 08:00:14 -0400
I agree heartily with all notes regarding layout services thus far. After
18 years and with impeccable credentials, you would hope we have learned
some things!
Here are a few notes, additional data can be found at our
website: www.acdi.com
* Most high speed layout tasks, I mean bus-specific tasks such as PCI or
VERY HIGH clock speeds can absolutely NOT be thrown over the wall. We use
a fantastic free interactive viewer and count on major interaction with our
clients through the layout phase. If your selection of service bureau is
not prepared to go back and forth multiple times during critical routing
and placement, or charges excessively for doing so, consider another option.
* While most PCB layout people will not understand the technical fine
points of your PCB's operation, they may well understand the technical fine
points of your's and similar boards layout. It is best to use tool
expertise and wide-ranging experience as the benchmark for prospective
partners.
* The higher you frequency requirements - the more RF layout experience
should be considered as a factor in your choices. As speeds increase and
noise floors drop, component placement inversely increases in importance, a
design consideration in the traditional RF sector for decades.
* Experience with the manufacturing sector, that is demonstrable DFM
skills, tools, etc. should be considered. NO DESIGNS today should be
considered "prototype" only, they should be considered "rev A". A skilled
designer recognizes that their best work is the client they see least
frequently because the design works correctly and the client is
consequently not doing as many spins - our explicit goal for our client base.
* Materials experience. If the design group can not tell you the best
layer stack, they probably can't do the math for controlled impedance and
so on and so forth...
* Number of designers and volume of work absolutely counts as
important. The smaller the shop, the smaller the client base, the slower
to ramp up to new skills and technologies. We will do 700 designs this
year for 200 clients I STILL have potential clients who ask if we have used
micro-vias (the answer is "not if we don't have to but yes we are able
to..."). We have many specialists we rely on for "niche" skills, but there
is no substitute for a plethora of designs and technologies.
* Finally, to be weighed very heavily, references, design examples,
willingness to work with you. As with all service industries, we realize
that we typically get one shot and we really work hard to make that first
impression count.
I hope list recipients will not be offended by this summary, we are the
largest service bureau on the East Coast, and one of the top 3 in the country.
Alex McPheeters
At 02:57 PM 7/31/02 -0700, Martin Euredjian wrote:
>Being almost ready to go to layout I've been thinking about the issues of
>sending a design out to a service bureau instead of doing it in-house.
>Unless you work for a large corporation (I don't) you might not have access
>to the $100K+ EDA tools and support infrastructure (budget, bodies,
>equipment, etc.) you might need to produce good designs that work "out of
>the box".
>
>My particular design is a small 5x7 in board that has a 1.5Gb/s front end
>which gets deserialized and fed into FPGA's etc. Most internal frequencies
>are in the 100 to 200 MHz range, with wide busses.
>
>Is it reasonable to assume that a good layout service can get this right the
>first time? What should one look for? Are there any rules-of-thumb in
>terms of cost? What guarantees should one demand? What should be the
>hand-off process? What's the best way to assure success?
>
>Much like the list of recommended PCB houses, it might be nice to assemble a
>list of high-speed-capable layout service houses. I'll volunteer to compile
>and post to this list.
>
>Thank you,
>
>
>===============================
> Martin Euredjian
> eCinema Systems, Inc.
> voice: 661-305-9320
> fax: 661-775-4876
> martin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> www.ecinemasys.com
>===============================
>
>
>
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