Types of Printed Circuit Boards we design  Our Expertise  Standard Package of Deliverables  Client Furnished Information  Schematic Information  Board Mechanical Information  Conductor Information  Component Information  General Board Information  Get a quote on your new board design!

CAT Experience and expertise you can count on!

 
 
 

We offer full service design of the following printed circuit board types:

• Single sided
• Double sided
• Multilayer
• Backplanes
• Industrial Power boards
• Wire Wrap boards
• Fine-line
• Analog
• Digital

We have expertise in the following disciplines:

• Through hole, SMD or combination
• High performance, high density
• Controlled Impedance
• Crosstalk reduction or elimination
• Differential Pairs
• Controlled length copper
• EMC
• Component auto-insertion
• Special Routing

Unless otherwise specified, all boards will be designed according to the best commercial practice for manufacturability. If required, CAT will design according to commercial IPC-D-275 standards or military standard MIL-D-275. No extra charge! Or even your own in-house specifications! (Additional charges may apply)

CAT's Standard Package of Deliverables:

Pen Plots for checking purposes as applicable:

• Signal and Power Plane layers
• Silkscreen layers
• Solder Mask layers
• Solder Paste layers
• Drill Drawing / Fabrication

Fabrication files in Gerber format as applicable:

• Signal and Power Plane layers
• Silkscreen layers
• Solder Mask layers
• Solder Paste layers

Fabrication support files in HPGL and ASCII format as applicable:

• Drill Drawing
• N/C Drill List File
• Aperture List File

CAT can also optionally provide our clients complete documentation with each design, as you require. Tell us what you need!

Client Furnished Information

CAT operates on the principal that the client knows more than anyone what they want for their project. In light of this, CAT wishes for our clients to understand that the design we generate will be based solely upon the information provided by our clients. We respectfully request all communication involving instructions for your design be communicated in written form. We believe this leaves no room for confusion or "guessing" what you want. Your circuit board design will be as successful as we are able to effectively communicate with each other.

Once CAT receives and reviews initial client furnished information a "list of concerns" are generated for subsequent discussion and resolution with the client. Further, due to our extensive experience in designing boards, our designers will make certain recommendations to the client as regards specific and accepted design, fabrication, and assembly methods required by the client that seem to run counter to generally accepted methods. However, in all instances we will always implement our client's requirement.

Once you have accepted our quote, there will be certain information we ask you to supply. While the following list may appear daunting and exhaustive, we believe it to be essential and primary to the generation of a printed circuit board designed to your exacting specifications. This list has been compiled over many years of experience and will be updated periodically as the need arises. If your requirements include characteristics not contained herein, bring them to our attention and we will address them on an individual basis.

To efficiently, effectively and accurately design your printed circuit board, we request the following information as a minimum:

• Schematic information in one of the following forms:
   
  • Net List (ASCII format) from CAD generated schematic
    If you furnish a Net List only, please include a parts list, identifying each part with the appropriate reference designator as used in the Netlist, which should be further cross referenced to the appropriate component data sheet (see "Component Information" below).
       
  • Manually drawn schematic
    If you furnish a manually drawn schematic, please ensure that each component is clearly defined using generally accepted naming conventions. Each component must have a unique reference designator and every connection pin defined and numbered (except components with two pins, unless polarity is a factor). In addition each component should clearly display it's part number or component value. "Signal" conductors need not have net names unless they are bundled into "buses". We will assign generic net names to all nets not named. Please label all power nets appropriately. Please note we can input your hand drawn schematic into our CAD system for professional results!

  • CAD generated schematic input by CAT.

  • Client CAD generated schematic (PCAD format). If you have a different schematic capture program, please furnish CAT with an ASCII-format Netlist and a pen-plot of your schematic of sufficient size to enable accurate reading.
      
• Board Mechanical information

  This is generally a mechanical drawing featuring the finished board outline with dimensions. Other information required:

  • Keep-out areas for:
    • components
    • copper traces

  • Location of fixed components

    Please dimensionally locate from the lower left corner of the "component side" of the board. "Lower left corner" is defined here as that point where the left most edge and the bottom most edge of the board intersect. We would prefer you provide dimensions to a pin, such as "Pin 1" or the center of the component. This method places all X and Y dimensions in the positive quadrant. If the design is to allow for components on both sides, please indicate the side each fixed component will be mounted and their rotational orientation if applicable.

  • Total number of layers

    Generally most multilayer boards will possess at least two internal power planes (one for positive power and one for ground) and at least two "signal" layers. If your board will depart from this "norm", you should define each layer as to it's function. As an example:

    • Layer 1 - Component/Signal Layer
    • Layer 2 - Signal Layer
    • Layer 3 - Positive Power Layer (see "Conductor Information" for further requirements)
    • Layer 4 - Ground Layer (see "Conductor Information" for further requirements)
    • Layer 5 - Signal Layer
    • Layer 6 - Signal and/or Component Layer

  • Identify the location of all board mounting holes and the hardware to be used. Indicate if any mounting holes are to be electrically connected to a power signal, generally "ground". Please include any other mechanical considerations.

  • Specify areas of the board that will have height restrictions. Be specific as to their locations, which side of the board they apply to, and the height to which the area is limited.

      

• Conductor Information
  • Conductors regarded as "signal" will comprise the majority and should be designated as the "general" conductor size. Please indicate the conductor width and air gap to adjacent copper features. If the defined air gap will be different when a signal conductor passes next to a particular copper feature or named Netlist signal, please identify each instance using the Netlist signal names involved and the air gap to be used.
  • All other conductors not falling into the above category will require individual definition to include the Netlist signal name, conductor width, air gap to adjacent copper features and/or named Netlist signals.
  • Signals requiring special treatment such as signal guarding, EMC, controlled length, etc., please define individually by Netlist signal name. If your board has signals that will require "guarding", and the board is multilayer, let us know if these signals can be routed on the internal ground plane, if present.
  • Power Planes must be defined by Netlist signal name to include the layer desired for each and whether the plane should be "split", that is, share two or more power signals.
  • All vias should be defined to include hole size, and whether blind and/or buried vias are allowed and in what circumstance.
  • If there will be internal signal layers, should we remove all unused component and via pads? Note: this procedure is done after the design has been approved by the client during the "gerber-out" process.
  • Some components utilizing bypass capacitors will require that the power connections be routed to the bypass before the power can be applied to the component. If applicable, please specify.
      
• Component Information
  • The need for complete and accurate information here cannot be over-emphasized. This is the very basis of the physical layout of the circuit board. We understand that collecting data sheets on each unique component can be tiresome, but we believe it to be an essential step in the accurate design of your board.
  • We request component data sheets for each unique component as defined by it's part number and /or package style. Even "generic" components such as common carbon resistors and 74 series IC's should be included so as to completely avoid misunderstanding or confusion.
  • The data sheets for each unique component should include a drawing of it's physical characteristics with dimensions, including lead size. From these data sheets we determine the size to allow for it's physical presence on the printed circuit board, the hole size required for it's leads, and the resulting copper pad size for soldering. Additionally, for some components, if electrical characteristics and connections are defined on the data sheet we can determine electrical connection characteristics including, but not limited to, the availability of "swapping" gates for efficient board design.
  • Each unique component data sheet should also bear each reference designator to which it will be applied as shown on the schematic or used in the Net List.
  • All data sheets are ultimately archived with all original documents and written communications. This allows us to accurately and quickly answer any question by you or the board fabricator.

• General Board information
  • Inform us whether a Silkscreen is required, one or both sides.
    • Indicate your required board identification information, such as:
      • Company name, with logo, if any (please furnish logo)
      • Board name and number(s), such as Part No., Assembly No., Revision No.
      • Designations of "Component Side" and/or "Solder Side".
      • Any other markings unique to the board and/or your company.
      If a Silkscreen is required we will automatically place reference designators and polarity references. Other information will be provided to assist the technician when troubleshooting the board. Additionally, CAT will assign it's own control number to uniquely identify your board within our system and place that number with our name such that it will be photoplotted on each layer of your board design, but will lie outside the board perimeter. This will assist us in serving your needs when you call us in the future concerning a particular design.
  • Inform us whether a Solder Mask is Required, one or both sides.
    • Please indicate any special requirements for the Solder Mask. The "standard" method of generating a Solder Mask is to provide a clearance around every electrically conductive component lead hole, component solder attachment surface, and card edge connector.
  • Solder Paste
    • this will be automatically generated when surface mount components are used. Let us know if you require this file.

• Drill / Fabrication Information
  • Generally we will specify the hole sizes used in fabrication. If you have special needs or in-house specifications, please advise us of these, being as specific as possible. If you have written in-house fabrication specifications, please furnish a copy of this. Unless otherwise specified or indicated, we normally specify a board to be fabricated on .062 thick FR-4 epoxy material.

Click here for a Quick Quote!

Contact CAT