[PCB Design] Converting concepts into products, ODB++ Points Stone Into Gold

The migration of Little Red Admiral is from the desert in southeastern California to Alaska in the north (Figure 1). The wings of this butterfly are only 2 inches to 3 inches long, but their flight distance is so amazing.

Figure 1: Red Admiral (Source: Renee Grayson)

What is the relationship between the transfer of smart PCB data from design to the manufacturing process and the migration of butterflies? A caterpillar that can only crawl on the ground is a beautiful butterfly with a unique pattern on its wings. This process is like turning a product idea into a schematic, and then turning the schematic into a unique PCB design. The difference is that nature has created a perfect convergence process, but it is still difficult to reuse the same process to get positive results. In PCB design, the transformation of design intent and manufacturing process requirements has not yet been linked.
 
The initial goal of the ODB format was to meet this need (Figure 2). Originally, PCB board manufacturer began to use this format, so that they no longer need to collect CAM files in multiple formats – such as Gerber, Excellon, IPC-356 and even IPC-350, which were developed in the early days to simplify An attempt made by the conversion process. The key to the success of the ODB format is that it has gained industry recognition. Originally adopted in this format is a very friendly informal group whose previous thinking was to quickly convert an effective product model into a deliverable PCB product with minimal data throughput and efficient, reliable, and repeatable operations. (image 3).

Figure 2: ODB++ can help users turn designs into final products

Figure 3: Comparison of ODB++ and traditional design data transmission processes

As with the process by which caterpillars turn into butterflies, the process from PCB to design is very complex. When the assembly information is added to the ODB format, the ODB++ used today is formed, which adds additional requirements for the ODB++ format (Figure 4). In 2014, Aberdeen Group Study emphasized that the complexity of the format is deepening. 44% of the respondents indicated that the primary problem of PCB design data management is the complexity of the data, and secondly, the integration of this in the management process. Complex data and data exchange.

Figure 4: Proper design data management involves removing various barriers

This article will explore how the ODB++ format began to address these challenges 20 years ago, and how the ODB++ format continues to evolve on the basis of industry needs. Whether in the past or in the future, ODB++ will remain open to the public, supporting the industry's increased information and change requirements due to the continuous development of processes and increasing demand.

The basic elements of the format are deeply rooted in the complexity of the design.

When the ODB was first introduced, the complexity of the design stayed in the 4 to 6 layer PCB with a line width/line distance of just 8 mils, and only one drilling was required to connect all the layers together. Compared to today's requirements, the original requirements can be said to be very simple. But by 2018, the output value of the 4 to 6 layer PCB reached about 15.5 billion US dollars, while the output value of the 8 to 16 layer PCB is about half of the former production value (7.6 billion US dollars). Gradually, we determined how to add more complex elements to the 4 to 6 layer PCB design. This approach requires a continuous development of manufacturing processes, so product models used to produce the same design must also be upgraded.

ODB is the basis for defining digital hygiene products that represent products to be produced. As the complexity of PCB design continues to increase, the data required for digital hygiene is increasing at an alarming rate. The mainstream 8-layer design has become the norm (at least for some designs), but at the same time, the line width/line spacing has changed to 6 mils and sometimes to 4 mils, but the production area has been compared to previous board designs. Stay consistent or even smaller. Another indication is that the wiring density of copper traces in the design has increased dramatically, and the amount of data required has increased at the same or even faster rate (Figure 5).

Figure 5: Design diagram in ODB++ format

With the appearance of blind holes, buried holes, filled through holes and back holes, the drilling process has become more and more complicated, and corresponding representative features have to be added to the product model. Flexible PCB designs have also emerged in PCB designs that were once completely rigid. Then, a rigid-flex circuit board emerges, and multiple laminated areas in a single board design have both rigid and flexible areas. The number of combinations of manufacturing processes seems to be endless.

With the increasing adoption of ODB++, proponents of this format realized the need to include component-related content in the product model. The original purpose of this was to be able to inspect components by introducing an assembly analysis solution. Later, the assembly programming solution began using the ODB++ format as the basis for driving placement equipment, designing solder steel mesh, and creating assembly guidelines. After the complexity of the components increases, the ODB becomes ODB++. With this change, the ODB++ product model can accommodate manufacturing and assembly content from a single, independent source.

The ODB++ format used today is rooted in the complexity of data requirements in manufacturing and assembly processes. ODB++ continues to improve, keeping pace with the increasing complexity of PCB data due to changes in manufacturing process requirements.

Integration and use of PCB design data

Since the advent of the Gerber format, the most successful commercial viable solution to meet the needs of the PCB manufacturing market is the ODB product model. The industry has also tried to offer other options that can go beyond commercial or industry sponsorship of ODB++.

For example, a company sponsored by the GenCAM format has released several IPC-25XX technical standards. These IPC standards appear because "the GenCAM format is designed to provide data transfer rules between CAD and CAM or CAM to CAM and parameters related to the production of printed circuit boards and printed circuit board assemblies." The solution is that Ucamco has released an updated version of the Gerber format, the Gerber X2.
 
Today, one of the main commercial processes from design to manufacturing includes ODB++ import or export solutions. All major solution providers in the PCB design, DFM, manufacturing, and assembly markets can use the ODB++ product model directly in their application interface, many of which have been doing this for more than a decade (Figure 6).

Figure 6: Example of ODB++ export content

The ODB++ model is a set of ASCII files stored in a series of directories, each with a specific purpose that is clearly defined. This approach has both advantages and disadvantages in its integration with other solutions.
 
ODB++ covers multiple files in countless directories, which are then archived in a single file for distribution. Another way is to use a single file containing the product model to compress and transfer files as they are sent to the manufacturing facility. Given the size of the file, no matter which method is used, it is necessary to decompress the product model if you want to use anything in the application. Using a single file is easier and less error-prone. But regardless of the form of the product model, product model consumption is transparent to the manufacturing solution user, so the two methods are no different in complexity.

As mentioned earlier, the data size of the product model is expanding at an alarming rate. A single PCB product model for daily use can reach 200M. When integrating product models in other applications, the degree of responsiveness of the results is often used to measure the success of the integration. When the product model is divided into content that is used for a specific purpose, the requirement for integration is to simply read the target portion of the full product model. This approach shortens the response time of the application and encourages further use of the product model. Other methods may require an application to locate most of the data horizontally until the requested data is located.

For example, to locate the reference identifier for a particular component at the top of the product model and the machining hole on the specified drilled layer within the product model, this information is located in two smaller files when using ODB++: a file contains the location of the component Another file contains the location of the hole. When using other formats, this integration process may require reading more product model content to get the same information, and many of them are unnecessary to read.

The data released to the manufacturing department when working with solution providers and current ODB++ users is growing, and in many cases, the ODB++ product model content has become part of it. Bob Dylan once said, “Nothing is more stable than change.” Since the initial release of ODB, the design and manufacturing process has changed dramatically. Today, every change in ODB++ is rigorously reviewed against a set of standards.
 
The most basic element is whether changes in the format still maintain backward compatibility. The ODB++ format does this because its data structure can be used to isolate a change for a given purpose. If the change does not result in the format losing backwards compatibility, then the change can be updated or the subversion can be released under the same version number. Changes that affect backwards compatibility will need to wait until the next version of ODB++ is released.
 
Why is this so important? Whether it's integration with a commercial application vendor or a custom implementation by an ODB++ adopter, it's critical to achieve a reliable timeline through the use of product models. When changes are required to the format, the update area is easy to determine and the way it is changed has minimal impact on the entire process from design to manufacturing. The development of the format has ensured that the release of the ODB++ product model will not affect any partners in the supply chain.

ODB++ is a set of easy-to-understand files, each of which has a specific purpose. It ensures that users can quickly get product model parts from application providers and even through custom development. The rules used have been around for a long time, so the format is very stable, ensuring that the compatibility between the two releases remains stable. The openness of the ODB++ product model ensures that this format can be integrated with other manufacturing management applications.

Dangers of data exchange

For production purposes, the traditional way of exchanging multiple data files in multiple formats informs the vendor by defining what needs to be produced, but this approach does not define how the manufacturing process is completed. ODB++, on the other hand, contains the necessary production content to send manufacturing, assembly and testing requirements to the supplier.

The key to an effective communication product model is to achieve process efficiency, improve product quality levels, and reduce time-to-market production, which also determines the total time to market. When using the ODB++ product model to simplify the entire process from design to manufacturing, many steps in the production process can play a role in the successful release of new products.
 
The ODB++ model enables OEMs and suppliers to remain competitive in a global market environment, and the way in which global markets continue to seek effective communication with manufacturing requirements is key to success. For many years, almost every industry software vendor from design to manufacturing has incorporated the currently available ODB++ product model support into the product's processes. The ODB++ product model used today has been evaluated, validated and adopted by the industry.
 
What to do next?

Using the ODB++ product model as a comprehensive data exchange method allows OEMs and suppliers to more effectively:
· Reduce costs while meeting product requirements
· Minimize production delays
· Optimize productivity by increasing knowledge exchange
 
When considering the use of the product model, the process of caterpillar mites into butterflies is recalled, which is the main goal of the entire conversion process. Caterpillars build the right information inside the model to achieve transformation. The ODB++ product model fully represents the PCB design while meeting the requirements of defining the manufacturing process so that the PCB can be delivered at the lowest cost within the specified time without any interruption. For more information, visit the ODB++ Solutions website. Both users and partners can register for free in ODB++ format.