Author Topic: PCB/EDA specialized for FLEX?  (Read 3460 times)

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Offline candrianTopic starter

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PCB/EDA specialized for FLEX?
« on: December 12, 2021, 07:28:22 pm »
Hello,

I have seen in the past several photos of DSLR camera teardowns and i was really impressed with the routing and mounting of the flex PCB itself around the camera's housing. As the routing of the flex cables, around the housing is mostly a mechanical task i was wondering if there is a PCB/EDA software that gives you the option to route/design the flex PCBs around a 3D step model (housing) and then unfold the design/flex and convert it to the new PCB flex board outline to work on.

From what i have seen since now, there is the option to design a Flex PCB and bend it a specific amount of degrees but i'm not aware of any solution that will let you route/design the Flex around any 3D model/housing and then unfold it and convert it to the flex board outline.
https://guide-images.cdn.ifixit.com/igi/MCLmUSsFFytBCjbU.huge
 

Offline ataradov

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Re: PCB/EDA specialized for FLEX?
« Reply #1 on: December 12, 2021, 08:34:32 pm »
Typically it works the other way around. You design the board outline in a mechanical CAD, then flatten it and import the flat outline into the EDA. I don't think there are EDAs with such advanced 3D editing capabilities, it would not make much sense.
Alex
 
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Offline Uky

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Re: PCB/EDA specialized for FLEX?
« Reply #2 on: December 13, 2021, 04:13:15 pm »
SolidWorks (Dassault) has a cable module that allows the user to create a cable, route it around complex objects inside a case and then export it. If it can flattern a flex to a .DXF that can be imported into a CAD-system that handles special design rules used for FLEX, I cannot say, but it could be worth checking out.
 

Offline T3sl4co1l

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Re: PCB/EDA specialized for FLEX?
« Reply #3 on: December 14, 2021, 05:42:26 am »
Altium has flex/semirigid support, including bending points so you can have an assembly fold up on itself, or in an enclosure etc.  I don't think you can twist a section lengthwise, just a straight crease of given angle.  So if you aren't using that kind of bend it should be fine.

I don't know that you'd want to fit a board into an existing model yourself, versus getting the board outline from mechanical engineering -- but given enough adjustment, checking back and forth between the 3D model and the folded board, you can do that, I'm pretty sure.

Tim
Seven Transistor Labs, LLC
Electronic design, from concept to prototype.
Bringing a project to life?  Send me a message!
 

Offline candrianTopic starter

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Re: PCB/EDA specialized for FLEX?
« Reply #4 on: December 14, 2021, 07:40:31 am »
Thank you all for your valuable replies. So it seems there isn't a dedicated software / plugin to combine the PCB and mechanical design for easier Flex designs. It continues to be the traditional way, first designing the mechanical outline in a dedicated mechanical CAD sw like Solidworks for example and then flattening it down and insert in a ECAD/PCB design.
 

Offline Doctorandus_P

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Re: PCB/EDA specialized for FLEX?
« Reply #5 on: December 16, 2021, 06:17:35 pm »
FreeCAD has a "sheet metal" workbench, in which you can first draw something, and then "fold it flat" to get it's size. Then you can export it to some PCB design program.

 
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Offline rpiloverbd

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Re: PCB/EDA specialized for FLEX?
« Reply #6 on: December 26, 2021, 09:55:06 pm »
Hello,

EEVblog has a long video tutorial on designing flex PCBs in Altium.  Just in case you have missed it, I am sharing the link.



You can also know about all the processes of design and fabrication and flex PCBs from the following article:

https://www.theengineeringprojects.com/2018/04/flexible-pcb.html
 


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