Flex PCB/cable

[Anonymous]

Hello,

Is it possible to represent a flex-PCB/cable design in the DRC?  What will be the most important information to export in the gerber package?

[C.Nicks · Accepted solution]

Hi Erik,
Welcome to the forums.

Currently there is no way to really specifiy flex in the DRC, but that doesn't affect the gerber outputs anyways.

It varies by fabrication house, but usually the most important information is material, thickness, plating, and tolerance information. Contact the fab house you're planning to use and get their requirements. A lot of times they will help plan your stackup and give you suggestions for successful layout. If you are designing a cable for use with a specific connector series, send that information and they should be able to help setup the right stackup.

If the cable requires any stiffeners, draw those in a layer and output it in a gerber.

Personally I use the documentation layer to show all design information.
I have library devices that use attributes to show all fabrication notes and stackup information.

With Eagle I've made multiple successful flex / rigid-flex boards with complicated layer stacks, including blind/buried/laser drills.

Eagle does not have native tools to setup for flex, but with the right documentation you can essentially have any kind of technology made.

Here is a link to my basic DOC library

Documentation objects

[Anonymous]

Nick this was a tremendously generous use of your time.  Thank you so much.

[C.Nicks]

You're welcome Erik, glad I can help out.

[Anonymous]

I have a similar question in a different way, I want to use ribbon cables in my pcb design or DuPont cables connecting a pin header to another part, the question I have is do i simply not route the cable on the pcb design and i use cables or is there a way to say this connection or bus is a normal cable and it is routing on the pcb and Eagle will understand and keep it without routing ?

[kunal7biz]

Did you find the solution? if yes please share.. I am facing similar difficulty.. Thanks.