What’s New in PCBflow – Release Highlights

Invite anyone to securely view your DFM report online

Invite your colleagues to view your DFM report online without sharing the rest of the project data. Your invited guest will receive a link and a secure 6-digit code to view the report for a limited time, specified by you. Viewers do not require a PCBflow account, cannot access project data, and cannot change or download DFM reports.

NEW! Compare your PCB projects

The new PCB Compare tool enables a visual comparison of two projects. Start the comparison from the PCBflow home page or from the Compare tab inside any project.

Select your projects, define the layer pairs that you want to include in the comparison, and in only a few moments, differences are ready for review the in our online viewer. Results remain in the project to revisit at any time.

Share your Compare

After comparing two projects, you can invite your colleagues to view your Compare report online without sharing the rest of the project data. Just like sharing a DFM report, your guest will receive a link and a secure 6-digit code to view the report for a limited time. Guest viewers do not require a PCBflow account, cannot access project data, and cannot change or download Compare reports.

“How-to” video library

The new video library contains a growing number of short video clips that explain how to perform the most common actions in PCBflow. Click on your initials in the bottom left corner of PCBflow and select “Video library” to access.

Added support for BOM files in .csv format

PCBflow now supports BOM files in .csv format, in addition to .xls or .xlsx. Start your assembly analysis journey easily by clicking the icon on the PCBflow homepage and let our tutorials walk you through the process.

Export VPL part match status for your BOM

In order to optimize assembly analysis, you need to upload a BOM and then match as many BOM parts as possible with their VPL geometry. Unmatched parts in your BOM may need extra attention to confirm or add missing information; and BOM parts with multiple options suggested for matching VPL geometry may need further review to make the best selection. In the VP Search window, you can now export the part match status for offline review with your colleagues or customers before you continue on to DFA, ensuring more complete component analysis coverage.

Copper Calculation survey

We are gearing up to provide new features all the time and want your input about how you would use a Copper Calculation tool in your workflow. Click on the copper calculation icon in the manufacturer tools area, and help us out by answering a few quick questions.

Earlier BOM parsing for better DFA

Every customer is unique and so are their BOM files! To better handle the wide range of languages and content we receive your BOMs, we now stop you for a moment BEFORE displaying your BOM to make sure we get it right. Take a moment to review and correct the column mapping to optimize VPL search and improve assembly analysis results later on. Pro tip: Always use .xls or .xlsx format and include the minimum required information for each part – MPN, Manufacturer and Reference Designator.

DFM Usage charts

Track your DFM usage more easily with new visual usage widgets in the account manager.

BOM: Problematic content warnings

New warning messages are given when your BOM file contains information that may be problematic but does not prevent assembly analysis from running. For example, mismatch between quantity vs reference designator list. You may edit and replace the BOM file or choose to continue with the existing BOM content.

Unmatch user-defined VPL parts

During the BOM validation stage of assembly analysis, you may have made an incorrect selection when reviewing a part with suggested matches. Now you can easily unmatch and correct any selection. In the BOM interface, click the Search button to activate column filters and view “user-defined” matches. Select any user-defined match to view the details and unmatch as needed.

Filter DFM results by board area

In the online DFM result viewer, select to filter your DFM results by area. This will display all the DFM analysis results in the currently visible area of the board.

Connect to use Network DFM profiles

We fixed an issue that prevented some users from Connecting to use a Network DFM profile. If you have had trouble requesting a connection recently, go ahead and try again now.

IPC profiles updated. All IPC profiles were updated with new values for copper line width and spacing.

Reminder – connecting with IPC to run DFM analysis using the 9 DFM profiles is FREE to all PCBflow customers.

Intuitive navigation of DFM results

When you select to display all results in a DFM category, you can click on any of the results in the graphic area to display their details. This makes navigating visually between DFM results intuitive, as it is no longer necessary to through the entire list of results using the next and back buttons.

DFM results explained in Excel report

In your Excel DFM report, category names are linked to descriptions and mitigation suggestions, so you can better understand the DFM results without having to consult an outside source.

Track DFM profile usage history

Along with the email notifications sent each time your DFM profile is used, you can now access and download a history of DFM profile usage.

Easily view existing projects in 3D

When you start the 3D Viewer from the PCBflow homepage, you can now select any existing project for viewing, or choose to start a new project.

Create a Share Team to manage project access

Account admins can create and manage a company Share Team, from the Users section of Account Manager. Project access is automatically granted to the project owner and the company Share Team. A project owner can share their project with additional users outside of the share team or outside of the company as previously, using the share button on the project tile.

Online DFM Profile Builder (Beta)

Create a basic fabrication DFM profile quickly using the online DFM profile builder, available now in the manufacturer tools area. The simple online builder walks you through setting up custom values and creating your first fabrication DFM profile. You can keep the profile private, restrict access to your PCBflow connections or make it public for others to use in DFM analysis.

Edit your basic DFM profiles online or download them for enhancement offline in your ADM. Remember: ONLY YOU can download your DFM profiles for offline review or editing.

3D Viewer (Beta version)

View your designs in 3D! Rotate, zoom, pan, measure and visualize information of the design features. Access the tool from the PCBflow homepage or from the project ‘Design’ tab.

Contact information is required for Connections

You company contact information is now required to create a connection in the PCBflow Network. Add your contact information (name and email) to your company profile and opt-in to provide this information when you request or accept connections.

Measure up!

A measuring tool was added to the DFM report viewer. Now you can measure between features as you review your results.

DFM usage report

Account admin users can audit usage of DFM by exporting a usage report from your account management area.

Online Viewer update

Our DFM results viewer and board viewer have a new, tidy look and feel! Navigation and display tools are now easier to find and understand. Activate the tutorial to get a quick tour of the new icons.

• Display feature/component information in the online viewer
• Click on any feature in the online viewer to display important information about it.
• Lock zoom in DFM results viewer
• Use the lock zoom tool to lock the current zoom level & location as you navigate through DFM results. Click the icon again to unlock and restore automatic zoom & pan.

Delete design and BOM files from project

Use the delete icon to delete unwanted design or BOM files from your project. Note, you will need to upload new data to the project to perform additional DFM analysis.

Price, Quote and Order your projects

Get a price estimate for your projects in a few seconds, using the QuickPrice tool from the home page or from within a project. Proceed to a full price quote and order using the handy link in the QuickPrice estimate. Manufacturers who want to become a QuickPrice provider can contact us at info@pcbflow.com

Get help when you need it!

If your analysis fails for any reason, help is only a click away. You will be prompted to share your project with the PCBflow support team so to get you back on track as quickly as possible.

Filter DFM results by component

In the online results viewer, selecting any component will automatically filter the DFM results to display only issues related to that component. Reset the results filter to restore the default view.

Flag your favorite results

Mark your “favorite” results as you review your online DFM report. Later you can filter to review only the flagged results or reset the flags.

Improved reporting of Netlist Shorts

PCBflow netlist analysis was adjusted to improve reporting of shorts, based on our customer feedback.

Create and download a selective report of flagged DFM results

Now that you can add a flag to mark your favorite DFM results, we added the option to create and download a selective report of *only* the result you flagged. Download is available in both Excel and PDF formats.

Access your tenantID

Your unique tenant information is now available when you click on your initials in the left navigation bar of PCBflow. You may be asked to provide this information when requesting support or if you choose to delete your account.

Update your company profile

Show off your company on PCBflow! New options are available to display what your company does and who you are. Take a minute now to refresh your company profile information including business type and contact information, then make sure to add your company to the PCBflow network so others can see you and contact you to collaborate on projects.

DFM Report Tutorial

Take a quick tutorial to learn how to use the PCBflow online report viewer. Open any DFM report to start the tutorial. Restart it any time from the ? icon in the report viewer.

Create a snapshot of DFM results

A picture is worth a thousand words. In our online DFM result viewer you can now easily capture an image of a single DFM result and reuse it in your presentation, email, or frame it on the wall as a reminder of good design practice.

DFM Constraint lookup

Users who setup a DFM profile need to configure “DFM Constraints”. These constraints can result in a variety of DFM results, which may not have the same name as the constraint. The DFM report now includes both the result name and the original Constraint name so it is easier to trace back and adjust your custom DFM profile as needed

Improved drill span and layer view in Gerber stackup editor

When using Gerber data, its important to set the correct stackup, including layer type, order, copper weight and more. PCBflow stackup editor added a simpler tool to set your drill span – just drag the span indicator to show which board layers are pierced by the drills. Visual representation of the board stackup was also added to make it easier to confirm that you have defined everything correctly.

Filter DFM results by board area

In the online DFM result viewer, select to filter your DFM results by area. This will display all the DFM analysis results in the currently visible area of the board.

Unmatch user-defined VPL parts

During the BOM validation stage of assembly analysis, you may have made an incorrect selection when reviewing a part with suggested matches. Now you can easily unmatch and correct any selection. In the BOM interface, click the Search button to activate column filters and view “user-defined” matches. Select any user-defined match to view the details and unmatch as needed.

Connect to use Network DFM profiles

We fixed an issue that prevented some users from Connecting to use a Network DFM profile. If you have had trouble requesting a connection recently, go ahead and try again now.

IPC profiles updated

All IPC profiles were updated with new values for copper line width and spacing.
Reminder – connecting with IPC to run DFM analysis using the 9 DFM profiles is FREE to all PCBflow customers.

Intuitive navigation of DFM results

When you select to display all results in a DFM category, you can click on any of the results in the graphic area to display their details. This makes navigating visually between DFM results intuitive, as it is no longer necessary to through the entire list of results using the next and back buttons.

DFM results explained in Excel report

In your Excel DFM report, category names are linked to descriptions and mitigation suggestions, so you can better understand the DFM results without having to consult an outside source.

Track DFM profile usage history

Along with the email notifications sent each time your DFM profile is used, you can now access and download a history of DFM profile usage.

Easily view existing projects in 3D

When you start the 3D Viewer from the PCBflow homepage, you can now select any existing project for viewing, or choose to start a new project.

Measure up!

A measuring tool was added to the DFM report viewer. Now you can measure between features as you review your results.

Create a Share Team to manage project access

Account admins can create and manage a company Share Team, from the Users section of Account Manager. Project access is automatically granted to the project owner and the company Share Team.
A project owner can share their project with additional users outside of the share team or outside of the company as previously, using the share button on the project tile.

Online DFM Profile Builder (Beta)

Create a basic fabrication DFM profile quickly using the online DFM profile builder, available now in the manufacturer tools area.
The simple online builder walks you through setting up custom values and creating your first fabrication DFM profile.
You can keep the profile private, restrict access to your PCBflow connections or make it public for others to use in DFM analysis.
Edit your basic DFM profiles online or download them for enhancement offline in your ADM.

Remember: ONLY YOU can download your DFM profiles for offline review or editing.

Online Viewer update

Our DFM results viewer and board viewer have a new, tidy look and feel! Navigation and display tools are now easier to find and understand. Activate the tutorial to get a quick tour of the new icons.

3D Viewer (Beta version)

View your designs in 3D! Rotate, zoom, pan, measure and visualize information of the design features. Access the tool from the PCBflow homepage or from the project ‘Design’ tab.

• Display feature/component information in the online viewer
• Click on any feature in the online viewer to display important information about it.

Lock zoom in DFM results viewer

• Use the lock zoom tool to lock the current zoom level & location as you navigate through DFM results.
• Click the icon again to unlock and restore automatic zoom & pan.

Delete design and BOM files from project

Use the delete icon to delete unwanted design or BOM files from your project. Note, you will need to upload new data to the project to perform additional DFM analysis.

Price, Quote and Order your projects

Get a price estimate for your projects in a few seconds, using the QuickPrice tool from the home page or from within a project. Proceed to a full price quote and order using the handy link in the QuickPrice estimate. Manufacturers who want to become a QuickPrice provider can contact us at info@pcbflow.com

Get help when you need it!

If your analysis fails for any reason, help is only a click away. You will be prompted to share your project with the PCBflow support team so to get you back on track as quickly as possible.

Display feature/component information in the online viewer

• Click on any feature in the online viewer to display important information about it.

Filter DFM results by component

In the online results viewer, selecting any component will automatically filter the DFM results to display only issues related to that component. Reset the results filter to restore the default view.

Flag your favorite results

Mark your “favorite” results as you review your online DFM report. Later you can filter to review only the flagged results or reset the flags.

Stackup Editor for all designs

After uploading a design to PCBflow, it is converted to ODB++ format and saved in your project.
Now you can use the PCBflow Stackup Editor to adjust the layer type, copper weight/thickness, dielectric thickness, polarity and drill span.

• To start the editor, go to the ‘design’ tab in your project and click on the Edit icon.

Improved reporting of Netlist Shorts

PCBflow netlist analysis was adjusted to improve reporting of shorts, based on our customer feedback.

Create and download a selective report of flagged DFM results

Now that you can add a flag to mark your favorite DFM results, we added the option to create and download a selective report of *only* the result you flagged.

• Download is available in both Excel and PDF formats.

Access your tenantID

Your unique tenant information is now available when you click on your initials in the left navigation bar of PCBflow. You may be asked to provide this information when requesting support or if you choose to delete your account.

Update your company profile

Show off your company on PCBflow! New options are available to display what your company does and who you are. Take a minute now to refresh your company profile information including business type and contact information, then make sure to add your company to the PCBflow network so others can see you and contact you to collaborate on projects.

Approval required to join the network.

Starting April 4, 2023, all companies are subjected to an approval process to be visible in the PCBflow network. To join the network, provide the required information in your Company Profile and submit your request.
The approval process is fast, but in some cases may take up to a few days. You will receive notification when your request is approved or if there are additional details required.
As part of this change, some PCBflow accounts were pre-approved to ensure continuity of service. If your company was pre-approved without completing all required information, please open your Company Profile and complete the missing information now.

DFM profile selection made easy

Its important to select the right DFM profile when you run DFM analysis. Now you can easily see all the manufacturers that are offering their DFM profile for you to use.

Use these 3 easy steps:

1. Run your DFM.
2. Choose your DFM partner.
3. Select the right profile.

Of course, you can still choose a generic DFM profile provided by Siemens.

Download DFM results in Excel format

You can now download your DFM results to Excel format for offline review.
In the online viewer, choose between PDF and Excel format.

Click to contact your DFM partner

Its now easier than ever to contact your DFM partner – the people who set up your DFM rules.

• Contact information now appears at the top of the online report viewer, and on the project report tile.
• Click to automatically start an e-mail to the right people.

Reminder: make sure your company contact information is up-to-date so that its just as easy to find you!

Auto-create dielectric layers for Gerber data

Gerber data lacks dielectric layers, so we added a button to auto-create a single dielectric layer between all inner layers.
You’ll find the button in our stackup editor. Make sure to set the correct thickness for the dielectric layers that are added (default .001 mil).

Upload accessory project files

Upload and store up to 10 additional files with each project, in the Files tab.
Use these files to easily pass additional information to your manufacturing partner, such as fab drawings, project specifications, readme files and more.
Accepted formats: .pdf, .doc,.xls, .png, .jpg, .txt, .dxf, .dwg

Easier BOM Pricing and Sourcing

Get instant, accurate component pricing and availability information with the BOM Pricing and Sourcing tool. The new interface makes it easier to understand the important information that this tool provides. Upload your BOM file in Excel format. Change selection of preferred suppliers at any time, and the results will be updated automatically.

Spare parts marked in BOM Pricing and Sourcing.

If you decide to buy more parts than you need in order to get a better price, we provide a handy calculation of how many spare parts you will be left with.

New company tags: “DFM Provider” and “QuickPrice”

Companies can earn tags for providing an original DFM profile and for becoming a QuickPrice provider.
The tags “DFM profile” and “QuickPrice” appear on the company card and can be used to search for a manufacturer in the network.
Manufacturers – now is a good time set up your DFM profile from Manufacturer Tools, and add your QuickPrice URL to your company profile.

DFM Checks explained

We provide a searchable, comprehensive list of DFM checks that are available in PCBflow.
Note – not all DFM profiles are set to contain all checks but now it is easy to see which checks could be part of your DFM analysis.

Improved analysis progress bar

We value your time! The analysis progress bar has been improved to give a more accurate indication of how much work has already been completed and how much is left.
Remember, you can continue to work in PCBflow while your DFM analysis runs. We’ll notify you when its finished.

Simplified BOM manager

Reviewing your BOM before advanced assembly analysis is important, and it just got easier and more intuitive. Our new BOM interface gives you clear instructions and simplified tools to make sure you are using the right parts.

Expanded Company Cards in Network

Companies can now supply more detailed information including a list of DFM profiles and their descriptions.
Search for your preferred manufacturer in the network and run DFM directly from the Company Card.

Additional DFM Profile information

Description and Industry were added to DFM Profile, enabling easier selection of the correct DFM profile when running analysis.

Manufacturers, update your DFM profiles now!

DFM Report – Dockable results widget

DFM report results are now shown in a dockable widget. Display the results anywhere on your screen so that you don’t block the view. Pin the results to the bottom of the window when you want to keep things tidy.

Introducing Fast Track DFM

Complete your DFM analysis more quickly by allowing PCBflow to automatically select a default (generic) DFM profile.
In assembly analysis, standard VPL part geometry will be used and analysis will run without any manual intervention required.
For more control, you can activate the “Advanced options” to manually select your preferred manufacturer DFM profile and review part geometry before continuing with analysis.

This release introduces three new features that facilitate and speed design review and price estimation processes. Now a wider range of users can preview printed circuit board (PCB) designs and perform design for manufacturing (DFM). Complete your DFM analysis more quickly by allowing PCBflow to automatically select a default (generic) DFM profile.
In assembly analysis, standard VPL part geometry will be used and analysis will run without any manual intervention required.
For more control, you can activate the “Advanced options” to manually select your preferred manufacturer DFM profile and review part geometry before continuing with analysis.
Additionally, users can now easily and quickly create accurate price estimates using manufacturers’ pricing information available from within PCBflow.

Benefits:

• Saves time and costs in the design-to-manufacturing handoff process by addressing manufacturability challenges
• Enables anyone to easily preview designs and perform DFM analysis – even users without access to ODB++ or IPC2581
• Connects designers with manufacturers to perform DFM based on specific manufacturing capabilities
• Enables designers to get accurate price estimates, immediately
• Provides a secure, cloud-based, collaborative environment with no IT investment

Features:

Support for Gerber 274x format, this enables users to:

• Easily upload compressed Gerber 274x design files
• Use the intuitive PCBflow Stackup Manager to specify additional critical design details
• Drag and drop layer position, select layer type, add copper weight, polarity, and drill layer information
• Quick Pricing powered by Boardera

View Full Release Notes

As a cloud-based tool, PCBflow requires no installation or configuration. Designers can simply upload ODB++Design files into the secure cloud environment and select one or more manufacturers to apply process capabilities to the DFM analysis.
PCBflow even supports flex and rigid-flex DFM analysis. PCBflow provides an interactive online viewer that enables drill-down and investigation of design faults, secure in-app sharing and collaboration, and a downloadable PDF report.

PCBflow guides designers through the manufacturability design errors, including manufacturing risk analysis. DFA analysis enables BOM validation based on manufacturer part numbers using the Valor Part Library Database and exposes component placement problems and potential assembly issues. In addition, PCBflow allows designers to review and track updates in the context of design violations, minimizing back-and-forth with manufacturing partners and making it simple to validate and optimize designs. Users can see, pan, zoom and navigate through all board layers, seeing all details, including component geometry. They can easily fully investigate the DFM analysis with an interactive result viewer that automatically zooms to the location of the result being investigated.
Designers can easily and securely upload ODB++, IPC2581 and Gerber 274x designs to PCBflow and run comprehensive DFM analysis instantly, online, at any time.
Get accurate price estimates, immediately PCBflow instantly shows updated cost and availability information for the components in a Bill of Materials (BOM), using the BOM Pricing and Sourcing tool. PCB designers can use the QuickPrice function (powered by Boardera) to receive instant, accurate price estimates within PCBflow for the manufacturing and assembly of their projects.   Manufacturers can easily become qualified QuickPrice providers in PCBflow and receive notification each time a price estimate is requested.

Features

• Fast and easy – fabrication DFM analysis in two simple steps.
• Smart, self-explanatory, and interactive – DFM report includes filtering, statistics, summary tables and error grouping.
• Design for assembly (DFA) for manufacturer specific BOM validation and identification of component placement and manufacturing violations.
• Easy zooming and navigation through all board layers, as well as interactive viewing of DFM results, powered by Valor Parts Library.
• Support for Gerber 274x files – enabling upload, preview, editing and DFM analysis by users who lack access to ODB++ or IPC2581.
• Immediate and accurate price estimates, using QuickPrice powered by Boardera.
• Easy, secure, in-app collaboration and downloadable PDF report.
• Powered by the Valor NPI engine, an industry standard for DFM analysis.
• Secure cloud environment, PCBflow adheres to the strict Security standards of Siemens software, including ISO27001 certification.