downstream launches fabstream™downstreamtech.com/dataflows/dataflows-spring-2013.pdf · services,...

Tel: 800.535.3226 • 508-970-0670 • www.downstreamtech.comDownStream Technologies, LLC. ©2013 All rights reserved. CAM350® and BluePrint for Printed Circuit Boards® are registered

trademarks of DownStream Technologies, LLC. All other trademarks are the property of their respective companies.

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IN THIS ISSUE:

FabStream an integrated online PCB solutionpages 1-3

Mass Design SoloPCB Beta Version Available Todaypage 4-5

IPC-2581 Integrated within all our solutionspage 5

EventsTraining and Webinarspage 6

Software UpdateNew Builds Available pages 6

WPIUtilizing local resourcespages 7

DownStream Launches FabStream™Delivers free PCB Design software suite integrated with manufacturing for Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Electronic Engineers

DownStream announced the launch of FabStream™, an integrated printed circuit board (PCB) design and manufacturing solution targeted at the DIY electronics market that consists of small businesses, start-ups, engineers, inventors, hobbyists, and other electronic enthusiasts.

“Our vision for FabStream was to create an intuitive PCB solution for a complex part of the electronic product development process. FabStream offers the casual DIY user free comprehensive, yet easy-to-use PCB design tools readily available and integrated with manufacturing,” said Rick Almeida, Founder of DownStream Technologies and Managing Director of FabStream. “We wanted FabStream to support those individuals who are less experienced in PCB design and manufacturing by eliminating design pitfalls that can lead to problems getting a board produced.”

The FabStream service works in three easy steps. First, the user logs onto the FabStream website (www.fabstream.com), selects a FabStream manufacturing partner and downloads the free design software. Next, they proceed to create PCB libraries, schematics and board layouts. Finally, the software leads the user through the process of ordering PCBs on-line with the manufacturer. Users pay only for the PCBs they purchase. The service is largely Internet-based so FabStream can be accessed globally and is available 24/7/365.

eNewsletter from DownStream TechnologiesSpring 2013

http://www.downstreamtech.com


http://www.downstreamtech.com/CAM350/datasheets/DesignAnalyzer.pdf

http://www.fabstream.com




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DIY users tend to be generalists responsible for many aspects of product development from circuit, software and mechanical design, through procurement, assembly and field test. As a result design volume is often low, making the purchase of commercial design software prohibitive, and where assistance with more complex parts of development, such as PCB manufacturing, can be beneficial. FabStream also works in larger corporations where engineers may require a quick proof of concept to validate circuits before committing to a formal engineering implementation. FabStream enables these individuals to quickly develop a short-term prototype. Once the circuit is proven out, it can be implemented into the corporate design automation flow.

An Integrated ApproachFabStream starts with the free SoloPCB Design™ software customized to each manufacturing partner. All of the manufacturer’s production capabilities are built into SoloPCB, allowing the user to work within the manufacturers’ constraints right from the start. Design changes can be made and then verified through an integrated analyzer that compares the modification to the manufacturer’s rules using a quick pass/fail check, helping the user keep the design in synch with manufacturing.

SoloPCB does not contain any CAM outputs. Instead, a secure, industry-standard IPC-2581 manufacturing file is automatically extracted, encrypted and electronically routed to the manufacturer during the ordering process. The IPC-2581 file contains all the design information needed for manufacturing, eliminating the need to create Gerber and NC drill files – which can be problematic for individuals unfamiliar with PCB manufacturing. The use of IPC-2581 makes SoloPCB the first PCB design tool to use the standard exclusively between design and manufacturing.

Free SoloPCB Design SoftwareThe free SoloPCB Design software consists of commercial-quality schematic capture, PCB layout and autorouting in one, easy-to-use environment. To deliver commercial-level software for free, the base technology was acquired from a leading Electronic Design Automation software company headquartered in North America and then, enhanced to automate the flow between design and manufacturing. The acquired base technology has been used by hundreds of high tech companies around the world for many years, validating that the core functionality is well proven in the field.

“Free software for PCB manufacturing” is not new, but many of the current offerings limit design size and layer count and lock the user into a single manufacturer. FabStream differentiates itself by the depth of the technology that SoloPCB supports. PCBs up to 16 layers can be designed and priced. Complex PCB technologies such as blind and buried vias as well as controlled and matched impedance are supported and priced through an automated RFQ process. The software remains consistent between manufacturers so that users can choose the manufacturer that best meets their technological, delivery, and budgetary needs.





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PCB ManufacturingSoftware development is DownStream’s core competency so the company wanted the same level of expertise for PCB manufacturing. DownStream has created a network of PCB manufacturing partners to offer varying levels of service and a wide array of manufacturing alternatives. “Our business arrangement with our partners allows both parties to do what they’re good at, allows us to continue to focus on software development, while delivering quality and affordable PCB manufacturing,” said Almeida.

FabStream has signed six inaugural manufacturing partners including Bare Board Group, Inc. and Mass Design Inc. in North America; Allfavor Circuits in Shenzhen China; WEdirekt, a division of Würth Elektronik Group, LeitOn, GmbH both based in Germany and Prago Board in the Czech Republic. Several other partnerships are being developed and will be announced in the coming months. FabStream is striving to add partners in key geographical regions around the world so that users can work with local suppliers. Customized versions of SoloPCB for each manufacturer will be rolled out throughout 2013.

Almeida explains, “The success of FabStream is tied directly to our customers’ success. Unless a user can get a PCB designed and built, we do not receive any income. This gives us strong incentive to make sure our users not only have all the technology they need, but that it’s presented in a way that doesn’t impede their workflow”.

Availability and PricingBeginning today, FabStream for Mass Design, Inc. is now in Beta Pilot. SoloPCB for Mass Design can be downloaded at the FabStream website: www.fabstream.com and through Mass Design’s corporate website: www.massdesign.com. The SoloPCB Design Software for Mass Design is free to download and Mass Design’s PCB pricing will apply.

About Fabstream™FabStream is an integrated printed circuit board (PCB) design and manufacturing solution developed by DownStream Technologies targeted at the DIY electronics market that consists of small businesses, start-ups, engineers, inventors, hobbyists, and other electronic enthusiasts. FabStream consists of free SoloPCB Design™ software customized to each manufacturing partner in the Fabstream network. More information can be found at Fabstream.com





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Mass Design Inc. Announces FabStream-for-Mass Design™

Launches Free SoloPCB Design software integrated with Mass Design’s PCB manufacturing

Mass Design, Inc. a manufacturer of high-reliability printed circuit boards (PCB) for critical applications, announced the Beta Pilot launch of SoloPCB Design™ software for Mass Design through the company’s partnership with FabStream, a new business initiative created by DownStream Technologies, LLC.

FabStream is an integrated printed circuit board (PCB) design and manufacturing solution consisting of free SoloPCB Design™ software customized to each manufacturing partner, starting with Mass Design.

With FabStream for Mass Design, customers can download the free SoloPCB Design software from Mass Design’s website (www.massdesign.com ) or from www.fabstream.com preloaded with all of Mass Design’s manufacturing and pricing rules. The customer then creates PCB schematics and layouts. When finished, the PCB is automatically priced and ordered through an integrated e-commerce wizard. The wizard extracts all of the necessary manufacturing data into a secure and encrypted, industry standard IPC-2581 manufacturing file. The order information and manufacturing file are electronically routed to Mass Design’s inside sales department for order processing and CAM engineering. Since the service is largely Internet-based, FabStream for Mass Design can be accessed globally 24/7/365 extending Mass Design’s market potential.

With this addition, Mass Design expands its already innovative integrated manufacturing strategy by adding free PCB design tools tied into the company’s manufacturing flow. The result is complete front-to-back support including design software, design services, bare board fabrication, and PCB assembly. Mass Design’s customers can select any combination of these services.

“For our customers to be competitive in today’s economy we have to think outside the box and offer more than just traditional manufacturing services,” said Paul Boduch, VP of Operations at Mass Design. “Including FabStream as a Mass Design service was an obvious addition to align our customers engineering efforts more closely with our manufacturing flow and greatly increase their product success.”

Mass Design has created a pricing model specifically for the DIY Engineer that offers extremely low pricing for PCBs based on pre-set construction configurations. This allows the company to group similar PCB orders and manufacture at a much lower cost. The savings is then passed on to the end-user.

Boduch explains, “FabStream helps us reach a market segment that is difficult to address with traditional sales and marketing channels. To support the DIY engineer we needed to keep prototype costs low but at the same time, provide expertise to users unfamiliar with PCB manufacturing. By pre-setting PCB construction configurations, such as material, copper, thickness, and finishes, the burden of understanding the nuances of PCB manufacturing have been eliminated and the manufacturability of the design is greatly improved. This reduces our tooling costs and creates savings through economies of scale that can be passed on to the customer.”

At the start of the SoloPCB layout process, users select a pre-set PCB configuration in two, four or six layer options. All of Mass Design’s manufacturing rules, materials and pricing associated with the configuration are used to drive the layout and ordering process. When more advanced PCB features are need, a “Full Feature” option is offered enabling up to 16 layer PCB designs with tighter design rules. Full feature also supports advanced design technologies such as blind and buried vias and controlled impedance. Changes introduced in the layout process can be quickly verified using an integrated Design Analyzer. The analyzer provides a quick pass/fail of changes to help keep the PCB layout in synch with Mass Design’s constraints so customers can design without compromise but still build with confidence.



http://www.massdesign.com





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Mass Design is the first of FabStream’s inaugural partners to release the service to their customer base. The companies have worked closely together over the past 12 months to define the service and customize FabStream to Mass Design’s production flow.

“We are excited that Mass Design has chosen to license FabStream as part of its integrated approach to manufacturing,” stated Rick Almeida, Founder of DownStream Technologies and Managing Director of FabStream. “They’re expertise in PCB manufacturing combined with our knowledge of PCB software development delivers the best of both worlds. FabStream for Mass Design offers the layperson an intuitive solution to a complex part of electronic product development.”

Availability and PricingBeginning today, FabStream for Mass Design, Inc. is now in Beta Pilot. SoloPCB Design Software for Mass Design can be downloaded at Mass Design’s corporate website: www.massdesign.com. The SoloPCB Design Software for Mass Design is free and Mass Design’s PCB pricing will apply.

About Mass DesignMass Design, Inc. has been designing and manufacturing high-reliability printed circuit boards (PCB) that can be manufactured cost-effectively by a diverse customer base that includes Fortune 500 companies, the Department of Defense, start-ups, OEMs and contract manufacturers. The company’s integrated manufacturing approach removes communication obstacles between engineering and manufacturing to eliminate common pitfalls when introducing new products to market.

©2013 Mass Design, Inc. All rights reserved. FabStream™ and SoloPCB Designer™ are trademarks of DownStream Technologies, LLC and all other trademarks

and registered trademarks contained within this document are the property of their respective owners.

IPC-2581 Data ExchangeWhy use IPC-2581 instead of Gerber or other formats available?

Intelligence and all inclusive! PCB complexity has increased significantly over the past three decades, yet the most common method for communicating design intent to manufacturing is a 30 year old data standard – Gerber files. This decades old data-communication format was originally conceived to drive numerically controlled photo plotters that produced graphic images of PCB data. It was never intended to transfer stack-up data, material selection, design intent or even a netlist.

The PCB fabrication industry was keenly aware of these challenges and the changing dynamics of PCB design and fabrication. An international consortium of PCB manufacturers stepped up to lead a broad, industry-wide project to define the next generation data exchange specification. Their goal was to facilitate accurate, efficient data exchange between PCB designers, PCB manufacturers and PCB assemblers using a single XML-based data format. The consortiums efforts culminated in a new data format documented by the IPC-2581 specification. Today, eight years after the initial specification and a few revisions, the PCB industry is responding to renewed interested in the use of an open source data format having greater intelligence than Gerber.

All DownStream products now offer direct integration with IPC-2581. CAM350 exports IPC-2581 formatted files as an enhanced form of passing data to PCB Fabricators. FabStream exclusively uses IPC-2581 for its data exchange to their manufacturing partners. DownStream is always offering the latest technology for intelligent data transfer with their software products.






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DownStream Training and EventsOur schedule is always evolving, please check online for the most current details.

2013 Schedule in MN and MADownStream is offering product training in different regions across the US. Learn the most effective ways to use our software solutions, while discovering new features and functionalities in the latest releases. Plus, you’ll have one on one time with DownStream technical experts.

CAM350 / DFMStream Training

• May 8- Minneapolis MN

• July 24 - Marlborough MA

BluePrint Training

• May 7- Minneapolis MN

• July 23 - Marlborough MA

Please Note: Registration deadlines are 30 days prior to scheduled training course. Contact us for more details - [email protected] or to request a location nearest to you.

Technical Product WebinarsHaven’t experienced or seen our software solutions in a while? You may be missing out! We are constantly enhancing and updating our solutions to better meet your needs and expectations. During our monthly online technical webinars you can discover everything our products have to offer. With direct access to our technical experts, you will have the opportunity to ask your question and see what interests you the most. There is nothing to lose, rediscover DownStream today!

Easy. Intuitive. Fast. Affordable DFM software May 14, Tuesday – details

• 9:00 AM EDT / 6:00 AM PDT / (2:00PM GMT / 3:00PM CEST)• 2:00 PM EDT / 11:00 AM PDT

Automate. Enhance. Simplify PCB Documentation May 15, Wednesday – details

• 9:00 AM EDT / 6:00 AM PDT / (2:00PM GMT / 3:00PM CEST)• 2:00 PM EDT / 11:00 AM PDT

DownStream Software UpdatesApril 2To keep you up to date with our latest software enhancements, we are continuously updating our product builds. The latest releases are CAM350/DFMStream 10.8 build 619, and BluePrint 3.5 build 719. We do encourage you to download these new builds today to benefit from the new features, functionalities, and enhancements they contain.

If you are not on Maintenance, please contact sales to reinstate. Not a DownStream user? Download the Free Evaluation Software! Don’t forget to view the Release Highlights for details.



[email protected]

http://www.downstreamtech.com/dfmstream-webinar.php

http://www.downstreamtech.com/blueprint-webinar.php

http://www.downstreamtech.com/software-download-overview.php

mailto:[email protected]?subject=Maintenance Renewal

http://www.downstreamtech.com/free-evaluations-and-viewers.php

http://www.downstreamtech.com/free-evaluations-and-viewers.php

http://www.downstreamtech.com/release-highlights.php



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Worcester Polytechnic InstituteWhere science and technology meet real-world challenges

DownStream is supporting our local community of college students by working with WPI to recruit interns to help test new concepts and technologies. This is a great opportunity. We are excited to learn from these young college students and to expose them to real-world practices.

WPI was founded in 1865 to create and convey the latest science and engineering knowledge in ways that are most beneficial to society. WPI’s founding motto of Theory and Practice continues to underlie our academic programs. WPI graduates emerge ready to take on critical challenges in science and technology, knowing how their work can impact society and improve the quality of life.

WPI’s academic departments offer more than 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science, engineering, technology, management, the social sciences, and the humanities and arts, leading to the BA, BS, MS, ME, MBA and PhD. - http://www.wpi.edu/



http://www.wpi.edu/

downstream launches fabstream™downstreamtech.com/dataflows/dataflows-spring-2013.pdf · services,...

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