ST@Electro-CADD,Inc. wrote:
>    IMHO I think it would be of great service to all in this forum if we
> shared our Schematic/Layout checklist's as well as non-propriatary
> fabrication and assembly notes, for a variety of designs from simple double
> sided to intense multi-layer including MCM,BGA,FLEX,RF,etc..  and compare
> the possibilities of how it may help others in our field.  I am still
> working on mine, and will post it to this group within the next day or two.
> I would appriciate any comments or criticism.  This is something that has
> usually been a guarded secret, but now that the world is communicating this
> way, LET'S SHARE!


It would be interesting to compare what most designers consider
"industry standard" basic instructions to vendors for various
types. I'm not exactly comfortable with my company's "notes block"
but haven't gotten around to try revising it yet (still new here)

As an ice-breaker, do you guys call out a general note like:
"Fabricate to meet or exceed the requirements of... "

or do you list every little thing separately and say:
"material xxx per xxx spec"

I would bet there are quite a few of us who use notes that they
don't even know where they came from or why they say what they say.
I'll be happy to post what we use and let everybody try to poke holes,
criticize, suggest, whatever;
(but I'm at home now, so maybe tomorrow at work, ok?

In the meantime I'm also copying this to the designer's council,
because there was another related discussion going on there.
I think the question was "What do you ask the Engineer?" or
something like that... okay, here's my two cents:


=================================
E N G I N E E R I N G   I N P U T

General Rule: The more info you can wring out of the FIRST
discussion of a new design, the more time you are going to save in
the long run.

Unfortunately, engineers never seem to want to VOLUNTEER this
information, so you have to be on your toes and be assertive.
Don't worry, as long as its a professional attitude and no blood
gets spilled unnecessarily <grin>, the result should be less work
for you, and eventually, more respect for your skills (whoa, was I
dreaming again?)

Anyway, you may also find that different engineers have their own
ideas about what you need "just to get started". Whenever an
engineer says "here's enough to get started", that should be a
bigtime red flag; simply replace that line with "I don't have
anything that you can make real progress on but if I give you this
scratch paper I can at least tell my boss that the design is in
layout, ok?". Ok, a step down from the soapbox, and here are some
questions I try to ask consistently whenever I start a new design.
Even if I know the engineer will not know the answers, I still
ask. Maybe it cause him to remember something he was overlooking,
or at least know what to expect next time he comes knocking on my
door.

Do you have a TITLE in mind?         kind of amusing when no one even
                                     knows what to call the thing, eh?
Have you assigned a Part Number?     usually NEVER, but I ask anyway
What Revision Level?                 Don't assume "the obvious"
Mechanical Questions, Who?           Save on future phone tag
Part List or Data Sheets?            a killer subject, brace yourself...
Board Dimensions, or "Same As"       can often use a previous design
Design for InCircuit/Functional Test?
Any Height Restrictions?
Any Placement Keepout Areas?
What size Mounting Holes?
Should Mounting Holes be Grounded?
Do you need Test Points
Any Labels? Extra Text? Notes?
Accessibility, Pots/Adjustable Comps
Unused Inputs Tied High or Low?
Any Isolation or Special Shielding?
Multiple Grounds? Common Return Point
Do you need Spares?
Do you need Sockets?
Connector Placement? Mating? Interferance?
Any Thermal Considerations?
Highlight HighCurrent/HighVoltage Nets
Enough Decoupling?
Critical Lines, Impedance Control?
How Many to Order, How Soon            assume a schedule crunch
High Volume in Product Life?           increasingly important

I have all of these questions on the left side of a form, and the
right side is an empty column for notes and any special
instructions about the job (even if they come up days later).
A copy of this form is easily passed along to the checker to make
sure nothing the engineer requested was overlooked.

Would like to hear other suggestions, comments, ideas.

onward thru the fog.....                                  Jack