LONDON-( )-Polar Instruments announce the launch of Speedstack 2.0, an automated PCB stack-up creation tool which dramatically cuts the time required for electronic engineers or PCB fabricators to create and document multi-layer printed circuit board stackups. Using basic information such as the overall board thickness, number of layers and target impedance, Speedstack 2.0 generates a number of virtual stacks based on a library of generic or real-time material costs, availability and lead-times. Users can balance different criteria by ranking the potential stacks by cost, finished thickness, or the availability of materials. Speedstack 2.0 ’s unique autostack VSR (Virtual Stack Realisation) engine performs a Monte Carlo analysis on 10,000 virtual builds of each stack to provide a statistical profile of board thickness and an accurate prediction of production yields. Stacks can be professionally documented with a single click and shared between the design engineer and the PCB fabricator using the Speedstack Viewer. This significantly improves communication and reduces or eliminates the errors which can occur through mis-interpretation of data, which has traditionally been presented in Word, Excel or PowerPoint documents. Speedstack 2.0 introduces the next generation of automated stack-up tools and integrates a number of powerful new features: impedance goal seeking, customisable reports and support for IPC slash sheets, stacked vias and microvias, as well as enhanced rules check and thickness calculations.
Real-time updates to material costs and lead-times allow supply chain management and enhanced cost control to be integrated into the decision-making process. Speedstack 2.0 is available as a standalone stack-up builder or in versions which interface with other Polar Instruments tools which are used extensively by fabricators and design engineers; Speedstack PCB is optimised for fabricators and includes an interface to Polar ’s Si8000m controlled impedance and stackup tool; Speedstack Si interfaces to Polar ’s Si9000e to allow design engineers to perform advanced transmission line design. All versions support fully-automated, semi-automated or manual stack creation and include powerful editing tools to allow stacks to be tweaked and fine-tuned. About Polar Instruments Polar Instruments is a market leader in designing and manufacturing tools to simplify and enhance the design, fabrication and testing of printed circuit boards (PCBs).
Their innovative tools include the industry-standard Controlled Impedance Test System (CITS) which provides the global PCB industry with an easy-to-use test system for high-speed digital and RF boards, as well as class-leading tools for fast and accurate design and testing of controlled impedance in PCBs. Polar also leads the industry in tools for automated PCB layer stackup design and documentation.
SpeedStack offers mezzanine solutions with 4.00 to +10.00mm stack heights. SpeedEdge offers mezzanine solutions with stack heights as low as 7.00mm. SpeedEdge offers mezzanine solutions with stack heights as low as 7.00mm.
Polar Instruments was established in 1976 and now has operations in the US, UK, Europe and Asia Pacific.