DFM & Valor Services

Utilizing the industry leading Valor Enterprise 3000 software.

Automated & Manual DFM Services

  • Freedom CAD has the capability to perform DFM & Valor services on all FCS designed products, as well as designs done by customers or outside agencies. These reviews are done primarily through the use of Valor’s Enterprise 3000 software (now owned by Mentor). As a supplement to the automated analysis, a visual check is done to review the items not automatically checked.

    Every Freedom CAD design goes through our Valor/QA process a minimum of two times to ensure that your design is error free.

  • Valor Standard Deliverables

Automated Valor Checks

The automated Valor checks fall into the categories below. The primary checks performed are listed in each category. The checks done are predominantly fab checks. The Enterprise 3000 tool has limited automatic checks for potential assembly issues. The rules used for these checks have been developed by Freedom CAD based on industry standards, along with experience and feedback from suppliers. FCS has the ability to use unique customer or supplier specific rules if desired.

Netlist analysis

  • All shorts and opens identified by net name
  • Intentional shorts or opens need to be specified

Drill Checks

Note : Checks are based on finished hole sizes

  • Minimum drill size
  • Duplicate holes
  • Touching holes
  • Hole spacing
  • Missing or extra holes
  • Hole to board edge spacing

Signal Layer Checks

Note : Checks for inner and outer layers are separate. Line width and spacing values are unique to each job

  • Line width and spacing
  • Line/pad and pad/pad spacing
  • Non-plated hole to copper spacing
  • Copper to board edge spacing
  • Via and plated hole annular ring
  • Trace stubs

Power/Ground Plane Checks

  • Non-plated hole to copper spacing
  • Via/plated hole pad to plane spacing
  • Thermal relief connections (negative planes only)
  • Plane spacing
  • Copper to board edge clearance

Soldermask checks

  • Consistent clearance on pads (cleared or 1:1)
  • Tented vias (unless specified as intentional)
  • Mask coverage of adjacent features
  • Board edge mask clearance
  • Mask web/sliver width
  • Missing mask openings

Solderpaste Checks

  • Presence of paste on all SMT pads
  • Size of paste matches SMT pad (1:1)

Silkscreen checks

  • Silkscreen on via pads, SMT pad, PTH pads (especially text)
  • Silkscreen to board edge
  • Silkscreen line width
  • Silkscreen text height
  • Silkscreen text overlapping

Manual Checks

To supplement the automatic Valor checks, we perform a manual review of the data provided. This allows us to provide feedback for the types of issues that Valor cannot find.

Fab/Assembly drawings

  • Breakaway or panelization recommendations
  • Review notes for any inconsistencies, specs, etc.
  • Review Drill tables for consistency with data
  • Review fab dimensioning
  • Review for part numbers, revs, dates, etc.

Design data

  • Review board for pin 1 presence in silkscreen
  • Review for missing silkscreen reference designators on major components
  • Ensure fiducials are adequate
  • Review plane connections to ensure thermal reliefs are present
  • Review connections of small discretes for thermal connections
  • General observations to identify unusual issues