Flexible Circuit Design-Concept to Connection: Part 2

摘要

The first article in this series covered the steps involved in generating the mechanical layout of a flex circuit. With the mechanical layout completed, it is time to start routing the conductors. Because a flexible printed circuit is as much a mechanical device as it is an electrical device, conductors have to be laid out so that the circuit will function reliably in its final configuration. Unlike a rigid PCB, a flexible circuit will be bent, flexed, twisted, and otherwise contorted to fit in the final assembly. These bending, flexing, and twisting operations can have a severe, detrimental impact on the internal conductors of the circuit if the conductors are not properly routed. This segment will cover what to do and, perhaps more importantly, what not to do during the conductor routing process to ensure a reliable design.