Flex and Rigid-Flex PCB

Is there a way to create Flex and Rigid-Flex PCBs with Horizon?

Do you have an immediate need for this feature? I’m a bit puzzled by requests like this one as folks doing flex-rigid PCBs are usually operating in a commercial setting. I wouldn’t expect people to depend their business one-man-show project.

Anyhow, do you have a description of how the flex/rigid parts are specified in the gerbers?

Not really, would just be for a fun project (lcd + touch keyboard). Was just wondering if this is possible.

I don’t think there is a standard. Basically the stackup needs to be defined/divided in two regions. How is the stackup defined in gerber? Is it coupled with the outline?

Gerber itself doesn’t know about stackups (or nobody uses it) If you have a description of how the gerbers should look like, I might be able to come up with an idea how to do this in Horizon EDA.


I have tried designing FPC and rigid flex board in my work. Basically, we just need to note where the rigid board and where the flex is. In the image, the rigid is the same board outline we usually did and just add line or polygon where the flex will be located. In simple terms, just make unconnected boards in 1 layout and connect them just in silkscreen in my case. As far as I know there is no standart stack up in design. We do not need to follow the manufacturing stack up. What matters is your PCB fab understand what you mean. You can just use the same layering in your CAD and add additional information about the flex part in non electrical layer, silkscreen or you can add new layer. Once again, as long as fab house understand all is good. In FPC case (Fully flex), you can do the same where you just need to note where the stiffener is.

What hard in using rigid flex actually is the board handling. You need to take note of moisture and temperature of soldering.

image

Can you explain what about horizon-era you think is not ready for commercial use?

Well, it’s up to the user to decide if they feel comfortable having their business depend on an application maintained by one guy in his spare time.