Fabrication Parameters

Overview of how Quilter treats fabrication parameters as optimization variables, enabling exploration of multiple fabricators, stack-ups, and design rules for improved performance, cost, and density.

Typically, in a traditional design workflow, fabrication parameters are fixed before the design process starts. They serve as constraints for the layout to work within, rather than as adjustable parameters that can be optimized along with placement and routing.

Quilter reverses this approach, allowing you to consider the fabricator, fabrication rules, and even the stack-up as variables within the solution space that Quilter can explore and optimize.

Drawing
Quilter can explore many candidates in parallel, letting you select the stack-up and design rules that produce the best combination of speed, cost, and performance.

By switching fabrication parameters from constraints to optimization variables, you can do amazing things with Quilter, including:

  1. Compile for multiple fabricators. Create a single design that can be compiled for multiple fabricators and stack-ups, then send it to the manufacturer with the lowest cost or fastest turnaround time.

  2. Analyze performance vs. speed and cost. Compile the same design with different fabrication rules (3.5 mil, 5 mil, and 6 mil) to explore the trade-offs between physics performance, layer count, and fabrication cost/speed.

  3. Optimize board density. Compile the same design with various board outlines to examine the relationship between board size, component density, and layer count/routability.

For more information on fabrication parameters, continue reading or check out the table below.

Parameter
Description
Preference
Requirement

The PCB manufacturer that a specific layout candidate (stack-up and fabrication ruleset) is designed for.

Filter by fabricator

Enteprise customers only

The stack-up that Quilter uses when generating your candidate, including layer count, copper weight, material properties, and more.

Layer count only

🔄 Custom stack-ups coming soon

Basic design rules that ensure your board can be manufactured without issue – trace, space, drill, via, edge clearances, etc

Trace and space

🔄 Custom fab rules coming soon

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