MID-Specific Requirements for Development Tools

The requirements applicable to development tools for MID products were identified back in the 1990s, in other words during the early days of this technology. The direct substantial integration of mechanical and electrical or, more accurately, electronic functions on a three-dimensional interconnect device stands out clearly [51], Existing software for product development can therefore be evaluated in terms of its suitability for MID technology. This section explains the properties required of the programs and the additional functions rendered necessary in this way. 

The numerous technological explanations and examples in this book illustrate the many and diverse benefits of MID technology, foremost among which are design freedom and the miniaturization of parts. In order to render the benefits of this technology available in the form of a product, the software tools too must be able to serve the following terms of reference in the individual phases of product development  

The computer-aided design of the product and the related simulation processes are discussed in detail below. 

One result of the computer-aided development of electric circuitry for printed circuit boards was that the software products had a two-dimensional development environment. Rectangular-shaped planar boards were the norm, so for decades this mode of representation was perfectly adequate. Expansions were allowed for the number of layers in a multilayer board construct, the placing of electronic components on both sides of the board, and the stacking of multiple flat boards. The differences in the complexity of the software tools for electronic computer-aided design (ECAD) can be explained by the difference in focus. The more layers in a printed circuit board (PCB) or the more specialized the applications (high-frequency circuits are a case in point), the larger are the quantities of data to be handled and the more specialized are the functions needed. 

FIGURE 8.16 Mechanics and electronics development are separate, with file-based data interchange (graphics courtesy of Mecadtron) 

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