FHE Design: Reducing Time to Market

Flexible hybrid electronics (FHE) devices provide ideal solutions to many of today's conformal electronics needs. FHE manufacturing techniques provide SWaP-C (Size, Weight, Power, and Cost) improvements over their more traditional counterparts. Because FHE devices bend and flex, the design process requires an electro-mechanical approach in which mechanical and electrical requirements are jointly considered and simulated. The final product application dictates features such as static or dynamic bending, component placement, and material choice. Moreover, flexible substrates and printed conductors require more extensive RF simulation and characterization, unique to each manufacturing process and, in general, flexibility introduces problems that have yet to be resolved. Without proper tools or experience, these features can instead become detriments that lead to longer design cycles and increased costs. In this presentation, we will dive into the basics of FHE design and discuss the tools NextFlex has developed to simplify the design process, shortening development cycles and ultimately, time to market.