Everyone Needs a Map

You wake up with the sun, and the air is warm, a perfect day for a walk at the nearest trail. Upon arrival, a map shows the different paths and offers guidance and direction.

Staying in the right direction when setting up documentation for a new project reduces the back and forth with your contract manufacturer. The most common questions we see regard polarity and non-populated items.

 

How does your contract manufacturer decipher the diode & LED orientation? Only with your input. Ensure they have a check process in place, as different engineers indicate cathode/anode differently. Use a MAP KEY to tell them what your polarity markings (lines, bars, dots, chamfers, etc.) indicate. The best way to avoid confusion with your contract manufacturer is to use cathode/anode symbols, Ks, Cs, or As on drawings and/or silkscreen markings or include a note on your assembly drawing of what the polarity markings indicate.

 

As your project progresses, a snag may occur when parts are on the board but not on the BOM. Sometimes these are not populated and have been intentionally left off the BOM. To set everyone up for success, make sure you have a Trail MAP. We have often found that parts were accidentally omitted and needed to be populated. The best way to avoid this would be by including the unpopulated locations in a non-pop list on the BOM or indicating them on the assembly drawing!

 

This information will reduce setbacks on your timelines and ensure that the information provided is executed the way you want. Please include this information in your next project and go ahead and navigate to success.

 

By: Samantha Quarantiello & Steve Pappalardo