Chapter 6 – Implementing Flexible Circuit Technology
By Joseph Fjelstad

Flexible circuit technology offers unique capabilities, opportunities and options in electronics system design. However, to gain the advantages of flexible circuits, it is necessary to go through an implementation process that requires some rigor in thought and planning before designing a flex circuit that will work properly from the start.
Chapter 6 outlines a simple, thirteen-step approach to successfully implementing flexible circuits into new and existing products. The implementation method starts in the earliest stages of defining a product’s requirements and methodically moves through critical aspects of reliability, operating environment, package configuration, mechanical and electrical requirements, component location and testing needs. The final steps carry the process to creating a demonstration circuit, preparing a mock-up circuit and ultimately generating a CAD data package.