Masters Abstracts (1996)

NAGARAJAN, KUMAR
(September 1996), Package Development Engineer, LSI Logic, Milpitas, CA

Email: kumarn@lsil.com

A Computer Aided Cost Estimation System for BGA/DCA

The electronics packaging industry is relying upon area array technologies such as Ball Grid Array (BGA) and Direct Chip Attach (DCA) as possible replacements for the traditional peripherally leaded surface mount packaging formats. since these technologies are still in their nascent stage, the cost benefits obtained from them need to be quantified. A computer aided cost estimation (CACE) system was developed to compare the costs of assembling a board with peripherally leaded devices such as a QFP or a TAB component with the costs of assembling a board with functionally equivalent BGA or DCA devices. The CACE system allows the user to perform 'what if analyses, enabling the user to identify the key cost drivers. Also, the CACE has the capability to read CAD drawings and incorporates Design For Manufacture (DFM) principles through interactive visual design to gauge the effects of design changes when alternate packaging formats are studied. The metric used for cost comparison is the final assembly cost per unit. The cost factors considered in the model are the following: equipment, material, labor, board, component, rework/repair, cleaning, and floor space. The CACE system was developed using Microsoft Visual Basic (V4.0) for PC-based platforms which run under a Windows operating environment.