After presenting the first tutorial where basic operations were quickly explained, this second lesson aims to describe some special software features in a simple way. In this part, we will look at customizing BOM data entry, assembly cost estimation with component costs, and the Solder Joint Count – Defect Per Million Operations (DPMO) Report.
1) BOM Entry Customization
The software can import virtually any bill of materials (BOM). Once the BOM has been loaded, whenever we select a component, all entered data will be easily viewable. BOM files are written in many styles or formats. There are two methods for “teaching the Unisoft software how to import a BOM file. The first is automatic and the second is manual. It is recommended to use the automatic method to save time during” entry.
Depending on your customer/supplier or collaborator, you will likely have BOMs arranged in different ways or in files with different extensions. Regarding “ordering, you can easily create it before” automatic entry and save it after you have generated it so that it is reusable for a second or subsequent times. To do this, go to File->Import Bom File and you will find a menu as shown in Figure 2.1 (left window).
Fig. 2.1 – Edit windows for BOM entry
Initially, you will find three pre-built BOM structures, but you can easily create new ones and modify them later. On the right side of Figure 2.1, you’ll find the window that will open if you press the edit button after selecting a BOM import structure, in our case Company A. This establishes the order of data entry that you need to load according to your needs, and you just need to assign the column number of the BOM file to be inserted to the field you want to pair it with.
2) Assembly Cost Estimation
Once the board data is imported, you can easily and quickly create a report containing the list of components divided based on the board side where they are mounted (component and solder sides) and by type (SMT, PTH, Fine Pitch, BGA etc…) with the cost for each group. It’s possible to create assembly models linked to these component groups based on production quantities – low, medium, or high volume production. In Figure 2.2, you can observe an example of the values that can be set depending on the component class.
Fig. 2.2 – Windows for assembly cost estimation sheet
In the left part of figure 2.2, you can see the pre-prepared models, but as with the BOMs in the previous step, these models can be modified or new ones can be generated. For example, once you choose medium volume production, by pressing the edit button you can modify the cost per device, cost per Part Number, or per BGA. These three costs, or two if not talking about BGA, are immediately made available for all SMT or PTH components divided based on the number of pins per piece. Based on the methods each company uses, these costs can be used or not, and an example of the calculation for two components is visible in Figure 2.3.
Fig. 2.3 – Example of Assembly Cost Grouping
In the “last row of the” previous image, you can easily observe how the three different costs are used (in the case of a BGA) according to a simple algorithm that multiplies the entered costs by the quantities used. If you use, for example, only the cost related to the Part Number, you just need to set the other two to zero. Using instead a cost system formed by all three contributions, you will need to enter each individual value.
The software is also able to generate a component cost report. The report will provide the board cost broken down by each individual component and the total overall cost of the inserted components. Obviously, the cost of individual components must be provided to the program, for example in one of the customizable BOM fields. In Figure 2.4, you can see part of one of these reports with the total cost visible at the “beginning and the cost of individual codes representing the component with the number of pieces beside it, the cost of the single piece, and the total cost for that” entire code.
Fig. 2.4 – Display of a component cost report
3) Solder Joint Count – Defect per Million Operations (DPMO) Report
The software is also capable of generating a solder joint report evaluated for defects per million operations (DPMO). This report can be easily used by both technical offices and the quality department. It contains data related to solder joints divided between PTH, SMT, and by part number and their position (top or bottom side). In Figure 2.5, you can easily observe a part of this report where components within it are subdivided using the same technique as seen for the assembly cost estimation.
Fig. 2.5 – The Solder Joint Count Report window
With the explanation of this useful functionality, the second lesson on the program concludes, with more tutorials coming soon. In the next tutorial, we will explain how to produce very useful electronic documentation of an electronic device in a single file containing notes, photos, assembly rules, and anything else you might need.
