Catch manufacturability issues before they reach the fab
Manufacturability is decided long before the first board goes into production. If problems like insufficient copper spacing, critical drill sizes, or weak solder mask clearance are only discovered at fabrication time, the result is usually delay, cost, and avoidable engineering back-and-forth.
The Bare Board Analysis DRC in PCB-Investigator helps engineering teams validate producibility directly in the layout workflow. Within seconds, the design is checked against rules that matter for real manufacturing outcomes.
Why standard checks often fall short
Many PCB workflows still rely on a basic DRC that does not fully reflect fabrication constraints. That is where hidden issues survive review: missing or duplicate holes, insufficient annular rings, copper near non-plated holes, tight spacing between traces and pads, or undercutting around solder mask openings.
PCB-Investigator addresses this gap with predefined inspection rules that can be extended through the Rule File Manager. That means company standards and supplier-specific requirements can be captured in reusable rule sets instead of being handled manually.
What the analysis covers
The Bare Board Analysis checks a broad set of fabrication-critical conditions, including:
- Copper spacing and track widths
- Annular rings for laser drill holes and copper pads
- Solder mask clearance for holes, pads, and test points
- Copper spacing to non-through holes
- Drill diameters and spacing
- Missing or duplicate holes
- Exposed copper areas and solder mask undercutting
- Blind leads, missing connections, and short circuits
This turns DRC from a simple design validation step into a practical manufacturability gate before release.
Finding production risks early reduces ppm, lowers manufacturing cost, and shortens time to market.
Built for faster release decisions
For engineers and technical decision-makers, the value is clear: fewer supplier questions, fewer ECO cycles, and greater confidence that the layout is ready for fabrication. Especially on dense or high-reliability designs, automated producibility checks can save significant review time.
If you want to strengthen your release process with a more fabrication-aware DRC, take a closer look at PCB-Investigator’s Bare Board Analysis.
Try it and see what your current workflow might be missing.
