New Canopy™ 3-Dimensional PCB Subassembly & Associated Technology Facilitate Heat Dissipation & Maintain Impedance Control For High-Density, High-Speed Memory Application

Legacy Electronics' Canopy® Subassembly & Process Eliminate Need for Stacking, Allow Manufacturers to Assemble JIT, with Single-Sided Reflow, Complete Control & Accountability, and Reduce Unit & Assembly Costs by 10-50% for Most Limited-Size/Space Memory

SAN CLEMENTE, CA — November 7, 2000 — To increase memory capacity without stacking, and to reduce memory module manufacturing cost and reliability issues, Legacy Electronics introduces Canopy® Technology. Canopy® is a new patent-pending, 3-dimensional printed circuit board subassembly and process technology for high-speed and high-density SDRAM DIMMs, PC100, PC133 and DDR memory applications, as well as other space-limited designs.

Canopy® allows memory components to be mounted to its surface.
 
"The PCB is actually a component of Canoppy®" explains Legacy Electronics' President, Jason Engle, "so this is not a stacking technology. With its built-in heat sink, Canopy® eliminates thermal failures associated with the current technology of stacked chips. Unlike designs relying on header pins, Canopy® has internal pin routing with full power and ground planes, and is impedance controlled."

"Manufacturers who wait for vendor-provided proprietary-process memory modules rather than assemble in-house,"  adds Engle, "can now do their own assembly and take control of product reliability and accountability."

Ken Kledzik, Legacy Electronics' Vice President of Engineering and Product Development, says Canopy's solid surface provides all types of pin-out configurations, including BGA packages.  "Rework is simplified using low-cost standard tools. And we'e used industry-standard materials to develop our own two-piece nest plate that adapts to any stencil printer. With the Canopy® Manufacturing Kit, which includes this nest plate, manufacturers can use their own standard automated manufacturing and test equipment and processes, purchase Canopy® components packaged for manufacturing, and then use a single-sided reflow process to assemble modules just in time. Or they can purchase Canopy® with the associated assembly services. The choice is theirs."

Cost of Canopy®

Canopy® sells for $3.00 each for 100+ unit orders, with volume discounts to as low as $1.75 each for 90K/month unit orders.
 
"We think this compares favorably with current industry prices at about $5.00 each for stacked parts," adds Engle.

The cost of the Canopy® Manufacturing Kit, including nest plate, stencil printer adapter, stencil, PCB design file, and 20 hours of on-site consulting service, is recovered by the manufacturer after assembly of only 1K units.

"Manufacturers no longer have to be held hostage waiting for proprietary components. They can eliminate the costs associated with this wait, as well as the risks and costs of shipping and insurance."  he adds.
 
This translates to a 10-30% cost savings after the first 1K units if Legacy Electronics provides the services, and a 50% cost savings if manufacturers do their own assembly.

About Legacy Electronics

Founded in 1993 and located among South Orange County, California' new high technology companies, Legacy Electronics is an ISO 9001 registered electronics component contract manufacturing firm, specializing in the design, manufacture and test of high-speed memory modules, printed circuit boards, and other computer products.

Legacy Electronics recently purchased and moved into a new 15,000-square-foot contract manufacturing headquarters facility in the Amanecer Industrial Complex in San Clemente. The move accommodates recent expansion and the purchase of $3 million in surface-mount technology (SMT) and automated test (ATE) equipment, as well as the hiring of additional personnel.

For more information

For Legacy Electronics company background, product, or service information, contact us at 949/498-9600, call toll-free at 888/466-3853, or go to www.legacyelectronics.com.

Photo note: Canopy® Technology photo can be downloaded from Legacy web site www.legacyelectronics.com

For more details, contact press@legacyelectronics.com