Meeting the Challenges of Wearable Devices with Rigid-Flex PCB Design

There is no question that wearable electronic devices qualify as “break-out products”. The market for wearables is forecasted to be $30 billion in 2016 and will grow to be $150 billion by 2026[1]. Most of these devices are simply impossible to design without rigid-fl ex PCB technology. This means that engineers and PCB designers need to become experts in designing, testing, and manufacturing in a wearable and “foldable” world.

The most familiar products are probably smart watches that link with smartphones, and fi tness trackers that are also worn on the wrist. But beyond these consumer products, wearables have made huge inroads into medical devices and military applications. Now, smart clothing is appearing that could virtually eliminate the possibility of incorporating rigid PCBs. This paper will explore what makes wearables unique, and what is needed to successfully design fl ex and rigid-fl ex PCBs.