Виробництво друкованих плат ITEQ IT-170GRA1 для високошвидкісних конструкцій з низькими та середніми втратами

ITEQ positions IT-170GRA1 in its lower mid-loss material range, with published portfolio values of Dk 3.80 and Df 0.009 at 50% resin content. Highleap Electronics manufactures IT-170GRA1 PCBs for designs that need lower loss than standard FR-4 but do not automatically justify an ultra-low-loss laminate.

This is a cost/performance page, not a catalog summary. The practical decision is whether the route length, data rate, via structure and copper profile can meet the channel budget with IT-170GRA1. If the channel is short, standard FR-4 may be sufficient; if it is very long or dense, a lower-loss grade may be required.

Where IT-170GRA1 Sits in the Loss Hierarchy

Material families are often grouped as standard loss, mid-loss, low loss, very low loss and ultra-low loss. The names are relative, so the published Df, test frequency and resin content are more useful than the category label. ITEQ lists IT-170GRA1 at Dk 3.80 and Df 0.009 with RC 50%, placing it below standard FR-4 loss but above the company’s lower-Df advanced families.

Ввімкніть кнопку high-speed material selection guide to compare loss tiers by application rather than treating one brand as the answer to every interface.

When the Channel Benefits from IT-170GRA1

A useful candidate project might include industrial computing, storage, server, communication or network-control hardware with controlled impedance and moderate route lengths. The material decision should be made from the full channel:

• PCB route length and frequency content
• Connector and cable transitions
• Number of through vias and residual stubs
• Copper foil profile
• Reference-plane quality and layer changes
• Allowed insertion loss and return loss
• Production temperature and reliability requirements

The same interface can use different materials on different board sizes. This is why “suitable for 25G” is not a technically complete claim. Highleap can help the customer convert the interface and geometry into a material-tier decision.

Dk, Df and Controlled-Impedance Stackups

Use construction-specific design Dk

ITEQ’s Dk 3.80 is a portfolio value tied to a stated resin content. Actual design Dk depends on glass style, resin content, pressed thickness, copper treatment, frequency and the fabricator’s modeling method. Highleap releases a stackup with design values matched to the selected construction.

Impedance and insertion loss are separate acceptance questions

TDR can verify impedance. It cannot by itself prove total insertion loss. When the loss budget is critical, define the coupon, method, frequency range and limit. The controlled-impedance specification guide shows what belongs in the fabrication drawing.

Return paths and via transitions

Lower Df cannot compensate for a discontinuous reference plane or a large residual stub. Critical signals should retain a controlled return path, and transitions should be reviewed for antipads, stitching vias and backdrill feasibility. The stackup should be frozen before the routing rules are finalized, not after the Gerbers are complete.

Fabrication Risks and PCBA Thermal History

IT-170GRA1 fabrication requires control of material identity, press construction, dielectric thickness, copper profile, etching and via quality. A lower-loss build may use smoother copper or tighter dielectric assumptions, increasing sourcing and process sensitivity.

Via stubs and drill quality

For through-hole transitions, specify the maximum residual stub only when the electrical model justifies it. Backdrill depth, layer clearance and drill access must be manufacturable. Microsections or depth measurements can be quoted for first articles.

Assembly still influences the laminate decision

The public loss data do not define the entire thermal class. Before final selection, the current datasheet and approved material declaration should be reviewed for the intended reflow and reliability requirement. Highleap also needs to know whether the PCBA will see double-sided reflow, selective solder or BGA rework.

Production Evidence and Material Alternatives

A production release can include material/lot identity, released stackup, inner-layer AOI, impedance coupons, microsection, electrical test and PCBA inspection as specified. For a new high-speed platform, a first-article correlation package is more useful than a generic certificate bundle.

Alternative materials should be compared by performance and process

IT-170GRA1 may be compared with TUC TU-872 SLK, ITEQ IT-170GRA2, other mid-loss FR-4 systems or a standard high-Tg grade. The approved equivalent must match the electrical target, thermal class, copper availability, press construction and customer documentation—not just Df rounded to three decimals.

Prototype-to-volume continuity

Prototype panels and volume panels may use different tooling or panel size, but the released material family, stackup geometry, copper profile and coupon method should remain controlled. Any change that affects electrical correlation needs written review.

Example: deciding whether the mid-loss tier is economically justified

Consider a 12-layer industrial computer board with a longest differential route of 180 mm, two through-via transitions and one board-to-board connector. If simulation shows comfortable margin on standard FR-4, IT-170GRA1 adds cost without solving a real constraint. If standard FR-4 leaves little margin after conductor and connector loss, the lower mid-loss tier can recover budget while avoiding the price and sourcing burden of an ultra-low-loss family. The decision should be documented in the stackup release so later cost reduction does not quietly remove the electrical margin.

What Highleap returns after the first engineering review

A useful response is more than a unit price. Highleap can return a preliminary material-tier recommendation, proposed layer construction, key assumptions, manufacturability risks, coupon options and a list of missing data. This gives the buyer a clear path to final quotation and lets the signal-integrity engineer see which values still need simulation or confirmation.

Commercial controls for repeat orders

For recurring production, identify the approved material designation, copper-profile class, stackup revision, impedance coupon method and any prohibited substitutions. A lower-cost equivalent may be acceptable, but it should enter through a documented engineering-change process. The same rule applies to prepreg glass style: a change that preserves finished thickness can still change design Dk, skew and insertion loss.

Internal linking and buyer journey

Buyers who are still comparing material classes should continue to the high-speed material guide; engineers who have frozen the material but not the geometry should move to impedance and stackup guidance; procurement teams with a released build should use the quotation form. These links are placed at the decision points rather than grouped into a generic resources block.

Commercial Quotation Inputs

Accurate pricing requires enough information to estimate material use, stackup work, drilling, test coupons and reporting. A basic IT-170GRA1 RFQ should include:

• Розмір і кількість дощок
• Кількість і товщина шарів
• Longest critical route
• Data rate or target frequency
• Таблиця імпедансу
• Via and backdrill structure
• Copper profile requirement
• Loss-test requirement
• чистота поверхні
• PCBA scope

No schematic is needed for initial pricing, but fabrication data and stackup constraints are required before final DFM. If the material is customer-mandated, state whether alternatives are prohibited or may be proposed for approval.

Purchasing language that prevents ambiguity

A practical purchase note can state: “ITEQ IT-170GRA1 laminate/prepreg system, approved construction per drawing revision, no material or copper-profile substitution without written approval; impedance and loss-coupon requirements as listed.” This wording is more useful than “use low-loss FR-4” because it connects the brand, construction and change-control requirement. If alternatives are allowed, the PO should identify who approves them and which evidence must be resubmitted.

For new suppliers or transferred builds, request a first-article correlation rather than assuming the former fabricator’s trace geometry can be copied. Etch compensation, pressed thickness and copper profile may differ enough to require a revised stackup while preserving the same electrical target.

IT-170GRA1 FAQ

Is IT-170GRA1 an ultra-low-loss laminate?

No. ITEQ places it in a lower mid-loss range. It offers lower Df than standard FR-4 but is not the company’s lowest-loss platform.

Is IT-170GRA1 confirmed as halogen-free?

The public product lineup used for this page does not confirm that claim. Use the current product datasheet or supplier declaration before specifying halogen-free compliance.

Can it replace standard FR-4 without changing trace width?

Not automatically. A different Dk and pressed construction can change impedance geometry. Re-solve the stackup and verify the first build.

What evidence should be requested?

At minimum, material identity, released stackup and electrical test. Add impedance, microsection or loss testing only when the product risk justifies it.

Посилання на основний матеріал: ITEQ public product lineup. Manufacturer figures are typical reference values; use the current datasheet and approved construction for production specifications.