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Keep laminate and prepreg part numbers visible

AGC's official N4000-13 page identifies laminate part number N4103-13 and prepreg part number N4203-13. Those forms play different roles in the stackup. A cured core thickness and a pressed bonding interval should not be treated as the same dimensional input.

The page's headline Dk 3.6 and Df 0.009 require the linked technical data and construction context before design use. Do not borrow the lower Dk of an SI variant while retaining a plain N4000-13 material callout.

Evidence and construction decision

Define the construction behind the electrical requirement

Specify core thicknesses, bonding materials, copper profile and finished trace geometry. For a controlled-impedance board, record the design model and tolerance. A nominal family Dk does not uniquely determine a line width because the field distribution depends on the complete geometry.

For a long route, include copper and transitions in the loss evaluation. The dielectric is only one contribution. A material comparison that holds Df constant but changes foil roughness or trace width can produce a different total result.

Use the dielectric-loss worksheet within its stated approximation

The tool uses a low-loss homogeneous TEM approximation based on frequency, relative permittivity, loss tangent and uniform length. It reports dielectric-only attenuation. It is useful for checking units and understanding why length and frequency affect that component of loss.

The model excludes conductor loss, roughness, vias, connectors and nonuniform fields. Microstrip requires an appropriate effective-field treatment. The example is not an N4000-13 simulation or a prediction of a completed PCB channel.

Homogeneous TEM dielectric loss illustration

Optional cost comparison from your own allowances

Use a quotation or a clearly labeled internal assumption for each input. Keep the quantity, construction and inspection scope the same when comparing alternatives. This uncalibrated planning model adds entered values; it contains no current market rates and does not issue a 吃瓜tv quotation. You can contact the team without completing it.

Compare SI and legacy routes without collapsing their identities

N4000-12 SI is a separate legacy model-recovery task. N4000-6 FC has its own historical processing context. Neither should receive the plain N4000-13 property table under a different title.

For a lower-loss digital construction, Tachyon 100G provides a complete channel-allocation workflow. Such a comparison must preserve the channel boundary and required manufacturing evidence, rather than rank materials solely by the smallest published Df.

Align the quote with the analyzed stackup

State the exact material variant, copper, layer structure, thicknesses and permitted substitutions. Include inspection and electrical test deliverables. A quote that changes the foil or bonding construction should be reviewed before it is considered equivalent to the analyzed design.

The optional allowance tool adds user-supplied prices only. It does not infer a current N4000-13 rate, stock or delivery time. Separate qualification and one-time setup from recurring fabrication when comparing alternatives.

Prepare a precise N4000-13 engineering inquiry

Send the drawing revision, material and form identifiers, stackup, copper, holes and electrical requirements. Include operating band or interface boundary, dimensions, quantity and assembly history. Mark any material or process choice that requires customer approval.

The desired response is a proposed construction with source-qualified inputs and explicit exceptions. Preserve that configuration for repeat builds. A dielectric-loss calculation supports early reasoning; it cannot approve manufacturability, electrical compliance or reliability of the completed assembly.

Tie the exact grade to an electrical construction

State the channel reference planes, frequency range, routing length, copper construction, transitions and interface assumptions together. A laminate loss-tangent value is one input to that system. It is not a complete insertion-loss measurement or a guarantee that a data rate will work.

Use comparable measurement or modeling conditions when screening alternatives. Material changes can require geometry changes to preserve impedance, and copper roughness can alter the result independently of the resin system. Keep the proposed stackup and the channel analysis synchronized through fabrication review.

For procurement, identify the properties that are fixed and the alternatives that can be evaluated. Request evidence at the relevant construction and frequency rather than a broad low-loss label. Compare total delivered scope and validation effort alongside material price. A shorter or better-routed channel may change the tradeoff more than replacing a material name alone.

A useful design-data record retains both the material value and the reason it was selected. State whether the value is supplier characterization, a construction-specific design input, a measured coupon extraction or an early assumption. These sources are not interchangeable. Keep frequency, method and specimen information visible when a comparison uses more than one document.

The tool on this page starts empty because a plausible default can otherwise be mistaken for a verified grade profile. Use the example to understand the units, then replace it with project inputs. A result with many decimal places does not imply that the material or routing-loss input is known to that precision.

For a high-speed design, plan how the model will be checked. Reference planes, coupon geometry, fixtures and the acceptance boundary determine what a measurement means. A coupon that characterizes one line construction does not automatically qualify every route or transition on the board.

Keep the commercial comparison aligned with the engineering one. Quantity, copper, layer structure, test deliverables and qualification effort should be comparable. A lower material allowance can be irrelevant if the proposed construction cannot meet the channel requirement, while a premium grade may be unnecessary if the actual route already has sufficient validated margin.