Taconic PCB

Taconic PCB: material data and model assumptions

Values above are material references, not guaranteed finished-board performance. Consult the linked manufacturer document and confirm its revision for procurement. Source review: 24 September 2026.

Engineering decisions for Taconic PCB

Choose a grade before comparing suppliers

A purchase request that only says Taconic PCB leaves important engineering decisions unresolved. Identify the full laminate designation and approved construction before comparing quotations. TLY-5 is a glass-reinforced PTFE candidate for low-Dk RF structures, while other product families use different filler systems and target different tradeoffs. Ask a supplier to state the exact offered grade rather than accepting a generic equivalent. Keep the datasheet revision with the stackup drawing so subsequent builds can be checked against the same requirements.

Compare Dk and Df at their published conditions

The TLY-5 datasheet reports a nominal Dk of 2.20 and a dissipation factor of 0.0009 at 10 GHz. Historical RF-35 data commonly report 3.50 and 0.0018 at 1.9 GHz. A lower listed Df at one frequency does not establish a universal finished-circuit advantage over a value measured elsewhere. Compare the candidate materials under relevant, comparable conditions, then include conductor roughness and geometry. Where no verified design Dk is supplied, document and validate the chosen simulation assumption.

Thickness, foil and RF acceptance

An antenna feed network needs more than a nominal dielectric constant. Specify dielectric thickness tolerance, finished copper, conductor dimensions and the intended finish. Check how the RF geometry connects to components, plated holes and board-edge launches. If phase tracking or passive intermodulation matters, define a measurement method and acceptance limit for the finished structure. The brand name and foil description alone do not certify PIM performance. Use coupons or representative structures that include the features most likely to affect the product.

Manage legacy designs and alternatives

Legacy Taconic drawings may reference a grade or revision that requires a current supply check. Request written identification of the offered material and review changes in foil, thickness or bonding products. Do not infer current availability from an archived datasheet, and do not assume every product with an additional suffix is interchangeable. If an alternative is needed, compare geometry and loss budgets before ordering. Qualify the new stackup with relevant electrical and manufacturing evidence, then update the approved procurement description.

Real RF board references

The following photographs are from the RFPCB site archive. They show manufactured RF structures and hybrid boards. They are visual manufacturing references, not proof that every pictured board uses the material discussed on this page.

Taconic PCB design and cost tools

Adjust assumptions, compare scenarios and build a clear enquiry. Calculations run in your browser. Grade presets only change the Dk input; they do not set material prices, certify a construction or select a manufacturing process.

Design workflow: from Dk to a manufacturable line

Begin with the distance from the RF trace to its reference plane, not the total finished-board thickness. Enter that dielectric height in millimetres and choose the dielectric constant appropriate to the confirmed material model. In target mode, the calculator solves a width for the requested impedance. In analysis mode, it estimates impedance from a width you enter. Change one assumption at a time to understand which dimensions are sensitive before committing the layout.

The solver uses a zero-copper-thickness Hammerstad–Jensen quasi-static microstrip approximation. It represents an isolated, uncoated trace over a continuous ground plane. It does not include solder mask, finite copper thickness, roughness, frequency dispersion, neighboring traces, coplanar grounds, via fences or connector launches. Frequency changes the wavelength output, while this model’s impedance remains quasi-static. A production field solver and a fabricator-approved stackup are needed for final controlled-impedance dimensions.

Use the delay and quarter-wavelength outputs as early electrical-length estimates. They do not replace a filter or antenna simulation. Resonant structures also respond to discontinuities, fringing fields, enclosure proximity and fabrication tolerance. For a sensitivity check, vary dielectric height and Dk over the confirmed tolerances and compare the resulting trace widths. Keep those ranges with the drawing instead of reporting a calculated width with unrealistic manufacturing precision.

Plan the stackup as a complete construction

The thickness planner adds the total selected RF dielectric, all other pressed dielectrics and equal copper thickness for each layer. Enter every core, bondply and prepreg contribution exactly once. For two copper layers, the model uses only the RF dielectric and copper. The output excludes solder mask and surface finish. It is a nominal arithmetic budget, not a prediction of resin flow, press shrinkage or an approved multilayer construction.

Before fabrication, ask for the actual layer sequence, material identifiers, pressed dielectric thicknesses, copper weights and tolerances. Review whether reference planes remain continuous beneath critical routes. Identify any blind, buried or through-hole transitions that need separate electrical or reliability evaluation. A total thickness that fits a connector does not by itself establish impedance, bond compatibility or layer balance. Review those requirements together with the proposed manufacturing process.

Cost and quotation: expose the assumptions

A useful early budget shows what drives the number. Board outline, usable panel size, spacing, ordered quantity and expected yield determine how many full panels the example allocates. The calculator compares a uniform zero-degree layout with a uniform ninety-degree layout and uses the better result. It does not perform mixed-orientation nesting, optimize irregular outlines or reserve tooling rails and coupons automatically. Enter the usable area after those manufacturing reservations.

Material cost is the amount allocated to all laminate in one usable panel. Fabrication cost applies to every board position started on the allocated panels, while testing cost applies to the ordered quantity. Setup is added once. These assumptions deliberately remain visible and editable. The displayed dollar figure is a scenario based on your inputs, not a live supplier price, availability statement or purchasing commitment. Shipping, taxes and assembly are excluded.

For a fair quotation comparison, hold the material grade, foil, stackup, finish, quantity, tolerances and tests constant. A low unit price may cover a different inspection plan or construction. Record any acceptable alternatives explicitly and request approval before substitution. Compare prototype and production quantities separately because setup allocation and panel utilization can change the effective unit cost. Enter confirmed supplier rates when available and rebuild the summary after changing the design.

What a complete RFQ should include

Send the fabrication data, NC drill, board outline and revision together with a layer-by-layer stackup. Include the manufacturer and exact laminate grade, dielectric thickness and tolerance, copper type, finished copper, finish and material substitution restrictions. Identify controlled-impedance nets and target tolerances. State whether the project also needs insertion loss, return loss, phase or other RF acceptance measurements, because these are separate deliverables with their own fixtures and coupons.

Specify the order quantity, panel preferences, delivery destination and required schedule. If the design is still evolving, identify which dimensions or materials remain open to engineering review. The summary button below collects valid calculator scenarios into editable text; it does not transmit your design or submit an order. Review that text, attach the actual manufacturing package and use the quotation form for a build-specific response.

Taconic PCB questions

Compare related material choices

Continue the selection using the pages most relevant to the alternative construction: Wangling F4B PCB, PTFE / Teflon PCB, RF PCB Material Selection Guide. For thermoset RF alternatives, review RO4003C PCB and RO4350B PCB with their own design data and manufacturing requirements.

Material sources and scope

• AGC TLY-5 product information
• AGC TLY-5 datasheet
• Archived AGC RF-35 datasheet, third-party hosted

Manufacturer references support the material facts above. Engineering guidance and calculator scenarios are preliminary aids. No stock, lead time, certification, substitution or RF acceptance result is implied by the illustrations or example calculations.