Mentor Graphics announces PADS release targeting DFM analysis, high-speed and interactive routing

WILSONVILLE, USA: Mentor Graphics Corp. announced the latest release of the PADS product suite, the world’s most widely used desktop PCB design solution. These additional features in the release add significant value to electronics companies as they strive to deliver the most competitive, high-performance products to market faster.

Key new features include the ability to associate nets necessary for DDRx interconnect design. Multiple nets can now be “grouped” and given unique high-speed constraints, including length and differential pair rules. Associated nets adhere to these rules during interactive and automatic routing, assuring that tight, high-speed performance specifications are met. Another feature allows a trace to “hug” an existing obstacle like another trace or board outline. This feature will reduce routing time and more effectively use board space. Drafting operations have also been enhanced with new 2D line styles and snap capabilities.

“The new associated nets functionality in PADS 9.4 reduces design time,” stated Johnnie Howman, director at Icarus Design. “I can now easily define the high-speed associated nets, assign constraints, and be assured that they will be routed to those rules.”

The PADS 9.4 software is a significantly enhanced, next-generation PADS release which adds unique DFM analysis functionality to the PCB design space, giving the designer the ability to perform over 100 fabrication and assembly checks in PADS Layout. This analysis is based on the Valor technology, the industry leader in fabrication and assembly DFM analysis.

Complimenting ODB++ intelligent data transfer from design into manufacturing, the new ODB++ viewer provides the ability to overlay and compare traditional CAM documents, such as Gerber files for PCB design-through-manufacturing data integrity. Detecting and correcting manufacturing issues early in the design process helps decrease overall time to market by reducing design/manufacturing re-spins. With the scalable PADS 9.4 flow, engineers and designers can cost-effectively design the industry’s most complex, highest-performance, and densest PCBs.

“The PADS 9.4 release provides our desktop customers with the critical technologies required for today’s complex PCB designs,” stated Mike Griesbach, PADS product director at Mentor Graphics. “Our completely integrated and scalable PADS 9.4 flow addresses high-speed, thermal, manufacturing prep, signal and power integrity, FPGA to PCB optimizations, and much more.”