3-D board outlines eliminate the need for physical prototypes

Product miniaturization is driving the need for 3-D capabilities in EDA tools. Engineers can no longer design and later integrate a component. They need to first design a package to fit into a space, thus increasingly integrating EDA tools with mechanical-design tools. To address these needs, Zuken has announced the CADstar 3D 4.2 EDA tool, which lets you import board outlines into the 2-D world of pc-board design.

The product can also import 3-D models of components and enclosures and then back-annotate changes into CADstar. When you move components back into the mechanical-CAD tool to clear collisions, for example, the same change you make in CADstar automatically occurs in Step AP203, ACIS, STL, or SAT formats, thus keeping the data consistent in all of the tools. The ability to import 3-D models of components into CADstar in CADIF format ensures accurate verification of the pc-board design, even when you place components atop each other. CADstar 3D 4.2 sells for $5000.

Zuken, 1-978-692-4900, www.zuken.com.