Cadence Design Systems Allegro: PCB-tool upgrade includes constraint-driven-design feature

Adding features for constraint-driven design, the Allegro PCB (printed-circuit-board)-design-tool upgrade provides technology for improving collaboration among design teams in the IC, package, and board domains. The tool’s System Architect claims a 60% reduction in the development time of designs incorporating differential signals, compared with the previous version. Reducing creation time for designs with advanced I/O interfaces, such as PCI Express, DDR2, and SATA, the platform’s constraint-management system allows designers to specify constraints using formulas that reference other objects. The system includes a component workbook and physical and spacing constraints, providing one location for design constraints, design-rule checks, and properties. Providing functions for improving serial-link design, the PCB SI (signal-integrity) and PI (power-integrity) tools allow users to predict bit-error rate for channels with algorithmic transceivers greater than 6 Gbps. The tools also include channel compliance with statistical analysis, allowing users to evaluate legacy channels for possible use with high-data-rate transceivers. The upgraded version of the Allegro platform costs $4000 for a one-year license.

Cadence Design Systems, www.cadence.com