Cadence upgrades OrCAD PCB products

Cadence upgrades OrCAD PCB products
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — Claiming new features, improved tool integration and enhanced technologies, Cadence Design Systems this week (Sept. 9) announced the 10.0 release of its Windows-based OrCAD tool suite for PCB designers. Cadence has also announced three new product configurations within the OrCAD Unison series.

The OrCAD 10.0 release claims several design reuse enhancements for the OrCAD Capture and Capture CIS schematic utilities. These include layout reuse, unlimited undo/redo to remove any prior actions and a part editor that lets users move a logical pin name independently from a physical part number. Pins can also be copied and pasted, or moved, as a group.

The PSpice A/D analog simulator has added support for BSIM3.2 models and parameterized models. A single dialog box lets users create simulation profiles, or import existing simulation settings into a new profile. Cadence claims improved integration between PSpice and Capture, allowing simpler schematic design.

OrCAD Layout boasts new "cut and paste" type functions that retain the linkage between Capture schematic data and board layout data. The Layout package now directly outputs Valor's ODB++ data format. An added library catalog tool helps users create and print catalog files.

New Unison suite configurations include Unison EE, which consists of Capture and PSpice A/D; Unison PCB, which includes Capture, Layout and the Specctra for OrCAD autorouter; and Unison Ultra, which guides designers through schematic entry, simulation, board layout and routing.

Finally, Cadence has established a new OrCAD Web site to support the personal engineering market. OrCAD prices range from $1,355 to $7,996. OrCAD 10.0 is available now.