PCB Tech - Functions of PADS PCB product creation platform

Mentor Graphics recently announced that it has added some new features to the PADS PCB product creation platform. The new analog/mixed signal (AMS) and high-speed analysis products can solve the engineering challenges related to mixed-signal design, DDR implementation, and correct electrical design signoff. The new PADS AMS design kit, PADS AMS cloud, PADS HyperLynx DRC and PADS HyperLynx DDR products are not only tightly integrated, but also very economical. They can simplify the design process and ensure that circuit performance goals are achieved, thereby reducing the number of prototypes and design revisions. The expanded PADS product creation platform combines the recently launched PADS HyperLynx DC Drop and PADS FloTHERM XT products for power integrity and thermal analysis, and can provide engineers with technologies previously unavailable in the mainstream PCB market.

"Due to the increasing demand for high-end designs, product development will face more challenges," said Dr. Joel Libove, President of Furaxa. "The new PADS products can provide us with basic simulation technology to produce more complex products. To ensure that we fulfill our promise to the market in terms of functionality, price and delivery."

Analog/mixed signal design

Most current electronic products contain analog content, which must be designed and verified in the entire system, which makes analog/mixed-signal simulation a key step in product creation. To meet this demand, a new PADS AMS cloud service (cloud-based circuit exploration/simulation environment and user community) will be provided to PADS users for free. Users with various levels of expertise can create and share analog, mixed-signal, and mixed-technology designs in an online collaborative environment that publishes or downloads designs and models. Unique advantages for PADS customers: circuit designs created in the PADS AMS cloud can be transferred to the PADS AMS design suite desktop environment, so there is no need to manually recreate the circuit for advanced analysis and drive the PCB design process.

As a unique product in the industry, the PADS AMS Design Suite is a truly complete design creation solution. Engineers can design and simulate analog/mixed signal (AMS) in a single environment. In a single schematic session, you can not only use the powerful functions and flexibility of VHDL-AMS (IEEE standard, together with a powerful SPICE-based simulation engine) for analog circuit simulation, but also use HyperLynx tools for topology exploration. In addition to the conventional core AMS simulation analysis such as DC bias, time domain and frequency domain simulation, the standard simulation analysis also adds extended analysis functions, such as multi-operation parameter scanning, sensitivity, Monte Carlo and worst-case analysis, to This meets specific engineering needs.

Key advantages of PADS analog/mixed signal design:

Schematic design (including component data management, constraint definition and derivative design functions), analog circuit simulation, and PADS HyperLynx pre-layout analysis are all integrated in a single environment.

Seamlessly and accurately reflect the electronic and electromechanical components of the circuit.

Core functions for circuit verification and optimization for real-world variability.

DDR simulation

The application of DDR memory in various electronic designs has been very common and has now entered the mainstream market. Because PADS product creation platform incorporates integrated DDR simulation, engineers can use the new PADS HyperLynx DDR module to quickly identify and solve DDRx design-specific signal integrity (SI) and timing issues in an easy-to-use and affordable environment.

Key functions:

Identify and resolve SI impairments (overshoot/undershoot, ringing) and timing issues (setup/hold, derating, timing offset, data bus margin).

Through the DDR wizard, easy setup, automated bus simulation, and result report integration are realized.

Provide simplified and aggregated pass/fail judgments for all interfaces.

HTML-based reports can provide design documents and web-based results publication.

Electrical DRC, verification and sign-off

The mainstream PCB design market now provides PADS HyperLynx DRC tools, engineers can use this to check electrical rules, identify violations that will affect design integrity and circuit board performance, and speed up the electrical sign off process. Through the use of predefined rules, even in the largest designs, problems such as traces that cross gaps and traces that change the reference plane can be quickly identified. With integrated electrical DRC technology, engineers can ensure that their PCB design has the correct electrical design before manufacturing and delivery.

Key functions:

Use rule-based methods to identify non-CAD constraints and obtain results quickly and easily.

Out-of-the-box inspections for EMI, signal integrity, and power integrity.

Visualized results and simple violation identification integrated with PADS PCB products.

"For the mainstream and enterprise levels, PCB engineering challenges are very difficult. Mentor's responsibility is to provide our customers with competitive advantages to solve the most complex designs," Mentor Graphics BSD vice president and general manager AJ Incorvaia said. "Our PADS product creation platform has analog/mixed signal, DDRx, DRC analysis, and our recently launched tools such as electronic heat dissipation and DC voltage drop. Therefore, electrical engineers can now use this platform to obtain information that was previously unavailable in the mainstream PCB market. Technology. PADS can help customers design complex products, making them confident from concept to manufacturing."