LAS VEGAS -- In the wake of their recent merger, Mentor Graphics and Valor representatives emphatically stressed that the company's proprietary data transfer format would continue to provide complete support to non-Mentor CAD tools.

Company officials said they would leave open the opportunity for other PCB CAD vendors to work on future revisions to the format. However, the company held out that changes may be coming that more tightly integrate ODB++ with Mentor's CAD suites, including Pads and Expedition.

"Our desire is to work openly with other CAD companies," Coates said. "I hope they will see the net balance is positive [for them]." No discussions with other CAD vendors have yet taken place, he added.

Valor, which will be operated as a standalone business by Mentor, will continue to develop the ODB++ format. The format is used to transfer data from CAD to CAM machines and to assembly and test equipment.

Last month, Mentor finalized the deal to acquire Valor.