SAN JOSE -- Fourth-quarter printed circuit board and multichip module design software revenue fell 15.6% year-over-year to $139.7 million.

The four-quarters moving average for PCB & MCM revenue, which compares the most recent four quarters to the prior four quarters, rose 8.7% on the strength of earlier demand in 2011, the EDA Consortium announced today.

Overall electronic design automation revenue for the quarter increased 12.8% from last year and 10.1% sequentially to $1.7 billion. The four-quarters moving average increased 16%.

“Fourth-quarter results represent a record quarter and the culmination of a record year for the EDA industry,” said Walden C. Rhines, EDAC chair and chairman and CEO of Mentor Graphics. “Revenue continued to grow in CAE, IC Physical Design & Verification, SIP, and Services. Geographically, the Americas, Europe/Middle East/Africa, and Asia/Pacific posted double-digit increases.”

The drop in PCB design software was not enough to offset gains in every other category. The largest category, computer-aided engineering, generated revenue of $644.8 million for the December quarter, up 11.9%, while the four-quarters moving average increased 14.2%. IC physical design and verification revenue increased to $392.4 million, up 30% year-over-year. The four-quarters moving average increased 17.3%. Semiconductor intellectual property (SIP) revenue totaled $432.2 million, up 13.4%, and the four-quarters moving average increased 21.6%. Services revenue was $90.9 million, up 9.8% and the four-quarters moving average increased 11%.

The Americas, EDA’s largest region, purchased $726.3 million of EDA products and services during the period, up 12.8%, while the four-quarters moving average increased 19.3%. Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) revenue was up 11.8% to $306.1 million. The EMEA four-quarters moving average increased 10.9%. Sales in Japan fell 10.5% to $248.1 million, and the four-quarters moving average increased 8.1%. Asia/Pacific (APAC) region revenue increased to $419.6 million, up 34%, and the four-quarters moving average increased 20.4%.

Companies that were tracked employed 27,623 professionals, up 3.2% from last year and up 1.7% sequentially.