Printed Circuit Design & Fab Online Magazine - Design News

Design News

Details: Written by Staff; Category: Design News; Published: 24 February 2009

MUNICH, GERMANY and WESTFORD, MA – Zuken introduces the Board Modeler. The collaborative software tool docks into Zuken’s electronic systems and CR-5000 PCB design suite, enabling layout and mechanical engineers to work together.

Users are able to work in a 3D environment, showing the actual component shape rather than an approximation. Board outlines, pre-placed parts and obstacles can be imprinted directly from mechanical CAD tools, eliminating duplicate work.

Board layout structures can be exported into numerical simulation tools for mechanical, electrical or thermal verification. Simulation results can be back annotated into CR-5000 tools for design modifications.

In addition, a multi-board option allows multiple-board design verification and chassis on a multi-site global basis.

Details: Written by Staff; Category: Design News; Published: 24 February 2009

GHENT, BELGIUM and BEAVERTON, OR – Ucamco and Polar Instruments announced a link between the companies’ software that will improve communication between CAM and engineering when dealing with complex PCB stackups.

The software links UCAM, Ucamco’s universal CAM solution, with Polar’s Speedstack PCB stackup design and documentation system.

According to Ucamco, by using one single material database, users will reduce processing times by up to one hour, while decreasing the chances of errors.

Details: Written by Staff; Category: Design News; Published: 23 February 2009

YAVNE, ISRAEL -- Valor Computerized Systems Ltd. announced Lior De Picciotto has joined the company’s executive management team as executive vice president, business and strategy.

Prior to joining Valor, De Picciotto held various management positions at Orbotech including representative director of Orbotech Japan, president of Orbotech Pacific and most recently corporate VP of marketing and business development.

De Picciotto will manage Valor’s subsidiary activities and will be responsible for the company’s ongoing business.

Details: Written by Staff; Category: Design News; Published: 23 February 2009

SANTA CLARA, CA -- Agilent Technologies Inc. announces the 2009 release of Advanced Design System (ADS) for high-frequency/high-speed co-design of integrated circuits (IC), packages and PCBs.

ADS provides circuit, package, board and system designers with a single EDA platform for shared simulation models. According to the company this can minimize design rework, reduce costs and shorten delays in communications during the product design process.

The co-design platform can provide verification of high-frequency or high-speed system performance across the IC, package and printed circuit board designs using common system-verification test benches. Designers can identify and correct component interactions earlier in the design cycle.

ADS 2009 interoperates with Cadence and Mentor back-end design platforms, allowing designers to import Cadence Allegro PCB, Advanced Package Designer and System-In-Package physical design data for co-designing with active components and Design Rule Check results from Cadence Assura, Mentor Calibre or Triquint MailDRC for viewing and correcting within ADS layout environment.

PORTLAND, OR – Stilwell Baker has expanded its services to include electrical engineering and project management. The new services are available immediately.

With these additions, Stilwell will be able to take a design from the architectural/system/logic design phase through component selection and sourcing, DfX reviews, material selection, board design and layout, to prototype manufacturing and test.

“Our customers’ challenge continues to be the quick and cost effective development of electronics products in an environment with rapidly changing technology and limited internal resources,” said Peter Hoogerhuis, COO. “These expanded engineering services provide a broader solution for companies looking to outsource circuit board development.”

TOKYO – NEC Corp. has developed a technology to produce carbon nanotube (CNT) transistors using a printing process.

By reviewing insulation ink and ink for metals, corrosion resistance in areas between transistor layers are enhanced. Also, resin substrates can be used because temperatures during production are less than 200° C. CNT transistors that were produced using the technology showed p-type conductivity and an on/off ratio of approximately 1,000, according to the company.