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1992
First annual PCB Design Conference West held.
CAD T.E.A.M. merges with CAD Concepts Inc. to form The T.E.A.M. Corp.
Cadence acquires acquires Library Manager maker Sedco and Leapfrog maker Sven.
Cooper & Chyan Technology introduces high-speed support.
Harris Scientific Calculations Division changes name to Harris Electronic Design Automation Division.
Mentor Graphics introduces Board Station 500. Also introduces MCM design kit with MicroModule Systems.
Valor Computerized Systems Ltd. is founded by Chuck Feingold, Ulrich Gottschling and Ofer Shofman
WISE releases first PC-based CAM system running on Windows platform.
1993
Mentor Graphics is the largest PCB software company in the world, followed by Zuken ($100 million in annual revenues), IBM and Redac ($44 million).
CADAM changes name to Altium.
IPC begins work on designers certification program.
Quickturn Systems and PiE Design Systems merge to become Qucikturn Design Systems.
Management buyout of Harris Corp. occurs; new company is named Harris Electronic Design Automation.
Ivex Design International formed.
Accel ships 32-bit TangoPRO for Windows.
IPC Designers Council formed.
Mentor Graphics partners with CISI for thermal simulation and analysis tool. Also introduces SITE and Pentium high-speed design kit.
ARPA awards $6.3 million program to Mentor Graphics for MCM design tools.
Mentor names Texas Instruments executive Wally Rhines president.
1994
Zuken acquires Racal-Redac for $19.5 million; forms Zuken-Redac.
Dave DeMaria (above), ex managing director, Zuken-Redac
Accel acquires Omation Inc. and expands TangoPRO line.
ACCEL Learning Center founded (customer training center).
Mentor Graphics introduces EngineerView.
Computervision Electrical Design Software purchased by INCASES.
Harris EDA introduces new interdisciplinary approach to EDA.
INCASES Engineering Gmbh founded.
Mentor Graphics introduces EngineerView.
Ohio Design Automation founded.
Viewlogic Systems Inc. founded.
IPC releases IPC-SM782A, the first update to the industry standard for land pattern design.
1995
US PCB production reaches $7.1 billion, topping $7 billion for first time.
Accel Technologies acquires the assets of P-CAD from Altium.
ACT (Advanced CAM Technologies Inc.) becomes independent.
Aegis Industrial Software founded.
Cooper & Chyan goes public.
IPC encouraged by DARPA to revisit CAD to CAM data transfer (the stat of GenCAM).
IPC Designers Council finalizes first certification program.
Mentor Graphics acquires Axiom Daterer Skandinavien AB.
OrCAD acquires Massteck.
Valor Computerized Systems creates as ODB (Open Data Base) printed circuit board manufacturing machine language format.
Verilog HDL approval as IEEI standard 1364.
Design Solutions Inc. merges with Proactive Consulting, forming largest design bureau service in US.
1996
ACCEL introduces ACCEL EDA.
Ansoft Corp. acquires MacNeal Schwendler’s Electronics Business Unit.
Cooper & Chyan Technology acquires UniCAD.
Innovative CAD Software is founded.
Mentor Graphics acquires Interconnectix, SETO Software and Royal Digital Centers Inc.
EDIF Consortium releases EDIF 4 0 0, its final release.
First PCB Design Conference East held in October.
Cadence acquires Cooper & Chyan for $418 million.
GenRad donates GenCAD electronics data transfer format to IPC; becomes basis for GenCAM.
Praegitzer acquires I-CON’s design division, CTI, Trend Circuits and its first East Coast design center.
Protel acquires NeuroCAD Inc.
VeriBest is founded when Intergraph spins off Electronics Division into a wholly owned subsidiary.
Aegis Industrial Software releases CircuitCam.
Ansys goes public on Nasdaq Exchange.
1997
Windows OS gains market share and acceptance.
Cadence settles Federal Trade Commission charges that its acquisition of Cooper & Chyan would substantially reduce competition, with Cadence agreeing to allow router developers to participate in its "Connections Program" and enable independent software developers to develop and sell interfaces to Cadence layout tools and environments.
Ansoft acquires Boulder Microwave Technologies.
Harris EDA changes its name to Xynetix Design Systems Inc.
OrCAD acquires The T.E.A.M. Corp.’s EDA Bridge technology and CIS Technology from Q Point.
PADS acquires HyperLynx.
OrCAD and MicroSim merge, retaining the OrCAD name.
Praegitzer establishes Praegitzer Asia; acquires three design centers – PCB West Inc., Off-Site Solutions and Trav Tech; and acquires Mosher Design Services.
Valor Computerized Systems’ releases ODB++ into public domain.
Viewlogic acquires Eagle Design Automation.
Viewlogic is acquired by Synopsys.
Praegitzer establishes Praegitzer Asia; acquires three design centers – PCB West Inc., Off-Site Solutions Inc. and Tav Tech – and acquires Mosher Design Services.
Viewlogic acquires Eagle Design Automation.
Snopsys acquired Viewlogic.
Dii Group acquires Design Solutions Inc.
Flomerics cofounder Harvey Rosten dies.
Barco Graphics acquires Gerber Systems; begins updates to Gerber standard.
1998
High speed/signal integrity beings to hit mainstream PCB, much like surface-mount technology did in the early 1980s.
ACCEL releases ACCEL PDM Product Data Management and ships final version of P-CAD for DOC.
Barco Graphics releases RS-274X.
Cadence acquires U.K. based Symbionics and Ambit Design Systems Inc.
OrCAD acquires ARS Microsystems’ assets and Microsim Corp.
OrCAD and Summit Design announce their intention to merge.
PADS acquires ACT (Advanced CAM Technologies Inc.)
GenCAM 1.0 data transfer format released by IPC Data Transfer Solutions Committee.
Praegitzer acquires a second PCB design center in India and Intergraph Printed Circuits.
Protel International Pty Ltd. acquires MicroCode Engineering Inc.
Management buyout of Viewlogic from Synopsys.
Xynetix (formerly Harris EDA) sells PCB layout software business to Intercept Technology.
