Page 7 of 8
1999
The Internet becomes a key trend in PCB EDA.
Ansoft acquires Pacific Numerix Corp.
Avant! buys IC/ASIC design software business.
Cadence acquires Quickturn Design Systems Inc.
Electronics Workbench (formerly Interactive Image Technologies) acquires Ultimate Technology.
The Institute for Interconnecting and Packaging Electronic Circuits officially shortens name to IPC.
OrCAD and Summit Design terminate merger agreement.
Cadence acquires OrCAD.
Praegitzer acquires Intracon Design Ltd.
Protel acquires Accolade Design.
Viewlogic and Summit Design merge.
Mentor Graphics acquires Veribest for $19 million.
Aegis releases CheckPoint, one of the first dedicated BOM management tools.
Tecnomatix acquires Unicam Software Inc., a provider of PLM software.
2000
US PCB fabrication market peaks at more than $10 billion.
Protel acquires Accel Technologies.
Viewlogic changes its name to Innoveda.
Innoveda acquires PADS Software.
Mentor and Valor announce bidirectional interface between Mentor's Board Station layout suite and and Valor's Enterprise 3000 DFM software, the first such interface between PCB design tools and manufacturing analysis software.
GraphiCode acquired by Mania Technologie AG.
Zuken acquires INCASES; drops the Redac name.
Flextronics acquires The Dii Group.
Sean O'Neil reacquires Design Solutions Inc. from Flextronics.
Valor releases ODB++(X), an XML-based version of ODB++.
IPC releases IPC-2615, Printed Board Dimensions and Tolerances, which replaces IPC-D-300G.
Tsien founded; releases BoardMaker.
2001
NEMI announces plans to orchestrate a data exchange convergence project aimed at accelerating the adoption of a single CAD-to-CAM data exchange format. The objective of the project is to combine IPC’s GenCAM, Valor Computerized System’s ODB++ and other similar specifications.
ON Semiconductor and SpinCircuit Inc. sign agreement to collaborate to provide PCB designers with a comprehensive online database of technical resources, tools, services and support.
Valor launches e4eNet Inc., a company focused on business to business e-collaboration product and services throughout the electronics supply chain.
STEP AP210 releases first data format.
Major tech recession begins; sets in motion huge migration of PCB manufacturing to Asia.
2002
Mentor Graphics acquires Innoveda for $160 million.
Ex Pads/Innoveda executives Rick Almeida, Ken Tepper and Joe Clark found DownStream Technologies.
DDE introduces design software for embedding passives in PCBs.
GenCAM 2.0 data transfer format released by IPC Data Transfer Solutions Committee.
Mania Technologie acquires Barco Graphics.
Steve Krause launches Direct Logix, a developer of CAM and ERP integration tools.
Pete Waddell acquires Printed Circuit Design magazine; forms UP Media Group.
PentaLogix founded by Max Henzi and Marius Matioc, former cofounders of Lavenir .
2003
Mentor acquires PCB layout software vendor DDE-EDA A/S.
2004
IPC Data Transfer Solutions Committee releases IPC-2581, an updated data transfer format based on GenCAM.
PTC acquires Ohio Design Automation.
2005
National Instruments acquires Electronics Workbench.
Praegitzer Industries founder Robert Praegitzer dies.
Tom Hausherr and Nick Ban launch PCB Libraries (later PCB Matrix Corp.)
UGS acquires Tecnomatix.
ProSTEP MCAD-ECAD interface proposed.
Cadence files to delist from the New York Stock Exchange.
The board of directors of Electronic Tools Company (e-tools) founds Elgris Technologies.
