Valor announces joint marketing agreement with Cadence on DFM integration and ODB++ data exchange

Citation

(2000), "Valor announces joint marketing agreement with Cadence on DFM integration and ODB++ data exchange", Circuit World, Vol. 26 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/cw.2000.21726aab.005

Valor announces joint marketing agreement with Cadence on DFM integration and ODB++ data exchange

Valor announces joint marketing agreement with Cadence on DFM integration and ODB++ data exchange

Keywords CADCAM, Cadence Design Systems

Valor Computerized Systems, Ltd, providers of CAD/CAM solutions, have announced a joint marketing agreement with Cadence Design Systems, Inc. to provide PCB designers with tools that will significantly improve time-to-market and design quality. The agreement pairs the Cadence Allegro PCB layout system (part of the Intrica family of PCB design tools) with Valor's ODB++ technology and Enterprise 3000 DFM (design for manufacture) analysis system to deliver an integrated solution that provides true design for excellence capabilities by balancing design functionality with manufacturability.

This agreement further strengthens the existing ties between the two companies announced last year (Valor is a Platinum member of Cadence's Alanza Group Connections program).

ODB++ postprocessors

Cadence will distribute ODB++ postprocessors to all Allegro users, worldwide, to enable fast and accurate output of ODB++ data. ODB++ data contain all design knowledge necessary for successful product manufacture and test, including PCB layers, components, test points, drill/route data, net attributes, manufacturability constraint rules and DFM results. The postprocessor will operate directly on the Allegro database, extracting all necessary product intelligence to build the ODB++ "physical product model", ready for delivery into manufacturing. A single ODB++ file replaces the traditional "container files" of old-style formats such as Gerber, Excellon, Component Placement Lists, netlist, and HP-GL/DXF drawings.

Dave DeMaria, vice president of marketing for PCB design solutions at Cadence, explained that "ODB++ is a highly integrated format that eliminates much of the reverse-engineering which goes on today between PCB design and PCB manufacture. Major OEM companies are already experiencing quantifiable quality and cycle-time benefits from using ODB++ to integrate the outsourced manufacturing phases of their product introduction with their in-house design operations."

Support for design-anywhere/build-anywhere philosophy

Valor and Cadence are combining to jointly promote the Enterprise 3000/Allegro toolset as a recommended balanced design solution for taking complex designs from the schematic level to volume manufacture. The Enterprise 3000 operates as a "plug-in" DFM analysis and optimization tool for the PCB layout engineer to use during the Allegro board layout process. Enterprise 3000 moves manufacturability analysis upstream from the factory level into the design process, where it applies 200+ rules-driven dedicated manufacturability analyses concurrently during the design stage. The results are fewer revision spins due to manufacturability problems, smoother tooling processes for the manufacturers, and more predictable delivery times.

Technology roadmap for further integration

Valor and Cadence are implementing a technology roadmap to achieve even closer integration between the Enterprise 3000 DFM system and the Allegro PCB layout system. Today, full graphical synchronization exists between the systems, giving the layout engineer full control over data integrity within his Allegro database. The future potential for integration between Enterprise 3000 and Allegro includes back-annotation of design optimizations made by Enterprise 3000, directly into the Allegro system. DeMaria explained the potential advantages of back-annotation: "The Enterprise 3000 is based on a unique algorithmic kernel for analyzing and optimizing the ODB++ physical model of the printed circuit assembly. The forward-annotation already exists, and we are now committed to making the next industry breakthrough, which is the back-annotation from an intelligent CAM environment directly to the CAD database itself. At Cadence, we have a high level of confidence that, with Valor as a technology partner, we will deliver CAD/CAM back-annotation within the next year."