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Beyond the Rulebook
What happens when the rule book is no longer useful, or worse, was never written in the first place? In today’s fast-moving electronics landscape, we’re increasingly asked to design and build what has no precedent, no proven path, and no tidy checklist to follow. This is where “Design for Invention” begins.
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From the growing role of AI in design tools to the challenge of managing cumulative tolerances, these articles in this issue examine the technical details, design choices, and manufacturing considerations that determine whether a board works as intended.
Looking Forward to APEX EXPO 2026
I-Connect007 Magazine previews APEX EXPO 2026, covering everything from the show floor to the technical conference. For PCB designers, we move past the dreaded auto-router and spotlight AI design tools that actually matter.
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EMA Becomes Distribution Partner for SkillCAD Cadence Virtuoso Layout Automation Suite
January 12, 2021 | EMA Design AutomationEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
EMA Design Automation®, a full-service provider and innovator of Electronic Design Automation (EDA) solutions, has announced that it is extending its focus on designer productivity to the IC world by partnering with SkillCAD to bring their LAS (layout automation suite) to the Cadence® Virtuoso® User Community.
“Much of the time spent designing an IC is during the layout phase,” said Manny Marcano, president and CEO of EMA Design Automation. “SkillCAD provides over 120 fully-validated commands to enable Virtuoso design teams to realize significant productivity gains through automation, reducing design times by up to 50%. Anyone designing analog, mixed-signal, or RF ICs can benefit from the SkillCAD routines. Current Cadence Virtuoso users have access to these new, time-saving routines directly inside their Virtuoso design environment, providing virtually zero learning curve and an instant productivity boost.”
SkillCAD has evolved into over 120 functions, including:
- Patented V-Editor tools that introduce a revolutionary way of editing layouts by simply drawing a directional line (vector) instead of conventional clicks (this consolidates the layout steps for object selection, stretching or moving, and design rule compliance into a single step, significantly minimizing the number of mouse clicks or keystrokes)
- Metal routing tools that allow the designer to route one or fifty metal lines with equal ease
- Pin placing tools that allow the placement of hundreds of pins in a matter of seconds
- And many other tools that greatly improve layout design productivity
Widths, spacing, and other design rules are known to the SkillCAD tools, enabling simple commands to correctly construct complex layout objects according to the design rules. This significantly improves productivity of the layout designer, while reducing costly design iterations. Also, the SkillCAD routing commands are extremely powerful, yet easy to use-they automate and simplify usage. There are five main routing commands, with over 200 sub-routines and parameters to automate routing and editing.
“SkillCAD is very excited to have EMA Design Automation to be our exclusive distributor in the US. EMA not only provides SkillCAD with a proven sales and support organization, they also have a marketing and inside sales team not found in the industry,” said Pengwei Qian, founder and CEO of SkillCAD. “EMA's sales and support organization coupled with SkillCAD proven technology will give us the resources to provide the Cadence Virtuoso community with powerful routing commands coupled with our patented V-editor, which can improve layout designers' productivity by hours a day while reducing design errors.”
“We have a long history of enhancing the Cadence design environment in the PCB space with EMA technology like CircuitSpace®, so it was a natural fit to help bring this same level of efficiency to IC designers,” added Marcano. “We are extremely excited about this important partnership and look forward to helping support the Cadence Virtuoso user community.”
About EMA Design Automation, Inc.
EMA Design Automation is a trailblazer in product development solutions offering a complete range of EDA tools, PLM integrations, services, training, and technical support. EMA is a Cadence® Channel Partner serving all of North America. EMA develops Ultra Librarian®, TimingDesigner®, CircuitSpace®, CIP™, EDABuilder®, and a host of custom solutions to enhance the OrCAD products, and all are distributed through a worldwide network of value added resellers. EMA is a privately held corporation headquartered in Rochester, New York. Visit EMA at www.ema-eda.com for more information.
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Dragonfly Energy Secures Additional Nevada Tech Hub Funding
05/07/2026 | Globe NewswireDragonfly Energy Holdings Corp., an industry leader in energy storage and maker of Battle Born Batteries®, announced it has been selected for a second consecutive round of funding through the Nevada Tech Hub.
Designing Without a Rulebook: When Engineering Becomes Innovation
05/05/2026 | Stephen V. Chavez, Siemens EDAWhat if the very rules that made you successful as a PCB designer are the ones now holding you back? This reminds me of walking the floor and attending sessions at both PCB West 2025 and APEX EXPO 2026, where one common theme stood out: More designs with traditional PCB “best practices” simply don’t apply. It’s not because they’re wrong, but because the problems we’re solving have fundamentally changed. In some cases, those best practices can actually limit performance. This is where PCB design moves beyond optimization and into something far more challenging: designing without a rulebook.
Custom LIDAR Optics Support Mission-Critical Performance
05/05/2026 | PRNewswireMeller Optics, Inc. has introduced custom fabricated LIDAR optics that can be engineered for specific UV to IR transmission requirements featured in airborne, ground, and maritime defense systems.
Trouble in Your Tank: In Complex Systems, Design Rules Aren’t Optional
05/06/2026 | Michael Carano -- Column: Trouble in Your TankThere is no question that the electronics industry, especially in circuit board design and fabrication, advanced packaging, and innovation throughout the value chain, has seen a significant transformation, whether it be in materials, system architecture, HDI and ultra HDI, semiconductors, or chiplets. AI and high-performance computing (HPC) are driving change across several fronts, including material properties, assembly techniques (think hybrid bonding), and power management.
EMI Strengthens Test Capability with Acculogic Flying Probe System
05/04/2026 | Express Manufacturing, Inc.Express Manufacturing, Inc. (EMI), a global electronics manufacturing services (EMS) provider, has added the Acculogic Scorpion 980E Flying Probe Test System to its inspection and test operations, giving the company greater flexibility in how it validates and supports today’s increasingly complex electronics.