Mentor Graphics Announces 26th Annual PCB Technology Leadership Awards Program

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Mentor Graphics Corporation today announced the call-for-entries of its 26th annual Technology Leadership Awards (TLA) competition, continuing its tradition of recognizing excellence in printed circuit board (PCB) design. Started in 1988, this program is the longest running competition of its kind in the electronic design automation (EDA) industry. It recognizes engineers and CAD designers who use the innovative technology provided by Mentor Graphics Corporation to address today's complex PCB systems design challenges and produce industry-leading products.

Prominent experts in the PCB industry will judge the contest, including: Michael R. Creeden, San Diego PCB CEO and founder; Gary Ferrari, FTG Circuits technical support director; Rick Hartley, RHartley Enterprises principal engineer; Steve Herbstman, founder and lead designer, SHLC; Happy Holden, Gentex Corporation (retired); Andy Kowalewski, Metamelko LP senior interconnect designer; Pete Waddell, president of UP Media and publisher of Printed Circuit Design & Fab/Circuits Assembly Magazine; and Susy Webb, Fairfield Nodal senior PCB designer.

"Mentor continues to be in the forefront of recognizing and rewarding excellent designs. The TLA awards allow designers who are using innovative ideas and design practices to be rewarded for their outside-the-box thinking in a way that nothing else in the industry does," stated Susy Webb, senior PCB designer, Fairfield Nodal. "These new practices will add to the general knowledge and creativity of the whole community of designers by leading them to try new and different concepts themselves."

This year, entrants will be able to submit their design accomplishments in any of seven categories representing a wide variety of industries:

• Computers, blade and servers, memory systems
• Consumer electronics and handheld
• Industrial control, instrumentation, security and medical
• Military and aerospace
• Semiconductor packaging
• Telecom, network controllers, line cards
• Transportation and automotive

"Our annual PCB Technology Leadership Awards contest provides a worldwide opportunity for talented designers to showcase innovative designs.  Each year we see ever-increasing challenges and the use of new technologies implemented," said A.J. Incorvaia, vice president and general manager of Mentor Graphics Systems Design Division. "The submissions for this contest are really quite impressive. We are expecting this year's competition to be bigger than ever, with entries from many major electronics companies, as well as from smaller teams."

About the Technology Leadership Awards Contest

The Mentor® TLA contest is open to any designs created with the Mentor PCB solutions, including the Xpedition®, PADS® and Board Station® design flows. Judging will be based on overcoming complexity challenges, such as small form factor, high-speed content, design team collaboration, advanced PCB fabrication technologies and design-cycle time reduction. Winners will be announced January 5th, 2016 on a World Wide Web broadcast.

About Mentor Graphics

Mentor Graphics Corporation is a world leader in electronic hardware and software design solutions, providing products, consulting services and award-winning support for the world's most successful electronic, semiconductor and systems companies. Established in 1981, the company reported revenues in the last fiscal year of about $1.24 billion.