Target Condition: Are Autorouters Friend or Foe?
Fresh PCB Concepts: Assembly Challenges with Micro Components and Standard Solder Mask Practices
Elementary Mr. Watson: Retro Routers vs. Modern Boards—The Silent Struggle on Your Screen
EMA is Bullish on Data Management
May 11, 2016 | Andy Shaughnessy, PCBDesign007Estimated reading time: 1 minute
EMA Design Automation has evolved over the years, from a typical Cadence Design Systems VAR to a distributor that functions more like a part of Cadence. During DesignCon, I met with Greg Roberts, director of marketing for EMA, and asked him to discuss the company’s focus on data management tools, and why he’s giving away certain OrCAD tools.
Andy Shaughnessy: Greg, why don't you start by giving us a little bit of background about EMA.
Greg Roberts: EMA is Cadence's channel partner for North America—we predominantly sell their PCB tools and cover Canada, the United States, and Mexico. That includes the OrCAD, PSpice, Allegro, and Sigrity product lines.
Shaughnessy: And I understand you guys are giving away a tool?
Roberts: Yes, we've got a new promotion. We have ads all over that say, "Free OrCAD Capture."
Shaughnessy: So how does that work?
Roberts: In the EDA world, you typically buy the software and also pay for maintenance. They're two separate prices and you put them together for the first year. We're giving away the software. You get a perpetual license, but you have to pay for the maintenance.
So a tool that used to be $1,400 for the software and $390 for the maintenance is now just $390. At the end of one year if you don't want to keep paying for the maintenance, you don't have to and the software is still yours. However, we think you will because for the maintenance price you receive a number of benefits, like phone support. You can call our engineers and talk to them about whatever problems you're having—we get pretty good accolades about our phone support.
Additionally, you get access to our engineering resource center where you can find app notes and other information. You get access to Cadence's as well, and as Cadence releases updates to the software, you get those updates for the whole year. We think it's a pretty good value for the maintenance on top of the free software.
To read this entire article, which appeared in the March issue of The PCB Design Magazine, click here.
Share on:
Suggested Items
Facing the Future: Time for Real Talk, Early and Often, Between Design and Fabrication
07/08/2025 | Prashant Patel -- Column: Facing the FutureThere has always been a subtle but significant divide between those who design and those who build printed circuit boards. It’s not a hostile gap, but it is a real one, and in today’s high-speed, high-complexity, high-stakes environment, that gap is costing us more than time and yield. It’s costing us innovation.
DownStream Acquisition Fits Siemens’ ‘Left-Shift’ Model
06/26/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, I-Connect007I recently spoke to DownStream Technologies founder Joe Clark about the company’s acquisition by Siemens. We were later joined by A.J. Incorvaia, Siemens’ senior VP of electronic board systems. Joe discussed how he, Rick Almeida, and Ken Tepper launched the company in the months after 9/11 and how the acquisition came about. A.J. provides some background on the acquisition and explains why the companies’ tools are complementary.
Elementary Mr. Watson: Retro Routers vs. Modern Boards—The Silent Struggle on Your Screen
06/26/2025 | John Watson -- Column: Elementary, Mr. WatsonThere's a story about a young woman preparing a holiday ham. Before putting it in the pan, she cuts off the ends. When asked why, she shrugs and says, "That's how my mom always did it." She asks her mother, who gives the same answer. Eventually, the question reaches Grandma, who laughs and says, "Oh, I only cut the ends off because my pan was too small." This story is a powerful analogy for how many PCB designers approach routing today.
Connect the Dots: The Future of PCB Design and Manufacturing
07/02/2025 | Matt Stevenson -- Column: Connect the DotsFor some time, I have been discussing the increasing complexity of PCBs and how designers can address the constantly evolving design requirements associated with them. My book, "The Printed Circuit Designer’s Guide to… Designing for Reality," details best practices for creating manufacturable boards in a modern production environment.
Siemens Turbocharges Semiconductor and PCB Design Portfolio with Generative and Agentic AI
06/24/2025 | SiemensAt the 2025 Design Automation Conference, Siemens Digital Industries Software today unveiled its AI-enhanced toolset for the EDA design flow.