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
Cadence Next-Gen AI-Driven OrCAD X Delivers Up to 5X Faster PCB Design with Cadence OnCloud
September 13, 2023 | Cadence Design Systems, Inc.Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
Cadence Design Systems, Inc. announced the new Cadence OrCAD X Platform, a cloud-enabled system design solution that offers transformative improvements in ease of use, performance, automation and collaboration. The new OrCAD X Platform streamlines the system design process and empowers designers through cloud scalability and AI-powered placement automation technology, enabling up to 5X reduction in design turnaround time.
With significantly higher productivity enabled by cloud-connected capabilities—including data management, collaborative layout design and a new easy-to-use layout environment optimized for small and medium businesses—this next-generation platform includes everything in the OrCAD platform and more. Supercharged with powerful layout productivity improvements based on the Cadence Allegro® X Platform, it provides complete backward data compatibility with OrCAD and Allegro technologies.
The new OrCAD X platform provides the following benefits:
- Cloud-enabled: Improves productivity with real-time access to data management via the Cadence OnCloud Platform. Data storage and management through a cloud login enables a hybrid work environment across the desktop and the cloud, reducing infrastructure costs for the user.
- Ease of use: Optimized for small and medium businesses, the OrCAD X platform offers a new, easy-to-learn and easy-to-use PCB layout canvas while retaining the power of industry-proven engines. New cloud-based licensing options are available as well as many user-experience enhancements from installation through design. The dynamic creation of manufacturing documentation provides a real-time view of fabrication details throughout the entire design process.
- Faster turnaround time: Significantly enriched electrical constraints, performance improvements and integration with the broader Cadence system design and analysis portfolio enable faster time to market.
- Collaboration: Cloud-hosted collaboration allows multiple designers to work concurrently on the same layout design.
The OrCAD X platform can access automated placement through the Allegro X AI system, which enables transformative placement time reduction from days to minutes. Users can achieve these placement time reductions while simultaneously addressing signal integrity, power integrity and thermal design effects during placement, routing of critical signals and the generation of power planes.
“Cadence is committed to delivering optimal system design solutions that incorporate the power of generative AI and the cloud to enable the fastest turnaround times,” said Michael Jackson, corporate vice president of R&D in the Custom IC & PCB Group at Cadence. “The new OrCAD X platform will have a transformative impact, offering customers greater productivity through ease of use, cloud-enabled data management, AI-powered automation, improved engine performance and integration with Cadence’s system design and analysis product portfolio.”
The AI-based OrCAD X platform supports Cadence’s Intelligent System Design™ strategy, which enables customers to accelerate system innovation. Customers can learn more about the OrCAD X platform at the PCB West 2023 conference and exhibition, September 19-22 in Santa Clara, Calif. or by visiting Cadence's website.
Share on:
Suggested Items
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.
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.
Cadence AI Autorouter May Transform the Landscape
06/19/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazinePatrick Davis, product management director with Cadence Design Systems, discusses advancements in autorouting technology, including AI. He emphasizes a holistic approach that enhances placement and power distribution before routing. He points out that younger engineers seem more likely to embrace autorouting, while the veteran designers are still wary of giving up too much control. Will AI help autorouters finally gain industry-wide acceptance?
Beyond Design: The Metamorphosis of the PCB Router
06/18/2025 | Barry Olney -- Column: Beyond DesignThe traditional PCB design process is often time-consuming and labor-intensive. Routing a complex PCB layout can consume up to 30% of a designer’s time, and addressing this issue is not straightforward. We have all encountered this scenario: You spend hours setting the constraints and finally hit the Go button, only to be surprised by the lack of visual appeal and the obvious flaws in the result.