New Products
Desian
Editor: J. Daniel Nash / Raytheon Co. / Missile Systems Div. / Hartwell Rd. / Bedford, MA 01730
PCB design tool handles
all phases of design cycle
Mentor Graphics has introduced Board
Station, a fully automated set of printed
circuit board design tools to be integrated
into a CAE environment.
Board Station features proprietary
automatic placement and routing algorithms and a complete set of interactive
layout editing tools. It handles thick and
thin film hybrids, surface-mounted devices, and partitioning within a circuit
board layout design.
Access to the company's Domain networking facility delivers instant communications among all nodes on the network. Using Board Station on the Domain
network, a user can access parts from the
central parts library instead of recreating
them at individual workstations.
Board Station costs $79,900 for a
minimally configured system.
For more information, contact Mentor
Graphics, 8500 SW Creekside P1., Beaverton, OR 97005-7191; (503) 626-7000.
Reader Service Number 50
Board Station from Mentor Graphics includes tools to address aU parts of the electronic
system design hierarchy, from backplane design through hybrids and subsystems. It
handles gate-array, standard, and VLSI components, as well as surface-mounted devices
and thick and thin rilm hybrids.
CAE software for IBM PC-XT and AT offered in three versions
The Workview series, introduced by
Viewlogic Systems, is CAE software for
the IBM PC-XT or AT that allows design
engineers to design, generate documentation, and communicate to mainframes,
superminis, personal computers, and
other CAE/CAD workstations.
Three versions of Workview are available-an analog design system (500
series), a digital design system (300 series),
and an entry-level system (100 series).
Workview runs on industry-standard
IBM PC hardware with a minimum of
August 1985
512K RAM, supporting a wide variety of
standard graphics boards and an optical
mouse. Written in the C language,
Workview runs under DOS, using either a
monochrome or color CRT.
The system supports analog design,
semicustom design, and design with standard parts. All capabilities are integrated
in a multiwindow user environment. Userfriendly features include a hierarchical
menu structure with browse forward and
look-back features; a journaling feature to
help users track their steps in the event of a
system crash; and a merging of text and
graphics.
The entry-level Workview 100 series
retails for $3500 to $5500; the Workview
300 series retails for $6500 to $8500; and
the Workview 500 series retails for $5500
to $8500.
For more information, contact Viewlogic Systems, 33 Boston Post Rd. W,
Marlboro, MA 01752; (617) 480-0881.
Reader Service Number 51
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CDC offers engineering systems for IBM PC-XT and compatibles
Control Data has introduced Cybernet*Express engineering application
systems, a family of integrated software
application systems that cost from $3000
to $20,000.
The workstations, designed for the
IBM PC-XT and compatibles, include a
structures system, a piping workstation,
power systems, an electronic designer
system, and petroleum reservoir simulation access.
The Cybernet*Express systems allow
design and analysis to be done locally
and/or remotely through a built-in link to
the computing power and diverse library
of software applications available on the
Cybernet Worldwide Remote Computing
Service.
The system uses one man-machine interface and one command structure,
allowing engineers to move from one program to another without interacting with
the operating system. Built-in utility software allows the user to install supplemental programs.
Specially designed interfaces allow for
the transfer of data files from facility to
facility, ensuring that only pertinent data
from one product file is passed to the next.
For more information, contact Control
Data Corp., 8100 34th Ave. S, Minneapolis, MN 55440; (612) 853-4013
Reader Service Number 52
Logic engine simulates 109 events per second
Zycad has announced a logic simulation
engine capable of simulating 1.5 million
gates at a speed of over one billion events
per second.
The System Development Engine (SDE)
incorporates an extensive distributed
memory modeling technique combined
with supercomputer architecture to create
a simulated system that acts the same as
the real hardware.
Two versions of the SDE are offered:
the SDE-8032 simulates up to 1.5 million
gates at a speed of over one billion events
per second, and the SDE-8016 simulates
up to 750,000 gates at a speed of 500
million events per second.
Both versions can be integrated directly
into an existing CAD system, without
disrupting existing tools, using Zycad's
Zilos software interface or one of several
translators provided by Zycad.
Other features of the SDE include an
event-driven, entirely hardware-based
algorithm, 12-state simulation, interactive
speeds, selectable reporting, and selftesting.
The SDE-8032 retails for $2.5 million;
the SDE-8016 retails for $1.7 million.
For more information, contact Zycad,
3499 Lexington Ave. N, St. Paul, MN
55112; (612) 631-3175.
Reader Service Number 53
Software aids thermal analysis
in PCB design
Silvar-Lisco has introduced Version 11 of its CAL-MP standard cell design system,
which features improved silicon area efficiency, improved design turnaround, design
automation directed toward first-time design correctness, greater design flexibility, new
floor-planning capability, and hierarchical layout capability. The Graphic Interactive
Placer option provides the designer with advanced floorplanning capabilities for standard cell circuits. The price for the basic Silvar-Lisco CAL-MP standard cell design
system starts at $37,500. The Grip option costs $12,500. For more information, contact
Silvar-Lisco, 1080 Marsh Rd., Menlo Park, CA 94025-1053; (415) 324-0700.
Telesis has introduced a software
package for thermal analysis of printed
circuit board and packaging design applications. Thermal Analyzer allows both
electronic and mechanical engineers to
quickly determine which area of the
printed circuit board will generate the
most heat, which components are most
sensitive to failure due to high heat, what
effect changing the spacing between
boards will have on heat transfer by
natural convection, whether a fan is required, and whether packaging can be
made smaller without affecting the thermal environment.
Thermal Analyzer permits up to 52 thermal parameters to be adjusted. The
package accommodates all heat transfer
mechanisms, conduction, convection, and
radiation. A tutorial menu provides stepby-step guidance throughout operation,
and input requirements are expressed in
English.
Fully integrated with Telesis Printed
Circuit Design Workstations, Thermal
Analyzer enables an analysis to be run
after board placement has been finalized.
Thermal Analyzer can be run on either
an IBM PC, XT, or AT linked to a Telesis
EDA-600 32-bit coprocessor or on a VAXcompatible display monitor linked to a
VAX CPU. It is priced at $15,000.
For more information, contact Telesis
Systems, 2 Omni Way, Chelmsford, MA
01824; (617) 256-2300.
Reader Service Number 54
Reader Service Number 55
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IEEE DESIGN &TEST
Software aids mathematical
modeling in circuit design
Hewlett-Packard has developed the
Transistor Electrical Characterization and
Analysis Program for designers of
semiconductor devices, circuits, and
models. After taking measurements of ac
and dc characteristics of real semiconductor devices, TECAP computes the
parameters necessary to make a onetransistor device simulation match the
measured data as closely as possible. The
results are the mathematical parameters
used by circuit-simulation programs.
TECAP supports many standard
models (or sets of equations) for both
MOS and bipolar semiconductor devices.
The simulation routine simulates singletransistor characteristics, which are then
compared with measurements on real
devices. The optimizing routine uses leastsquares curve fitting to minimize the difference between simulated and measured
results.
TECAP measures semiconductor characteristics by using a variety of advanced
Hewlett-Packard instruments automatically adapting to whatever instruments are
connected to the system.
TECAP combines measurement, parameter extraction, and device simulation
The Transistor Electrical Characterization and Analysis Program from HewlettPackard was developed to speed up the extraction of model parameters in circuit design.
in a single program, which features menus
and graphics displays. The complete set of
commands and configuration information
may be saved or retrieved from a disk.
The price of TECAP software, which
runs on HP 9000 series 200 Pascal
workstations, is $20,000 for the first copy.
TECAP is designed as HP 9445A, which
includes both 3.5-inch microfloppy and
5.25-inch minifloppy versions.
For more information, contact the
Hewlett-Packard sales office listed in the
white pages of your telephone directory.
Reader Service Number 56
Module predicts performance/ yield of analog circuits
A statistical software module offered range of performance when the circuit
by Analog Design Tools for the Analog enters production.
Workbench workstation analyzes circuit
performance caused by component variaThe Statistics Module automatically
tions.
performs tolerance, sensitivity, and worstcase analyses of the component parameThe Statistics Module allows design ters in an analog circuit, as specified by the
engineers to simulate the effect of compo- design engineer using menu-driven comnent parameter tolerances on the perfor- mands on the Analog Workbench. Menu
mance of a circuit under design. These ef- items specify the choice of analysis, the
fects can then be used to predict the likely components, the range of parts tolerances,
Low-cost PCB design
program
Reader Service Number 57
integrates IBM PCs
Racal-Redac has introduced Redboard, design process - from logic and data capa low-cost microcomputer-based program ture to camera-ready or transportable outfor printed circuit board CAD. Redboard put.
With Redboard, engineers and draftstransforms any IBM PC or Racal-Redacapproved compatible into a fully in- men enter design data into component and
tegrated workstation that can be used by connection lists either manually or autoengineers and draftsmen to design small- matically, using any of several compatible
PC-based schematic-capture packages
to medium-sized printed circuit boards.
Redboard offers many of the automatic such as Racal-Redac's Redlog.
A full pallet of colors and a variety of
design tools featured in high-end systems,
including automatic routing, automatic line types can be selected to define complacement, and design rule checking that ponents, text items, and board outlines.
can be used throughout each step of the Free text, as well as additional com-
August 1985
and the desired circuit response. Items are
selected and data entered through use of a
mouse.
The Statistics Module is available for
users of the Analog Workbench at a cost
of $10,000.
For more information, contact Analog
Design Tools, 800 Menlo Ave., Suite 200,
Menlo Park, CA 94025; (415) 328-0780.
ponents and connections, can be entered
and manipulated during design. Pan and
zoom allow the designer to expand specific
areas of the board or to display them in
windows.
Redboard, which is compatable with
Racal-Redac's Maxi and Maxi II, retails
with Redlog and design automation aids
for $16,000.
For more information, contact RacalRedac, Lyberty Way, Westford, MA
01886; (617) 692-4900.
Reader Service Number 58
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Routing enhanced in Calay V03 CAD system
An enchanced version of Calay Systems' Calay V03 CAD system for printed
circuit board design features improved
routing performance, high-resolution
graphics, output for automatic insertion
machines, and automatic component
placement software.
According to the company, the speed of
the Calay RPR 300 Router has increased
by at least 30 percent. Automatic necking
and bending of tracers, a user-definable
measurement system (metric or English),
and multiple line-move with real-time
design-rule checking have also been integrated into the Calay V03 System.
PCB project management
system links workstations
Documented Circuits has introduced a
system to rapidly handle the design and
fabrication of both complex and simple
printed circuit boards, including surfacemounted boards.
Pathfinder provides the user with the
tools necessary to manage a large database
used for the creation, coordination, and
maintenance of very large projects.
The system runs on DEC VAX computers of all sizes, and the database structures support both physical and logical
connectivity with extensive design-rule
checking.
Features of the system include autointeractive costed routing; autointeractive
placement routines; complete schematicto-fabrication facilities; accommodation
of grids with the highest available density;
rapid zoom and pan; automatic gate and
pin swapping; and capacity for 32 copper
layers.
A two-workstation configuration of
Pathfinder retails for $105,000.
For more information, contact DCI, 1
State St., Hartford, CT 06103; (203)
724-7250.
Reader Service Number 61
The graphics consist of hard pan (hardware driven) and soft zoom (software
driven), which use a color graphics
monitor with 1024 x 1024 resolution.
Another enhancement is that output for
automatic insertion machines and sequencers, in the form of punched tape,
magnetic tape, or floppy disk, can be
generated.
The component placement package
automatically places components in the
optimum position for routing, allocating
space proportionately for each component. Component placement is also done
CAD library available in EDIF
Inacom International has developed
Cache, a library of standard and semicustom ICs designed to support CAE/CAD
workstations and systems.
Cache contains symbols, drawings, and
text on thousands of ICs, discrete and
power solid-state devices, optoelectronics,
resistors, capacitors, PLAs, gate arrays,
standard cells, and relevant devices.
In addition to graphic representations
that specifically support schematic capture
Engineers can also use Data I/O's
PROM-link software to read the fuse map
in an already programmed device and then
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and physical layout, the library contains
the electrical and timing characteristics required to set up simulation and automatic
placement in routing tools.
Cache is available in Electronic Design
Interchange Format in a variety of magnetic media. The average price is $3200.
For more information, contact Inacom
International, 4380 S. Syracuse St.,
Denver, CO 80237; 800-443-INFO.
Reader Service Number 60
PC CAD software does autorouting/histograms
Personal CAD Systems has introduced
software with autorouting and histogram
capabilities, which, when combined with
other software allows engineers to design
printed circuit boards from start to finish
on a personal computer.
The autorouting program allows the
computer to automatically route predefined interconnections between devices on
a PCB, while the histogram program
allows a designer to see the relative density
of the board in graphic form.
Preliminary specifications show that the
router is capable of routing up to 1000
Software helps solve testing problems for PLDs
Software developed by Data I/O solves use PLDtest to automatically generate test
testing problems associated with programmable logic devices. PLDtest helps engineers to determine the testability of conceptual designs and to perform fault
grading for finished designs, as well as
automatically generating any test vectors
required to fully test a programmed PLD.
interactively, allowing the user to fix components or fix families or groups of components in the same location.
Prices for the enhanced Calay V03 CAD
System and the RPR 300 Router are from
$90,000 to $250,000, depending on the
configuration. Current users of the Calay
V03 may receive enhancements as part of
their regular system upgrades.
For more information, contact Calay
Systems, 2698 White Rd., Irvine, CA
92714; (714) 863-1700.
vectors.
PLDtest is written in C language for the
MS-DOS environment. PLDtest also
comes in VAX VMS and Unix 4.2bsd
versions.
In PLDtest cycle, the engineer first
specifies the device and the desired input
and output file format. PLDtest then processes the input file, creates test patterns,
minimizes test vectors, performs path sen-
nets, 6000 connection points, 500 components, and a board up to 60 x 60 inches
with up to 25 layer pairs.
The autorouting and histogram analysis
software cost $4500 as an upgrade from
the PCB-2 system to the PCB-3. The
PCB-3 system complete costs $14,500.
For more information, contact Personal CAD Systems, 981 University Ave.,
Los Gatos, CA 95030; (408) 354-7193.
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sitization, and creates a trace file-all
automatically.
The MS-DOS version of PLDtest sells
for $995. The VAX, VMS, and Unix versions sell for $2495.
For more information, contact Data
I/O, Customer Service, 10525 Willows
Rd. NE, PO Box 97046, Redmond, WA
98073-9746; (800) 426-1045; in Washington, (206) 881-6444.
Reader Service Number 63
IEEE DESIGN & TEST