70 The PCB Design Magazine • May 2016
1
Mentor Graphics Unveils PADS
PCB Product Creation Platform
Mentor Graphics Corpo-
ration today announced a
comprehensive product-
creation platform based
on PADS PCB software that
enables individual engi-
neers and small teams to solve the engineering
challenges involved in creating today's electronic
products. The PADS platform has been extended
to enable engineers to develop PCB-based systems
from concept through manufacturing hand-off.
2
Brooks' Bits: How Many Vias
Does It Take To…?
During 2015, Doug Brooks en-
joyed a very productive collabo-
ration with Dr. Johannes Adam,
from Leimen, Germany. That
collaboration resulted in several
papers, but one in particular is
relevant for this column, "Via Currents and Tem-
peratures." In that paper, they used a simulation
tool, thermal risk management (TRM), developed
by Dr. Adam, to simulate current flowing through
a via and then determine the temperature of the
via. The results contradicted conventional wisdom.
3
Sunstone Circuits R&D: 3D
Printing Great for Prototyping
We've been hearing a lot about
3D printing for the past few
years. But where does 3D print-
ing fit in with traditional rigid
circuit board development?
Sunstone Circuits recently com-
pleted a project that focused on that very ques-
tion. Sunstone Product Manager Nolan Johnson
explains why 3D printing is a viable option when
it comes to jigs and parts of the support infrastruc-
ture that are needed when prototyping today's
emerging technologies.
4
New Cadence Allegro Enhances
Flex and Rigid-Flex Capabilities
Cadence Design Systems has
unveiled the Allegro 17.2-
2016 portfolio, which enables
a more predictable and short-
er design cycle. The portfolio
features comprehensive in-de-
sign inter-layer checking tech-
nology that minimizes design-
check-redesign iterations and a new dynamic
concurrent team design capability that accelerates
product creation time by up to 50 percent.
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TEN
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