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26 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I JUNE 2018 of PCBs, along with alternative allocations of functions across them, can be evaluated col- laboratively with the ability to make trade-offs. Functional blocks can be assigned and moved between boards and boards can be reshaped, added and subtracted as necessary. The 3D multi-board design tool can address signal continuity at the system level while simulta- neously managing multiple PCB interconnects and understanding board-to-board signal con- tinuity. PCB designers gain the ability to import the mechanical enclosure directly into the ECAD tool, so they can get single or multi-board designs right the first time. 3D parametric libraries are shared between the ECAD and MCAD systems. During layout, users invoke a wizard to import the 3D enclosure model and specify all the associated PCBs. They then lay- out the PCBs with the enclosure in real-time, optimizing placement capacity and capturing interference violations earlier in the design process. Electrical engineers can design to the true native 3D constraints as defined by mechanical engineers while mechanical engineers in turn have access to the true 3D board design, so they can accurately conduct interference checks during board layout. Elec- trical engineers can design multiple boards within a single model to ensure precise posi- tioning of angles, shapes and cuts needed to avoid interference. Working with the exact product shape makes it possible, for example, to fit more functionality into a package that is curved to conform to interior styling than could be accomplished with an orthogonal approximation. 3D ECAD design enables more accurate alignment of connectors so that they precisely fit openings on the enclosures. Chip-Package-Board Co-Design By integrating planning and final design for PCBs, packages and ICs in a single view, the newest generation of tools makes it pos- sible for engineers to conduct system-level co- design of the PCB, package and chip and opti- mize I/O placement, pin assignments, redistri- bution layer (RDL) routing, and bump and ball placements. The benefits are particularly great when working with non-traditional structures Figure 4: 3D collision checking in a native ECAD tool.