Cadence PCB Design Blogs

If you think embedding components in a PCB just reduces product size, well that's true but that's only half the truth. Embedding components also increases performance and reduces transmission loss. So it's about miniaturization and performance with e...(read more)

Read how you can easily create accurate footprints from a vendor-provided STEP Model using Allegro ECAD-MCAD Library Creator.(read more)

Just as social distancing minimizes human contact to prevent the spread of disease, PCB spacing constraints minimize coupling between traces to prevent crosstalk problems for drivers and receivers. In cases where a safe distance cannot be maintained,...(read more)

Crosstalk is the transfer of unwanted signals from an “aggressor” net to a “victim” and is one of the major classes of signal integrity (SI) problems that can exist in Printed Circuit Board (PCB) designs. Reducing crosstalk as...(read more)

With the current scenario of COVID-19, you cannot do without rules. You have to soak vegetables in brine for ten minutes, wash milk in plastic packaging with soap, sanitize metals with an alcoholic solution (70% and above), and whatnot. Well, you get...(read more)

So, what if you can figure out all that can go wrong when your product is being assembled early on? Not guess but know and correct at an early stage – not wait for the fabricator or manufacturer to send you a long report of what needs to change. That’s why Design for Assembly (DFA) rules(read more)

Read how you can easily create accurate footprints from a vendor-provided STEP Model using Allegro ECAD-MCAD Library Creator.(read more)

Design rule checks are essential to ensure the functionality, reliability, and manufacturing yield for a design. You run DRCs several times during the design cycle to validate the design. If I say auditing design rules is an intense and time-c...(read more)

The HotFix 007 (QIR 1, indicated as 2020 in the application splash screens) update for OrCAD and Allegro is now available at Cadence Downloads. This release includes many improved product features and new enhancements, mostly resulting from...(read more)

Why do I need SKILL? The difference between generic departmental store clothing and premium custom tailoring is what the effective use of SKILL scripts can bring to your PCB Layout design world. While our layout applications come loaded with power-packed features...(read more)

This post is in continuation of Extending Allegro Layout Capabilities with SKILL, where I described how SKILL code can make things faster and more efficient even without having to code from scratch. In this post, we’ll see sample implementations...(read more)

You must be using find utility day in and day out, but if you are unfamiliar with Find by Query in Allegro Layout Editors, read on. Layout editors retained the original Find by Name when developing a new utility to do what Find by Name cou...(read more)

Installing new software seems like a daunting task for most of us. You may feel burdened with concerns like how to install and what options to choose, and so on. So, in this post, I will unload your worries and share some best practices to make the i...(read more)

For every PCB designer, adding correct footprints to the PCB is important. Also, sometimes when you are creating a new project, your client demands a new component to be added to the design for which you do not have a footprint.(read more)

You will agree if I say that the right use of color gets attention, enhances clarity, differentiates items, facilitates the identification of issues, and hence improves productivity. In PCB design, colors are particularly important for the reasons just mentioned, and colors very aptly have...(read more)

In standard PCB designs, various masks and surface finishes require verification of proper clearances and coverage. The rigid-flex designs not only have the same mask and surface finish requirements but also have additional geometries, such as bend a...(read more)

In the process of developing a PCB design, a multitude of experts are involved in the verification of the design. These experts and various other stakeholders can be from your own company or from your manufacturer and they will be interested in parti...(read more)

BoardSurfers: Three Steps to Using Embedded Components

BoardSurfers: Footprint Creation Using a STEP Model in Library Creator

BoardSurfers: Allegro In-Design Coupling Analysis: Crosstalk Mitigation without Models

BoardSurfers: Allegro In-Design Crosstalk Analysis: Signal Integrity Simulations on the PCB Canvas

BoardSurfers: Training Insights: How to Run a RAVEL Rule from the GUI

BoardSurfers: Training Insights: Placing Parts Manually Using Design for Assembly (DFA) Rules

BoardSurfers: Three Steps to Using Embedded Components

BoardSurfers: Footprint Creation Using a STEP Model in Library Creator

BoardSurfers: Allegro In-Design Coupling Analysis: Crosstalk Mitigation without Models

BoardSurfers: DRC Browser – A One-Stop Solution for DRC Management

Cadence OrCAD and Allegro 17.4-2019 HotFix 007 Is Now Available

BoardSurfers: Extending Allegro Layout Capabilities with SKILL

BoardSurfers: Implementing SKILL Code

BoardSurfers: Find by Name or Find by Query - That is the Question!

BoardSurfers: Installation Know-How: Which Installation Method is Right for You?

BoardSurfers: Create Custom Footprints with ECAD MCAD Library Creator

BoardSurfers: Allegro In-Design Crosstalk Analysis: Signal Integrity Simulations on the PCB Canvas

BoardSurfers: Rev Up Your Designs Using Color Themes in Allegro 3D Canvas

BoardSurfers: Training Insights: Creating Inter-Layer Checks Available in Constraint Manager

BoardSurfers: Translating Allegro Database to Readable Format Using 'Extracta'