Mentor Graphics has unveiled the Xpedition Package Integrator, a tool which is said to coordinate and optimise the product design process from integrated circuit to PCB.
"The Internet of Things and advances in packaging manufacturing technologies mean that there is a need for new design tools and methodologies," said John Park, methodology architect with Mentor's Systems Design Division. "The current approach to package design and board layout is causing bottlenecks and high costs; companies are realising that it will not be possible to design optimal systems without the ability to co-design the IC, package and board."
Xpedition Package Integrator – said to be 'EDA neutral' – supports the design of cross domain systems so that ICs, packages and PCB designs are optimised with each other to reduce package substrate and PCB costs. It provides layer reduction, optimised interconnect paths and streamlined/automated control of the design process. It also offers a formal flow for BGA ball-map planning and optimisation based on an 'intelligent pin' concept, defined by user rules.
In addition, a multi-mode connectivity management system (incorporating hardware description language, spreadsheet and graphical schematic) provides cross domain pin mapping and system level cross domain logical verification.
The Xpedition Package Integrator flow also leverages other Mentor tools, such as HyperLynx and FloTHERM. It can also take advantage of Nimbic, which allows designers to calculate complex electromagnetic fields for chip-package-board simulation.
