PCB LAYOUT: Sketch Routing joins Xpedition

The Sketch Router provides an environment that maintains the standards and control designers want, while assisting and accelerating existing interactive routing processes. Sketch routing captures the designer's routing intent, then automates routing groups of nets. The result reproduces the appearance and quality of manual routing. Sketch routing reduces layout complexity by automating the routing and breakout intent that the PCB designer defines. It combines the power of automation with the skill and control of the designer to create fast, high quality routes in dense designs. With the Sketch Router, a designer draws a sketch path to dictate the location for the routing of the selected netlines. Then, the Sketch Router routes individual, dozens, or even hundreds of netlines many times faster than manual routing. Sketch routing focuses on quality; little cleanup is needed, often none at all. The high routing completion rate (typically >90%) is due to its ability to automatically optimise the escapes from components like BGAs so they are optimal for routing without any additional vias. The Hug Router can be applied for routing that does not complete 100%.The Hug Router creates local bias areas based on the existing routing and extracts the designers routing intent from the previous routing. When interactively routing individual nets, Real Trace Plow minimises the effort for single-ended and differential pair nets by having the traces flow behind the cursor — no additional clicks are needed, not even to finish! Real Trace Plow routing automation guides the routing with dynamic visual feedback while pushing and shoving vias and traces out of the way, and even clearing plane areas as you route. When there is a large set of routes that need to be moved, even across rule areas, the Dynamove capability enables smooth and fast movement of traces while it automatically removes extra segments and maintains high quality. The bottom line: auto-assisted sketch routing provides the speed and efficiency of auto routing, with complete user control and high quality. Company and services info Mentor Graphics is a technology leader in electronic design automation (EDA), providing software and hardware design solutions that enable companies to develop better electronic and mechanical products faster and more cost-effectively. The company offers innovative products and solutions that help engineers overcome the design challenges they face in the increasingly complex worlds of board and chip design. Mentor Graphics has the broadest industry portfolio of best-in-class products and is the only EDA company with an embedded software solution. Services Design-Through-Manufacturing PCB Systems Development Mechanical Analysis Functional Verification Design to Silicon New and Emerging Products Electrical System and Harness Engineering Electronic System Level (ESL) Design Embedded Systems Design Contact details Mentor Graphics (UK) Ltd. Rivergate Newbury Business Park London Road Berkshire RG14 2Qb tel: +44 1635 811411