Prototype PCB Design Software Essentials

Key Takeaways

• The competitiveness of new product introduction makes it critical to optimize your prototype design process for effectiveness and efficiency. 

• Your prototype PCB design software should exhibit essential attributes for managing component inventory, creating schematics, designing PCBs, verifying designs, and managing data.

• OrCAD X delivers the essential functionality and capabilities in one program for prototype design optimization.

3D rendering and real-time DRC data are prototype PCB design software essentials for efficient workflow

Depending on the source, the global electronic PCB market is around or above the mid $50 billion mark and projected to only increase for the foreseeable future. The thrust across virtually all industries to employ electronics and build smarter products and systems is a key driver that will only expand. And the competition for a share of the PCB market is fierce. 

Consequently, previous design and development strategies and tools are no longer adequate. Today, PCB design is more likely to require a team of engineers who must coordinate their efforts efficiently to meet tight scheduling demands and satisfy operational and performance objectives. The best way to meet this mandate is to employ advanced prototype PCB design software with the essentials to optimize team development.  

Prototype PCB Design Software Essentials

Many PCB designs are intended for new product introductions or NPI. The board design is a custom creation with specific and well-defined performance requirements in these cases. This novelty demands that a prototype be designed and validated. The iterative design⇒build⇒test (DBT) process is no different from other circuit board development. However, as listed and discussed below, prototype PCB design software attributes are necessary for process optimization. 

Component Inventory Management Essentials

After the last few years' delivery bottlenecks, factory shutdowns, and component shortages, everyone’s eyes have been opened to the importance of supply chain resilience. Consequently, engineers, OEMs, and other electronics developers are prioritizing component inventory management. As shown below, the best of these incorporate real-time data to help designers make smart component choices to avoid issues such as obsolescence and counterfeits. 

Real-time component data with OrCAD X Live BOM

Schematic Creation Essentials

The schematic is more than just the launchpad for prototype PCB design. To expedite schematic generation, your software tool should provide diagram flexibility and options that support and facilitate connectivity and netlist inspection, as well as simulation and analysis capabilities. As shown below, OrCAD X Capture includes PSpice integration to ensure your circuit design will satisfy its performance requirements.

OrCAD X Capture includes integration with industry leading PSpice analysis and simulation capability. 

PCB Layout Essentials

PCB layout is probably the design task where you can be the most creative. However, there are guidelines and industry standards, such as spacing, creepage and clearance distances, that bound component placement and routing options. For efficiency, your layout environment should include advanced automation tools, like auto-placement and auto-routing, while allowing you to specify board locations and signal paths manually. OrCAD X Presto PCB Editor, shown below, combines the best of these in one prototype PCB design software tool. 

Routing traces with OrCAD X Presto PCB Editor

Design Verification Essentials

Prototype development invariably requires multiple DBT cycles to maximize design quality and arrive at a level ready for low-volume production. However, the number of cycles, time for bring-up, and manufacturing costs can be significantly reduced with an advanced PCB layout environment where DRC information is available throughout the process. This capability avoids the complex accumulated error list and provides real-time data, as shown below when errors can be corrected quickly and easily.  

OrCAD X Presto PCB layout design environment with real-time DRC pane

Data Management Essentials

For many, data management is synonymous with product lifetime management or PLM. Although monitoring the lifecycle of an electronic product is essential for risk management and identifying revision needs, etc., data management for effective prototype development should start with the design process itself. For example, a common drawback for co-design efforts, especially for internal teams that may be remote from each other, is the inability of team members to communicate efficiently. OrCAD X successfully addresses this issue with cloud-based design data synchronization and real-time communication. 

The Best Prototype PCB Design Software Solution

Irrespective of skill level, in order to design prototypes effectively and efficiently, you need the right EDA tool capabilities. Cadence, the industry leader in advanced PCB Design and Analysis Software, delivers the essentials for prototype PCB design software with the new OrCAD X platform.