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As frequencies increase, phenomena like signal distortion, ground bounce, and power integrity issues become more pronounced. OrCAD X provides tools that help manage these elements by setting design constraints and enabling precise control over every aspect of PCB design. Here is the modern constraint-driven approach to hardware design shown below. Constraint-driven Hardware Design Process This process leads to few iterations the earlier we incorporate design requirements and constraints at the early stages of the design process. Key Areas of Concern in High-Speed Design Incorporating design requirements and constraints includes introducing specific issues that must be addressed at various stages: f Signal Integrity (SI): Ensuring the quality and fidelity of high-speed signals across the PCB is paramount. Impedance control, differential pair matching, and reducing reflection are all critical elements in SI management. f ●Power Integrity (PI): Power distribution and decoupling must support rapid switching and high current demands without introducing noise or compromising voltage stability. A well-designed Power Distribution Network (PDN) is crucial. f ●Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) and Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC): High-speed signals can radiate and receive unwanted interference, affecting neighboring circuits. Proper shielding, grounding, and trace layout practices mitigate EMI risks and ensure EMC compliance. This guide will tackle each of these issues, showing how OrCAD X Capture and Presto PCB Editor offer practical tools to control these factors, optimize designs, and streamline the path from concept to production-ready PCB. Constraint Management in OrCAD X OrCAD X adopts a constraint-driven design methodology, enabling engineers to proactively define parameters for high-speed design elements at the outset of a project. By establishing constraints for signal integrity, power distribution, and EMI control, you can ensure that your high-speed requirements are met throughout the design process. This constraint-driven approach aligns with the standard requirements-based and architectural methodology prevalent in the industry. This methodology considers numerous factors upfront, using desired benefits and end goals to determine features and specifications such as voltages, noise levels, current levels, and frequency of operation. 5 www.cadence.com OrCAD X High-Speed Digital Design Guide