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Simulation tool improves productivity and saves design respins
March 2006 - Dayford Designs, a leading UK PCB design services company, has recently invested in new software and expanded its design engineering team to offer customers a complete simulation and signal analysis service.
Many of today's complex circuits contain Gigabit signals and picosecond edge rates that require constraint-driven PCB design and have a greater impact on signal integrity. To ensure appropriate PCB technology, layer stack up and optimum electrical performance for complex PCBs, Dayford implements pre- and post-simulation and analysis as part of the design flow, uisng Mentor Graphics’ HyperlynxÔ SI tools.
Circuits are simulated pre-layout and at various stages during layout and results viewed as waveforms, eye diagrams or as a list of net properties. The ability to accurately predict characteristics and design to specification with confidence results in less re-spins, saving cycle time and cost. Hyperlynx is an essential tool for engineers working with DSPs, Stratix, DDR/DDR2, 3GIO and other fast technologies and devices.
Commenting on the new software and expansion, Jim Hurford, managing director at Dayford, said, “Having recognised the need for such a tool, we evaluated a number of systems and chose Mentor’s Hyperlynx solution because it delivered all the functionality we required, has an excellent user interface, is intuitive and interfaces to all the ECAD systems we deploy in-house.”
Dayford has also recently appointed Iain Camley, a specialist in PCB design and signal integrity engineer, to manage all SI design projects within the company. Iain was previously with Philips Semiconductors in Southampton as principle PCB design engineer supporting the IC Test Group.
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