CR-8000 2023 release has enhanced design efficiency and analysis
High-density, high-speed PCB design can be enhanced with insight and analysis through the 2023 release of Zuken’s CR-8000 design tool. The company said it introduces significant enhancements to design creation, layout and analysis.
There is special emphasis on revitalising and expanding the spectrum of signal integrity, power integrity, and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) analysis tools. These advances are seamlessly integrated into the CR-8000 Design Force Analysis Advance bundle.
The latest release is designed to empower developers to address the ever-increasing demands of high-density, high-speed PCB designs, said Kazuhiro Kariya, senior managing executive office and CTO of Zuken. What he described as strategic enhancements to the CR-8000 tool suite boost design efficiency and support accurate analysis, ultimately enabling designers to stay ahead in today’s competitive market, he said.
The introduction of streamlined design sheet integration allows users to effortlessly merge sheets from diverse designs, to incorporate various elements or to use template designs as a solid foundation. Zuken said this feature fosters creativity and accelerates the design timeline.
Enhanced information security allows sensitive information to be excluded before external sharing for a secure, collaborative design environment.
Another introduction is a feature which streamlines documentation by enabling the copying, editing, and seamless integration of circuits and text elements. This enhances efficiency by eliminating redundant tasks and allows engineers to focus on design evolution.
For design efficiencies at layout, there is reuse template routing. With this feature, identical areas of components and routing that are common in multi-channel designs can now be placed and routed based on one instance. This function recognises component and topology similarities and propagates the master instance to the subsequent channels.
An interactive contour routing feature aligns seamlessly with existing patterns and board shapes, ensuring design harmony and consistency.
Users can also examine the routing of a trace path by visualising a cross-sectional view that showcases the trajectory across various layers. This capability allows for comprehensive inspection and evaluation of track arrangements, aiding in identifying potential issues and optimising the design.
The CR-8000 2023 release consolidates signal integrity, power integrity, and EMI analysis tools into new bundles, with enhanced user interaction, multi-core CPU support and compatibility with extensive datasets. AI / ML-assisted modelling and new power integrity checks which elevate design and analysis prowess.
For signal integrity with analysis, the Design Force SI Advance bundle, encompasses features from characteristic impedance to IBIS AMI SerDes channel analysis. Comprehensive system-level analysis is ensured through the inclusion of IBIS, SPICE, and S-Parameter models in both domains.
Full-spectrum PCB-level EMI and power analysis is delivered via the Design Force PI / EMI Advance bundle. Critical functions include rapid estimations, integrity features and an array of analysis tools designed to optimise designs. Capabilities include IC power pin impedance computation, decap location and parasitic values determination, DC analysis, incorporation of lossy transmission line models considering copper surface roughness, and integration of IBIS, SPICE, and S-parameter models, time domain reflectometry (TDR) and eye pattern analysis to enhance design evaluation. There is also comprehensive HSPICE export and capability to calculate and export S-Parameter touchstone data.
