Mentor Graphics Announces PADS20

Mentor Graphics Announces PADS2007

With Major Technology and Productivity Enhancements

WILSONVILLE, Ore., March 6, 2007 – Mentor Graphics Corporation, represented in Australia by In-Circuit Design Pty Ltd, has announced the availability of the next generation of PADS^® flow with the introduction of PADS2007. This newest release offers layout designers and engineers the ability to implement RF and microwave circuitry using highly automated functionality, perform design for fabrication (DFF) checking early in the design process, and optimize performance with advanced high-speed analysis/verification functionality, thus significantly improving their productivity and design quality.

“Mentor Graphics continues to invest in the future of PADS by strengthening the capabilities of designers to integrate RF circuitry design, high-speed net analysis and routing, and DFF into the PADS design flow,” said Dan Boncella, director of marketing, System Design Division, Mentor Graphics. “This new release extends Mentor Graphics’ technology leadership by moving these sophisticated design capabilities into the PADS desktop PCB solutions.”

“Harris Corporation is excited about the new enhancements and features that are included in the new PADS 2007 release. The new library structure and direct DXF into the decal editor will save hours of effort for our EDA librarian staff by solving alpha-numeric translation issues and importing RF modeling directly into the decal editor,” said John Adamski, EDA Specialist, Harris Corporation, RF Communications Division. “The new RF module has several time saving features. Trace manipulation for RF circuits, automated via shielding for sensitive traces, via plane flooding feature that is user selectable for interior plane fill or exterior (edge) fill. Manual via shielding for RF or EMI is now a thing of the past.”

Additional enhancements in this release include:

High-speed routing improvements: controls for matched length nets and differential routing improvements.
Square and chamfered corners, DXF-in import, and via matrixing enhancements for RF design.
Blind/buried via drill table improvements: designs with partial vias (blind or buried) are automatically updated with the layer pairs and drill count of the partial vias in the design.
Alpha-numeric pin improvements: simplifies creation of large BGA-based parts.
ECO enhancements: includes comparison of design rules between the schematic and layout databases.
Design for fabrication (DFF) analysis: powerful fabrication checks, such as acid trap, starved thermals, solder mask slivers are checked in the CAD environment and database, allowing the designer to identify and correct manufacturing problems in PADS Layout, before Gerber generation.
Pin number visibility: the user has the ability to turn on/off the visibility of the component pin numbers, either numeric or alpha-numeric, improving designer productivity during routing.
SI analysis: integration of DxDesigner™ and the HyperLynx^® LineSim^® tool through a new interface allows fast transfer of a circuit for analysis and back annotation of termination resistor values.
Analog simulation: provides a board level simulation analysis and verification through a common schematic editor for both simulation and PCB design entry.

About In-Circuit Design Pty Ltd

In-Circuit Design Pty Ltd assists Australian electronics companies to develop their products more efficiently and reduce the time to market which results in higher profits. We provide added value to our clients through Design for Manufacturability and High Speed Design expertise. The company in located at Level 15, Corporate Centre One, Bundall, Queensland 4217. Ph: 07 5520 6864, www.icd.com.au

About Mentor Graphics

Mentor Graphics Corporation (Nasdaq: MENT) is a world leader in electronic hardware and software design solutions, providing products, consulting services and award-winning support for the world’s most successful electronics and semiconductor companies. Established in 1981, the company reported revenues over the last 12 months of about $700 million and employs approximately 4,000 people worldwide. Corporate headquarters are located at 8005 S.W. Boeckman Road, Wilsonville, Oregon 97070-7777; Silicon Valley headquarters are located at 1001 Ridder Park Drive, San Jose, California 95131-2314. World Wide Web site: www.mentor.com/pads

Mentor Graphics and PADS are registered trademarks of Mentor Graphics Corporation. All other company or product names are the registered trademark or trademarks of their respective owners.