CADSTAR for Layout Professionals
Speed, efficiency, power, flexibility...
...Just some of the expressions our customers use to describe the ways that CADSTAR PCB design software helps them do their job, every day.
With more than 20 years experience within the PCB design community, CADSTAR has built an enviable reputation for its ability to fulfill the requirement for almost all types of design, from sub-miniature single layer consumer goods through to ultra complex multi-layer digital switching products.
Key to its flexibility is the fully user definable layer and assignments architecture that lets you configure the system exactly to
your requirements. With an extensive set of design rules, plus the ability to set specific rules by class, template, area and more, CADSTAR ensures the output data you create meets your strict manufacturing guidelines.
Architecture, Integration and Automation
CADSTAR provides a full ASCII input/output facility and comes with a free translator to import data from your old PCB design tool. The customisable GUI and built-in macro recorder lets you tune the application to your working style; while the report generator lets you generate a wide range of outputs such as machine-specific placement files and bills-of-materials.
Need more? The OLE interface enables anyone with basic programming skills to extract data and even create their own functionality!
Placement and Routing
Powerful placement routines including interactive push-aside, alignment, group replication and block reuse let you optimise board real-estate, while the gate and pin swap routine minimises crossovers and connection length. You can even optimise equivalent pins during manual routing, especially useful when routing to high pin count devices where space is at a premium.
You probably spend at least 50% of your design time on routing the layout, so using a tool that is optimised for speed, precision and electrical accuracy can have a dramatic impact on your budget. The CADSTAR P.R.Editor (Place & Route Editor) provides a range of features that help you quickly and efficiently route your design, whatever the source.
Verification and Manufacturing Outputs
CADSTAR supports not only physical spacing and manufacturing rules, but high speed constraints with the CADSTAR High Speed router, signal integrity with CADSTAR SI Verify, power plane and decoupling analysis with CADSTAR PIA (Power Integrity Analysis), and 3D verification with CADSTAR Board Modeler Lite.
Generation of all standard manufacturing outputs (ODB++, Gerber, Excellon, PDF, DXF, etc.) can be automated to a single-click operation, with the option to create more extensive fabrication and assembly documentation with Blueprint from Downstream Technologies.
