Simulation driven: board design process automation

The traditional “prototyping” approach to board design which relies on a physical prototype for verification is rapidly becoming obsolete. Board design in the 90s continues to shift toward a more automated “simulation-driven” process utilizing a breadth of well integrated design tools. Use of simulation to thoroughly test the board prior to layout is a key difference in this emerging approach. In this paper, we review some of the problems with the traditional “prototyping” approach. Then we look at an alternative “simulation-driven” approach using integrated computer-aided engineering (CAE) and board layout tools. Finally, we propose some of the design automation requirements that might be considered in planning an integrated board CAE process for your organization