Designing and Analysis of Printed Circuit Boards, Component Extraction, and Simulation by Matthew Harms
In the ever-evolving world of electronics, high-speed PCB design has become a critical area of focus, especially when it comes to power integrity and signal integrity (SI/PI) issues. Two prominent tools leading the charge are the Cadence Sigrity and OrCAD suites, offering advanced simulation and analysis capabilities tailored for high-speed and complex PCB designs.
Signal Integrity Diagnosis and Simulation
The Cadence Sigrity Aurora tool provides time-domain reflectometry (TDR), eye-diagram, and channel simulation, enabling detailed predictions of signal reflections, crosstalk, and losses. It validates impedance targets, analyses routing topology to avoid stubs, vias, and sharp bends causing reflections, and checks ground and power plane continuity to ensure low-inductance return paths.
Power Integrity Analysis
Simulation of power delivery networks (PDN) is another key feature. This helps reduce voltage noise and current spikes, evaluate split power planes and power/ground decoupling strategies, and verify compliance with power-related specifications early on to mitigate EMI and thermal issues.
Generative AI Enhancements
AI-driven layout and trace routing tools optimize component placement and routing with signal integrity, thermal, and crosstalk considerations. Automated iterative refinement based on performance feedback accelerates design cycles and yields higher quality PCB layouts.
Other platforms like Altium Designer also integrate SI/PI simulation features, real-time collaboration, and 3D visualization, but Cadence remains a leader for high-speed/high-complexity work.
The Future of PCB Design
Simulation in the SI and PI domains is increasingly mandatory for modern high-speed designs to reduce costly errors and enable first-pass manufacturability. As of 2025, more than 47% of designers reportedly have yet to fully leverage these capabilities. The integration of advanced AI tools into simulation and design software marks a significant new phase in PCB design workflows.
Matthew Harms, an electrical engineer from Canada and an application engineer at EMA since 2003, emphasizes the importance of these tools. He specializes in design side issues pertaining to part management, circuit simulation, signal integrity, and power integrity.
In summary, for advanced high-speed signal and power integrity simulations, use Cadence Sigrity and OrCAD. Utilize generative AI tools for intelligent layout and routing that consider SI/PI issues simultaneously. Prioritize simulation early in the design cycle for stackup validation, impedance control, return path integrity, and compliance checks. Consider other platforms like Altium Designer for integrated design with SI/PI simulation capabilities.
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Controlled impedance technology is a crucial aspect in high-speed PCB design, and the Cadence Sigrity suite offers advanced simulation capabilities to validate impedance targets and analyze routing topology.
The use of technology like AI-driven layout and trace routing tools in PCB design software not only optimizes component placement and routing but also ensures signal integrity, thermal, and crosstalk considerations.
