Cadence OrCAD X and Allegro X 23.1 is Now Available

The OrCAD X and Allegro X 23.1 release is now available at Cadence Downloads. This blog post contains links for accessing this release and describes some of the major changes made and the new features introduced.

     OrCAD X /Allegro X 23.1 (SPB231)

Here is a representative list of the changes and enhancements across products with brief overviews.

Release-Level Changes

• Introduces the new OrCAD X platform and its new layout application, OrCAD X Presto. OrCAD X is a Cloud-enabled innovative platform that caters to individual designers and small to mid-size businesses. OrCAD X Presto, the new layout application within the platform, offers flexible design options, ranging from cloud-based connections to unconnected modes. OrCAD X Presto is fully compatible with existing layout applications, ensuring easy transition of layout designs.
• Branding changes have been made to OrCAD and Allegro programs and applications, re-branding them to OrCAD X and Allegro X.
• Product Start pages include links to the latest versions, making it easier to check for updates and then download to update to the latest versions. Help menus also include the Check For Updates.
• Added a new product documentation viewer, Cadence Doc Assistant. This cloud-based application not only displays the content installed but also seamlessly retrieves the latest content available on Cadence servers, depending on your connectivity and setup.

Allegro X PCB and Allegro X Advanced Package Designer

• New analysis modes and checks for zone adherence of symbol pins are added for Rigid-Flex designs. Support is added for nested zones that have different masking, plating, or stack-up requirements from the rest of the zone. Also added is the support for standard shape commands on zones. Fill-In Material in Cross-section Editor can now source the common materials file (.cmx).
• 3DX Canvas has packaging support for objects, such as wire bonds, ball, die bump, pillar geometries, die stacks, etch back, and so on. New 3D DRCs are added to Constraint Manager, namely, Wire to Wire, Wire to Finger, Wire to Shape, Wire to Cline, and Wire to Component.
• Fillets are dynamically updated while routing to meet silicon fillet rules; you can dynamically add tapered trace fillets when working with Allegro X Advanced Package Designer with the Silicon Layout option.
• In Padstack Editor, you can define counterbore or countersink from the primary or secondary side; it is no longer bound to the side the component is placed on. The Drill Legend and NC Drill features indicate if drilling is required from the secondary side, eliminating the need to inform the fabricator about secondary drilling requirements. You can now use oval and rectangular slots in microvia padstack.
• You can freeze dynamic shapes without changing them to static in situations where you must maintain design intent and protect critical circuitry drawn using shapes.
• The Design Review and Markup feature is added for reviewing designs through markups. You can even review the markup with canvas auto-centering and layer display.
• Various usability enhancements are available in the areas of 3D canvas, 3D model export, dimensioning environment, copying etch shapes to layers, converting lines or clines to shapes, netlist imports from external sources, new reports, and many others.
• New high-voltage constraints to verify creepage and clearance are available in Allegro X. The DRC system recognizes non-plated slots between two high-voltage objects and recalculates creepage around the slots. The Creepage/Clearance Vision option provides color-coded information to review the DRC errors.
• Managing library change impact on board designs is simplified with Symbol Revision Manager (SRM) integrated with Allegro X PCB Editor connected to Allegro X Pulse server.

Sigrity Aurora

• A new Sigrity XtractIM workflow offering quick package design parasitic analysis is added to Allegro X Advanced Package Designer. Two new analyses are also supported, Per Pin (Die-side Power) and Per Net (Signal).
• Power Inductance workflow and Topology Extraction workflow are now available in Allegro X PCB Editor and Sigrity Aurora in Allegro X Advanced Package Designer.

Allegro X Pulse 

• Two-way synchronization support between Allegro EDM and PTC Windchill data is added.
• The web dashboard is enhanced. Project and Design views are added to display project containers and Pulse-managed designs, including schematics and layouts. New filters and controls are added for organizing columns. Project-specific URLs are available, making it easier to share and bookmark designs.
• The new project from template feature includes Pulse-managed layouts that are linked to a project through the Pulse netlist exchange flow. The required layouts can be carried over to a new project.

Allegro X System Capture 

• Topology Workbench has replaced Signal Explorer for analyzing the signal integrity of high-speed nets at the schematic, floorplan, and layout stages. You can launch Topology Workbench directly for a single net or XNet or from Constraint Manager.
• A new capability is introduced to generate a thermal floorplan for a board associated with a schematic, using Celsius Thermal Solver.
• Two new analyses are included: MTBF analysis and Power Topology analysis. MTBF analysis predicts the performance and safety of electrical, mechanical, and electro-mechanical parts. Power Topology sets up a power distribution network on the schematic and estimates the DC power consumption by the PCB design components.
• Integrated library authoring continues to be scaled up. It now includes support for templates, categories, spreadsheet-based editing, custom shapes, and pin shapes. This release also includes enhanced validation checks.
• Designers in multi-user environments no longer need to be connected to the Pulse server all the time. They can work offline and connect back to the server and synchronize their design and library data.
• Managed layouts are now visible in the Project Explorer pane of System Capture, making it easier to stay updated with the changes in the layouts associated with schematics.
• To enable easier decision-making for team design updates, you can now compare design versions. You can also compare a design or individual blocks with the previous or latest committed versions.
• Unified Search can now scan libraries as well as design data. While querying design data, Unified Search reads metadata, such as Pulse attributes and custom variables, and design data, such as voltages, nets, components, NetGroups, and block attributes. The search results are displayed in a new Design tab. This deep search enables powerful IP exploration and identification of reuse opportunities.

 Topology Workbench

• In Sigrity SystemSI technology, eye mask support is added to 3D eye density plots. Compliance Kits workflow supports USB 4 - Gen 4 Compliance Kit.
• CSV data from AMI models can now be imported into waveforms.
• In Sigrity SystemPI, technology support is added for new VRM models. Two operational amplifier (op amp) blocks have been added to model voltage regulator modules (VRM) more accurately. VRM blocks, such as Ideal Supply (VDC) VRM, RL VRM, RL//RL VRM, and Subckt VRM are also updated.
• A new floating toolbar has replaced the Add Block panel.

 PSpice A/D 

• Modeling Application supports digital devices and sources. You can model digital devices, such as gates, flip flops, latches, and sources, and place them on the schematic.
• PSpice simulator supports varying temperatures with time in a single transient run.
• Support for two components, IEXP_B and VEXP_B, is added for modeling exponential voltage or a current source.
• A new option, EXPR_DEBUG, is added for enhanced debugging of convergence errors. Using this helps you easily find the exact expression in the warning message that is causing an error.

OrCAD X Capture CIS

• A complete part authoring environment is available. You can create new categories and components from scratch or add components from content providers, including SnapEDA, SamacSys, and Ultra Librarian.
• Working with teams is simplified with a collaborative development environment where you can create shared workspaces and share library and design data. Using the Cloud workspace functionality, you can also create component libraries for teams.
• The Cloud-enabled workspace data is accessible from anywhere. The background data sync utility keeps the data in sync between the local disk and the Cloud.
• Support is added for Live BOM, a dynamic bill of materials (BOM), which is generated using supply chain data from SourceEngine.
• From OrCAD X Capture CIS, you can quickly and easily publish your design data to a 3D EXPERIENCE PLM server to provide up-to-date design information to various stakeholders.

These are some of the top changes that are available in the Cadence OrCAD X and Allegro X Release 23.1 release. For more information on the new features and enhancements made across products, see What’s New in Release 23.1.

For information about supported platforms and other release compatibility information, see the README.pdf available on downloads.cadence.com. This file is also available in the Disk 1 folder of the downloaded installation media.

We’ll soon be back with more in-depth blog posts on the new features and enhancements made across products, so watch this space.

In case you have questions or feedback, send them to pcbbloggers@cadence.com.

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Allegro Release Team