Welcome to PCB PRO!

You'll find an abundance of resources to help you in your journey to become proficient in the art of designing Printed Circuit Boards. The content covered is primarily around usage of the Cadence Schematics and PCB Editor tools but also includes basic principles for circuit board design, high speed signal routing, and even insight on the manufacturing and assembly process. You'll find numerous links in the Menu sidebar which will help you navigate to sections of interest.

This website is not structured as a course but rather an accummulation of posts providing in depth instructions on how to complete certain task using the Cadence EDA tools. Efforts are made to provide detailed illustrations in the posts but if that doesn't suffice, feel free to watch the focused YouTube videos which also take a step by step approach.

In addition, the content will feature less-known capabilities of the Cadence tool which will greatly enhance the user experience. It could be as simple as saving a customized colour template which can be reloaded when the tool is opened to provide a consistent working environment. Or a significant time saving feature such as the sub-drawing import/export which replicates the more traditional copy and paste functionality within the PCB Editor tool. Take your time in exploring these unique and hidden gems as you delve into the world of circuit board design and of course if you have any comments, questions, or concerns, don't hesitate to send a quick email thru the contact page.

CAD tools

Intro to Cadence Schematic Capture and Allegro PCB Editor Design Tools

A brief introduction to the CAD tools offered by Cadence to initiate schematic creation and board design

Design Overview

Overview of steps involved in designing a PCB

A high level overview of the design and development process depending on project complexity

PCB Stackup

Defining the PCB Stackup and key parameters

Setting up the PCB stackup in Allegro Cross-Section Editor

Component Placement

Component Placement in Allegro PCB Editor

Careful placement of components is critical to a successful design

Sub-Drawing Feature

How to use the Sub-Drawing Feature in Allegro PCB Editor

Convenient method to export sections of a design and export them into a new one.

Generate Gerbers

How to Generate Gerbers in Allegro PCB Editor

PCB fabrication is dependent upon the final Gerber dataset as delivered by the designer

Routing Traces

Learn to Route Traces in Allegro PCB Editor

Diligent routing is critical to ensure a successful design

Shapes

Work with shapes in Allegro PCB Editor

Pour large regions of copper in your design using shapes

Constraint Manager

Set up the Constraints Manager in Allegro PCB Editor

Defining constraints accurately and early in the design cannot be stressed enough!

Z-Copy

Using the Z-Copy feature in Allegro PCB Editor

Best kept secret in Allegro PCB Editor for copying shapes across layers

Thermal Relief

Setting up Thermal Relief in Allegro PCB Editor

Pour large regions of copper in your design using shapes

Color Settings

Setting up Colour Selection in Allegro PCB Editor

Customize Allegro PCB Editor color settings to enhance usability

Schematic Capture

Creating schematic symbols, drawing the circuit, and generating the netlist

Creating schematic symbols, drawing the circuit, and generating the netlist

Capture CIS

Set up an external component database and integrate with OrCAD Schematic Capture CIS for efficient part selection

Set up an external component database and integrate with OrCAD Schematic Capture CIS

Trace Length Matching

High speed interface signal traces need to be length matched to ensure correct operation. Learn how to setup constraints and length match in Allegro PCB Editor.

High speed interface signal traces need to be length matched to ensure correct operation

Silkscreen Markings

Learn how to add key silkscreen markings to your design in Allegro PCB Editor

Learn how to add key silkscreen markings to your design in Allegro PCB Editor

High Speed Design

Learn fundamentals of High Speed PCB Design

Learn fundamentals of High Speed PCB Design

Add 3D STEP Models

Learn how to add 3D STEP models

Learn how to add 3D STEP models to symbol footprints

Text Blocks

Learn how to create and add customized text styles in Allegro PCB Editor

Learn how to create and add customized text styles in Allegro PCB Editor

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