New HP PE/SolidDesigner - MentorGraphics PCB Link Integrates Mechanical and Electrical Product Development

Dedicated Integration of EE/ME for Faster, Better Product Design

PALO ALTO, Calif., Sept. 12, 1995 -- Hewlett-Packard Company today announced Precision Engineering (HP PE)/SolidDesigner - MentorGraphics Printed-Circuit Board (PCB) Link. The new product provides direct, bidirectional data transfer between MentorGraphics Board Station PCB design software and the HP PE/SolidDesigner 3-D solid-modeling system.

HP PE/SolidDesigner - MentorGraphics PCB Link enables designers to design and develop mechanical and electrical components of products concurrently, and eliminates the task of interpreting and re-entering information during product development. As a result, the design process is speeded up and errors are reduced, leading to shorter time to market and improved product quality.

"HP PE/SolidDesigner - MentorGraphics PCB Link provides a highly advantageous alternative to the traditional way of developing products that include both electrical and mechanical components," said Robert F. Simpson, worldwide marketing manager of HP's Mechanical Design Division (MDD). "The ability to develop and visualize complete product assemblies with ease will be of great benefit to our customers."

Bidirectional Data Transfer

With HP PE/SolidDesigner - MentorGraphics PCB Link, PCB data, including 3-D space and height attributes, can be transferred directly in either direction between HP's HP PE/SolidDesigner and Mentor Graphics' Board Station.

The following information can be transferred:

  • graphical attributes (keep-in, keep-out and height-restriction areas, holes and component shapes, board, routing and placement outline);
  • graphical annotation elements (lines, arcs and circles); and
  • position and type of electrical and mechanical components.

Model Generation

PCB outlines can be designed in HP PE/SolidDesigner or in MentorGraphics Board Station. PCB geometry, including supplementary information, can be transferred from HP PE/SolidDesigner to MentorGraphics Board Station so that remaining electrical components and interconnecting traces can be placed. Alternatively, existing board-design information from MentorGraphics Board Station can be imported into HP PE/SolidDesigner for further refinement and verification with the mechanical environment.

Electronic components and layout data imported from MentorGraphics Board Station automatically are assembled to a solid model of the PCB by HP PE/SolidDesigner. Mechanical components (enclosure, front panel, fixtures and so on) can then be combined with the solid PCB to create a complete product model, which can be visualized within HP PE/SolidDesigner. HP PE/SolidDesigner also runs the analyses necessary to detect potential mechanical problems.

Component Library

A library of standard MentorGraphics components comes with HP PE/SolidDesigner - MentorGraphics PCB Link, eliminating the time-consuming process of creating these components. The elements of the library can be represented at different levels, from basic shapes to detailed models. Additional, company components can be added to the library and defined with functionality and tools that are part of the interface.

HP PE/SolidDesigner - MentorGraphics PCB Link leverages the key concepts and advantages of HP PE/SolidDesigner to achieve exceptional ease of use. A combination of early exploration of design concepts, rapid evaluation of design alternatives and reduction of design cycles and prototypes cuts time to market. At the same time, the ability to detect errors and carry out fit analysis during the design phases improves product quality and avoids expensive changes late in the process.

HP PE/SolidDesigner

HP PE/SolidDesigner's dynamic-modeling technology offers designers the freedom to create designs -- and the flexibility to modify them easily -- without being forced into a rigid process by the underlying constraints of the design system. HP PE/SolidDesigner overcomes the drawbacks of history-based methods that require a designer to have an intimate knowledge of the history of a design. HP PE/SolidDesigner models can be shared easily and communicated throughout the design process.

HP PE/SolidDesigner is an open solution, allowing reuse and modification of designs from other systems, independently of design history. Support of standards such as IGES, STEP and ACIS SAT allows coexistence with other solutions.

U.S. Prices and Delivery

HP PE/SolidDesigner - MentorGraphics PCB Link runs on HP 9000 Series 700 and Silicon Graphics' Indy and Indigo2 workstations. It will be available as an add-on module to HP PE/SolidDesigner Release 3.5, which is expected to ship in October and is $5,000.

HP's Mechanical Design Division (MDD) develops 2-D and 3-D mechanical computer-aided design software, the Precision Engineering Systems, known for quality, ease of use, customization capability and support of industry standards. These products are installed on more than 57,000 systems in design, engineering and manufacturing organizations worldwide and are localized in 10 languages. The software includes HP PE/SolidDesigner for product-modeling design; HP PE/ME10 for 2-D design, drafting and documentation; HP PE/ME30 for 3-D modeling, design and drafting; HP PE/SheetAdvisor for sheet-metal design; HP PE/DDS-C for electromechanical design and HP/PE WorkManager for product-data and workflow management.

HP is the second-largest computer supplier in the United States, with computer-revenue of $19.6 billion in its 1994 year.

Hewlett-Packard Company is a leading global manufacturer of computing, communications and measurement products and services recognized for excellence in quality and support. HP has 99,900 employees and had revenue of $25 billion in its 1994 fiscal year.

Information in this release applies specifically to products available in the United States. Product availability and specifications may vary in non-U.S. markets.



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