OrCAD X Reviews

Key Takeaways

• The new Cadence OrCAD X platform streamlines the PCB design process and provides cloud scalability and AI-powered placement automation.

• OrCAD X reviews praised its intuitive interface, robust schematic capture, and cloud-based collaboration, among other features.

• Cadence is offering a free 30-day trial of OrCAD X for those interested in trying out its industry-leading features.

Screenshot of OrCAD X Capture CIS (Component Explorer)

The new Cadence OrCAD X platform is a cloud-enabled PCB design solution that substantially improves usability, performance, automation, and collaboration. It streamlines the PCB design process and provides cloud scalability and AI-powered placement automation technology. The platform enables a productivity boost with cloud-connected capabilities, including data management, collaborative layout design, and an easy-to-use layout environment targeted at small and medium businesses. Below are selected OrCAD X review summaries from PCB industry professionals that have explored the platform’s features and capabilities. 

Benefits Identified in the OrCAD X Reviews and More

Engineers can tackle PCB design challenges at any stage with OrCAD X. The reviews above highlight some of the benefits of the OrCAD X platform. 

• Design environment: Streamlined to maximize screen real estate and canvas visibility, the OrCAD X Presto layout environment includes floating panels, condensed menus, personalization with shortcut keys, and seamless cross-probing between schematic and layout just to name a few.

• Display controls and visualization: Designers have more control over the display with parametric graphical highlights, filters, and navigation.

• Interactive 3D canvas with flex and 3D design rule check (DRC): Whether its component collisions, clearance violations or even misaligned connectors/enclosures, easily visualize designs in 3D to identify and fix any issues, ensuring design integrity.

• Integrated analysis and real-time visual guidance: With PSpice and its various analyses, engineers can optimize circuits to improve design reliability and performance. On the layout side, constraint driven live DRCs aid with better placement and routing helping identify any design issues that need to be fixed.

• In-design analysis from capture to manufacture: By visualizing the results of in-design analysis, designers can gain insight into the impact of simulations, empowering them to make the right decisions throughout the design lifecycle.

• Documentation: Designers can create template-driven automated fabrication and assembly drawings via Live DOC. Any updates made in real-time remain synchronized with the parent design and are reflected within the manufacturing documentation.

• Data management: User-defined project workflows, version control, and templates allow faster-than-ever design cycles. Designers can use the Component Explorer to search, review, acquire, and publish parts with accurate information from integrated content providers such as SymacSys, Snap Magic (SnapEDA) and Ultra Librarian to build and share libraries. In addition, OrCAD X Capture enables designers to reuse subcircuits using hierarchical blocks to promote the use of proven designs.

• Collaboration: Using cloud-hosted collaboration, up to two designers can simultaneously work in parallel on the same layout using Symphony. In addition, the seamless integration between Cadence’s ECAD tools and leading MCAD tools allow for bi-directional data transfers and first-pass mechanical form and fit checks, helping reduce errors and enabling teams to work on a design concurrently to ensure validation, collaboration, and consistency.

• Supply Chain Insights: OrCAD X provides visibility for designers, engineers, procurement, and supply chain with Live BOM data from Sourcengine™.

• Faster time to market: A significantly enhanced set of electrical and design for manufacturing (DFM) constraints, improved performance, and integration with Cadence's broader system design portfolio enables faster time to market.

Try Cadence’s OrCAD X Now

Like what you read in the OrCAD X review summaries? Well, sign up for a free 30-day trial of OrCAD X and explore the other PCB Design and Analysis Software available from Cadence.