Altium opens up unified design to DxDesigner users

This provides a high degree of automation between traditionally separate design processes and allows engineers to approach design in a new way by utilizing the potential of reconfigurable hardware as a system platform. Unified design shortens development cycles, allows more intelligent products to be designed more quickly, and extends the opportunities for design innovation for both board-level and embedded designers.

The new DxDesigner translator joins existing translators for Mentor Graphics’ PADS, Cadence’s OrCAD Capture and Layout, and Altium’s own PCAD file formats to provide a comprehensive migration solution for design teams and corporations.

The user translates complete DxDesigner designs, including schematics and library files, using an import wizard without having to convert to an intermediate format. DxDesigner does not therefore need to be installed on a user’s system. As part of this process, the Altium Designer import wizard analyses files and suggest defaults and settings such as project folders, links to other libraries, drawing styles and output structures. And these controls can be defined by the user.

Nick Martin, founder and CEO of Altium, comments, “Unified electronics design is about allowing all designers to extend their design skills into new areas. It’s about allowing engineers to exploit the potential of today’s programmable hardware to create more intelligent products in a faster, more scaleable and secure way.

“Adding DxDesigner translation tools to Altium Designer continues this strategy. Challenges such as speed to market, innovation to maintain competitive edge, and maintaining skills, all require new ways of designing electronic products. Users of DxDesigner® can now embrace this unified design approach.”