Real Time With... DesignCon 2009
Video Index

Guest Editor Dr. Eric Bogatin examines embedded capacitance and resistance materials with DuPont Global Development Manager Scott Simpson. The two also discuss DuPont’s new copper clad resistor laminate introduced at DesignCon 2009.

R&D Engineer Mike Rowlands shares some of what makes his company truly a one-stop shop. Endicott can manufacture its own FR4-based material, build a board from concept through completed assembly, and build via structures one segment at a time. Rowlands shares one of their 20-layer boards with viewers.

After 25 years of supplying embedded resistor material OhmegaPly, Ohmega Technologies Vice President Bruce Mahler explains new flexible substrate applications for his material. With fellow patent holder John Andresakis of Oak-Mitsui interviewing him, Mahler introduces a new OhmegaFlex heater featuring extreme stability at high temperatures—something that might gain interest from the high-reliability market.

Prototron Western Regional Sales Manager Russ Adams discusses his perspective of life during economic wartime. While selling PCBs has always been a challenge in the face of commoditization, Adams believes that even though most sales people are working twice as hard for half as much, there is business to be won based on key differentiators.

Rogers Corporation introduced RO2808 at DesignCon 2009. Market Development Manager Young Gao and Product Specialist Joey Kellner discuss the capabilities of this new PTFE material and what market sectors need it.

Hunter Techology President Joe O'Neil sits down with his customer, SyntheSys Research President Jim Waschura, to discuss how their two companies are working more closely together. Rather than talking the partnership talk, these two companies are walking the walk. Will this type of interdependent engineering effort become more common as companies strive to create smoother NPI processes?

As data rates continue to rise to 10 gigabits per second and beyond, connector makers are feeling the heat. Molex Product Manager Ryan Price explains how the company competes in a constantly changing environment.

Principal Engineer Chad Morgan won a best paper award at DesignCon. Guest Editor Dr. Eric Bogatin looks at a nearly noiseless new connector product Morgan helped develop and introduce at DesignCon 2009.

Good information can be magnetic. Signal Integrity Tips is a high-speed design blog created by product Manager Colin Warwick of Agilent EEsof EDA. Colin tells PCBDesign007 how the idea for the blog came about, and why it draws EE readers from everywhere.

Product Manager Rob Irwin describes his company’s drive to provide engineering tools to customers located around the world, along with Altium’s decision not to demo tools at DesignCon this year. Are trade shows becoming parades?

Apache Design Solutions made its name as a maker of software tools for the SoC industry, but the company entered the PCB space with its acquisition of Optimal Corp. CEO Andrew Yang gives an overview of Apache’s drive to provide a unified range of tools for electronics designers.

Brad Griffin, product marketing manager for Cadence’s Allegro line, discusses the high-speed design issues affecting PCB and IC designers, as well as the difficulty many PCB design teams face in leaving enough time in the schedule to perform signal integrity analysis.

The DesignCon 2009 DesignVision Awards were presented by Mentor Graphics CEO Wally Rhines, who also spoke during the event. Grand prize winners include PCB Matrix, SyntheSys, SiSoft, Mentor Graphics, Cadence Design Systems, Molex, Xilinx and Sequence Design.

The Ethernet has been around for decades, but managing the IEEE standard – and all the needs of various communications and software companies – can be like herding cats. Ethernet Alliance Chair of the Board Brad Booth discusses the organization’s goals and membership.

Ottawa-based Fidus Systems offers soup-to-nuts design services, specializing in high-speed products that often need strong signal integrity analysis. Dr. Syed Bokhari and Donald Moncion explains how they move SI analysis up as early in the design process as possible, and why their motto is “We get it right the first time.”

Nothing is absolute in engineering. IBM distinguished engineer Dr. Bruce Archambeault explains why, when it comes to splitting planes, you should never say never and never say always.

Even R&D isn’t necessarily safe during a recession, says Dr. Bruce Archambeault, distinguished engineer with IBM. And with time and money at a premium, engineering is under more pressure than ever to get it right the first time.

Lee Ritchey cut his engineering teeth on supercomputers. His approach to high-speed design is entrenched in those lessons learned. Find out about Lee's approach to high-speed design and why his books are a must-read for the design community.

In a DesignCon 2009 keynote address to a packed hall, Mentor Graphics CEO Wally Rhines pointed out the the positive aspects of the EDA industry that may surprise you. For example, EDA software vendors are not subject to the same fluctuating employment levels that afflict chipmakers and others during economic downturns.

Guest Editor Eric Bogatin and Chuck Ferry, Mentor Graphics’ HyperLynx Product Marketing Manager, discuss the power integrity capabilities in the new HyperLynx PI tool. Eric, the “signal integrity evangelist,” helped introduce the new tool at DesignCon.

David Kohlmeier, director of high-speed products for Mentor Graphics’ systems design division, reviews the current development of high-speed PCB design, and he explains what EDA companies are doing to set themselves apart from the pack.

Mentor Graphics CEO Wally Rhines was the keynote speaker for the Design Vision Awards and Press Luncheon. He reviews his main talking points with PCBDesign007 Editor Steve Gold, while also addressing how the EDA industry can innovate despite the current economic malaise.

Guest Editor Eric Bogatin chats with Noisecoupling.com founder Dr. Cosmin Iorga about the various methods for managing, simulating and suppressing noise coupling at the IC, PCB and system level.

DesignCon attendees enjoyed a full day of conferences before the exhibition began. This brief ribbon cutting ceremony gives way to a sight exhibitors wanted to see--attendees streaming onto the show floor.

The greater the speed transmission, the more problematic the interconnect becomes. Package Science’s Thomas Tarter talks about how his company helps, and how he personally hopes to help the electrical engineering community as it struggles with higher than normal unemployment rates.

Samtec High-Speed Engineering Manager Julian Ferry explains that the signal integrity engineering effort pays off as his company navigates the trade-offs between electrical performance and manufacturability. This is an interesting look at the manufacturer’s perspective on signal quality issues and answers.

Today, ESD protection is a combination of techniques that work to varying degrees. Embedded technology, according to Shocking Technologies CEO Lex Kosowsky, might offer an ESD solution that would work well for handheld devices and other small form factor applications. Guest Editor John Andresakis conducts the interview.

Editor Andy Shaughnessy is joined by Guest Editor Kelly Dack, Publisher Steve Gold and Chiphead for a DesignCon 2009 wrapup. Don’t miss DesignCon 2010, which will feature a new PCB design engineering track. See you next year!

Today, multigigabit serial links are everywhere, bringing inherent problems such as crosstalk and EMI. Dr. Michael Steinberger, a distinguished member of the technical staff at SiSoft, reviews how design engineers can stay ahead of serial link issues, and why they must.

EMI can wreak havoc on a circuit board as well as its peripheral electronics. Dr. Michael Steinberger of SiSoft provides an overview of techniques for using via stitching to control the negative effects of such emissions.

SiSoft won a Design Vision Award at this year’s DesignCon in the category of System Simulation Tools. Vice President of Software Products Todd Westerhoff sits down with PCBDesign007 Editor Andy Shaughnessy to discuss what the award means and why the high-speed design world needs improved simulation modeling.

Sigrity’s Product Marketing Manager Brad Brim and Software Architect Kumar Keshavan discuss the company’s new Channel Designer tool, as well as the IBIS algorithmic modeling interface (AMI) that is central to the new tool.

One of the biggest hurdles in electronics design is the “over the wall” mentality that separates EDA tool suppliers, chip makers, IC designers and PCB designers. Steve Schulz, president and CEO of Silicon Integration Initiative, explains what his organization is doing to get everyone on the same page.

Sonnet Applications Specialist Robert O’Rourke sits down with Guest Editor Dr. Eric Bogatin to dig deeper into the mysteries of electro-magnetic simulation.

SyntheSys Research claimed its second Design Vision Award in three years. CTO Tom Waschura and CEO Lutz Henckels sit down with PCBDesign007 Editor Steve Gold to discuss why their product won the award and how they might capitalize on this success despite a sluggish market.

A discussion of BGA routing with Valor’s Library Product Manager Tom Hausherr. Concerned about signal integrity and want to learn what’s the ultimate via for fanning out a 1 mm pitch BGA? Want to learn why manual fanout beats auto-routing? Watch Tom talk to Guest Editor Kelly Dack and you’ll find out these answers and much more.

Last month, Valor Computerized Systems turned some heads when it announced it had acquired PCB Libraries. This month, Valor acquired a Design Vision Award for its Schematic Symbol Wizard, which creates schematic symbols with a PDF extractor. This is just one of the fruits of acquiring PCB Libraries. Design Market Vice President Pat McGoff elaborates on the acquisition, while Product Developer Michael Bitzko discusses his award-winning tool.

Guest Editor Eric Bogatin has penned two new books: Signal Integrity Characterization Techniques with Agilent’s Mike Resso, and Shadow Engineer, which marks Eric’s entry into the genre of science fiction. Eric explains how he moved from technical books into sci-fi territory.

Good information can be magnetic. Signal Integrity Tips is a high-speed design blog created by product Manager Colin Warwick of Agilent EEsof EDA. Colin tells PCBDesign007 how the idea for the blog came about, and why it draws EE readers from everywhere.

Product Manager Rob Irwin describes his company’s drive to provide engineering tools to customers located around the world, along with Altium’s decision not to demo tools at DesignCon this year. Are trade shows becoming parades?

Apache Design Solutions made its name as a maker of software tools for the SoC industry, but the company entered the PCB space with its acquisition of Optimal Corp. CEO Andrew Yang gives an overview of Apache’s drive to provide a unified range of tools for electronics designers.

Brad Griffin, product marketing manager for Cadence’s Allegro line, discusses the high-speed design issues affecting PCB and IC designers, as well as the difficulty many PCB design teams face in leaving enough time in the schedule to perform signal integrity analysis.

The DesignCon 2009 DesignVision Awards were presented by Mentor Graphics CEO Wally Rhines, who also spoke during the event. Grand prize winners include PCB Matrix, SyntheSys, SiSoft, Mentor Graphics, Cadence Design Systems, Molex, Xilinx and Sequence Design.

Guest Editor Dr. Eric Bogatin examines embedded capacitance and resistance materials with DuPont Global Development Manager Scott Simpson. The two also discuss DuPont’s new copper clad resistor laminate introduced at DesignCon 2009.

R&D Engineer Mike Rowlands shares some of what makes his company truly a one-stop shop. Endicott can manufacture its own FR4-based material, build a board from concept through completed assembly, and build via structures one segment at a time. Rowlands shares one of their 20-layer boards with viewers.

Ottawa-based Fidus Systems offers soup-to-nuts design services, specializing in high-speed products that often need strong signal integrity analysis. Dr. Syed Bokhari and Donald Moncion explains how they move SI analysis up as early in the design process as possible, and why their motto is “We get it right the first time.”

Even R&D isn’t necessarily safe during a recession, says Dr. Bruce Archambeault, distinguished engineer with IBM. And with time and money at a premium, engineering is under more pressure than ever to get it right the first time.

Nothing is absolute in engineering. IBM distinguished engineer Dr. Bruce Archambeault explains why, when it comes to splitting planes, you should never say never and never say always.

Hunter Techology President Joe O'Neil sits down with his customer, SyntheSys Research President Jim Waschura, to discuss how their two companies are working more closely together. Rather than talking the partnership talk, these two companies are walking the walk. Will this type of interdependent engineering effort become more common as companies strive to create smoother NPI processes?

Lee Ritchey cut his engineering teeth on supercomputers. His approach to high-speed design is entrenched in those lessons learned. Find out about Lee's approach to high-speed design and why his books are a must-read for the design community.

In a DesignCon 2009 keynote address to a packed hall, Mentor Graphics CEO Wally Rhines pointed out the the positive aspects of the EDA industry that may surprise you. For example, EDA software vendors are not subject to the same fluctuating employment levels that afflict chipmakers and others during economic downturns.

Guest Editor Eric Bogatin and Chuck Ferry, Mentor Graphics’ HyperLynx Product Marketing Manager, discuss the power integrity capabilities in the new HyperLynx PI tool. Eric, the “signal integrity evangelist,” helped introduce the new tool at DesignCon.

David Kohlmeier, director of high-speed products for Mentor Graphics’ systems design division, reviews the current development of high-speed PCB design, and he explains what EDA companies are doing to set themselves apart from the pack.

Mentor Graphics CEO Wally Rhines was the keynote speaker for the Design Vision Awards and Press Luncheon. He reviews his main talking points with PCBDesign007 Editor Steve Gold, while also addressing how the EDA industry can innovate despite the current economic malaise.

As data rates continue to rise to 10 gigabits per second and beyond, connector makers are feeling the heat. Molex Product Manager Ryan Price explains how the company competes in a constantly changing environment.

Guest Editor Eric Bogatin chats with Noisecoupling.com founder Dr. Cosmin Iorga about the various methods for managing, simulating and suppressing noise coupling at the IC, PCB and system level.

After 25 years of supplying embedded resistor material OhmegaPly, Ohmega Technologies Vice President Bruce Mahler explains new flexible substrate applications for his material. With fellow patent holder John Andresakis of Oak-Mitsui interviewing him, Mahler introduces a new OhmegaFlex heater featuring extreme stability at high temperatures—something that might gain interest from the high-reliability market.

DesignCon attendees enjoyed a full day of conferences before the exhibition began. This brief ribbon cutting ceremony gives way to a sight exhibitors wanted to see--attendees streaming onto the show floor.

The greater the speed transmission, the more problematic the interconnect becomes. Package Science’s Thomas Tarter talks about how his company helps, and how he personally hopes to help the electrical engineering community as it struggles with higher than normal unemployment rates.

Prototron Western Regional Sales Manager Russ Adams discusses his perspective of life during economic wartime. While selling PCBs has always been a challenge in the face of commoditization, Adams believes that even though most sales people are working twice as hard for half as much, there is business to be won based on key differentiators.

Rogers Corporation introduced RO2808 at DesignCon 2009. Market Development Manager Young Gao and Product Specialist Joey Kellner discuss the capabilities of this new PTFE material and what market sectors need it.

Samtec High-Speed Engineering Manager Julian Ferry explains that the signal integrity engineering effort pays off as his company navigates the trade-offs between electrical performance and manufacturability. This is an interesting look at the manufacturer’s perspective on signal quality issues and answers.

Today, ESD protection is a combination of techniques that work to varying degrees. Embedded technology, according to Shocking Technologies CEO Lex Kosowsky, might offer an ESD solution that would work well for handheld devices and other small form factor applications. Guest Editor John Andresakis conducts the interview.

Editor Andy Shaughnessy is joined by Guest Editor Kelly Dack, Publisher Steve Gold and Chiphead for a DesignCon 2009 wrapup. Don’t miss DesignCon 2010, which will feature a new PCB design engineering track. See you next year!

Today, multigigabit serial links are everywhere, bringing inherent problems such as crosstalk and EMI. Dr. Michael Steinberger, a distinguished member of the technical staff at SiSoft, reviews how design engineers can stay ahead of serial link issues, and why they must.

EMI can wreak havoc on a circuit board as well as its peripheral electronics. Dr. Michael Steinberger of SiSoft provides an overview of techniques for using via stitching to control the negative effects of such emissions.

SiSoft won a Design Vision Award at this year’s DesignCon in the category of System Simulation Tools. Vice President of Software Products Todd Westerhoff sits down with PCBDesign007 Editor Andy Shaughnessy to discuss what the award means and why the high-speed design world needs improved simulation modeling.

Sigrity’s Product Marketing Manager Brad Brim and Software Architect Kumar Keshavan discuss the company’s new Channel Designer tool, as well as the IBIS algorithmic modeling interface (AMI) that is central to the new tool.

One of the biggest hurdles in electronics design is the “over the wall” mentality that separates EDA tool suppliers, chip makers, IC designers and PCB designers. Steve Schulz, president and CEO of Silicon Integration Initiative, explains what his organization is doing to get everyone on the same page.

Sonnet Applications Specialist Robert O’Rourke sits down with Guest Editor Dr. Eric Bogatin to dig deeper into the mysteries of electro-magnetic simulation.

SyntheSys Research claimed its second Design Vision Award in three years. CTO Tom Waschura and CEO Lutz Henckels sit down with PCBDesign007 Editor Steve Gold to discuss why their product won the award and how they might capitalize on this success despite a sluggish market.

Principal Engineer Chad Morgan won a best paper award at DesignCon. Guest Editor Dr. Eric Bogatin looks at a nearly noiseless new connector product Morgan helped develop and introduce at DesignCon 2009.

A discussion of BGA routing with Valor’s Library Product Manager Tom Hausherr. Concerned about signal integrity and want to learn what’s the ultimate via for fanning out a 1 mm pitch BGA? Want to learn why manual fanout beats auto-routing? Watch Tom talk to Guest Editor Kelly Dack and you’ll find out these answers and much more.

Last month, Valor Computerized Systems turned some heads when it announced it had acquired PCB Libraries. This month, Valor acquired a Design Vision Award for its Schematic Symbol Wizard, which creates schematic symbols with a PDF extractor. This is just one of the fruits of acquiring PCB Libraries. Design Market Vice President Pat McGoff elaborates on the acquisition, while Product Developer Michael Bitzko discusses his award-winning tool.

Guest Editor Eric Bogatin has penned two new books: Signal Integrity Characterization Techniques with Agilent’s Mike Resso, and Shadow Engineer, which marks Eric’s entry into the genre of science fiction. Eric explains how he moved from technical books into sci-fi territory.