For many years, the layout of a printed circuit board in 2D was sufficient for most mainstream technologies.
These requirements demand comprehensive 3D electronic design and visualization functions in ECAD systems. The layout engineer gains a better overview of complex technologies, e.g. placing components in intermediate layers.
A true 3D ECAD system allows engineers to work in 2D or 3D as needed to precisely design with the latest technology and respond to market demands in high-pressure business cycles. So can today’s CAD tools deliver on these requirements and harness the power of new technologies?
3D ECAD/MCAD Collaboration
While the MCAD industry has always been thinking in three dimensions, the ECAD industry has long been 2-dimensional. At Zuken, the world was no longer flat as far back as 2001. Since then, we have constantly upgraded and improved our 3D PCB design solutions.
The way electrical and mechanical design converge leaves little room for error. That’s why Design Force includes powerful ECAD/MCAD collaboration features. These support the import of mechanical enclosure as a STEP file, the optimization of component placement based on mechanical constraints, and product validation with 3D collision and clearance checks.
3D Electronics Design with Flex-Rigid Technologies
Rigid-Flex technology combines rigid and flexible PCBs into a single design.

Electronics from the 3D Printer
In addition to these well-established technologies, Zuken also supports innovative trends, such as printed circuit boards from the 3D printer.
CR-8000 Design Force generates all required data for 3D printing and supports direct export to manufacturing with no loss of integrity.
Conclusion

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EREMS, a French enterprise specializing in the design and realization of high-tech electronic equipment and of associated software for Space, Defense, and Aeronautics uses CR-8000 and DS-CR from Zuken for the design and lifecycle management of flight electronics, ground electronic equipment, and test benches.

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A trend towards low power design prevails in the electronics industry today and is not likely to change in the near future. This development is driven by many reasons but primarily by the performance and storage density demands of mobile devices, where a reduction of the power consumption is crucial to extending battery life without sacrificing the bandwidth. This comprehensive guide helps you mitigate LPDDR4 Design.

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Zuken's Custom Development Group has developed a solution that enables simultaneous IC, connector, and PCB development by automating the updating of pin assignments in PCB design.

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PDN impedance is becoming more and more of a headache for PCB designers as IC vendors are defining increasingly tight so-called ‘target impedance limits’. This article explains what PDN impedance means for PCB designers and what to pay particular attention to.