What's New in CR-8000 Release 2025

Enhanced simulation workflows, strengthened multi-board 3D co-design and expanded AI-assisted routing

Top 10 Key Features Overview

CR-8000 Release 2025 brings enhanced simulation workflows, strengthened multi-board 3D co-design, expanded AI-assisted routing, and tighter PLM synchronization for faster development cycles, greater design reliability, and a more connected enterprise design flow. Key areas of improvement include automation, to accelerate and standardize complex layout and verification tasks; embedded intelligence, enabling real-time decision-making during schematic capture, placement, routing, and simulation; and design convergence, integrating system planning, PCB layout, packaging, and mechanical constraints within a single collaborative environment.

Advanced Constraint Propagation

Release 2025 improves the transfer of timing, skew, and delay constraints between Design Gateway (schematics) and Design Force (physical layout), offering the following benefits:

Seamless implementation of specifications from system planning to physical layout
Consistent application of constraints for delays, skew, and topologies in high-speed interfaces (e.g., DDR, PCIe, SerDes)
Reduced need for manual alignment, lowering the risk of inconsistent constraint definitions

1-constraint-propagaiton-1024x436 — Enhancements to the Constraint Browser enable simulation setup export, Touchstone file generation, and improved model transparency

Decoupling-Capacitor-Placement-1024x566 — Automated placement and routing of decoupling capacitors based on user-defined power integrity constraints

Automated Placement of Decoupling Capacitors

A new feature in CR-8000 Design Force enables rule-based placement and routing of decoupling capacitors according to power integrity constraints—ensuring optimal proximity to power pins and minimal loop areas.

Targeted noise suppression in critical power networks
Optimized bypass structures through impedance and loop-area control
Reliable timing in complex, high-density designs—without manual errors

Meshplane and Via Management

CR-8000 Design Force introduces several critical enhancements to meshplane and via handling, targeting both signal integrity and manufacturability in dense, multilayer designs:

Meshplanes update automatically when routing on adjacent layers is modified, eliminating the need for manual regeneration and reducing post-layout cleanup.
Reinforcing vias can be placed systematically on a design-defined grid, improving mechanical strength and EMI shielding, especially in large or flexible PCBs.
Mesh cutout spacing is now editable through the Rule Editor, enabling finer control over edge clearance and adherence to fab-specific design rules.

meshplane-generation-1024x460 — Automated meshplane generation adapts dynamically to adjacent layer changes

4-Delay-and-Skew-Visualization-1024x559 — Real-time delay and skew visualization during routing enables immediate detection and correction of timing mismatches, ensuring signal integrity in high-speed designs

Real-Time Delay and Skew Visualization

New in CR-8000 Design Force, routing balloons and Skew View now display real-time delay and skew feedback directly on the canvas. As differential pairs or timing-critical nets are routed, violations are color-coded in real time, enabling:

Immediate correction of delay mismatches and skew errors
Visualization of delay-sensitive topologies while routing, without post-process analysis
Improved accuracy for high-speed interfaces like DDR, USB, and PCIe

This transforms skew tuning from a manual, trial-based task into a continuous, integrated validation step.

Component Lifespan and Power IC Checks

in CR-8000 Design Gateway, advanced rule checks have been added to strengthen early-stage reliability, thermal performance, and power integrity:

Component Lifespan Validation
Automated evaluation of component lifespan under real-world operating conditions, with a focus on thermally sensitive parts such as electrolytic capacitors
Power IC Voltage Standard Checks
Validation of input/output voltage levels in regulator ICs to ensure stable power delivery across all domains.
Power Consumption Checks for Thermal Safety
Monitoring of power dissipation under load to prevent overheating and efficiency loss early in the design process.

Power-IC-Checks-1024x547 — Power IC Voltage Standard Checks verify that regulator ICs meet minimum input/output voltage requirements to ensure stable power delivery and reliable operation

CR-8000 Design Force, guiding the user through a semi-automated AI-assisted routing process. — Automatic Routing of Short Tracks on A Single Layer

AI-Assisted Placement and Routing

CR-8000 Design Force introduces the first phase of AI-assisted place-and-route automation, designed to enhance layout quality while reducing manual effort:

Block-Level Planning and Breakout Routing
The AI suggests optimal block placements and pin breakout patterns, intelligently handling high-pin-count components and complex connectivity.
Knowledge Reuse through Hierarchical “Brain Files”
Design strategies, placement preferences, and routing patterns are captured and stored, allowing teams to apply proven methods across different projects.
Human-Like Layout Strategies
Instead of traditional brute-force auto-routing, the AI engine emulates expert designer behaviors, considering functional grouping, routing flow, and power integrity requirements.

Simulation Support in the Constraint Browser

CR-8000 Design Force simplifies simulation setup, analysis, and documentation directly within the Constraint Browser through new features:

CSV and macro export
Simulation settings can be exported for quick replication and automated workflows.
Direct Touchstone generation
.snp files for signal integrity analysis are generated directly from AMI simulations—ideal for SerDes, DDR, and other high-speed interfaces.
Improved model transparency
Enhanced visibility into IBIS pin mapping, current behavior, and model characteristics supports detailed verification of complex high-speed designs.

CSV-output — CSV and macro export of analysis settings enables quick replication of simulation configurations, supporting automation and design process standardization

3D-multi-board — Precise positioning and spatial validation of multiple interconnected PCBs within a shared mechanical enclosure, minimizing late-stage fit and interference issues

Advanced Multi-board and 3D Co-Design Capabilities

CR-8000 Design Force and System Planner enhance multi-board and 3D mechanical co-design, enabling more precise and collaborative product development:

3D Multi-board Alignment & Clearance
Ensures accurate placement and spatial validation of interconnected PCBs in shared enclosures—reducing fit and interference issues.
Signal & Thermal Simulation in Enclosure Context
Enables early analysis of electrical and thermal behavior to guide cooling, material, and stacking decisions.
Step-and-Repeat Panelization with Housing Constraints
Incorporates mechanical boundaries into panelization to ensure manufacturability and proper spacing in production.

Stronger PLM Integration and Version Control

The DS-CR design data and library management platform introduces enhanced capabilities to tightly integrate engineering design with enterprise processes:

Bidirectional design synchronization
Changes to schematics, layouts, and BOMs are automatically synchronized with PLM systems such as PTC Windchill and Dassault 3DEXPERIENCE.
Automated version control
Revision states of design data and documentation are managed across systems—accelerating approval and release processes.
Reusable modules with version tracking
Structured reuse of design blocks with full version traceability enables faster, safer design iterations across multiple projects.

CR-8000 Product Lifecycle — CR-8000 2025 further strengthens version control and PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) integration through enhanced capabilities within DS-CR.