Mar 25, 2003
The Cadstar Universal package enables educational establishments to provide multiple licences of current generation PCB design solutions for their students at a cost equivalent to a standard single licence.
The Universal package allows colleges and universities to purchase a multiple licence PCB design package at a heavily discounted price.
The Cadstar tools suite enables students to fully explore the latest technologies and design techniques with its proven rules-driven and error-free design transfer from schematics to PCB layout.
Today's product designers are demanding higher density board designs populated with complex, dense and mixed circuit components, and the need for greater manufacturing yields.
Cadstar tools allow for these demands to be met by PCB designers through Cadstar functions such as schematic layout, routing, high-speed design, signal integrity analysis, EMC analysis and 3D verification.
Product Manager for Cadstar, Andrew McAvan, said: "As part of Zuken's ongoing support of the industry as a whole, this incentive program is furthering our commitment to fill the need within the electronics industry for more PCB designers with current and commercial design skill-sets.
Additionally, the program will extend the understanding of Cadstar's capabilities to overseas markets".
Several universities across Europe have taken up the programme.
The Institute of Technology Blanchardstown (ITB), in Ireland was the first training college to make use of the new Cadstar educational programme.
Raymond Manley, Lecturer in Computer Engineering, commented, "The addition of this design solution as a real-world learning tool for students was not only very cost-effective for the institute, but it also provides the students with greater practical experience their prospective employers demand of them".
McAvan added: "Today's printed circuit design is much more than drawing lines and solving the puzzles.
The designer needs to know a lot about becoming more commercial by understanding subjects such as EMI and production rules.
Using Cadstar, the student will get a greater feel for those commercial tools that are becoming more of an industrial standard in the European SME market".
Zuken's commitments to promote PCB design education in 2002 include the backing, supported by a GBP 250,000 software donation, of the PCB Design Scheme represented by the Federation of the Electronics Industry (FEI), and part of a GBP 2.8 million programme jointly funded by the DTI and industry.
Other support includes the GBP 75,000 donation of Cadstar PCB design software to Imperial College, London, and the strategic partnership with Quanser to use Cadstar design tools in its educational materials to increase development and knowhow of engineering students, preparing them for the advanced requirements of PCB designers in the 21st century.
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