Edwinxp
Encyclopedia
EDWinXP or Electronic Design for Windows is a commercially available PCB
design integrated CAD/CAE
package. An electronic design engineer can use the computerized tools
provided in EDWinXP to create an electronic circuit, design the PCB and fabricate
PCBs. EDWinXP may be seen as a system of seamlessly integrated, task oriented, modules covering all stages of the design process from capturing the idea of a circuit in the form of a Schematic Diagram to generate a full set of documentation for manufacturing and assembling of PCBs. Additionally the package includes various validation tools ensuring correctness and integrity of designed circuits.
Diagram Editor, PCB Layout Editor, Fabrication Output Manager and Simulators. This simulator provides EDWinXP users with the facility to analyze and validate the functionality and behaviour of circuits captured in the form of schematic diagrams. The EDSpice simulator is based on SPICE3F5
and XSPICE with a number of extensions and improvements. The University of California
developed SPICE3F5 and Georgia Tech Research Institute
developed XSPICE. SPICE is well known in the electronic industry as general-purpose circuit simulation program for non linear DC, non-linear Transient and linear ac analysis. XSPICE extends SPICE3’s capabilities to allow simulation of mixed signal (analog/digital) and mixed level circuits.
Front and back annotation of all design changes is fully automatic. EDWinXP comes with an extensive part library, which may be updated, customized and enhanced with the help of Library Editor
, along with PCB layouts for every board in the design, i.e. the software works on the concept of integrated project database. In other words, the documentation of a complete electronic device may be stored in one disk file. All parts of the design project – schematics, PCB layout and PCB fabrication drawings and documents are simultaneously accessible by task oriented software modules of the system. Changes in the design, entered on diagrams are automatically and in real time annotated on PCB layout design and vice versa.
Printed circuit board
A printed circuit board, or PCB, is used to mechanically support and electrically connect electronic components using conductive pathways, tracks or signal traces etched from copper sheets laminated onto a non-conductive substrate. It is also referred to as printed wiring board or etched wiring...
design integrated CAD/CAE
Computer-aided engineering
Computer-aided engineering is the broad usage of computer software to aid in engineering tasks. It includes computer-aided design , computer-aided analysis , computer-integrated manufacturing , computer-aided manufacturing , material requirements planning , and computer-aided planning .- Overview...
package. An electronic design engineer can use the computerized tools
Electronic design automation
Electronic design automation is a category of software tools for designing electronic systems such as printed circuit boards and integrated circuits...
provided in EDWinXP to create an electronic circuit, design the PCB and fabricate
Semiconductor fabrication
Semiconductor device fabrication is the process used to create the integrated circuits that are present in everyday electrical and electronic devices. It is a multiple-step sequence of photolithographic and chemical processing steps during which electronic circuits are gradually created on a wafer...
PCBs. EDWinXP may be seen as a system of seamlessly integrated, task oriented, modules covering all stages of the design process from capturing the idea of a circuit in the form of a Schematic Diagram to generate a full set of documentation for manufacturing and assembling of PCBs. Additionally the package includes various validation tools ensuring correctness and integrity of designed circuits.
Modules
Complete design information is stored in the integrated project simultaneously accessible by SchematicSchematic
A schematic diagram represents the elements of a system using abstract, graphic symbols rather than realistic pictures. A schematic usually omits all details that are not relevant to the information the schematic is intended to convey, and may add unrealistic elements that aid comprehension...
Diagram Editor, PCB Layout Editor, Fabrication Output Manager and Simulators. This simulator provides EDWinXP users with the facility to analyze and validate the functionality and behaviour of circuits captured in the form of schematic diagrams. The EDSpice simulator is based on SPICE3F5
SPICE
SPICE is a general-purpose, open source analog electronic circuit simulator.It is a powerful program that is used in integrated circuit and board-level design to check the integrity of circuit designs and to predict circuit behavior.- Introduction :Unlike board-level designs composed of discrete...
and XSPICE with a number of extensions and improvements. The University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
developed SPICE3F5 and Georgia Tech Research Institute
Georgia Tech Research Institute
The Georgia Tech Research Institute is the nonprofit applied research arm of the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia, United States...
developed XSPICE. SPICE is well known in the electronic industry as general-purpose circuit simulation program for non linear DC, non-linear Transient and linear ac analysis. XSPICE extends SPICE3’s capabilities to allow simulation of mixed signal (analog/digital) and mixed level circuits.
Front and back annotation of all design changes is fully automatic. EDWinXP comes with an extensive part library, which may be updated, customized and enhanced with the help of Library Editor
Database
All data about hierarchical electronic design (which may consist of several circuits and sub-circuits) is stored in a single databaseDatabase
A database is an organized collection of data for one or more purposes, usually in digital form. The data are typically organized to model relevant aspects of reality , in a way that supports processes requiring this information...
, along with PCB layouts for every board in the design, i.e. the software works on the concept of integrated project database. In other words, the documentation of a complete electronic device may be stored in one disk file. All parts of the design project – schematics, PCB layout and PCB fabrication drawings and documents are simultaneously accessible by task oriented software modules of the system. Changes in the design, entered on diagrams are automatically and in real time annotated on PCB layout design and vice versa.