Can OrCAD PCB Designer Handle Multilayer PCB Designs Easily?

With the continuous shrinking and enhancement in the power of electronic products, the multilayer PCB designs are not only reserved for complicated industrial systems. These days, they have become normal in consumer electronics, automotive controls, and IoT devices.

This transition brings a practical question to design teams. Is OrCAD PCB Designer capable of handling multilayer PCB designs efficiently without having to complicate the workflow unnecessarily? The quick response is yes. However, the actual worth of the tool is that it supports designers at every step of the multilayer process from initial planning to final validation.

In this blog, we look at how the tool helps multilayer PCB design in a way that it does not stress designers or slow down the development cycles.

Designed to Support Multilayer Complexity

Signal integrity, power distribution & layer interaction are challenges faced by multilayer board designers. OrCAD provides solutions to these challenges by allowing designers to plan their stackup & route behaviour through structured control.

Layer stackups can be clearly defined early on in the design process, which allows designers to have

•  A controlled method for routing across each type of layer (like signal, plane, mixed)
•  Visual clarity when working with high layer counts.

These methods allow teams working on multilayer board designs to maintain consistency with their original design intent while also accommodating changes that are made to the original product design requirements over time.

Efficient Routing and Constraint Management

Errors often occur from applying constraints later in the routing process when designing multilayer PCBs. On the other hand, OrCAD provides the ability to enforce constraints during layout design through the layout software itself; therefore, as PCB’s become more complex, it becomes easier for designers to feel confident in their designs because of the increased ability to manage the multi-layer complexity.

These capabilities become significantly more effective when combined with custom PCB services provided by professional PCB designers, who will correctly apply electrical and spacing rules (constraints) on new designs from the very beginning. With professional design services, designers can expect fewer design iterations and faster design development times.

Advantages of this workflow include:

• Even distribution of electrical and spacing rule enforcement across the entire layout
• Reduced need for manually checking all electrical and spacing rule violations in high-speed routed designs
• Quick resolution of routing conflicts through automated conflict resolution methods

Built-In Verification for Manufacturability

Multilayer PCB designs require early verification if the designers are to avoid expensive fabrication issues. Rather than waiting for the final review, OrCAD supports ongoing checking during the layout phase.

Here is what the design teams get:

• They can spot spacing and via transition issues very early.
• They get closer to the manufacturing constraints.
• They can lead to better first-pass success rates.

Such checks help the designers to be sure about their work before they send it for production.

A Practical Tool for Real World Design Teams

Even though it has highly sophisticated features, OrCAD is still simple to use. The interface is designed for seasoned engineers as well as a team just starting with a higher level of design complexity.

Using expert PCB design services will help you handle multilayer designs effortlessly and make them more dependable in production.

Multilayer PCB design is not just about supporting more layers. It is a matter of having the right structure, being able to foresee the end result, and being precise. The OrCAD PCB designers facilitates these functions with the help of smart routing, comprehensive constraint management, and early verification.

With the help of Sunstream’s engineering expertise, multilayer designs can be made with a high level of assurance that they will perform well, be easy to manufacture, and will be ready for production right from the first layout.