ECAD

ECAD (Electronic CAD) is the umbrella term for the design tools that capture electronic schematics, lay out printed circuit boards, route harnesses, and design integrated circuits. It is the electronic-domain counterpart to MCAD (mechanical CAD), and the ECAD↔MCAD interplay — board outline, connector placement, thermal envelope — is one of the central integration problems for any electromechanical product in PLM.

What it covers

• Schematic capture with hierarchical sheets, nets, and library symbols.
• PCB layout and routing — placement, copper, stackup, length-tuning, and design-rule checking.
• IC and FPGA design flows, including logic synthesis, place-and-route, and verification.
• Wire harness and cable design for systems with significant cabling content.
• MCAD↔ECAD collaboration through neutral exchange (IDF, IDX, ProSTEP EDMD).

Relationships (see sidebar)

• Depends on the PCB, EDA / IC Design, and Electrical Systems Engineering capabilities.
• Supports the Detailed Design and CAD Design processes.
• Exchanges data with 3D CAD (MCAD) through neutral collaboration formats.