EMA Design Automation Announces RoHS Compliance Service and Design Methodology

Rochester, NY – May 24, 2005 – EMA Design Automation™, a full-service provider of Electronic Design Automation (EDA) solutions, today announced a new service to help companies satisfy the European Union's restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances for electrical and electronic equipment (RoHS) directive and other similar legislation. "Conventional thinking implies that you can solve the problem in manufacturing, but by then it is very expensive to fix, and there is a much higher risk of delays, which means lost market opportunities," said Manny Marcano, president of EMA Design Automation. "At that point the options are limited, and a complete design iteration may be required. In addition, changes at that point create ECNs, which create more work in documentation. Our unique approach offers a design methodology that accomplishes compliance at the intellectual property point in engineering. We're offering a service and design methodology that solves the problem early in the design phase before components are selected or costs committed."

The EMA design methodology incorporates data from the PartMiner® CAPS™ database into the schematic design tool, OrCAD® Capture® CIS. The Component Information System (CIS) database contains component data, including RoHS data, showing both high-level compliance indications and detailed parametric values. This allows an engineer to see part information and RoHS compliance data while selecting parts in the schematic tool. Using this design process, an engineer can determine whether parts used in the design are compliant, thus solving the problem in the design phase.

The first level of service offered creates a CIS database with the following RoHS information:

• Is this part RoHS compliant? (Yes/No)
• What is the RoHS compliant alternate part number?
• Planned component availability if no alternates are found.
• Did the manufacturer's part number change? (Yes/No)
• Does the manufacturer provide a "Manufacturer Certification" (Warranty) for RoHS compliance?

Now designs can be created with full awareness of RoHS compliance, availability, and alternate parts. A bill of materials created from new designs will contain this information so that engineering, procurement, and manufacturing all work from the same data. This component database, including RoHS data from CAPS™, can also be used to update legacy designs with alternate, RoHS-compliant parts.

The second level of service provides a more in-depth analysis of the parts. EMA can capture various parameters on each of the six hazardous substances from various component manufacturers. At this level, manufacturing oriented data such as Moisture Sensitivity Level (MSL) can also be added. Typically, this data is provided at the component level and not at the homogeneous part level; however, based on a customer's requirements, EMA can track data at the homogeneous level.

For the third level of service, EMA provides on-site consulting services to help indicate potential issues in new and existing designs caused by component changes. Common design problems are often seen as signal integrity, timing or other high-speed problems.

"The basis of our solution is to build products that are 'Lead-Free by Design™'," said Marcano. "We give engineers an easy way to select parts taking RoHS into account. The methodology handles RoHS data collection and reporting, which allows engineers to once again focus on the details of the design." About EMA Design Automation, Inc.

EMA Design Automation, Inc. is a full-service provider of Electronic Design Automation (EDA) solutions including software tools, consulting services, product training, and technical support for the entire PCB design process. EMA was founded in 1989 and has been a Cadence® distributor since 1998. Staffed with experienced engineers, EMA offers EDA design solutions tailored to the needs of each individual customer. EMA is a privately held corporation headquartered in Rochester, New York. Visit EMA at www.ema-eda.com for more information.