PADS2005 Provides Significant Productivity and Ease-of-Use Enhancements for PCB Systems Designers.

WILSONVILLE, Ore. -- Mentor Graphics Corporation (Nasdaq:MENT) the market leader in printed circuit board (PCB) design software, today announced the release of the PADS(R)2005 PCB design solutions. The PADS2005 update features significant enhancements that improve the designer's productivity and ability to optimize designs for performance and manufacturing. This release also extends the capabilities of PADS Logic to enable faster schematic capture, viewing and analysis by design team members and increased ease-of-use features for the full PADS flow.

New features include floating connections that organize the design according to the preference of the designer, as well as automatic connection of parts-to-parts and parts-to-nets that accelerate the incorporation of new parts into the design. True Type Font(TM) support for both PADS Logic and PADS Layout, increased readability of the design screen and printed schematic. In addition, international fonts, such as Chinese characters, are supported.

PADS2005 includes two new options for PADS Logic. PADS Logic PDF enables the designer to create intelligent representations of their schematics in the standard PDF format. Users who do not own PADS Logic can view and share schematics, thereby enhancing design portability and accessibility while protecting the design from unwanted changes. All parts information is available in the PDF, and for easy readability, nets can be traced throughout the design using hyperlinks. PADS SPICEnet provides a connection between PADS Logic and industry standard SPICE programs. Designs can easily be verified without redundant, error-prone data entry.

"Mentor Graphics has set a new standard of excellence for design entry software. The improved performance and added features to PADS Logic will greatly enhance our company's design entry capabilities," said Ed Current, PCB engineer for C&D Technologies, Power Electronics Division. "The ability to use True Type Fonts helps emphasize important design elements, while improving the overall appearance of our drawings. With the addition of intelligent PDF outputs, we can meet our global communication requirements without jeopardizing design integrity."

"We continue to significantly invest in the PADS product line. This enables our customers to stay ahead of the competitive curve by using an easy to use solution that is capable of designing complex printed circuit boards. The enhancements in the PADS2005 release offers features that enable designers to meet ever decreasing time to market windows through increased productivity," said Syed Gilani, general manager, PADS Business Unit, Systems Design Division, Mentor Graphics.

The PADS2005 release has these additional enhancements:

--PADS Logic enhancements include custom title blocks with active fields and user interface updates.

--PADS Layout now includes improved copper pour enhancements that more accurately handle overlapping flood areas and board outlines and allow the user to define a priority order in which the copper pours are filled. The feature now enables the designer to define copper pour outside the board outline that is beneficial for copper balancing during the fabrication process.

--True Type Font support for both PADS Logic and PADS Layout.

--PADS AutoRouter now has improved handling of escape paths for routing of differential pairs with component rules. This results in better performance and more efficient routes.

About PADS

PADS is the Windows-based standard for PCB design solutions, combining value and broad technology. Its rich functionality and affordable pricing give customers a high return on their investment, enabling them to handle everything from basic designs to complex problems with speed, high quality, and ease. For more information on the PADS solutions, please visit www.mentor.com/pads or e-mail us at [e-mail].

About Mentor Graphics

Mentor Graphics Corporation (Nasdaq: MENT) is a world leader in electronic hardware and software design solutions, providing products, consulting services and award-winning support for the world's most successful electronics and semiconductor companies. Established in 1981, the company reported revenues over the last 12 months of over $700 million and employs approximately 3,850 people worldwide. Corporate headquarters are located at 8005 S.W. Boeckman Road, Wilsonville, Oregon 97070-7777; Silicon Valley headquarters are located at 1001 Ridder Park Drive, San Jose, California 95131-2314. World Wide Web site: http://www.mentor.com/.

Mentor Graphics and PADS are registered trademarks of Mentor Graphics Corporation. All other company or product names are the registered trademark or trademarks of their respective owners.