CADCAM in Canada

ponents from the parts library. The interconnection pattern is entered and verified. Information from the design database is organized together with the schematic information into workfiles. When a design is complete, data is automatically verified before being stored in the database. EDMS includes interfaces to a range of third-party design packages,including Scicards for PCB design, MP2D

Applied Research of Cambridge have launched a turnkey CAD system based on their GDS drafting system. Two screens are used - one alphanumeric and one graphic. A non,graphical database is combined with 2D and 3/9 design and drafting capabilities. The latest version of GDS is used, which includes Macro Basic and the ability to link parts listings, castings, etc to graphical data. Prices for the system start at £70 000, including 32-bit minicomputer, graphics workstation, GDS software, printer and plotter. (Applied Research of Cambridge Limited, 4 Jesus Lane, Cambridge CB5 8BA, UK. Teh (0223) 65015. Tx: 81153)

CAD Arthur D Little Incorporated is conducting a survey on productivity gains achieved through CAD systems. The survey will compile productivity data according to size of organization, type of industry, hardware and application. It will seek to identify how CAD affects the organization, how engineering productivity is calculated and what are the major areas of CAD with their respective productivity ratios. (,4 rthur

D Little Incorporated, Acorn Park, Cambridge, MA 02140, USA. Tel: (617) 864-5 7770)

CABCAM in Canada's Board of Industrial Leadership and Development have launched a five-year technology development programme with funds of $102 million. Of this $30.6 million is to be spent on CADCAM and robotics centres. The

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centres will provide applications engineering advice, demonstrations and information services. According to Minister for Industry and Trade Gordon Walker, 'Canada is currently lagging behind other countried in the application of CADCAM. The application of this technology to the manufacturing process is a vital priority'.

(Ministry of Industry and Trade, Province of Ontario, Queen's Park, Toronto, Canada M7A 2El)

tronic designer at On show for the first time in the UK was Prime's new electronic design management system EDMS. This covers digital circuit design from initial concept through analysis and simulation to the final design. To develop schematics using EDMS, the engineer selects a page format and chooses com-

for standard cell layout, Merlyn-G for gate array routing and Tegas for logic simulation. The package runs on Prime's PW95 colour graphics workstation, which includes a 19 in monitor, data tablet and joystick. It is also compatible with Dicoll's AED512 and AED 767 workstations, as well as the Jupiter 7 from Jupiter Systems Incorporated. It runs under the Primos operating system, which supports the X,25-based Primanet networking system, thus allowing EDMS to be used as part of a distributed processing network. The price of a typical configuration, including EDMS software, eight graphics workstations, 24 alphanumeric terminals, a Prime 750 with 4 Mbyte main memory and two 300 Mbyte discs is about £353 000. A software licence for EDMS is £50 000 with a monthly fee of £1840, including maintenance. (Prime Computer (UK)

Limited, The Hounslow Centre, 1 Lampton Road, Hounslow, Middx UK. TeL" 01-572 7400)

Applicon have launched a technical documentation software module to speed up the generation of manuals and handbooks. There are two parts to the module: one for illustration generation and the other for text. lllustrations may be generated interactively, or may be derived from existing solids models produced by Applicon!s 3D modeller. Views may be exploded to show construction, or be in isometric or standard perspective. The module may be linked to either a photosetter or laser printer or direct output. (App/icon UK Ltd, Regent

House, Heaton Lane, Stockport SK4 IDA, UK. Tel." 061-429 7227)

computer-aided design