Mentor Graphics Pads Version History -

Version 9.5 became a long‑term stable release, still used by many legacy defense and industrial projects as late as 2020.

Early versions focused on basic 2D layout for double-sided or 4-layer boards. mentor graphics pads version history

Below is a comprehensive version history, highlighting major releases, architectural shifts, and feature milestones. Version 9

acquired Mentor Graphics for $4.5 billion, eventually rebranding the division as Siemens EDA acquired Mentor Graphics for $4

| | Year | Siemens‑Era Features | |-------------|----------|----------------------------| | PADS Professional 1.0 | 2021 | Re‑branded from VX.2.11. Integrated Valor NPI (New Product Introduction) for DFM checks. | | PADS Professional 2.0 | 2022 | Xpedition ‑like cage‑slot editor for backplanes. Real‑time BOM management via Siemens’ Capital platform. | | PADS Professional 3.0 | 2023 | Cloud Library Sync – share components across multiple users. 4K display scaling improvements. | | PADS Professional 3.1 | 2024 | Native USB‑C connector routing patterns. Automated fanout templates for BGAs (0.5mm pitch and below). | | PADS Professional 4.0 | Expected 2025 | (Roadmap hints at AI‑assisted placement and thermal simulation via Simcenter) |

PADS 9.0 introduced a scalable multi-tier packaging model (PADS LS, PADS DS, and PADS Professional environments).