View source for Software:Specctra

{{Use list-defined references|date=January 2022}}
{{Infobox software
| name = Specctra / Allegro PCB Router
| logo =
| screenshot = 
| caption =
| author = Cooper & Chyan Technology, Inc.
| developer = Cadence Design Systems
| released = 1989
| latest release version = 17.4 – 22.1
| latest release date    = 20 October 2022<ref name="R5"/>
| latest preview version =
| latest preview date =
| operating system = [[Software:Unix|Unix]],<!-- [[Engineering:DOS|DOS]]? --> [[Software:Windows|Windows]]
| platform =
| language =
| genre = САD
| license = [[Proprietary software|Proprietary]]
| website = http://www.cadence.com/
}}
'''Specctra''' is a commercial PCB auto-router originally developed by John F. Cooper and David Chyan of Cooper & Chyan Technology, Inc. (CCT) in 1989.<ref name="R0"/> The company and product were taken over by Cadence Design Systems in May 1997.<ref name="R4"/><ref name="R0"/><ref name="R1"/> Since its integration into Cadence's Allegro PCB Editor, the name of the router is '''Allegro PCB Router'''. The latest version is 17.4 – 22.1 (20 October 2022).

Specctra routes boards by presenting graphical data using a "shape-based" technology which represents graphical objects not as a set of points-coordinates, but more compact. This increases the efficiency of routing printed circuit boards with a high density of components, provides automatic routing of the same chain of tracks of different widths and more.

Specctra uses adaptive algorithms implemented in multiple trace runs. The routing is carried out in three stages:

# preview routing
# autoroute
# additional processing of autoroute results

On the first pass, the connection of all conductors is performed, regardless of the presence of conflicts, which consist in crossing the conductors on one layer and breaking the gaps. On each subsequent pass, the auto-router tries to reduce the number of conflicts by breaking and re-building connections (the ripup-and-retry router method) and pushing the conductors by pushing the neighboring ones (the push-and-shove router method). Electromagnetic compatibility can be tested in Specctra through the "SPECCTRAQuest SI Expert" module.<ref name="R2"/>

The program is compatible with many [[Engineering:Computer-aided design|design system]]s for printed circuit boards, thanks to the use of industrial-standard DSN design file format for project description and Do-files to specify routing strategies.<ref name="R3"/>
The results are returned to the board editor via SES session files as well as RTE files. Protocol command execution is recorded in Did-file, which after editing can be used as new Do-files.

The DSN/SES file formats are also supported by a number of other auto-routers including KONEKT ELECTRA,<ref name="ELECTRA_2017"/> Eremex TopoR,<ref name="TopoR_2017_History"/> Alfons Wirtz's FreeRouting<ref name="FreeRouting_2014"/> and [[Reinforcement learning|RL]]-based DeepPCB.<ref name="DeepPCB"/>

== List of EDA tools supporting Specctra ==
* ACCEL PCB
* Cadence Allegro
* Cadnetix
* CADVANCE V / α
* DK-/DK-Magic
* DREAM CAD
* [[Software:EAGLE (program)|EAGLE]] (via BRD_TO_DSN.ULP etc.<ref name="EAGLE_2014_DSN"/><ref name="Starr_2006"/>)
* [[Software:KiCad|KiCad]]
* Mentor BoardStation
* MyPCB
* OrCAD Layout
* PADS Perform / PowerPCB
* PLANET
* PLASMA
* Protel Advanced PCB
* Providence
* SCS-1
* TARGET 3001!
* U-Art
* ULTIboard
* Vanguard PCB
* WorkBrain
* Zuken CR-3000 / [[Software:CR-5000|CR-5000]]
* Zuken Visula / Zuken CadStar

== See also ==
* [[Software:OrCAD|OrCAD]]
* Proteus
* [[Company:P-CAD|P-CAD]]

== References ==
{{reflist|refs=
<ref name="R0">{{cite web |title=EDA pioneer takes startup to new routing ground |author-first=Richard |author-last=Goering |date=2005-08-22 |url=https://www.embedded.com/print/4054945 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181022033510/https://www.embedded.com/print/4054945 |archive-date=2018-10-22}}</ref>
<ref name="R1">{{cite web |title=Allegro PCB Designer - Constraint-driven PCB design |url=http://www.cadence.com/products/pcb/pcb_design/pages/default.aspx |access-date=2022-11-14 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221114154417/https://www.cadence.com/en_US/home/tools/pcb-design-and-analysis.html |archive-date=2022-11-14}}</ref>
<ref name="R2">{{cite journal |title=Specctra-practical experience system. Tracer Cadence Specctra expert // Components and Technologies |author-last=Yolshin |author-first=Y. |date=2006 |journal= |number=58}}</ref>
<ref name="R3">{{cite web |title=Spectra PLMpedia |url=http://plmpedia.ru/wiki/Spectra |access-date=2022-11-14 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200223210806/http://plmpedia.ru/wiki/Spectra |archive-date=2020-02-23}}</ref>
<ref name="R4">{{cite web |title=Cadence, Cooper & Chyan to merge |date=1996-11-21 |author=EDN staff |work=EDN |url=https://www.edn.com/electronics-news/4340410/Cadence-Cooper--Chyan-to-merge |access-date=2022-11-14 |archive-url= |archive-date=}}</ref>
<ref name="ELECTRA_2017">{{cite web |title=KONEKT Shape Based PCB Autorouting - ELECTRA PCB AutoRouting |date=2017 |publisher=KONEKT |url=http://konekt.com/c5/index.php/resources/ |access-date=2017-09-24 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170923224640/http://konekt.com/c5/index.php |archive-date=2017-09-23}}</ref>
<ref name="FreeRouting_2014">{{cite web |title=FreeRouting - Printed Circuit Board Routing Software from FreeRouting.net |author-first=Alfons |author-last=Wirtz |website=[[GitHub]] |date=2014-03-08 |orig-date=2004 |url=https://github.com/nikropht/FreeRouting |access-date=2017-09-24 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170923230146/https://github.com/nikropht/FreeRouting |archive-date=2017-09-23}}</ref>
<ref name="TopoR_2017_History">{{cite web |title=TopoR Version History - What's New in TopoR version 6.2 |publisher=[[Company:Eremex|Eremex]] |date=2017-09-24 |url=http://eda.eremex.com/support/versionhistory.html |access-date=2017-09-24 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170924125515/http://eda.eremex.com/support/versionhistory.html |archive-date=2017-09-24}} (NB. Includes a list of new features since TopoR 3.0.)</ref>
<ref name="DeepPCB">{{cite web |title=DeepPCB: Pure AI-Powered Cloud Native PCB Routing |work=DeepPCB |url=https://deeppcb.ai |access-date=2022-11-14 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220827022616/https://deeppcb.ai/ |archive-date=2022-08-27}}</ref>
<ref name="EAGLE_2014_DSN">{{cite web |title=eagle2freerouter-8-march-2014.zip / eagle2freerouter.ulp / brd_to_dsn_v6.ulp |author=Elco |date=2014-03-08 |orig-date=2013-06-04, 2011-12-15 |department=EAGLE Support: User Language Programs (ULP) |publisher=[[Company:Autodesk|Autodesk]] |url=http://eagle.autodesk.com/eagle/ulp?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q%5Btitle_or_author_or_description_cont%5D=dsn&button= |access-date=2022-01-01 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210428095319/http://eagle.autodesk.com/eagle/ulp?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q[title_or_author_or_description_cont]=dsn&button= |archive-date=2021-04-28}}</ref>
<ref name="Starr_2006">{{cite web |title=ulp_user/brd_to_dsn.ulp |author-first=Robert |author-last=Starr |website=[[GitHub]] |date=2006-02-22 |url=https://github.com/robertstarr/ulp_user/blob/master/brd_to_dsn.ulp |access-date=2022-01-01 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210422181554/https://github.com/robertstarr/ulp_user/blob/master/brd_to_dsn.ulp |archive-date=2021-04-22}}</ref>
<ref name="R5">{{cite web |title=Version 17.4 - 22.1 Released |url=https://community.cadence.com/cadence_blogs_8/b/pcb/posts/cadence-orcad-and-allegro-22-1-is-now-available |website=Cadence |access-date=9 December 2022}}</ref>
}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite web |title=XNAS:CDNS Cadence Design Systems Inc Annual Report |newspaper=Morning Star |date=1997-12-28 |url=http://quote.morningstar.com/stock-filing/Annual-Report/1997/12/28/t.aspx?t=XNAS:CDNS&ft=10-K&d=0e64b5a67b2c7b4d |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181021232440/http://quote.morningstar.com/stock-filing/Annual-Report/1997/12/28/t.aspx?t=XNAS:CDNS&ft=10-K&d=0e64b5a67b2c7b4d |archive-date=2018-10-21}}
* {{cite web |title=Cooper and Chyan Technology Inc. - -Shape-based autorouter for PCB |date=2014-05-07 |url=https://semiengineering.com/entities/cooper-and-chyan-technology-inc/ |access-date=2022-11-14 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200530060719/https://semiengineering.com/entities/cooper-and-chyan-technology-inc/ |archive-date=2020-05-30}}
* {{cite web |title=David Chyan of Cadence Receives Gene Marsh Award for Technical Innovation at PCB Design Conference East |date=1999-10-29 |location=San Jose, California, USA |url=http://www.adapticom1.net/web/cooper-chyan-router.html |access-date=2022-11-14 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221114155657/http://www.adapticom1.net/web/cooper-chyan-router.html |archive-date=2022-11-14}}
* {{cite web |title=Interface for SPECCTRA |work=p-cad 2002 |publisher=Altium Limited |date=2002 |url=https://www.jlab.org/accel/eecad/manuals/Interface.pdf |access-date=2022-11-14 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181023032225/https://www.jlab.org/accel/eecad/manuals/Interface.pdf |archive-date=2018-10-23}} (16 pages)
* {{cite web |title=Allegro PCB Router: What's New in Release 15.5.1 |version=15.5.1 |date=December 2005 |url=https://community.cadence.com/cfs-file/__key/telligent-evolution-components-attachments/00-27-01-00-00-00-51-96/specctraWN.pdf |access-date=2022-11-14 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20181101192747/https://community.cadence.com/cfs-file/__key/telligent-evolution-components-attachments/00-27-01-00-00-00-51-96/specctraWN.pdf |archive-date=2018-11-01}}

== External links ==
* http://www.cadence.com/products/pcb/pcb_design/pages/default.aspx Official website
* http://www.dsioffe.narod.ru/myspecctra

{{CAD software}}
[[Category:Electronic design automation software]]

{{Sourceattribution|Specctra}}