What happened
Cadence Design Systems launched AuraStack, an artificial-intelligence "super agent" for printed circuit board (PCB) and chip package design. The tool allows engineers to describe goals in plain language, then plans and executes work using Cadence's existing software for layout and virtual testing, accelerated by Nvidia chips. Cadence claims AuraStack can halve time to market and boost individual task productivity 15-fold. Early users include Nvidia, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, and Schneider Electric. AuraStack supports various AI models, including OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's Gemini, Anthropic's Claude, and open-source options, with consumption-based pricing. The rollout completes by September 2026.
Why it matters
Design and procurement teams gain new capabilities for accelerated development and cost optimisation. AuraStack interprets plain language goals, automating complex circuit board and chip package layout and testing, reducing time to market by up to half and increasing task productivity 15-fold, per Cadence. This follows similar offerings earlier this year to speed up chip design, extending automation across the hardware development lifecycle. For platform engineers, integrating such tools requires assessing consumption-based pricing models and existing Cadence tool dependencies. The system demonstrated 28% cost savings on a 5G smartphone board, shifting design economics.
