Education of the computer aided design

Circuit module design is one of the most important topics in electronic education. During their study, students have to design, simulate, realize and document a functional circuit. The education includes lectures and laboratory exercises. On the lectures, the students are acquainted with the design rules and the use of OrCAD software. The lecturer uses a PC-projector for the PowerPoint show and for the CAD program, an overhead projector and the traditional blackboard. The lectures give an introduction to computer aided design and a guide to the use of the familiar OrCAD software. The first, encapsulating CAD systems, shows the place of the available tools in the design flow, and lets the students know the tasks that have to be fulfilled during the design. CAD systems are helpful tools to make the human work easier, but the human role is always accentuated. Design begins with an idea and defining the circuit function. After that, there are a sequence of tasks that have to be finished before manufacturing. To complete them, databases and some supplemental works are required. The students learn how to use the CAD, how to get the required supplemental information for their work and finally they build their own circuit.