Zuken Forms Strategic Partnership With Quanser to Promote PCB Design Education

WESTFORD, Mass., March 25 /PRNewswire/ -- The leader in desktop printed circuit board (PCB) design tools, Zuken USA, has teamed with Quanser, a leading designer of advanced systems for real-time control design and implementation used in education and research, to further assist universities and young industry talent in PCB design and engineering education. Quanser will use Zuken's CADSTAR 5.0 design tool in its educational materials to increase development and know-how of entry-level engineering students, preparing them for the advanced requirements of PCB designers in the 21st century.

Quanser control challenges and solutions are operational in over 500 institutions worldwide including universities, research laboratories and commercial organizations. Within this partnership, Quanser will use Zuken's CADSTAR solution as the sole electronics design software in its textbook entitled "Mechatronics -- From Design to Implementation," to be published by Prentice Hall within the next three years. CADSTAR is acknowledged in all circuit diagrams in its manuals as "designed with CADSTAR."

"This partnership is part of our ongoing dedication to the young designers and engineers of our industry," commented Jeff Aptt, CADSTAR business unit manager for Zuken USA. "To partner with a leader in educational services is a great opportunity for Zuken to provide accessibility for all and to enrich the educational process with access to the latest technological tools. In turn, this will provide the industry with better-trained and more advanced talent."

As part of the relationship, Quanser will include a copy of Zuken's CADSTAR Express in its promotional CDs and textbooks. It will also provide links to the Zuken website in its textbooks and on its web page. CADSTAR Express is a free downloadable version of Zuken's industry-standard PCB design solution, CADSTAR 5.0.

"Quanser has long recognized the power and importance of integrating web-based educational tools into teaching fundamental engineering concepts," commented Jacob Apkarian, president of Quanser. "Hands on experience with Zuken's CADSTAR Express will hopefully increase enrolment and interest in engineering science curriculum, which in turn can increase the speed of innovation. Together we can assist research institutes and industry professionals to rapidly introduce new products and share new development processes to accelerate time to market and capitalize on the latest advances in technology."

CADSTAR Express is a suite of tools that provides a complete PCB design solution from schematic capture to manufacturing output within a single, easy-to-use graphical user interface. Menus can be customized for fast access to frequently used tools and other advanced features including board dimensioning tools and a hierarchical library for symbols, components and parts. It can be used for analog or digital designs whether they need simple, single layer or high density, multiple layer PCBs.

CADSTAR Express is available for free download at www.cadstarworld.com.

About Quanser

Quanser Consulting Inc. is the world leader in the design and manufacture of advanced systems for real-time-control design and implementation, for use in education and research. The company's intelligent solutions are designed to create greater insight and understanding into basic science, as well as to provide accessibility for all. Founded in 1990, Quanser is headquartered in Markham, Ontario Canada, with over 500 customers worldwide. Additional information can be obtained by contacting the company via the Internet at www.quanser.com.

About Zuken

Zuken is one of the world's leading providers of professional software solutions for the design of PCB/MCM/IC packages and systems. These advanced tool sets facilitate schematic capture, placement, routing and analysis, and manufacture and test. Used by the world's top 20 electronic product manufacturers, the solutions operate under both UNIX and Microsoft Windows. Zuken is the market sector leader in Japan and has offices throughout Europe and the USA. It is a global organization employing over 1,000 people and the company is listed on Level 1 of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. For more information, visit http://www.zuken.com .