Added support for new 2D line styles in drafting and routing.
In 2017, Siemens acquired Mentor Graphics, renaming the division to . Under Siemens, PADS received deep investments in cloud connectivity and manufacturing integration. PADS Professional Premium (2020s)
for the DOS operating system. At just $495 per seat, it democratized PCB design for individual engineers. Late 1980s – 1990s
As operating systems evolved, PADS moved away from its DOS roots to support the graphical user interfaces of Windows, becoming a staple for small design bureaus. Acquisition and the Innoveda Years: 1997–2001 mentor graphics pads version history
Introduced the VX platform naming convention. It integrated central library management and common licensing tools.
PADS 9.5 became arguably the most widely used version in the product's history. Many engineers still use this version today due to its proven reliability and stability. It included improvements to PADS Logic and PADS Layout with enhanced simulation capabilities.
The PowerPCB era saw rapid progression:
Enhanced routing for complex, high-speed, or specialized layouts 4.2.5. DFM Enhancements: Improved Design for Manufacturing tools. PADS VX.2.14 (2023)
Whether your primary goal is , library migration , or upgrading to Siemens PADS Professional ?
Brought advanced multi-board system design, native photorealistic 3D layout editing with collision detection, and comprehensive support for rigid-flex stackups. PADS VX.2.5 to VX.2.8 (2019–2020) Key Focus: Cloud collaboration and Siemens integration. Added support for new 2D line styles in drafting and routing
The origins of PADS date back to the mid-1980s, a time when electronic design was moving away from manual tape-ups toward digital automation.
The PADS 9.x series is arguably the most famous and widely adopted generation in the software's history, largely due to the phenomenal success of version 9.5.