Mentor Graphics Pads Version History -

In 2002, for $160 million, officially bringing PADS into its portfolio.

Represented the pinnacle of PADS' DOS-era engineering, introducing shape-based copper pouring and sophisticated design rule checking (DRC) for multi-layer boards. The Windows Migration and Mentor Acquisition (1997–2004)

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.

The transition to "VX" marked a new era. Siemens PADS VX.x brought the tool closer to the powerful technology used in the Xpedition flow. PADS VX.1 and VX.2 mentor graphics pads version history

2. The Mentor Graphics Transition: PADS 2004 to PADS 9.5 (2004–2013)

Released under PADS Software Inc. and later sustained by Mentor Graphics, PowerPCB rebuilt the core engine for modern operating systems.

: The PADS brand expanded its capabilities by acquiring industry-standard simulation and embedded software tools: 1997 : Acquisition of HyperLynx for signal integrity. 1998 : Acquisition of ACT (Accelerated Technology). In 2002, for $160 million, officially bringing PADS

Following Siemens’ acquisition of Mentor Graphics (completed 2017), the first Siemens‑branded releases arrived in 2021, focusing on cloud collaboration and mechanical‑electrical co‑design.

The PADS 9.x releases represented one of the longest-running and most stable architectures in the software's history, with many legacy engineering teams continuing to use these versions for years. PADS 9.0 (2009)

PADS 8.x – 9.x (late 2000s – early 2010s) PADS VX

PADS 9.0 introduced a scalable multi-tier packaging model (PADS LS, PADS DS, and PADS Professional environments).

Introduced a centralized Constraint Manager shared dynamically between schematic and layout.