Flomerics has introduced Version 3.0 of its FLO/PCB thermal design software, FLO/PCB for Allegro, which provides a link to Cadence Allegro PCB Editor software. Designers can call up a menu item on the Cadence software and generate a thermal model of their design. They can analyze the design from a thermal standpoint and identify problems. The FLO/PCB/Allegro interface transfers information about the PCB's geometry and components needed to perform thermal analysis. This includes the number of metallic layers, the type of each layer such as signal or power or ground plane, the coverage of copper on the board, and the location and power dissipation of each component. The interface also allows the user to select the appropriate layer used to derive the physical extents of the package. Placement updates made in FLO/PCB can be passed back to Allegro PCB Editor thus providing bi-directional connectivity allowing for concurrent placement and thermal design. The Cadence/Flomerics interface is built using the membership in the Cadence Connections Program for collaboration, bringing value and emerging third-party solutions to the end customer. FLO/PCB for Allegro also exchanges information with the other members of the Flomerics integrated analysis environment, Flotherm and Flo/EMC. For example, the same PCB design that is used to create a FLO/PCB model can also be incorporated into a system-level model in Flotherm.