In an exclusive interview with DailyCADCAM, Mr. David Wiens, Product Manager, Xpedition, Electronic Board Systems division, Siemens EDA shared valuable insights into cutting-edge solutions and their applications in various facets of product development. Mr. Wiens discussed handling complex electronic system designs, addressing challenges in today’s engineering landscape, leveraging Siemens EDA next-generation tools, implementing industry best practices, integrating new acquisitions and utilizing AI. He also highlighted Siemens EDA vision for the future of electronic system design, the role of digital twins, Siemens’ future plans for India and advancements in EV and ADAS technologies. Additionally, he offered a message for aspiring electronics engineers.
A special thanks to Ruchir Dixit, VP & Country Manager, Siemens EDA for providing an overview of India as a growing market, addressing the talent gap in electronics design, and the role of startups in India’s burgeoning electronics sector.
Welcome, Dave. Could you start by introducing yourself and your role at Siemens?
Absolutely! I am the Product Manager for Xpedition at Siemens. I’ve been with Siemens for my entire career, though it has been through several company acquisitions. This reflects a larger industry trend of tool provider consolidation. Siemens now has the most comprehensive portfolio of tools for system design, unmatched by competitors.
Interesting! Could you share how the Xpedition product fits into Siemens’ portfolio?
Siemens is the leading provider of electronics and semiconductor design and manufacturing solutions comprising a very deep and wide portfolio of solutions for all the engineering functions across the life cycle of an electronics or semiconductor product realization. Xpedition is our flagship product for handling the most complex electronic system designs created by large companies. It forms part of our broader portfolio that spans PCB design, IC packaging, schematic layouts, and verification. Complementing Xpedition are tools like HyperLynx for performance verification, Valor for manufacturability verification, and Innovator 3D IC for IC packaging. This ecosystem is tightly integrated with our mechanical and data management tools like NX, Solid Edge, and Teamcenter, providing a seamless end-to-end design solution.
PCB design has transformed into the broader field of printed circuit engineering, encompassing the entire scope of electronic systems design. It has evolved into a multi-disciplinary, multi-domain process that demands seamless collaboration, integration, and digital transformation. Siemens’ product portfolio is designed to address every facet of this comprehensive electronic systems design process.
What challenges do you see in the current engineering landscape?
The engineering landscape is currently navigating several significant challenges that vary by geography but share common threads. A major issue in some geographies is workforce transition, with many experienced engineers retiring and a shortage of mid-level talent due to workforce reductions during events like COVID-19 and other industry changes. This has created a critical gap, as studies indicate that up to 33% of engineering roles may go unfulfilled. In India, the workforce is generally younger who need to get skilled very quickly. Additionally, the rapid mass electrification across industries is reshaping product design. Electronics is now integral to nearly every product, from automobiles to IoT devices, driving increased design development, heightened competition, shorter development cycles, and greater product complexity. Compounding these challenges are geopolitical and supply chain issues, including component shortages, limited fabrication capacity, and heightened cybersecurity threats. These disruptions, intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic, have underscored the importance of resilient and secure supply chains to address vulnerabilities and sustain innovation.
How is Siemens EDA addressing these challenges with its next-generation tools in the system design space?
We are addressing these challenges with its next-generation tools by focusing on key strategies that enhance efficiency, collaboration, and security across the engineering lifecycle. Intuitive design features, equipped with modern interfaces, simplify complex workflows and ensure a consistent user experience, making it easier for new engineers to onboard. AI integration plays a transformative role, providing predictive commands, optimized simulation, and natural language processing to streamline data queries and analysis. Cloud collaboration tools enable secure teamwork, simplifying design reviews and offering valuable insights into supply chain dynamics.
The integrated ecosystem of Siemens tools ensures seamless data flow and traceability across EDA, PLM, and mechanical design, creating a unified workflow. Enhanced security measures, such as location-based access control and robust data handling protocols, address the critical need for safeguarding sensitive designs.
Success in PCB design further depends on adopting industry best practices, which Siemens emphasizes through five key pillars:
- Digitally Integrated & Optimized Workflows – Connecting design and manufacturing processes for seamless operations.
- Engineering Productivity & Efficiency – Streamlining design cycles to maximize output.
- Digital Prototype-Driven Verification – Validating designs through virtual prototyping to reduce physical iterations.
- System-Level Model-Based Engineering – Integrating systems for a comprehensive design approach.
- Supply-Chain Resilience – Building robust systems to mitigate supply chain disruptions.
By bringing stakeholders together at the initial stages and fostering collaboration across disciplines, Siemens empowers teams to overcome traditional silos and achieve exceptional results.
Can you elaborate on the role of AI in Siemens’ tools when it comes to board systems design and manufacturing?
AI plays a transformative role in Siemens’ tools, streamlining engineering processes and enhancing productivity. It reduces learning curves through predictive commands, enabling users to adapt quickly to complex software. By optimizing solutions, AI accelerates simulations, significantly reducing the time needed for analysis. Natural language processing tools simplify data queries, allowing engineers to swiftly locate critical component specifications. Beyond these capabilities, Siemens is also exploring AI-driven generative design and additive manufacturing, opening new avenues for innovation and efficiency in product development.
How does Siemens differentiate itself from competitors in EDA in the system design space?
Our differentiation stems from two key factors: best-in-class tools and the digital thread. With Xpedition holding a commanding 40% market share, it is recognized as a market leader. The seamless integration of various Siemens solutions empowers businesses to handle complex designs effectively, making our offerings suitable for enterprises of all sizes.
What are your views on integrating new acquisitions, such as Altair, into Siemens’ ecosystem?
While it’s early days for the Altair acquisition, integration is always a priority at Siemens. We aim to align new tools with our ecosystem to strengthen our portfolio and maintain industry leadership.
Security seems to be a recurring theme. Can you share more about Siemens’ approach to IP protection?
Security is paramount, especially in electronics, where reverse engineering can compromise IP. Our tools include location-based access controls and encryption to safeguard designs. Interestingly, consumer electronics often have stricter IP protection protocols than military projects due to intense market competition.
What’s SIEMENS’ vision for the future of electronic system design?
Our vision is to empower engineers with tools that overcome workforce shortages, foster resilience, and leverage advanced technologies like AI and cloud collaboration. By continually innovating and integrating our toolsets, we’re enabling digital transformation and creating differentiation for our customers in an increasingly competitive landscape.
How are digital twins being utilized in the electronic data model?
Digital twins have evolved alongside the digital thread. We start with a rudimentary digital twin at the architecture stage, and as the design progresses, its fidelity increases. Digital twins are hierarchical; for instance, there can be a digital twin for a component, a board, or an entire system. These twins integrate the mechanical, electronic, and simulation models. When combined with the digital thread, the process ensures design fidelity and minimizes rework.
How does Siemens’ EDA portfolio compare to integrated MCAD solutions, and how does Xpedition enable cross-domain collaboration?
The EDA portfolio is significantly broader compared to integrated MCAD solutions due to the distinct roles involved. While mechanical design is often managed end-to-end by a single mechanical engineer, EDA involves multiple personas, including system architects, design engineers, and layout designers, each focusing on specific aspects of the process. This results in a more extensive toolset in EDA compared to the integrated nature of solutions like NX or Solid Edge.
Xpedition, a key part of Siemens’ EDA portfolio, facilitates seamless cross-domain collaboration by ensuring effective communication between digital PCB design teams and MCAD systems. It enables the exchange of design data without interruptions, allowing teams to address manufacturing issues directly within the design tool without halting progress. This not only conserves engineering efforts but also ensures consistent results for all users, regardless of their manufacturing expertise.
Is there a specialized solution for CFD within your portfolio?
Yes, we have Flotherm within Simcenter, which originated from Mentor. It supports thermal analysis from IC packages to entire data centers. While high-fidelity modeling is not feasible for large systems, we use simplified models to provide actionable insights efficiently.
How do you view India as a market, given the lack of fabrication shops?
Ruchir Dixit (VP & Country Manager, EDA): Fabrication means a lot of things and we need to add some context here. When it comes to electronics systems, India has had EMS companies for a very long time. They are quite mature and produce some of the most complex PCB in the world. India’s PCB landscape is evolving rapidly, with fabrication (FAB) players established in Mysore and Bangalore and several new facilities emerging across the country. Supported by the new push from the union and various state government incentives and initiatives, the electronics ecosystem in India is witnessing significant growth. We are now seeing the emergence of Oursourced Assembly and Test (OSAT) facilities emerging in India. Companies like Tata, CG Power, and Kaynes are investing in new facilities, signaling a promising and robust future for the industry.
How is Siemens tackling the talent gap in electronics design, particularly in India?
Ruchir Dixit: There are several layers at which we at Siemens are contributing to bridge the talent gap. At one level, we run our Higher Education Program (HEP) where we essentially donate and provide access to our technologies to universities and colleges . At the next layer Siemens is an active participant in the Govt. of India initiative named C2S. About 250 colleges across the country now have access to our solutions for no fee to Siemens. Additionally, we have also placed our state of the art emulation platform in the program with the same open access to students. Third level is where we work specifically with institutions to create custom industry relevant courses that can fill the immediate need. One example would be the IC packging course that we are building with one of the IITs. We are also working with many other non-IIT level colleges to create such programs. I must say that we have been very pleasantly surprised by the enthusiasm and excitement that we have witnessed from the acadeamia and the faculty.
What role does Siemens play in supporting startups in the electronics domain?
Ruchir Dixit: Again, there are multiple levels with special programs. There are various points of intervention that we create. We work directly with startups to help them get access to our portfolio at rates that are very different compared to large corporations. There are very flexible access and payment plans specifically created to match the needs and capacity of the startup. Additionally, Siemens was the first supplier to participate in the DLI program announced by MeitY in Govt. of India. We placed our solutions with minimum restrictions on usage by startups that become a part of the DLI. Then we also participated with state governments to support their incubation programs. SFAL in Karnataka and FABCI in Telangana are just two examples where we have placed our solutions to be used by startups that are part of those incubations. I can proudly say that Siemens is the only supplier who is a part of all the incubation programs in the country.
What are SIEMENS’ plans for India?
Ruchir Dixit: India is making rapid strides to become a developed nation. It has the potential and all the building blocks for becoming a product nation, a production nation and a skills bank for itself and for the rest of the world. India has a strong engineering talent, a robust market and a generation who is the most entrepreneurial than ever in the history. There are vast opportunities across industries like automotive, aerospace, semiconductors, and consumer electronics. We are also witnessing a rebewd interest from large Indian conglomerates in electronics – TATA, L&T, OLA, Kaynes, CG and Suchi to name a few are bringing in a lot of new investments. Siemens is looking at all these developments with a lot of home and excitement. We believe that Siemens will play a critical role in helping engineers take their ideas to production and help them maximize their potential. We are also investing in ourselves to keep pace with the rapidly developing ecosystem and the market. Several of our key products are developed in India and with close interactions and partnerships with customers in India, we will improve our offerings.
With the growth of EVs, is there an increased demand for ADAS solutions?
Ruchir Dixit: Absolutely.. Not just in EVs, the electronics in automobiles have been growing non-linearly for some years now. We demand our vehicles to be safer, more reliable, more comfortable and more sustainable. All those needs are met by electronics and ADAS is a critical piece.
Any message for aspiring electronics engineers?
David Wiens: To differentiate yourself, develop expertise in both hardware and software. True systems engineers with this knowledge are highly valuable. Electronics is a growing field with tremendous potential, and Siemens is committed to empowering aspiring engineers and supporting their journey toward success.
Ruchir Dixit: I agree with David on his comments on expertise and Siemens’ commitment. I will add that what we are seeing today is the just the beginning of the age of electronics. The next ten years will witness digitalization and electronification at a rate that we have never seen before. This is the best time to get into electronics engineering as the engineers of tomorrow will truly touch human lives and make them better.
Sachin Nalawade DailyCADCAM: Thank you for your time and insights.
Mr Ruchir & Mr. Dave: Thank you for having us. It was a pleasure sharing our vision with DailyCADCAM.
I extend my gratitude to Mr Ruchir & Mr. Dave for the insightful discussion. If you have any questions for them or DailyCADCAM, please feel free to leave a comment below or contact us via email at sachin@dailycadcam.com. We are more than happy to provide answers and further information.
– Sachin R. Nalawade | Editor DailyCADCAM, Contact Number +91 8806214040