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Digi-Key and Mentor Graphics Unveil Innovative & Affordable Tools for the PCB Design Engineer: Designer Schematic? and Designer Layout?

THIEF RIVER FALLS, Minnesota, USA. ? Digi-Key, the industry leader in electronic component selection, availability and delivery, and Mentor Graphics Corporation (NASDAQ: MENT), the worldwide leader in Printed Circuit Board (PCB) design solutions, today announced the availability of new professional-level EDA/CAD tools, starting at under $200 for design starts providing a foundation for long-term product design. The jointly developed Designer Schematic and Designer Layout tools are available today exclusively from Digi-Key.

For the first 90 days, Designer Schematic and Designer Layout will be available at a 30-percent discount, starting at $199 and $449, respectively. The product licenses are sold as an annual subscription, exclusively from Digi-Key. Also, for a limited time, the software is available for a 15-day evaluation period, free of charge.

“Mentor Graphics’ leadership in design software combined with Digi-Key’s connection to hundreds of thousands of design engineers around the world makes perfect sense,” said Henry Potts, Vice President and General Manager of Mentor Graphics Systems Design Division. “Together we found a way to lower the barrier of entry for engineers seeking better ways to accelerate cycle time from concept to prototype to production.”

Mentor Graphics and Digi-Key collaborated to create industry-first EDA software solutions able to address escalating demand from professional engineers for affordable design software linked to Digi-Key’s vast inventory of over four million electronic components. The companies’ objective is to offer design engineers the broadest selection of resources supporting the concept-to-prototype-to-production process.

Designer Schematic and Designer Layout come with free access to Mentor Graphics’ PartQuest?, a fully integrated website that merges Digi-Key part numbers into symbols and footprints, reducing manual errors and saving time and cost. With these innovative tools, design engineers can easily complete an entire circuit and printed circuit board design themselves or leverage third party PCB layout houses.

“The new Designer tools are perfect for the professional engineer who needs a reliable, scalable platform to support current and future design starts,” said Randall Restle, Director, Applications Engineering for Digi-Key. “With Mentor, we have designed an industry-first, collaborative EDA solution that accelerates the design process while enabling the engineer to eliminate steps and reduce errors while establishing a proven, long-term foundation for product design.”

As part of the intensive collaboration and product development process, Digi-Key and Mentor Graphics completed thorough beta testing which included more than 300 participants around the globe. As a result, the companies validated the need and market demand for an affordable professional-level tool for the design engineer.

Designer Schematic is available today starting at $199. Designer Layout starts at $449. Click here for product details and pricing information OR to sign up for a free 15 day trial.

Join Mentor Graphics and Digi-Key on November 20th at 9 AM CST for “Next Generation Design Tools” ? a live discussion on what’s new in EDA software and why Designer Schematic and Designer Layout are right for you.

About Mentor Graphics Corporation

Mentor Graphics Corporation (NASDAQ: MENT) is a world leader in electronic hardware and software design solutions, providing products, consulting services and award-winning support for the world’s most successful electronics and semiconductor companies. Established in 1981, the company reported revenues over the last 12 months in excess of $1.15 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mentor.com/.

About Digi-Key Corporation

Digi-Key Corporation, based in Thief River Falls, Minn., is a global, full-service provider of both prototype/design and production quantities of electronic components, offering more than four million products from over 650 quality name-brand manufacturers. With over one million products in stock and an impressive selection of online resources, Digi-Key is committed to stocking the broadest range of electronic components in the industry and providing the best service possible to its customers. Additional information and access to Digi-Key’s broad product offering is available at www.digikey.com.

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