FOM Systems, Inc. is a design consultancy specializing in small embedded systems designs, both hardware and software. Jeff Sutherland, owner of FOM Systems, has been working with and designing microprocessor and microcontroller based designs for almost 30 years. Of particular design interest are miniature switching power supplies and power management schemes used in systems based on Intel/Marvell PXA and Texas Instruments OMAP processors, as well as small embedded microcontrollers such as Microchip’s PIC product line. Jeff was at the forefront of miniature switching power supply design at the former Telxon Corporation, and holds patents related to LCD displays and digital modulation.
We have used Zuken’s CADSTAR since 2004 for our own work and for that of our customers and recently became the sales representative for CADSTAR for Ohio and western Pennsylvania. Since we tend to get involved with printed circuit boards of all sizes and complexity CADSTAR makes a good fit for us. Printed circuit board design has come a long way from the “red and blue tape” days. With signals on some boards in the GHz range (things like PCIe, DMI and SATA bus topologies in PC’s) and strict flight time alignment across system busses such as DDR2/DDR3 memory systems, placing and routing a board with such features is no longer possible with ordinary PC-based design tools. The schematic editor tool in CADSTAR greatly resembles the Mentor Graphics DesignArchitect™ schematic tool. (Jeff began working with Mentor Graphics tools in 1987, the year he did his last hand taped printed circuit board design. For 10 years he not only designed with Mentor’s DesignArchitect™ and BoardStation 500™ but authored CAM software to support automated transfer of designs to manufacturing.) Users or former users of Mentor Graphics tools will feel right at home with CADSTAR Schematics.
If you’ve ever struggled with PC-based electrical CAD tools and wished for something as competent as the old Mentor tools on your PC, especially at a price a small company can afford, then you’ll certainly want to check out CADSTAR.
Jeff’s other interests include alternative energy, woodworking, and general electronics tinkering. The older FOM Systems blog is now located here.
