Altium Releases New Version of P-CAD to Beta Testing; P-CAD 2004 to Offer New Technologies for Layout and Routing and Improved Support for High-Speed Design

Business Wire, June 28, 2004

SYDNEY, Australia -- Altium Limited (ASX:ALU), a leading developer of Windows-based electronics design software, today announced that a new version of its P-CAD PCB design system for layout specialists has been released to beta testing. The new version, P-CAD 2004, significantly expands the capabilities of P-CAD with new PCB technologies and enhanced features, including a new schematic editor that supports multichannel and hierarchical design, a new topological autorouter, a new interactive routing engine, and improved management of design rules. P-CAD 2004 will also offer enhanced links to manufacturing with the introduction of new output servers, and the latest generation CAM software that features an expanded range of analysis and verification checks, and extensive import and export formats.

P-CAD 2004 will be released on Altium's proprietary Design Explorer (DXP) technology integration platform, bringing all the capabilities of P-CAD together in a single, integrated design environment that supports extensive document synchronization and project management features. This enables a stronger design entry front end; tighter integration to PCB technologies; and seamless access to Altium's new FPGA and embedded system design products (which are sold separately). Altium has also added a range of features throughout the capture, layout, signal integrity, and routing stages of P-CAD to assist engineers and designers dealing with high-speed designs. These include improved support for differential pair routing, FPGA pin swapping, as well as enhanced and additional design rules. P-CAD 2004 is currently scheduled for full release later this year.

"In today's PCB design market, high density board structures, large BGAs, and complex signal integrity issues all add to the challenges of getting your board completed on time and on budget," said Nick Martin, Joint CEO and Founder, Altium. "P-CAD 2004 has been dramatically updated with the latest technologies and features to improve support for high-speed design, and to significantly improve P-CAD's routing and PCB layout capabilities."

Pricing and availability

P-CAD 2004 has been released to beta testing, and is currently scheduled for full release later this year. P-CAD 2002 customers who are on a valid prepaid upgrade subscription plan at the time of P-CAD 2004's release will automatically be shipped the new version free of charge as part of their support contract.

Also, as part of a current special offer, all P-CAD 2002 new licences purchased before June 30, 2004 will include a 'technology guarantee' which entitles license holders to the P-CAD 2004 release free of charge upon availability as well as a bonus 1GB 1.1/2.0 flash drive.

Users of previous P-CAD versions who upgrade to P-CAD 2002 before June 30, 2004 will also be eligible for the 'technology guarantee' offer and a free 256MB USB 1.1/2.0 flash drive.

For more product information, visit www.altium.com/pcad/ or contact your local Altium Sales and Support Center.

About Altium Limited

Altium Limited (ASX:ALU) is a global developer and supplier of electronics design software for the Microsoft Windows environment. Founded in 1985, Altium released the world's first Microsoft Windows-based printed circuit board design tool in 1991 and continues to provide advanced, easy-to-use and affordable software design tools to electronics engineers, designers, and developers worldwide. Altium's products offer tailored solutions covering a range of hardware and software design processes including the well-known Protel, P-CAD and TASKING brands. Altium is headquartered in Sydney, Australia and has sales and support offices in Australia, the United States, Japan and Europe. More information is available at www.altium.com.

Altium, CAMtastic, CircuitStudio, Design Explorer, DXP, LiveDesign, NanoBoard, NanoTalk, Nexar, nVisage, P-CAD, Protel, Situs, TASKING, and Topological Autorouting and their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Altium Limited or its subsidiaries. All other registered or unregistered trademarks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners, and no trademark rights to the same are claimed.