Mentor Graphics Pads Version History -

| Period | Branding | Example Versions | |------------|--------------|-----------------------| | 1986–1994 | PADS‑PCB | v1.0 – v3.5 (DOS) | | 1995–1999 | PowerPCB | PowerPCB v1.0 – v4.0 | | 2000–2007 | PADS (year‑based) | 2000, 2004, 2005, 2007 | | 2009–2015 | PADS 9.x | 9.0, 9.2, 9.3, 9.4, 9.5 | | 2015–2020 | PADS VX | VX.0, VX.1, VX.2 up to VX.2.10 | | 2021–present | PADS Professional (Siemens) | Pro 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 3.1 |

This period solidified PADS as the dominant mid-market tool. mentor graphics pads version history

  • Review: The tool is now enterprise-ready, competing with Allegro and Xpedition on mid-range projects. Subscription licensing is standard. Performance is excellent, but the learning curve for PADS Pro is steeper than Classic PADS. Some legacy PADS users miss the simplicity of PADS 9.5.

    • Why it matters: In 2001, Mentor Graphics acquired Innoveda specifically to get PADS and its sister tool, Board Station. Mentor immediately began integrating its own backend technology (HyperLynx) into the PADS flow. | Period | Branding | Example Versions |

    Mentor rebranded versions to PADS VX.x to align with Xpedition Enterprise. This period solidified PADS as the dominant mid-market tool