WESTFORD, MA and MUNICH, Germany, Oct 21, 2026 – Zuken has announced CR-8000 2026, a PCB design software release that automates schematic wire routing, filters connection data for placement analysis and expands reuse of component arrangements from previous projects.
The changes span Design Gateway, CR-8000’s schematic capture tool, and Design Force, its PCB layout tool. The release also extends Smart Design Reuse through Zuken’s Autonomous Intelligent Place and Route (AIPR) technology.
Schematic Routing and Reorganization
In Design Gateway, engineers can establish a logical connection through a sequence of clicks, after which the software generates the wire route.
The software preserves logical connections while engineers reorganize schematics. Users can temporarily unwire components, reposition them and automatically restore wire routes after completing the new arrangement. According to Zuken, this reduces the need to redraw individual connections manually.
Placement Analysis in Design Force
The new Main Path View filters the PCB ratsnest, the visual representation of connections between components. It emphasizes primary connections between major devices and suppresses connections to discrete components to support placement and routing density decisions.
Main Path View also:
- Represents connection-distance constraints between devices so engineers can assess placement candidates against defined requirements.
- Isolates power-related connections for a focused view of the PCB power layout.
- Reduces the need to adjust display settings to isolate connection types.
Reusing Layouts Across Engineering Teams
Smart Design Reuse lets engineers search existing design data for placement configurations used successfully in previous projects. They can compare candidates and apply a selected component arrangement to the current design. According to Zuken, this reduces repetitive component-by-component placement.
AIPR combines AI-assisted methods, machine learning and other automation techniques to support PCB placement and routing. The new Dynamic Brain makes stored placement knowledge available across engineering teams through a locally hosted AIPR server. Placement data remains within the customer’s network rather than in the cloud.
“Engineering teams are more productive when they can build on knowledge from successful designs instead of starting from scratch,” said Steve Watt, PCB engineering manager at Zuken USA. “CR-8000 2026 brings that knowledge into the design workflow while keeping the engineer in control of the design.”
According to Zuken, the CR-8000 2026 release also gives engineers control over route creation through the short-segment router. A new fanout function helps engineers route connections from devices with high pin counts to internal layers with less manual intervention.
Source: Zuken
About Zuken
Zuken Inc. is a software company that develops electronic and electrical design automation tools for engineering teams. Founded in 1976 and headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, the company provides software for printed circuit board design, electrical systems, fluid systems, and 3D cabinet and wire harness layouts. Its core platforms, CR-8000 and E3.series, provide 2D and 3D system-level design environments with integrated design data and configuration management. Zuken’s software supports engineering workflows that connect design, documentation, and manufacturing processes across the product lifecycle. The company also develops tools supporting model-based systems engineering (MBSE) and digital engineering initiatives. Zuken serves industries including electronics manufacturing, automotive, aerospace, telecommunications, and industrial equipment. The company employs about 1,600 people worldwide.
