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E*ECAD provides first level email support for all tools purchased
through E*ECAD. Phone support is also available at no extra cost
when deemed necessary. Additional technical support from our
Vendor Partners is available with the purchase of a support
contract from E*ECAD. Please contact us for more info.
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| Q1.1: What is E*ECAD?
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| Q1.2: How does the E*ECAD system work?
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| Q1.3: What is EDA Buffet? |
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| Q1.4: Does the EDA Buffet concept apply to Pay Per Hour packages? |
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| Q1.5: How can E*ECAD lower my costs and increase my productivity?
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| Q1.6: How good are the tools offered, and how reputable are the companies that provide them?
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| Q1.7: How do I create an E*ECAD account? |
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| Q1.8: How quickly can I get the tools I need?
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| Q1.9: How do I find support? |
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| Q1.10: Is the site safe and secure?
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| Q1.11: Do you have a privacy policy?
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| Q1.12: I'm not sure about the service yet, do you have a trial period?
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| Q2.1: How do I browse through vendors, tools and tool flow solutions? |
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| Q2.2: Can I navigate the site while running pay-per-hour software? |
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| Q2.3: How is the web site organized?
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| Q3.1: Can I manage my own account? |
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| Q3.2: How do I add credit to my account?
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| Q3.3: What happens if the credit runs out while my pay-per-hour software is running?
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| Q3.4: Can I have several users on one account?
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| Q4.1: How do I download tools? |
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| Q4.2: What if the page will not display?
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| Q4.3: When do I start using my credits?
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| Q5.1: How do I install tools? |
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| Q5.2: How do I run tools? |
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| Q5.3: How do I monitor my software use using the pay-per-hour/pay-per-run system? |
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| Q5.4: I created a new user in my account, but that user cannot run tools. Why? |
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| Q5.5: If my workstation shuts down during a design, do I lose my work? |
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| Q5.6: How do I find out what my 'HTTP Proxy' is?
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| Q5.7: What if my HTTP Proxy is listening on a port other than port 80?
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| Q5.8: Can I use E*ECAD with a 'SOCKS Proxy'?
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| Q6.1: How do I pay for the E*ECAD products/services requested? |
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| Q6.2: Do I have to prepay?
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| Q6.3: Does charging stop for a running application after I logout from the E*ECAD Remote Access tool? |
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| Q7.1: Whom can I contact about an error message?
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| Q1.1: What is E*ECAD?
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| A: E*ECAD is the company behind eecad.com, the first pay-per-use tool portal for the ECAD and EDA industries. |
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| Q1.2: How does the E*ECAD system work?
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A: E*ECAD has implemented an innovative Internet-based system that provides highly flexible access to a broad range of software solutions that are offered by vendor partners. The E*ECAD system provides many benefits to users and to vendor partners. Vendor partners achieve worldwide distribution without incurring the expense and other difficulties of establishing international sales and marketing channels. A key benefit for users is the ability to choose from different licensing models available in one portal. The E*ECAD system offers two different licensing models for tool usage:
- Pay-Per-Hour or Pay-Per-Run: with Pay-per-Hour you can run any or all of the tools within a package simultaneously - and be charged just the hourly fee. If you run two instances of the same tool at the same time, however, you will be charged double the hourly fee.
- EDA Buffet (monthly rental): unless otherwise requested you will get one seat for each product in the package, plus one extra seat for support tools (such as viewers, etc).
Get started using the E*ECAD system as soon as you create an E*ECAD account. |
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| Q1.3: What is EDA Buffet? |
A: EDA Buffet is a monthly rental of a bundle of EDA tools that are usually used together for a single flat fee. It is an "all you can eat (use)" EDA tools for a whole month.
Look at each package description to find out what tools are included in a specific buffet. The description will also specify the number of concurrent licenses you will obtain for the rental of one seat of the whole package (If more than 1). |
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| Q1.4: Does the EDA Buffet concept apply to Pay Per Hour packages? |
A: Yes. Pay Per Hour packages are also bundled into sets of tools that work together. As long as you do not run more than one instance of each tool, the total charge will not exceed the price per hour. If you run two instances of the same tool within that package, the total charge doubles.
For example, the Silvaco Analog Design Suite contains Scholar (schematic editor) and SmartSpice (spice simulator) amongst other tools. If you run Scholar and SmartSpice at the same time, you will only get charged for one of the tools, the other one being free.
If you run 2 instances of SmartSpice at the same time, the hourly charge will be double the per hour charge advertised. |
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| Q1.5: How can E*ECAD lower my costs and increase my productivity?
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| A: By reducing heavy software license costs and decreasing time-to-market, E*ECAD offers your organization a true competitive advantage. No longer do you have to divide up seats among project teams around the world, each member can have the correct tools when and where he or she needs them.
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| Q1.6: How good are the tools offered, and how reputable are the companies that provide them?
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| A: E*ECAD only accepts vendor partners and software tools that have gone through an extensive screening process. Only quality software tools from reputable companies are available on eecad.com.
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| Q1.7: How do I create an E*ECAD account? |
A: Having an E*ECAD account allows you access to the entire E*ECAD website, including pages available only to registered members.
To create an account, first click on the 'Login' link that appears in the blue bar at the top of the page. Then click on the 'Create new account' link that is listed in Step 1.
You may then submit your information to us which should include a unique user name, a name for the overall account, your company name and your email address. This will complete the creation of your E*ECAD account. There is no payment or credit card information required to create an account.
A successful account creation generates a temporary password which will be emailed to the address you specified. Use this password to log into your E*ECAD account. If logging in for the first time, you will be asked to read and accept the E*ECAD License Agreement before you can proceed. You will also have the opportunity to change the password for your account at this point. We strongly recommend that you change your password immediately after you log in for the first time.
You can change your password at any time later by selecting the "Manage account >> Change password" option from the "My E*ECAD" menu, and submitting the completed form. |
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| Q1.8: How quickly can I get the tools I need?
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| A: Instantly. Simply log on to eecad.com, locate the tool you need, and download it. Users can access E*ECAD as fast as their internet connections can handle.
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| Q1.9: How do I find support? |
A: E*ECAD provides direct support for issues relating to E*ECAD operations such as registration, downloads, billing, etc. Contact information is accessible via the "E*ECAD support" option in the "Support" menu.
Furthermore, E*ECAD also provides first level email support for all tools purchased through E*ECAD. Phone support is available at no cost when deemed necessary. Contact E*ECAD support during business hours at 1-866-EECAD-SUPPORT (1-866-332-2378).
Additional in-depth technical support from our EDA tool providers partners is available on a pay-per-incident basis. Your E*ECAD credit pool must show a minimum positive balance of $50 to generate a vendor support ticket. You may initiate such a request by describing your issue on an online form (accessible via the "Tool vendor support" option in the "Support" menu). An Applications Engineer from the tool provider will contact you shortly to resolve your issue. |
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| Q1.10: Is the site safe and secure?
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| A: Understanding that all information passing through eecad.com is extremely important, we have taken extraordinary precautions to insure the site is safe. We have installed the latest security technology available in the industry. |
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| Q1.11: Do you have a privacy policy?
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| A: Yes we do. Please follow the link at the bottom of this page.
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| Q1.12: I'm not sure about the service yet, do you have a trial period?
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| A: At the price we are charging for software, no trial period is necessary.
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| Q2.1: How do I browse through vendors, tools and tool flow solutions? |
A: On the Home page, select a design area (TCAD, Analog IP, Digital ASIC, FPGA) from the E*ECAD Tools Portfolio then click on one of the available design steps. This will display a list of software packages relevant for that step.
Alternatively, select the "Tool finder" option under the "Products" menu to view all available packages, categorised by vendor and design area. Find out which packages are right for your custom tool flow by selecting design steps within each design area drop-down (situated along the top of the matrix). Available packages will remain highlighted in the body of the matrix. The selection may be further refined by selecting a desired operating system and/or licensing model.
Click on an individual package for more details, or change the Viewing Mode (above the matrix) to view brief or full details of all currently selected packages.
In addition, clicking on a vendor's logo on the left of the matrix will give full details of all software packages available from that vendor. |
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| Q2.2: Can I navigate the site while running pay-per-hour software? |
| A: Yes. Because of the unique E*ECAD system, your pay-per-hour software use is not dependant upon you viewing or being logged in to this E*ECAD web site. |
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| Q2.3: How is the web site organized?
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| A: Users may navigate the site by selecting options from the menu tabs (Home, My E*ECAD, Products, Support, About Us) situated at the top right of every screen. If your browser does not support the menus, click on a tab to view the options displayed in the blue menu bar immediately beneath the section title. |
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| Q3.1: Can I manage my own account? |
| A: You can manage your user profile and change your password on the E*ECAD website. You can make your account a multi-user account, adding and deleting users and managing their profiles and access privileges. All account management options are available via the "Manage account" option in the "My E*ECAD" menu.
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| Q3.2: How do I add credit to my account?
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| A: After logging on, select the "Buy credit" option in the "My E*ECAD" menu. The user then has several online and offline methods of buying credit from credit cards to prepaid cards to purchase orders, checks, etc. Purchases are immediately added to your account. |
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| Q3.3: What happens if the credit runs out while my pay-per-hour software is running?
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| A: The user will be warned when credits are running low. In the event that credits expire during an application, that software will pause until more credits are added.
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| Q3.4: Can I have several users on one account?
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| A: Multiple users are available under one account administrator. Within this function, the account administrator can ration credits and monitor individual activity. These features can be accessed through the "Control panel" and "My reports" options in the "My E*ECAD" menu.
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| Q4.1: How do I download tools? |
A: From the detailed description of a package (accessible via the Tool Finder), click on the "Download package" link. On the Download page select a tab that matches your operating system then choose the version of the software you wish to use. You will be asked to accept an end-user license agreement before the software package can be downloaded.
Repeat this procedure for every tool that you wish to include in your E*ECAD toolbox. Each downloaded tool is a self-contained package ready for installation. Alternatively, upon request, E*ECAD can send you a CD containing the software packages you require. |
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| Q4.2: What if the page will not display?
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| A: Click the refresh button on your browser and check your internet connection. There may be difficulties with your firewall. If problems persist, contact your network administrator. |
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| Q4.3: When do I start using my credits?
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| A: Credits are deducted when the application is initiated. Credits are not deducted for time spent downloading software.
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| Q5.1: How do I install tools? |
A: The installation procedure varies between vendor partners. Detailed installation notes are available for separate download as an Installation Guide and may also be included with the tool.
Software License
(Subscription License and Perpetual License)
A license manager will also have to be installed on a designated license server. This license manager is provided as part of the downloaded package. |
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| Q5.2: How do I run tools? |
A: Pay-Per-Hour/Pay-Per-Run
Before you run a tool, make sure you are connected to the Internet and stay connected for the duration of the tool's execution. If the Internet connection is lost for a short time, you will not see any effect on tool usage; if the connection is lost for a prolonged period the tool will freeze until the connection is restored or you elect to quit the tool. You will not be charged for the time during which the tool is frozen.
To identify yourself to the E*ECAD servers, and protect your account from fraudulent charges, you will be prompted once per session to enter your E*ECAD user name and password. You do not have to be connected to the E*ECAD website through your browser to run a tool.
Refer to a tool's manual for instructions on running the tool.
Software License (Monthly License) - Internet connection is not necessary for tool usage. Run a tool as you normally would with licensed software. |
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| Q5.3: How do I monitor my software use using the pay-per-hour/pay-per-run system? |
A: You can log into your account through the E*ECAD website at any time to monitor and control in real time the status of your pay-per-hour software use. The most recent package use is presented on the "Control panel" page (accessible from the "My E*ECAD" menu), and a full report with date, package, host and user filters is also available (via the "My reports >> Package use" option in the "My E*ECAD" menu).
You can see, for example, which package applications are running and what charges they have accumulated. You can pause, stop or resume your software applications and monitor on which computers they are running. |
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| Q5.4: I created a new user in my account, but that user cannot run tools. Why? |
| A: Each new user created in an account (including the initial SuperUser of the account) needs to log into the E*ECAD web site and accept the legal terms of the agreement shown in the first login screen before this user can start running tools against the account. |
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| Q5.5: If my workstation shuts down during a design, do I lose my work? |
| A: Because the applications are run on your own workstation, your work can be recovered at the last point it was saved.
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| Q5.6: How do I find out what my 'HTTP Proxy' is?
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| A: The name of the 'HTTP proxy' is likely to be listed in your web browser's preferences or Network connection options. Ask your network administrator or the person who set up your web browser whether your Internet connection is via an 'HTTP proxy'. If your Internet connection is via a proxy you will need to enter the name of your 'HTTP proxy' into the 'Firewall Proxy' field of the E*ECAD Remote Access tool. |
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| Q5.7: What if my HTTP Proxy is listening on a port other than port 80?
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| A: You can specify an HTTP Proxy port by appending a colon and port number to the HTTP Proxy in the 'Firewall Proxy' field of the E*ECAD Remote Access Tool. Thus, if your HTTP Proxy was called 'corpgate' and it was listening on port 8080 then you would specify 'corpgate:8080' in the 'Firewall Proxy' field. If the proxy was listening on port 80 then the ':80' would be optional.
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| Q5.8: Can I use E*ECAD with a 'SOCKS Proxy'?
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| A: The E*ECAD system is not designed to be compatible with SOCKS-type firewalls. Use of the E*ECAD system with a SOCKS-based firewall is unsupported and at the user's own risk. |
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| Q6.1: How do I pay for the E*ECAD products/services requested? |
A: The following methods of payment are acceptable for downloads and use of software applications:
- Credit Card (online)
- Purchase Orders (PO)
- Corporate Checks
- Personal Checks
- Wire Transfers
- Money Orders
- Travelers Checks
- Cashiers Checks
Select the "Buy credit" option from the "My E*ECAD" menu for all available options.
- Pay-Per-Hour/Pay-Per-Run
To download and run applications, your account must show a positive dollar balance. You can increase your account balance online with a credit card or prepaid E*ECAD card (an "E*ECARD"), or by using other "offline" methods such as purchase order (PO), check, wire transfer, etc. Select the "Buy credit" option in the "My E*ECAD" menu for information on how to make payments. The real time account balance is always available on the "Control panel" page (accessible from the "My E*ECAD" menu).
You can credit your account as often as needed. Monitor your Credit balance and replenish it whenever it gets low. There is a low credit warning that can be set by the user to facilitate monitoring of the account balance. This is accessed through the "Manage account >> Update profile" option in the "My E*ECAD" menu.
- EDA Buffet (Monthly rental)
Packages that are available for monthly rentals may have a displayed monthly price, or you may be invited to request an individual quote. The total cost will depend upon the number of seats and the term (number of months) you require.
Upon accepting the quoted price for the package, payment for monthly rental software may be made in two ways: A single up-front payment or monthly payments for the duration of your requested term. Any of the methods listed above may be used to pay for the license to run the software.
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| Q6.2: Do I have to prepay?
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| A: Unless you or your company has a purchase order arrangement with E*ECAD, all credits must be prepaid. |
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| Q6.3: Does charging stop for a running application after I logout from the E*ECAD Remote Access tool? |
| A: No. Logging out from the E*ECAD Remote Access tool only prevents new job submissions using your account on the same computer. You have to exit the running tool to stop the billing for that tool. |
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| Q7.1: Whom can I contact about an error message?
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| A: If the error message pertains to an application, or any circumstances involving the actual software, please contact the vendor partner via the "Tool vendor support" option in the "Support" menu. Any difficulty relevant to the e*ECAD web environment, you may contact E*ECAD. |
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Help contents | E*ECAD support | Tool vendor support | FAQ | Application notes | Consultant partners
