Using Allegro and OrCAD, your engineers must place and route each board by hand. With Flux, you provide the requirement, and the AI engineer selects parts, draws the schematic, and routes the board.
Flux works as an autonomous hardware engineer for your team. Give it a requirement. It plans the design, selects the parts, draws the schematic, routes the board, models mechanical parts, and writes the firmware. It checks its work with simulation and design rule checks, then hands your engineers files ready for manufacturing.
OrCAD is a suite of PCB design and analysis tools. It includes a schematic editor (Capture), an analog and mixed-signal circuit simulator (PSpice), and a PCB layout tool (PCB Designer).[1]
Cadence Design Systems bought OrCAD in 1999 and integrated it with Cadence Allegro in 2005. OrCAD PCB Designer is sometimes called Allegro PCB Designer.[1]
PSpice simulates analog and mixed-signal circuits. Component manufacturers supply PSpice models for their parts.[1]
OrCAD CIS keeps a database of available parts that you can update from component manufacturers.[1]
Many reference boards come in the OrCAD Capture format.[1]
Flux selects from 734,000+ public parts with live pricing and stock, creates the schematic, places parts, and routes the board like a seasoned designer. It verifies the design against every datasheet, runs circuit and full-wave electromagnetic simulation, and delivers manufacturing files. Your engineers inspect and edit the result. Flux operates directly in your browser.
| Feature | Flux | Cadence Allegro and OrCAD |
|---|---|---|
| Requirements and specification | The AI engineer turns your idea into requirements and a product specification, and checks the design against them. | OrCAD X manages physical and electrical design requirements.[4] |
| What it is | AI hardware engineer with built-in design tools | PCB design and analysis software[1] |
| Where it runs | In your web browser. Nothing to install. Your projects live in the cloud. | Desktop software for Windows[4] |
| Who does the design work | The Flux agent. Your engineers inspect and edit. | Your engineers[1] |
| Schematic and parts | Built in. Selects from 734,000+ public parts. | OrCAD Capture[1] |
| Placement and routing | The AI engineer places parts and routes the board like a seasoned designer. Your engineers inspect and edit. | PCB Designer, which your engineers drive, with an auto-router[1] |
| High-speed design | The AI engineer plans DDR topology and timing budgets, routes differential pairs and length-matched buses, tunes length and skew, fans out BGAs with blind, buried, and microvias, and sets trace impedance from your stackup. It checks the routed board with S-parameters, TDR, eye diagrams, crosstalk analysis, and a signal integrity, power integrity, and EMC review. Your engineers review and edit. | OrCAD X supports high-speed PCB design and constraints.[2] |
| Flex and rigid-flex boards | Built in. Named stackups for rigid and flex areas, coverlay and stiffeners, hatched flex pours, bending lines with a folded 3D view and folded STEP files, flex design checks, and Gerber, ODB++, and IPC-2581 files. The AI engineer routes each area on its own layers. | Rigid-flex design with bend and flex definitions, stack-up management, and design-for-manufacturing analysis. Your engineers set up and route each board.[6] |
| Parts and sourcing | 734,000+ public parts, with real-time pricing and stock from distributors | A part database that you update from component manufacturers[1] |
| Simulation and design rule checks | SPICE, thermal and mechanical simulation, plus power delivery network, full-wave electromagnetic, and signal integrity simulation, with design rule checks. | PSpice analog and mixed-signal simulation, plus board-level analysis and design rule checks[1] |
| Firmware | Writes firmware for the board it designed | Not in OrCAD X[2] |
| Wiring harnesses | Built in. Flux designs the wiring harnesses between the boards: connectors, pinouts, and wires, in the same project. | Not in OrCAD X[2] |
| Manufacturing files | Gerber, ODB++, IPC-2581, bill of materials, pick-and-place, and other files. Flux can check the files before you order. It checks copper gaps, silkscreen, board outline, BOM, and pick-and-place files. | Prints for printed circuit board manufacturing[1] |
| Quotes and orders | Quotes and orders for boards, 3D printing, CNC machining, and wire harnesses, from the project. | BOM tools show part availability and supply-chain information.[2] |
| Import from other tools | Imports complete projects from Altium, OrCAD and Allegro, KiCad, PADS and Xpedition, CADSTAR, Eagle, Fusion Electronics, EasyEDA, DipTrace, and SOLIDWORKS PCB. Flux imports Labcenter Proteus SDF netlists with Specctra board exports. IPC-2581 revision B and C files become board projects with reusable footprint parts. IDF 2.0 and 3.0 board files become board projects with the outline, cutouts, drilled and mounting holes, part placements, and 3D part heights. | Imports designs from Altium, PADS, and other EDA tools.[3] |
| Versions, branches, and merges | Full change history. The AI engineer forks a design into a second version, keeps both, and merges the changes that you pick. | Cloud data management provides version control and design history.[3] |
| Who reviews the work | The whole team, in one live project in the browser: electrical, layout, mechanical, and firmware engineers | Cloud design review supports markups and collaboration.[2] |
| Product images, videos, and documents | Product images, product videos, datasheets, and regulatory documents, made from the design in the project. | OrCAD X creates realistic 3D renderings for design visualization.[4] |
| Tool licenses | Included with your Flux plan: the editor, parts data, mechanical CAD, simulation, and manufacturing files. No extra purchases needed. | Capture, PSpice, and PCB Designer are separate products in the OrCAD suite[1] |
| And the mechanical parts too | ||
| Mechanical CAD | Built in, kernel agnostic. From an enclosure to a complete robot arm. | Not in OrCAD X[2] |
| Mechanical simulation | Finite-element stress, thermal, and airflow simulation | Cadence Celsius simulates thermal behavior in electronic systems.[5] |
| Mechanical manufacturing | STEP, STL, and 3MF files, plus quotes for 3D printing, CNC machining, sheet metal, and laser cutting | Not in OrCAD X[2] |
| CNC toolpaths and G-code | The AI engineer writes the toolpaths, the G-code, a toolpath preview, and a setup sheet for the parts that it designed. | Not in OrCAD X[2] |
Start a Flux project free and describe the device you want to build.
Flux places parts and routes the board like a seasoned designer, respecting your design intent and layout rules.
Flux selects from 734,000+ public parts. It verifies live pricing and distributor stock before placing any part on the board.
Flux checks each board against your layout rules and your fabricator's capabilities.
Flux reviews the datasheet for each part, verifying the design against documented pinouts, ratings, and operating limits.
Import your OrCAD project or Allegro board. Ask the agent to modify it. Then move to manufacturing: Flux gives you the exact files your manufacturer needs.
Example request
“Swap the linear regulator for an in-stock buck converter, then reroute the power traces.”
Altium Designer 
OrCAD and Allegro 
KiCad 
PADS, Xpedition, and NX 
CADSTAR 
Eagle and Fusion 
EasyEDA 
SolidWorks 
CATIA 
Creo 
Onshape Import entire projects, parts libraries, and 3D models. Schematics, parts, and placement transfer over, along with routing from most formats.
Imported designs are ready to edit immediately. Ask to "move the USB cutout 3 cm left" or "make the enclosure tighter", and Flux handles the work.
Flux provides the files your manufacturer needs: Gerber, ODB++, IPC-2581, bill of materials, and pick-and-place for the board, plus STEP, STL, or 3MF for mechanical parts.
Orchestration
Give Flux an entire product. The lead AI engineer divides it into workstreams, runs parallel tasks across projects, manages them, and reports back.
Each workstream runs with its own agent. The main board, daughterboards, and enclosure develop at the same time.
The lead AI engineer launches work in other projects and tracks everything from one place.
It monitors every task, redirects work that strays from the brief, and gathers the results.
Any changes that shift an interface or resize a board require your approval.
Flux creates a brief for each board defining its outline, mounting holes, connectors, and matching enclosure openings. Each board receives its own project and dedicated AI engineer, running all three designs in parallel. Flux then places the completed boards into the main assembly, measuring clearances and connector alignment in millimeters.
Verification lab
Flux does not stop at generating designs. The AI engineer simulates and verifies its work using professional-grade solvers, then shows you the results.
Run SPICE simulation for analog, power, and mixed-signal circuits, analyzed directly by the AI engineer.
Full-wave simulation on the routed board covers impedance, S-parameters, crosstalk, and antennas.
Electrical and manufacturing rule checks run on every schematic and board.
Reads every part's datasheet and validates the design against documented pinouts, ratings, and limits.
Simulate heat and airflow across boards and enclosures before you build.
Simulate enclosure airflow and cooling, confirming that vents, fans, and heat sinks work prior to your first prototype.
Finite-element stress analysis for brackets, enclosures, and mounts.
Sourcing
Flux connects directly with leading suppliers of electronic and mechanical hardware. The AI engineer selects in-stock silicon, connectors, screws, and standoffs, checks pricing among vendors, and substitutes parts nearing end of life before board assembly starts.
Digi-Key 
LCSC 
Mouser 
Arrow 
Verical 
TME 
HQonline 
McMaster-Carr 
MISUMI 
JLCMC Manufacturing
Flux pulls quotes directly from fabricators for boards and assembly, plastic and metal 3D printing, CNC machining, sheet metal, laser cutting, injection molding, casting, and wire assemblies. The AI engineer compares price and lead time, validates the design against rules from each fabricator, and updates quotes as the design changes.
JLCPCB 
PCBWay 
OSH Park 
AISLER 
Craftcloud JLC 3D printing PCBWay 3D printing 
Shapeways 
OSH Cut 
SendCutSend 
MiniProto The board, mechanical parts, and firmware stay in one project. The agent can update the board and mechanical parts together. You do not transfer files between electronics software, mechanical tools, and a code editor.
You do not install software or manage license servers. Flux runs on any computer using a modern web browser.
Distribute any project through a URL. Teammates can make edits simultaneously. No one emails attachments or wonders which revision is current.
Fresh capabilities and new AI models deploy automatically. You avoid installing software updates or migrating project archives.
The Flux library includes 734,000+ public parts. You do not need to build a parts library before starting.
Add collaborators via URL. Single sign-on and project-level permissions determine user access.
One platform
Flux replaces disparate CAD programs with one unified AI-native platform. Every technical field references the same project, identical engineering data, and one AI engineer.
Design parametric enclosures, brackets, and mounts matched to the board's actual mounting holes and connectors. Import your own STEP models. Use one parts library for the complete product: chips and connectors, off-board devices, and mechanical hardware like screws and standoffs.
Firmware created for the board Flux designed, targeting Arm Cortex-M, RISC-V, AVR, or Pico, then compiled, analyzed, and unit tested.
Model-agnostic AI
Flux connects frontier AI models to advanced engineering infrastructure built for CAD and EDA. Models deliver logic. Flux contributes the specialized tools, project context, and workflows that transform that reasoning into physical hardware.
Adaptive divides each engineering job into tasks and assigns each task to the model that runs it most efficiently for the price. Complex design decisions route to frontier models. Routine work routes to fast, low-cost models. Independent tasks run in parallel, so complete hardware comes together faster. Your team interacts with a single AI engineer, while Flux coordinates the work behind the scenes.
Use the frontier models your team already trusts, directly inside Flux.
Each model uses Flux's dedicated engineering tools, project context, and specialized workflows.
When a better model is released, your team can use it without moving to a different engineering platform.
Avoid dependence on a single model provider for your engineering capacity.
Adaptive pairs each engineering step with the most effective model, from core design decisions to routine checks.
For learning and evaluation, with light AI usage and unlimited manual editing.
For active hardware projects, with included AI usage and additional usage available.
For larger projects and heavier AI usage, with hands-on support from experienced electrical engineers.
For teams on shared projects, with pooled AI usage, member seats, and priority support.
Eligible individual plans include a free trial. Teams subscriptions start paid; trial and pricing terms depend on your current offer. See all plans
Not ready to pick a plan? Start for free
Choose Allegro or OrCAD when your engineers prefer to design every board by hand. Choose Flux when you want an AI engineer to handle the design work while your engineers review it.
Explore individual plans, or schedule a demo with our team.
