<SUBMISSION>
<ACCESSION-NUMBER>0001209191-04-025446
<TYPE>3
<PUBLIC-DOCUMENT-COUNT>2
<PERIOD>20040512
<FILING-DATE>20040513
<REPORTING-OWNER>
<OWNER-DATA>
<CONFORMED-NAME>FISTER MICHAEL J
<CIK>0001261264
</OWNER-DATA>
<FILING-VALUES>
<FORM-TYPE>3
<ACT>34
<FILE-NUMBER>001-10606
<FILM-NUMBER>04801970
</FILING-VALUES>
<BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>2200 MISSION COLLEGE BLVD
<CITY>SANTA CLARA
<STATE>CA
<ZIP>95052
</BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
</REPORTING-OWNER>
<ISSUER>
<COMPANY-DATA>
<CONFORMED-NAME>CADENCE DESIGN SYSTEMS INC
<CIK>0000813672
<ASSIGNED-SIC>7372
<IRS-NUMBER>770148231
<STATE-OF-INCORPORATION>DE
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>0102
</COMPANY-DATA>
<BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>2655 SEELY ROAD BLDG 5
<CITY>SAN JOSE
<STATE>CA
<ZIP>95134
<PHONE>4089431234
</BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<MAIL-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>555 RIVER OAKS PARKWAY
<CITY>SAN JOSE
<STATE>CA
<ZIP>95134
</MAIL-ADDRESS>
<FORMER-COMPANY>
<FORMER-CONFORMED-NAME>ECAD INC /DE/
<DATE-CHANGED>19880609
</FORMER-COMPANY>
</ISSUER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>3
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>bpa99045_bpa1mf.xml
<DESCRIPTION>MAIN DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION
<TEXT>
<XML>
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0202</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>3</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2004-05-12</periodOfReport>

    <noSecuritiesOwned>0</noSecuritiesOwned>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000813672</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>CADENCE DESIGN SYSTEMS INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>CDN</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001261264</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>FISTER MICHAEL J</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>2655 SEELY AVENUE</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>SAN JOSE</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>95134</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle>President, CEO</officerTitle>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>No securities beneficially owned</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>0</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <derivativeTable></derivativeTable>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ R.L. Smith McKeithen, Attorney-in-fact for Michael J. Fister</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2004-05-12</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>

</XML>
</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>EX-24
<SEQUENCE>2
<FILENAME>ex-24.htm
<DESCRIPTION>POWER OF ATTORNEY
<TEXT>
<html>
<head>
	<title>Exhibit 24</title>
</head>

<body>

<DIV style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif">

<P align="right" style="font-size: 10pt">Exhibit&nbsp;24

<P align="center" style="font-size: 10pt"><B>POWER OF ATTORNEY</B>

<P align="left" style="font-size: 10pt">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;I, Michael J. Fister, hereby authorize William Porter, R.L. Smith
McKeithen or James J. Cowie of Cadence Design Systems, Inc., a Delaware
corporation (the &#147;Company&#148;), to sign and file on my behalf the Initial
Statement of Beneficial Ownership of Securities on Form&nbsp;3, Statements of
Changes in Beneficial Ownership on Forms 4 and 5, and any Amendments thereto,
to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Section
16(a) of the Securities Act of 1934 relating to my beneficial ownership of
securities in the Company.

<P align="left" style="font-size: 10pt">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The undersigned hereby grants to each such attorney-in-fact full power and
authority to do and perform any and every act and thing whatsoever requisite,
necessary, or proper to be done in the exercise of any of the rights and powers
herein granted, as fully to all intents and purposes as the undersigned might
or could do if personally present, with full power of substitution or
revocation, hereby ratifying and confirming all that such attorney-in-fact, or
such attorney-in-fact&#146;s substitute or substitutes, shall lawfully do or cause
to be done by virtue of this power of attorney and the rights and powers herein
granted. The undersigned acknowledges that the foregoing attorney-in-fact, in
serving in such capacity at the request of the undersigned, are not assuming,
nor is the Company assuming, any of the undersigned&#146;s responsibilities to
comply with Section&nbsp;16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

<P align="left" style="font-size: 10pt">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;This authorization shall remain in effect until I am no longer required to
file forms under Section 16(a) with respect to the Company&#146;s securities, unless
earlier revoked in writing delivered to the foregoing attorneys-in-fact.

<DIV align="center">
<TABLE style="font-size: 10pt" cellspacing="0" border="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%">
<!-- Begin Table Head -->
<TR valign="bottom">
    <TD width="40%">&nbsp;</TD>
    <TD width="15%">&nbsp;</TD>
    <TD width="45%">&nbsp;</TD>
</TR>
<!-- End Table Head -->
<!-- Begin Table Body -->
<TR valign="bottom">
    <TD valign="top"><DIV style="margin-left:0px; text-indent:-0px">/s/ Michael J. Fister</DIV></TD>
    <TD>&nbsp;</TD>
    <TD align="left" valign="top">May&nbsp;12, 2004</TD>
</TR>
<TR style="font-size: 1px">
    <TD valign="top"><HR size="1" noshade><DIV style="margin-left:0px; text-indent:-0px">&nbsp;</DIV></TD>
    <TD>&nbsp;</TD>
    <TD align="left" valign="top"><HR size="1" noshade>&nbsp;</TD>
</TR>
<TR valign="bottom">
    <TD valign="top"><DIV style="margin-left:0px; text-indent:-0px">Michael J. Fister</DIV></TD>
    <TD>&nbsp;</TD>
    <TD align="left" valign="top">Date</TD>
</TR>
<!-- End Table Body -->
</TABLE>
</DIV>

<P align="center" style="font-size: 10pt">&nbsp;
</DIV>

</body>
</html>

</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
</SUBMISSION>
