The interview process consisted of a phone interview and a 5 hour onsite. The phone interview was organic. Upon request, the interviewer followed up with a list of IEEE and academic papers relevant to the position. I found this part encouraging since it was an opportunity to learn new things and provided an opportunity to prepare. The white board was heavily used, but mostly for diagrams and equations.
The entire process was very professional and welcoming and I believe Cadence would have been a great place to work.
While I did not accept the offer, it was primarily due to the cost of living of California compared to opportunities elsewhere in the US.