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BOM Importing Instructions
ProntoCAD CONNECT is the importer engine featured in all Unisoft software modules and can import virtually any CAD, Gerber, Bill of Materials (BOM), CNC and mechanical drawing formats.
- Literature: Click here for more literature.
IMPORTING
CAD FILES
Below are PC Board
and mechanical
CAD file formats that
maybe imported into the Unisoft software.
After you have installed the Unisoft software full
samples of most of these formats can be found in the directory c:\program
files\unisoft . In this directory the sample files start with SAMPLE_ and the
CAD System is in the name of the file, for example the file SAMPLE_PADS.ASC is a
full sample of the PADS CAD system ASCII file. You can then match the samples to
your CAD files for processing with the Unisoft software. CAD file formats change
all the time so please check directly with Unisoft for the latest support status
on these or other CAD systems not listed.
Also note that the CAD system in addition to exporting its native format may
export industry standard formats such
as IPC-D-356, GENCAD, FABMASTER, etc. In
most cases these files can be used in place of the native CAD files.
TIP: If you try to open
your file with a TEXT editor and the characters are not standard ASCII text
characters then it is a binary file and not the ASCII CAD file and Unisoft can
not import it!
Unisoft supplies the information below to aid our clients but is not responsible
for any problems encountered.
| CAD System/Standard | File Information | Standard extension | Contents | Sample |
| Altium Designer Altium Designer Altium Designer AutoCAD Bartels Auto Engineer Bartels Auto Engineer Cadence/Valid Allegro Cadence/Valid Allegro CADSTAR CADSTAR ComputerVision Eagle CAD Eagle CAD Eagle CAD Fabmaster Fabmaster FastCAD GENCAD Gerber HPGL Intergragh IPC-D-356 McCAD McCAD MentorBoardStation MentorBoardStation Mentor Expedition Mentor Expedition OrCAD OrCAD PADS PCAD Protel Protel Seetrax Ranger SuperMax ECAD Tango Theda Veribest Veribest Visula |
Protel output X-Y/pins list Data Design Exchange IPC-D-356 GENCAD X-Y/pins list IPC-D-356 CADIF X-Y/pins list X-Y/pins list IPC-D-356 GENCAD X-Y/pins list X-Y/pins list X-Y/pins list Gerber(R274D,R274X) GENCAD Gerber(R274D,R274X) Internet X-Y/pins list X-Y/pins list GENRAD X-Y/pins list Mentor Neutral-X-Y/pin Mentor Route (traces) GENCAD IPC-D-356 Min file GENCAD ASCII output PDIF Protel output Protel output GENCAD IPC-D-356 Netlist X-Y/pins list TL X-Y/pins list GENCAD CADIF |
.pro (see note 5) .pcb (see note 5) .pcbdoc (see note 5) .dxf (see note 1) .ipc/.356/varies .cad varies (see note 3) .ipc/.356 (see note 3) .paf .cdi .cvi .ipc/.356 (see note 4) .cad (see note 4) .fatf - FATF file .fatf - FATF file varies varies .cad .ger/grb/art/pho/varies .hpg .lst varies .cad .tbs .neu/varies .txt/varies .cad .ipc/.356/varies .min .cad .asc .pro .ipc/.356/varies .cad .ipc/.356/varies .pcb .tl .vrb .cad .paf |
PCB X-Y/pins/netlist/trace data (see note 5) PCB X-Y/pins/netlist/trace data (see note 5) (see note 5) drawing file (see note 1) PCB X-Y/pins/netlist data PCB X-Y/pins/netlist/trace data PCB X-Y/pins/netlist/trace data (see note 3) PCB X-Y/pins/netlist data (see note 3) PCB X-Y/pins/netlist/trace data PCB X-Y/pins/netlist/trace data PCB X-Y/pins/netlist/trace data PCB X-Y/pins/netlist data (see note 4) PCB X-Y/pins/netlist/trace data (see note 4) PCB X-Y/pins/netlist/trace data PCB X-Y/pins/netlist/trace data PCB X-Y/pins/netlist/trace data PCB drawing file (note 2) PCB X-Y/pins/netlist/trace data PCB drawing file (note 2) drawing file PCB X-Y/pins/netlist/trace data PCB X-Y/pins/netlist data PCB X-Y/pins/netlist/trace data PCB X-Y/pins/netlist/trace data PCB X-Y/pins/netlist data PCB trace data PCB X-Y/pins/netlist/trace data PCB X-Y/pins/netlist data PCB X-Y/pins/netlist/trace data PCB X-Y/pins/netlist/trace data PCB X-Y/pins/netlist/trace data PCB X-Y/pins/netlist/trace data PCB X-Y/pins/netlist/trace data PCB X-Y/pins/netlist data PCB X-Y/pins/netlist/trace data PCB X-Y/pins/netlist data PCB X-Y/pins/netlist/trace data PCB X-Y/pins/netlist data PCB X-Y/pins/netlist data PCB X-Y/pins/netlist/trace data PCB X-Y/pins/netlist/trace data |
y y n y y y y y y y n y y y y y y y y y y y y n y y y y y y y y y y y y y n y y y |
Full samples of most of the CAD formats
above can be downloaded by clicking this link
http://www.unisoft-cim.com/download/CAD_SAMPLES.zip
. After the download is complete you will find the CAD samples in the
file CAD_SAMPLES.ZIP
.
BINARY FILES: The Unisoft software imports the ASCII files the ECAD systems export but it does not import their binary files. Binary PCB database files are the ECAD companies own proprietary binary format. These binary file formats are normally not public or documented and my violate copyrights. Also as an ECAD company releases new versions of it's software their binary format may change and it would be virtually impossible to modify the Unisoft software to accommodate these changes in a timely manner. For all these reasons the Unisoft software does not import the binary files directly . The Unisoft software imports the standard ASCII files these ECAD systems export.
Note 1: AutoCAD .dxf files are a "Design eXchange Format" files. This file type is only a drawing file. Unisoft can import and display these drawing files but they have little other value within the Unisoft software.
Note 2: Gerber data is basically a drawing file of the PC Boards pad information. Gerber does not contain component, pin or netlist information. Wherever possible, from the listing above, try to obtain CAD files with X-Y/pins/netlist etc. data. As is the case with virtually all Contract Electronics Manufacturers often the only data their clients provide are the gerber files. In this case the Unisoft ProntoGERBER-CONNECTION software is used. ProntoGERBER-CONNECTION is special software that can take these gerber files and turn them into intelligent component, X-Y pin, data files that the other Unisoft software modules can then use.
Note 3: Importing Cadence Allegro CAD files into the Unisoft software - Cadence Allegro can be less straight forward then the other CAD systems in generating the necessary ASCII file that is then imported into the Unisoft software. The Allegro CAD system requires an extraction program in order to get the data out of the system. The extraction script exports ASCII files and therefore anyone needing PCB data from
Allegro database needs to use the Cadence Extraction program. Outlined below are two options to create the ASCII file.Please note that the main Allegro binary database has a .BRD extension. The .BRD is in Allegro's own proprietary binary format that is not public or documented and Unisoft does not import this file directly. The Unisoft software imports the standard ASCII files this database can export.
Option #1 - Some Allegro systems (NT version for example) will allow you to export out an IPC-D356 ASCII file. IPC-D356 is created directly from the export menu on the Allegro CAD system and the Unisoft software can then import the IPC-D356 file.
To export IPC-D356 from the Allegro software click the EXPORT MENU then click IPC-D356 and the resultant .IPC file created can be imported into the Unisoft software. To import the .IPC file into the Unisoft software first start the Unisoft software and click the main FILE menu then select SMART OPEN and select the directory where the .IPC file is located, then select the .IPC file and click OK. A window will open, click OK and the PCB will be displayed.
Option #2 - Some customers that use ALLEGRO have been able to export the standard file format from ALLEGRO called FABMASTER. We recommend the Fabmaster file format because it contains a large amount of the PC Board detail (traces, etc.).
To export FABMASTER from the Allegro software you need to download and run the skill file script to extract Fabmaster CAD data. The licensed Cadence Allegro user can go to "Sourcelink" on the Cadence website and download the Fabmaster skill file to extract Fabmaster CAD data. The skill file should contain information on how it should be run. The resultant Fabmaster .CAD file created can be imported into the Unisoft software. To import the .CAD file into the Unisoft software first rename the extension of the file from .CAD to .FAB then start the Unisoft software and click the main FILE menu then select OPEN and select the directory where the .FAB file is located. Next click the pull down menu next to "LIST FILE TYPES" and select "FabMaster Files (*.FAB)" then select the .FAB file and click OPEN and the PCB will be displayed.
The first few lines of the Fabmaster file look something like this:
A!REFDES!COMP_CLASS!COMP_PART_NUMBER!COMP_HEIGHT!COMP_DEVICE_LABEL!COMP_INSERTION_CODE!SYM_TYPE!SYM_NAME!SYM_MIRROR!SYM_ROTATE!SYM_X!SYM_Y!COMP_VALUE!COMP_TOL!COMP_VOLTAGE!
J!C:/ZZZ/Allegro/ZZZ.brd!Mon
Oct 10 12:35:23
2006!-21672.0!-5000.0!98328.0!93832.3!0.1!mils!ZZZ!14.400000
mil!2!UP TO DATE!
S!C46!IC!123-111700-019!!!!PACKAGE!6032!NO!270.000!1575.0!725.0!22uF!!!
S!C95!IC!123-111700-019!!!!PACKAGE!6032!NO!180.000!1340.0!835.0!22uF!!!
S!R35!IC!123-111000-016!!!!PACKAGE!RES0603!NO!180.000!895.0!2445.0!0R!!!
S!U11!IC!123-111500-001!!!!PACKAGE!QFN32_1!NO!0.000!1950.0!5450.0!TGA4525-SM!!!
If you have an ASCII file similar
in format to the one above "A!XXX!YYY!ZZZ!" but it does not import into the Unisoft software with the above mentioned methods then first change the file extension to .VAL and try to import it into the Unisoft software. If that does not work then change the file extension to .VA2 and try to import it into the Unisoft software. The "A!XXX!YYY!ZZZ!" format above comes in many variations so if you still have issues then please contact Unisoft.Note 4: Importing
EAGLE CAD files into the
Unisoft software - EAGLE
CAD system users can export GenCAD, IPCD356,
etc. files that can then be
importing into the Unisoft software. The Eagle CAD system uses "User Language Programs" scripts to export data out.
To download the "User Language Programs" scripts
for
GenCAD, IPCD356, etc. go to the Eagle website at
http://www.cadsoftusa.com
then click DOWNLOAD
then
click ULP's - USER LANGUAGE PROGRAMS
and select the
GenCAD or
IPCD356 download.
Please
follow any instructions provided on the CADSOFT website.
Note 5: Altium Designer .PCBDOC / .PCB / .PRO - The .PCBDOC file is a binary file and is not importable into the Unisoft software. The preferred format that the Unisoft software can import from Altium Designer is the Protel PCB 2.8 ASCII format. To export the Protel PCB 2.8 ASCII format from the SAVE AS menu on the Altium Designer CAD system choose the Protel PCB 2.8 ASCII format. This file will import correctly into the Unisoft software. The Protel file exported will have a .PCB file extension and it should have a .PRO extension if you wish to open it with the Unisoft standard OPEN menu. If you use the Unisoft SMART OPEN menu then it does not matter what the extension is and the .PCB extension will import fine.
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