Hi,
We are looking for a new CAD system, mainly for the schematic phase as our routing is 99% subcontracted. Our subcontractors are using mid to high range products (PADS, Protel or CADSTAR). So the question : Do you know if these tools are able to import a schematic designed with a lower cost CAD tool (say Eagle or Proteus/Isis for example) ? I guess that the netlist could be imported but I would like to know if the schematic itself can be imported too.
Many thanks for your advices, Robert
Try Kicad. It can export netlists in a variety of formats.
Ian
"Ian Bell" a écrit dans le message de news: dtk9ha$dgg$ snipped-for-privacy@slavica.ukpost.com...
Thanks Ian, I know Kicad but basically I would like to import more than the netlist : the schematic itself
I see. Not sure if this is possible at all.
Ian
It's one thing to export a netlist from a schematic program.
It's another thing to ensure that the layout tool can deal with not only the netlist, but also the component packages. Your schematic program needs to work with the same libraries as the layout tool. When you place an OP275 symbol on the schematic, somehow that symbol must tell the layout program that it needs to use the SOIC-8 package instead of the DIP-8.
Basically, you'll have to use the schematic capture program that goes with your contractor's layout program. If they use PADS, you'll need PADS. If they use DXP, you need DXP. If they use PCAD, you need PCAD. Equally as important, you'll need to use their libraries, or at the least you'll have to create your own library that you'll share with them.
-a
This isn't generally true. I'd agree that it's often easiest to keep everything the same -- and EDA vendors seem to go to some lengths to try to make people do it so that they capture both sales! -- but many PCB packages will accept netlists from a handful of the popular schematic captre packages, and if not there are conversion programs available for any reasonably popular package.
From what I've seen, people who do PCB layout for a living have all their own libraries anyway and will use them by default unless otherwise instructed.
I can't image an affordable 100%-correct layout-import solution. Protection of proprietary formats and all that. (See JT's comment in the following thread.)
A previous thread on interoperability:
FWIW, Pulsonix imports schematic, PCB and library files from:
P-CAD (*.PDF) Cadstar Schematics (*.CSA) PADS Logic (*.NET) P-CAD (*.PDF) Accel EDA (*.NET) UltiCAP (*.SCH) Protel (*.ASC) OrCAD (*.EDF) Eagle SCM (*.EIS)
Leon
Doesn't it import Easy PC then?
Paul Burke
Of course it does! I missed it when copying the text.
Leon
Aren't OrCAD EDF (EDIF)files netlist only?
On the old SDT/PCB 386+ stuff, OrCAD schematics are .SCH, and OrCAD layout are .PCB
Yes, Leon is just copying something. lEON, you had better indicate what files/formats are what or you are seriously misleading these guys. I don't see one library format that I recognize despite Leon's comments.
There are several formats in there that are simply netlists (i.e. PADs
*.net & Accel *.net), not the schematics nor PCB files. Next you have the problem that most nobody saves their files in some of those formats (i.e. ascii, Protel *.ASC), so down the road you may not be able to readily deal with them again unless you have some friend with the tools to correctly read them and write the acceptable format/version files back out to an ascii file.Besides the basic information Leon has offered, there is surely limitations on the actual file versions that it can import. In some cases they may be well out of date versions. Don't be sure it will import any current specific format unless the software supplier will guarantee you. Then get ready to deal with the limitations of the compatibility upon importing. This is true of even the best imports because most packages have features or details which are not supported nor correctly converted on import.
From what I have seen in over 20 years is that almost no package imports or converts schematic files, it is just not worth the development time. A schematic can be redrawn in a couple of days once you know your new tool. PCBs do have converters because that can save you weeks if not months of time to redevelop the PCB. Then you have to confirm that it is valid and the same as the original, all big costs.
-- Sincerely, Brad Velander.
Those were schematic ASCII formats. It will also import the same PCB design formats. I've only used the schematic facility on a few occasions, but it worked very well. It will also export EDIF schematics.
Here is the Help entry for Protel files:
"Protel PCB and Schematic designs and Schematic libraries in ASCII format. Protel PCB footprint libraries can be opened in their Binary library format.- Versions - Protel 98, Protel 99, Protel 99 SE and Protel DXP (2002). (Protel DOS and Protel V2.x and 3.x formats are not supported. Please contact your local sales office to check for alternative solutions.) Design types supported are for: Schematics and PCB Library types supported are for: Schematic Symbols and PCB Footprints, and Parts libraries"
Pulsonix has all the major packages, and have imported native format files for me to one of them on a couple of occasions and saved them for me as ASCII.
Leon
One data point...
Several years ago, I did the schematics for a board and we decided to have an outside company do the layout. They could read netlists from our CAD package.
When we were talking to them to setup the deal, the question of package libraries came up. I handed the guy a stack of printouts of the package footprints from the data sheets. Smile. Next topic.
Their library had everything we needed. They just needed to know which part to use. No big deal.
-- The suespammers.org mail server is located in California. So are all my other mailboxes. Please do not send unsolicited bulk e-mail or unsolicited
Brad,
I've had good results opening PCAD/Accel schematics, PCB files and libraries with a Pulsonix demo. I was pretty impressed - some text rotation and attributes were not quite correct, but that was about it.
Lukas
Leon, Okay I stand corrected with regards to Pulsonix, I was speaking from my past experiences with numerous packages and commenting on your list of file extensions.
-- Sincerely, Brad Velander.
FYI, Pulsonix can also save to ORCAD schematic format, although at the moment the feature is kinda in a "beta" stage where it doesn't work completely correctly. I expect they'll improve this feature in the future...
Without the names of the packages, your post is worthless.
In article , Andy Peters wrote: [..getting the packages right..]
This is basically false.
I use the old Orcad for DOS and it makes Pads2K netlists complete with correct package information. I doubt that there are any serious CAD programs that can't make a net list that has the needed package information in it.
-- -- kensmith@rahul.net forging knowledge
In article , Hal Murray wrote: [...]
That has been my experience with contract layout houses too. They will take input in nearly any reasonable form. If they've been in business for any time, chances are they have a large library of netlist conversion programs. Even today, they will likely have people on staff that can hand create a netlist from a paper schematic.
You should, however, expect to pay for everything they have to do to make your PCB.
-- -- kensmith@rahul.net forging knowledge
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