Importing old Pcad files in new version

[techie]

pcad 4.53

Hi all,

I have desings made in old DOS based PCAD 4.51 (1989). I want to import these desings in PCAD-2001 or PCAD-2002. Can someone suggest how can this be done. Simply opening the PCB files give an error.

thanks

 

[Camak]

pcad aperture

In general:

PCAD4.5 PDIFOUT => PCAD 200x PCB File => Import => PDIF

It's working, bat it is necessary carefully tune up layer mapping

[/quote]

 

[techie]

pcad 4.5 convert

Thanks but how do I generate PDIF from PCAD. In this version (4.53), which program is used to to make PDIF files.

 

[klug]

pdifout.exe

To generate pdif :

pcad45\exe\pdifout.exe file.*

you can convert *.prt, *.sym, *.pdf, *.sch, *.ps files.

 

[techie]

view pcad 4.5 schematic

Got it. The PCB import is smooth. Somehow I cant import PRT (pattern files). In Pattern editor, there is no import function. If I import it in the PCB program, it does import but then the screen does not show anything. Can you suggest why,

 

[klug]

pcad45

I think, file convertion is not so good way at all. Some information is losted with it. Last month I have made big project on P-CAD8.7, sended *.pcb to PCB manufacturer, they converted it to P-CAD2002 and after receiving boards I have found that they have losted some polygones, changed form of few pads, and after soldering we have found that pcb is 5 mm bigger on one dimension. 8O I can not imagine how they did it. Now I am migrating to P-CAD2002.

 

[techie]

pcad aperture .apr

I also found some problems with losing polygons. But 5mm larger is really strange.

I guess after porting to new versions, one needs to recheck the whole design.

Anyone can tell me how to port patterns *.prt files.

 

[sintis]

You can bundle p-cad45 *.prt files in lib file, convert *.lib to *.pdif

and use Library Executive | Library | Translate

 

[techie]

Tried that. The PDIF creation is OK. To try, I used a standard PCAD45 pattern library (TTL1.PLB) and converted to PDIF. But when I translate it using Library Executive Translate, it says
"Error Fuond PDIF PCB file. Please select PDIF Library type"

Can someone explain.

 

[Camak]

Try next path:

PCB 2002: File: Import: PDIF.

After correctly completion process :

Library => Archive Library, in PCAD2002 projects
we get new library, which contain elements from
project.

From PCAD 4.5 I do not taste this path :-((

Constantin

 

[techie]

Still does not work. Has anyone actually tried this on PCAD4.5

 

[juggernaut7]

I used dxf to convert Autocad polygons to copper areas and found that the conversion increased the areas by the width of the aperture. Autocad looks at the copper edge same as Pads- the actual edge of the copper, but the conversion made the edge equal to the center of a draw. Pads will back the line center away from the copper edge equal to half the aperture size used to create the copper, keeping the edge consistent.

The bottom line is to do the conversions yourself, check them and send the vendor 274x files. Whenever you do a conversion, something always needs fine tuning and the vendor doesn't know there is a problem.

J