PADS PCB, PADS Pro, PADS 2000
Overview
For detailed directions on creating this file in PADS, please
see the original system file generation
section.
Versions Supported
CAMCAD supports any version of PADS Power PCB up to
Version 5.0. PADS Perform is not officially supported but
may work.
Specific Import Procedures
The PADS import procedure does not vary from the generic
import procedure described in the Importing
Section index. Simply choose the File
| Import command from the menu or the Import
button on the Main toolbar. From the list of licensed import
modules select "PADS (.ASC) Layout Read" and click OK.
Next, browse to your PADS file and click OK
to load the file. Finally, check the log messages and select
"Place at Origin and Fit Page to Image".
The default rules file is PADS.in and is found in the CAMCAD
directory. See PADS.in File
for more information regarding the use of this file.
After loading the Pads file check to see if all the layers
you want to import are turned on.
Tips, Notes and Importing Questions
My Pads design contains associative copper on some of
my component pins. Is associative copper supported and, if
so, to what degree?
CAMCAD does support associative copper from Pads.
Associative copper in the pads system is part of the PARTDECAL
definition and not part of the pad definition of that PARTDECAL.
Any associative copper will be displayed in CAMCAD
exactly as it is defined in the pads file, on the correct
layer and drawn with the correct width as part of the component
geometry in which it is defined. Padstacks themselves will
be defined in CAMCAD exactly as they are read from
the Pads file. Pads does not support complex apertures for
use in building padstacks. Pads does not have padstacks as
library elements and are locally defined for each PARTDECAL.
A Pads PARTDECAL is structured as follows:
PARTDECAL
|
----> OPEN (non-copper line)
|
----> COPOPN (open copper)
|
----> COPCLS (used for component copper and associative copper)
|
----> KPTCLS (closed keepout area)
|
----> VALUE (attribute definition)
|
----> Padstack
|
----> Top Pad
|
----> Inner Pad(s)
|
----> Bottom Pad
From this it is evident that the COPCLS item exists on a higher
level (as an object in the PARTDECAL) than the Pads (as an
object in the padstack). It is for this reason that none of
the export options from CAMCAD will be able to use
the associative copper as part of the padstack and the associative
copper will always be output as component level copper.
|
