Router Solutions Device Typer
The Truth About Component Devicetyping
In the course of translating ECAD data into Manufacturing
and Test files, there is frequently a need for classifying
components according to device type, like resistor or diode.
Usually this step is "hidden" or automated to a
point where it is invisible to the end user. However, if we
analyze exactly what is happening and why, we find the issue
goes deeper than many people anticipate.
Usually device types are not present anywhere in the ECAD
data, but rather they are inferred through looking at other
information, like refdes prefix. Historically, the method
most commonly employed to classify components is through the
reference designaotr prefix. Accordingly, components that
have a prefix of "R" would be Resistors, "C"
would be Capacitors, etc...It goes without saying that problems
may occur when you start getting components with reference
designator prefixes of "ZXA" or "WVQ"
- what kind of components should these be classified as? This
is not so far fetched, because in todays increasingly outsourced
world, files can originate anywhere and be manufactured anywhere.
As new technologies are developed and new kinds of components
are created, new device designations become necessary. Furthermore,
how does one know what device types are allowed by the target
system? For example, if you have a component "RP101",
most all users would immediately identify this component as
a Resistor Pack. However, what happens if Resistor Pack is
not an allowed device type for the target translated file?
As it happens, different test platforms do not have the same
device classifications. This means preparing data for one
tester can mutually exclude using that same data to translate
for another test platform.
Because of these reasons, DeviceTyper has been developed
robustly enough to:
- Automatically apply component classification to ECAD data
in an open enough manner to allow classifications for many
different test and manufacturing formats at once, all saveable
in the CAMCAD .CC file format;
- Execute automatic component devicetyping through analysis
of refdes prefix
- Execute automatic component devicetyping through analysis
of existing Attribute information
- Execute automatic component subclass through analysis
of Attribute information
- Execute automatic recording of Partnumbers when manual
Subclassification occurs, for future automatic subclassification
DeviceTyper Overview
In general users have CAMCAD with ECAD data loaded, and launch
and run DeviceTyper.
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