IDF 3.0 - Can someone explain

[Greg Kling]

Hi all,


I am applying for a job at a telecom company as a machanical design engineer.


They require a knowledge of IDF for translation from ECAD to MCAD systems. Can someone explain how IDF works? Is it an actual software that converts ECAD to a file format which can be imported into an MCAD system? What file formats does it create if this is the case.


The actual requirement is stated as follows:
<LI>Support the MCAD/ECAD collaboration process via Intermediate Data Format (IDF 3.0)
</LI>


Just a brief comment is what I'm looking for. I just want a heads up.


Thanks in advance.


Greg
Edited by: Greg Kling

 

[red devil]

Hi Greg,


IDF if a standard translation from ECAD to MCAD systems. Generally you will have 2 files generated from the ECAD system (*.emn & *.emp file), in my case this is Allegro. The emn file contains information regarding the pcb dimensions, keep outs, keep ins,hole and component positions. The emp file contains the library of components together with their dimensions.


The way we work here is that we name all our pcb components to match the footprint name on the ECAD package, these parts are then put in our part library which is used when importing the pcb. The reason we do this is so that we get accurate components fitted to the MCAD pcb, rather than just the block representation.


You can also work from MCAD to ECAD! Generally I create my pcb, making sure that the Z axis on the coordinate system points in the correct direction, add any required keep-in or keep-outs, then add my components (that have the same name as the ECAD footprints), I usually assign ref des's to these components too and then save a copy to *.emn.


If you have any other questions please pm me.


Cheers, Jeff

 

[fiebigc]

This might be a little late but I posted a tutorial a while back.

http://www.mcadcentral.com/proe/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=37 964&PN=3

Or type in "IDF Tutorial" (with quotations) into Google and as of Aug 11, 2009 it was the third listing.