Just wanted to add a little to help this dialog along regarding
topologies and stack ups...
Gerber, in my opinion is very good as far as topologies are
concerned, as it decribes the actual final "printed" image of the
layout. Verus some layout tools "pre-Gerber" layout files as well
as DXF files, etc do not typically take into account surface area
changes that occur from ECAD to Gerber.
Having said that, as several folks have tried to communicate, there
is an additional "Description File" needed to topologies which some
CAE vendors refer to as "Fabrication Steps", "Technology
Files", "Neutral Interface Files", etc. In any event, as far as I
know, there is no "Standard" for this. And, personally, when I read
the original email to this thread, as a CAE vendor, thought it would
be great if someone headed it up -as we (interactive products) have
had to write several interfaces to other apps and would have
prefered not to do the additional work if it could have been avoided.
Brian Burke
Interactive Products Corporation
Signal Integrity Software Tools
http://www.interactive-products.com
--- In si-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "giancarlo guida" <gguida@xxxx>
wrote:
> Hi Scott,
> you are right there is a way to import
> Gerber in To Ansoft 3D tool
> by using a 3d part code.
>
> Anyway Gerber is far the last choice to perform an EM analysis,
> because it contains just geometrical information
> and it was intended to phisically build a pcb rather than
> to be a neutral format to exchange information.
>
> Ansoft user can take advantage from Ansoftlink
> that provide an automatic integration between
> Cadence, Nentor, Zuken and Synopsis layout toll
> either for package and PCB.
>
> GIancarlo
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Thomas Beneken" <beneken@xxxx>
> To: <si-list@xxxx>
> Sent: Tuesday, December 07, 2004 11:00 AM
> Subject: [SI-LIST] Re: EMI simulation tools at PCB level
>
>
> > I've found artwork in the CST gerber input converter ...
> >
> > .. and yes, gerber conversion sometimes needs rework by hand if
it looks
> > like painting with a spot of light ...
> >
> > Thomas
> >
> > > Date: Mon, 06 Dec 2004 10:56:17 -0500
> > > From: Scott McMorrow <scott@xxxx>
> > > Subject: Re: EMI simulation tools at PCB level
> > >
> > >
> > > Stuart Brorson wrote:
> > >
> > > >I don't think Gerber is used as an input format for SI tools,
is it?
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > Actually, believe it or not, Gerber is a format that can be
used with
> > > some 3D fullwave solvers. CST Microwave can use it. And I
seem to
> > > remember a path from Gerber to the HFSS format. But ... it
can get
> > > ugly. The other format that is prevalent in the RF/ Microwave
tool
> > > universe is DXF. Artwork Conversions (www.artwork.com) has
some good
> > > tools that can be used to translate from Gerber to DXF and
> > > back again,
> > > along with some links to other RF tool formats. Regarding
what will
> > > happen to the files in a particular tool once they have been
> > > imported.
> > > Well that is a topic for a month's worth of discussions.
Generally I
> > > find that after translation into dxf, a good editor like
Autocad or
> > > Solidworks is a must have to perform some cleanup of the
design.
> > >
> > > As for non-proprietary formats for PCB, flex, MCM, and
> > > package design
> > > information exchanges, wouldn't that be nice? Ff we had a
robust
> > > universal design information exchange format, we would be
> > > able to pick
> > > and choose the best software for any particular job that we
> > > are doing.
> > > Unfortunately, this would run against the financial interests
of most
> > > EDA vendors, which is exactly why we'll never see such a think
in our
> > > lifetime.
> > >
> > > As for solving the entire electrical, electromagnetic and
numerical
> > > environment of a common PCB, with the thought of correlating
to far
> > > field emissions from thousands of potential radiating
elements, that
> > > sounds like a good DARPA project on a massively parallel
> > > processor. No
> > > one else has that kind of money to fund research that will
> > > never find a
> > > commercial market.
> > >
> > > regards,
> > >
> > > scott
> > >
> > > --
> > > Scott McMorrow
> > > Grand Poobah
> > > Teraspeed Consulting Group LLC
> > > 121 North River Drive
> > > Narragansett, RI 02882
> > > (401) 284-1827 Business
> > > (401) 284-1840 Fax
> > > (503) 750-6481 Cellular
> > > http://www.teraspeed.com
> > >
> > > Teraspeed is the registered service mark of
> > > Teraspeed Consulting Group LLC
> >
> >
> >
> > -----------------------------------------------------------------
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