IPC2581 Developers Corner

These pages provide the roadmap, specification and test files for Artwork's IPC2581 translator development.

Roadmap

Our goal is to have two IPC2581 front ends completed by Q1 2012. These will be mated to our family of outputs in order to provide a wide range of tools for our end users and OEM partners.

Many of our customers need only manufacturing outputs and do not need us to process or manipulate nets or connectivity. For these applications we will use a front end that bypasses the net processing for improved speed.

Outputs include:

Gerber RS274X

GDSII

DXF

NC (Excellon) Drill and Route

IPC-D-356A

3Di

IDF 3.0

STEP

Micronic MIC Format

For outputs that require design data we will do whatever net and connectivity processing needed by the target output format. This would include using 2581 as a neutral file for PCB to PCB translators and using it as a netural file for simulation tools.

Outputs include:

Ansoft Neutral File (ANF)

Artwork's ASCII File

3Di (w net/pin info)

Agilent's ADFI format

netlist (text)

Documents

Documents are password protected when they are not in the public domain or freely available.

PDF Format (password protected) 115KB. An analysis of cds_routed_revb.cvg made by Steve DB which points out the various sections of the IPC 2581 file format.

PDF Format 53KB - drawings of standard primitives provided by Jaime Wise, of Wise Software. (Files associated are in next section)

Test Files

All zip files are encrypted.

Zipped CVG 80 KB. Test Case generated by Wise covering all IPC2581 standard primitives.

Zipped ODB 63 KB. ODB++ Equivalent for comparison purposes.

Zipped Gerber 203 KB. Equivalent to the CVG for comparison purposes.