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Library Expert PADS PCB ASCII Versus CADint ASCII

Printed From: PCB Libraries Forum
Category: PCB Footprint Expert
Forum Name: Questions & Answers
Forum Description: issues and technical support
URL: https://www.PCBLibraries.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2068
Printed Date: 07 Oct 2024 at 9:32am


Topic: Library Expert PADS PCB ASCII Versus CADint ASCII
Posted By: divner
Subject: Library Expert PADS PCB ASCII Versus CADint ASCII
Date Posted: 25 Jan 2017 at 4:50pm
Hi,

I am using Library Expert Pro 2014 PADS PCB to generate ASCII for CADint 4.40

I have discovered that I am getting parsing errors when importing to CADint.

I have done some testing with Library Expert Lite 2017. I created a PADS PCB 2007 ASCII
file for both PADS PCB and CADint with the following results

PADSPCB.asc
I get "error parsing file line --> 29" when I import to Cadint
line 1    !PADS-POWERPCB-V2007.0-BASIC! DESIGN DATABASE ASCII FILE 1.0
line 29  OPEN 2 0.12 26 -1

Cadint.asc
I can import without errors
line 1    !PADS-POWERPCB-V2007.0-BASIC! DESIGN DATABASE ASCII FILE 1.0
line 29  OPEN 2 180000 26 -1

Note that the format is different as indicated in line
PADS-POWERPCB-V2007.0-METRIC  versus  PADS_POWERPCB-V2007.0-BASIC
Also note how line 29 is different.

Of course the solution to my problem is to upgrade to Library Expert Pro 2017,
however, I am curious as to why there is the difference in output and also why
I am unable to select the Cadint format when targeting PadsPCB

Comments greatly appreciated and thanks for a great tool.

Best regards,
Noel Diviney.

PADS-POWERPCB-V2007.0-METRIC   versus  PADS-POWERPCB-V2007.0-BASIC


Replies:
Posted By: chrisa_pcb
Date Posted: 25 Jan 2017 at 5:08pm
If I recall, CADInt requires a very specific form of PADS ASCII that was relevant at the time that it was written. So as such, it needs to be in basic units and v2007 in order to parse properly. Your line there.. .12mm is the line width for the piece which has 2 points(a line). The Basic Unit equivalent of that being 180000 basic units. So its saying the same thing, just in different unit types, and CADInt doesn't read metric. Whoever wrote that parser probably just looked for whole numbers and when it saw a period threw the error. Simply a constraint of their importer, which is why our specific CADInt generator should put out files in BASIC units.

Posted By: divner
Date Posted: 25 Jan 2017 at 6:54pm
Thanks for the explanation.

I will upgrade to Pro in due course.

Regards Noel Diviney


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