Mail Archives: geda-user/2015/07/23/02:11:54
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From what I can see, altium can import ascii PADS data, but not binary.
There is a "read only"-ish free PADs viewer available -
http://www.pads.com/downloads/pads-pcb-viewer/
gerbv supports svg export. dxf can be converted to kicad. kicad can be
converted to PCB.
I will experiment with the gerbers and see what is possible.
The project looks interesting and gerber -> PCB layout is an itch that
needs scratching.
Regards,
Erich.
On Thu, Jul 23, 2015 at 2:46 PM, Spacefalcon the Outlaw <
falcon AT ivan DOT harhan DOT org> wrote:
> Continuing on my quest to recapture the design of a classic GSM
> cellphone in a FOSS EDA format... A few months ago the founder of
> Openmoko released the original design files, including PCB layout, for
> their legendary Neo Freerunner:
>
> ftp://ftp.freecalypso.org/pub/GSM/GTA02/GTA02-MB-A6.zip
>
> Their PCB layout was done in PADS, and we have both the original PADS
> file and the full set of gerbers made from it. I would like to reuse
> a whole bunch of footprints from Openmoko's layout, as that layout
> contains known good footprints for all of the core components needed
> in a Calypso phone or modem.
>
> The problem is that PADS' *.pcb files are in a proprietary binary
> format. :-( The good news is that we have the gerbers too, and one
> can view them with gerbv, measure the dimensions of every aspect of
> every footprint and recreate an equivalent footprint for our PCB - but
> of course it would be a very tedious manual process.
>
> I wonder, would anyone here happen to know anything about PADS' format?
> Was it perchance documented in some place accessible to mere mortals?
> Or if I found someone with a working installation of PADS who could
> open the layout file, does PADS perchance have some way to extract
> elements from a complete PCB design and save them as reusable
> footprints? Or perhaps a way to save the whole layout as ASCII instead
> of binary - if it were ASCII, I could probably stare at it and figure
> out the info I'm after...
>
> Has anyone ever succeeded in moving footprints from PADS into the FOSS
> EDA world, be it our PCB or KiCAD?
>
> TIA,
> SF
>
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<div dir=3D"ltr"><div>From what I can see, altium can import ascii PADS dat=
a, but not binary.</div><div>=C2=A0</div><div>There is a "read only&qu=
ot;-ish=C2=A0free PADs viewer available - <a href=3D"http://www.pads.com/do=
wnloads/pads-pcb-viewer/">http://www.pads.com/downloads/pads-pcb-viewer/</a=
></div><div>=C2=A0</div><div>gerbv supports svg export. dxf can be converte=
d to kicad. kicad can be converted to PCB.</div><div>=C2=A0</div><div>I wil=
l experiment with the gerbers and see what is possible.</div><div>=C2=A0</d=
iv><div>The project looks interesting and gerber -> PCB layout is an itc=
h that needs scratching.</div><div>=C2=A0</div><div>Regards,</div><div>=C2=
=A0</div><div>Erich.</div><div>=C2=A0</div></div><div class=3D"gmail_extra"=
><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Thu, Jul 23, 2015 at 2:46 PM, Spacefalco=
n the Outlaw <span dir=3D"ltr"><<a href=3D"mailto:falcon AT ivan DOT harhan DOT org=
" target=3D"_blank">falcon AT ivan DOT harhan DOT org</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockq=
uote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc =
solid;padding-left:1ex">Continuing on my quest to recapture the design of a=
classic GSM<br>
cellphone in a FOSS EDA format...=C2=A0 A few months ago the founder of<br>
Openmoko released the original design files, including PCB layout, for<br>
their legendary Neo Freerunner:<br>
<br>
<a href=3D"ftp://ftp.freecalypso.org/pub/GSM/GTA02/GTA02-MB-A6.zip" rel=3D"=
noreferrer" target=3D"_blank">ftp://ftp.freecalypso.org/pub/GSM/GTA02/GTA02=
-MB-A6.zip</a><br>
<br>
Their PCB layout was done in PADS, and we have both the original PADS<br>
file and the full set of gerbers made from it.=C2=A0 I would like to reuse<=
br>
a whole bunch of footprints from Openmoko's layout, as that layout<br>
contains known good footprints for all of the core components needed<br>
in a Calypso phone or modem.<br>
<br>
The problem is that PADS' *.pcb files are in a proprietary binary<br>
format. :-(=C2=A0 The good news is that we have the gerbers too, and one<br=
>
can view them with gerbv, measure the dimensions of every aspect of<br>
every footprint and recreate an equivalent footprint for our PCB - but<br>
of course it would be a very tedious manual process.<br>
<br>
I wonder, would anyone here happen to know anything about PADS' format?=
<br>
Was it perchance documented in some place accessible to mere mortals?<br>
Or if I found someone with a working installation of PADS who could<br>
open the layout file, does PADS perchance have some way to extract<br>
elements from a complete PCB design and save them as reusable<br>
footprints?=C2=A0 Or perhaps a way to save the whole layout as ASCII instea=
d<br>
of binary - if it were ASCII, I could probably stare at it and figure<br>
out the info I'm after...<br>
<br>
Has anyone ever succeeded in moving footprints from PADS into the FOSS<br>
EDA world, be it our PCB or KiCAD?<br>
<br>
TIA,<br>
SF<br>
</blockquote></div><br></div>
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