ANSYS Layout Integrations for ECAD 18.1 Readme

          
*****IMPORTANT - PLEASE NOTE*****

In R18.1, the translator executables, which are used for direct import of any non-ANF format files
into SIwave or Electronics Desktop, are installed with the ANSYS Electromagnetics Suite.

"Layout Integrations for ECAD" is a separate installation option that installs & configures
the layout integrations for supported third party tools that require an ANSYS menu option.  These 
products are:

Cadence SPB (ANF import only)
Mentor Board Station 
Mentor Board Station XE 
Mentor Expedition (HKP import only)

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This document contains the following sections: 

1) SUPPORTED THIRD PARTY TOOLS & VERSIONS 
2) INSTALLATION PROCEDURE: ANSYS LAYOUT INTEGRATIONS FOR ECAD
3) IMPORTING LAYOUTS INTO ANSYS PRODUCTS
4) REINSTALLATION DUE TO LAYOUT TOOL UPGRADES/CHANGES
5) KNOWN ISSUES
6) LAYOUT INTEGRATION TROUBLESHOOTING 

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1) SUPPORTED THIRD PARTY TOOLS & VERSIONS 

ANSYS supports the following versions of third-party layout products. 


TRANSLATORS:
As noted above, the translator binaries required for direct import into SIwave and Electronics 
Desktop are installed with the ANSYS Electromagnetics Suite.

Cadence SPB Tools (direct import of *.mcm, *.brd & *.sip files)
Allegro, APD and SiP Digital/RF       16.0, 16.1, 16.2, 16.3, 16.5 and 16.6

Zuken Tools (direct import of *.pcf files)
Zuken CR5000                         10 and later 
Zuken CR8000                         2013 and later

Mentor (direct import of *.asc files)
PADS PowerPCB                        v5.2a, v2005 and v2007 

ODB++ Layouts
Altium Designer                      R10 and later
Mentor Expedition                    EE7.9.1 and later
Mentor PADS                          9.4 and later (v7 and v8 ODB++)
Zuken Cadstar                        12.1 and later

IPC2581 Layouts
Pulsonix                             R8.5 build 5905 and later


LAYOUT INTEGRATONS:
As noted above, for some third-party products, you will need to install the layout integration 
for the tool. These integrations are available in the Layout Integrations for ECAD installation 
and will add an ANSYS menu item in the third party tool's user interface.

Cadence SPB Tools - ANF generation/import
Allegro, APD and SiP Digtal/RF       16.0, 16.1, 16.2, 16.3, 16.5 and 16.6

Mentor - ANF file generation/import
BoardStation Classic                 8.x 

Mentor - HKP file generation/import
BoardStation XE                      v2007, v2007.1, v2007.2, v2007.3 and v2007.7
Expedition                           v2005, v2007.1 thru EE7.9


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2) INSTALLATION PROCEDURE: ANSYS LAYOUT INTEGRATIONS FOR ECAD

Be sure the third-party layout software is already installed.

Run the Ansys Electromagnetics Suite install by clicking the autorun.exe and choosing 
"Install Layout Integrations for ECAD" when the installation splash screen appears.

A LayoutIntegrations17.1/Win64 directory will be created in the destination
folder, defined by the user during the install.  This contains the files necessary 
for generation of ANF of ASCII files from Cadence SPB Tools, Mentor Board Station, 
Board Station XE or Expediton.

Next, in the Select the Layout Integrations window, select the check box next
to the appropriate layout tool(s) you wish to integrate with Ansys products:

-Cadence SPB Tools (for use with Allegro, APD and SiP)
-Mentor Boardstation
-Mentor Boardstation XE (choose v2007.3 or v2007.7) 
-Mentor Expedition v2007.8 and lower
       
These layout integrations will add an ANSYS or Ansoft menu item in the third-
party tool's user interface, which will allow users to generate the necessary 
output for use with Ansys products.

After the layout integrations have been successfully installed, one will be able to generate
either a ANF file or HKP files, depending on the third-party tool being used, for import into 
SIwave or Electronics Desktop.

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3) IMPORTING LAYOUTS INTO ANSYS PRODUCTS

For Expedition layouts, select Import tab>Mentor Expedition Design in SIwave.  
You will then be prompted to point to the ASCII output directory(hkp files) 
for the PCB design you would like to import.  After selecting this directory, 
the layout will be imported into SIwave.

For Board Station XE layouts, select Import tab>Mentor BoardStation XE/RE
Design in SIwave.  You will then be prompted to point to the ASCII output 
directory (hkp files) for the PCB design you would like to import.  After
selecting this directory, the layout will be imported into SIwave.

For PADS layouts, select Import tab>Mentor PADS Design in SIwave.  You will then be 
prompted to point to the ASCII output file (*.asc) for the design you would like 
to import.  After selecting this file, the layout will be imported into SIwave.

For direct import of Cadence SPB layouts, select Import tab>>Cadence APD/Allegro/SiP...
in SIwave or Ansys Electronics Desktop.  You will then be prompted to point to the
Cadence file or directory for the design you would like to import.  After doing so, 
the layout will be imported into the Ansys tool. 

For ODB++ layouts from supported third-party tools, select 
Import tab>>ODB++... in SIwave or Ansys Electronics Desktop.  You will 
then be prompted to point to the ODB++ design file or directory for the design 
you would like to import.  After doing so, the layout will be imported into 
the Ansys tool.

For IPC2581 layouts from supported third-party tools, select 
Import tab>IPC2581... in SIwave or Ansys Electronics Desktop.  You will 
then be prompted to point to the ODB++ design file or directory for the design 
you would like to import.  After doing so, the layout will be imported into 
the Ansys tool.

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4) REINSTALLATION DUE TO LAYOUT TOOL UPGRADES/CHANGES

If you are upgrading/changing your third-party tool and wish to reinstall the 
integration, you should again choose "Install Layout Integrations for ECAD" in the 
installation splash screen of the ANSYS Electromagnetics Suite installation.

The Integration Maintenance screen will appear and you should select 
"Modify."  The Select the Layout Integrations window will appear and provide
the opportunity to select another tool/version to integrate with. 

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5) KNOWN ISSUES

NONE

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6) LAYOUT INTEGRATION TROUBLESHOOTING 

The following commonly encountered problems usually have easy solutions:

  --------

  Problem 1:  When I run Allegro, APD or SiP I don't see any Ansoft menu
              items. 
  Solution:   Make sure that you have run the installation as described in
              Part 2 above.  Also, make sure you gave the correct location of your
              "pcbenv" directory (usually found in your home directory) during the
              install.  Verify that the pcbenv directory contains allegro.ilinit,
              apd.ilinit and cdnsip.ilinit files.  The proper location of the pcbenv
              directory can be determined by typing "echo $localenv" in the command
              window of the Allegro,APD or SiP user interface.  

  --------

  Problem 2:  I get the message, "E- *Error* loadContext: could not open
	          file - /path/to/ansys.cxt" when Allegro, APD or SiP
	          starts up.

  Solution:   Make sure that the SI_INTEGRATE4_DIR environment variable points
              to the location of the LayoutIntegrations directory.

  --------

  Problem 3:  I get the message, "C:\..\MentorToANFP.exe: not found" or
              "Error: Unable to find Ansoft Neutral file" when attempting to write an
              anf file from Mentor Boardstation.

  Solution:   Check that the SI_INTEGRATE4_DIR environment variable points
              to the location of the LayoutIntegrations directory.

  --------

  Problem 4:  I don't see the Ansoft menu in the toolbar of Mentor
              Boardstation.   


  Solution:   Make sure that you have run the integrate installation as
              described in Part 2 above.  Verify that the file, layout.startup, is
              located in the directory $HOME\mgc\startup.  For many users, this file 
              will be in C:\mgc\startup.


