1.

Basic requirements:
Normally the mechanical design engineer starts to create the PCB board
outline in Pro/ENGINEER including cutouts, holes, keep-in and keep-out
areas and also the pre placement for all electronic components, which
have a strong relation to mechanical parts. Afterwards this complete
design information could be transferred as one basic input to the electronic
design engineer via IDF 3.0 export file (*.emn).
To ensure that the complete design information will be exported from the
MCAD- to the ECAD system there has to be considered some requirements:

For all design activities between ProE and the ECAD system (Cadence),
ProE has to be started in the ECAD mode
The orientation and the location of the origin for the 3D model of an
electronic component (*.prt) must still be the same as on the
corresponding ECAD symbol (*.dra)
For the exchange and all part and assembly design there must be the
primary coordinate system ECAD_DEFAULT used
The file name of the 3D model for an electronic component (*.prt) and
the file name of the corresponding ECAD symbol (*.dra) must still be
the same
From ProE side there is a limitation to 31 characters for the length of
the file name. This must be taken into account when creating the file
naming for ECAD symbols (*.dra)
For the exchange of electronic components and its placement there are
three important parameters required:
Parameter

Description

Example

Comment

ECAD_NAME

Package Symbol

S_208-5X40_47_20_2X10_Y_V4

ECAD system name of the

component (becomes the
name of the Pro/ENGINEER
file (*.prt)
Limited to 31 characters by
ProE !

ECAD_ALT_NAME

Part Number

hua21568_v4

ECAD system alternative

name for the component
(displays the unique part
number which is the CoDa or
Symphony number)

ECAD_REF_DES

Reference Designator

S142

ECAD reference designator

for the component (comes
from the schematics and
defines the position and
rotation of the component at
the PCB)

This parameter will come from the electronic schematic. If already a pre
layout of the board exists, it is also possible to get it from the board layout
file (*.brd).

For the mechanical designer it is possible to display the board layout with
the Allegro Free Physical Viewer
*.dra and *.brd files can be displayed and measured with the Allegro
Free Physical Viewer

2. Design steps to achieve the final PCBA design in ProE

The mechanical design engineer creates the PCB board outline in

Pro/ENGINEER including cutouts, holes, Place Keep In and Place Keep
Out areas
The mechanical design engineer creates the PCB assembly file
(*.asm) and places the 3D models for all electronic components
required from mechanical side
The mechanical design engineer exports the PCB assembly file via
IDF 3.0 (*.emn)
The electronic design engineer imports the *.emn file into the
electrical design tool (Cadence) completes the placement and
designs the circuit layouts
The electronic design engineer exports the PCB layout and via IDF
3.0 (*.emn and *.emp)
The mechanical engineer imports the *.emn and *.emp file back into
Pro/ENGINEER, moves incorrectly placed components to the proper
locations, performs the interference analysis and exports once more
an *.emn file
This exchange procedure will be replicated until the final PCB design
is achieved

3. How to create the 3d model of a PCB in ProE

Begin with a new part, using the default template

For the placement of the outline sketch use still the FRONT plane, with
origin x/y to the left/bottom side. Extrude the volume of the PCB thickness
still in Z + direction

Add needed additional outline features as cutouts, holes, chamfers etc.

Add needed ECAD areas like Place Keep Out and Place Keep In areas to the
PCB top and bottom surface. See also the documentations: FTD00439
chapter 2.3 and DR_PCBA_Mechanical Design Rules

FTD00439_EN_MCA
DR_PCBA_Mechanica
D ECAD interworking with PIM
l Design
standard
Rules[1].pdf
tools.pdf

4. How to create a 3D model of an electronic component in ProE

The ECAD symbol (*.dra file) contains the leading information in case of
the orientation (X-Y-Z plane) and the location of the origin for the design of
a 3D model of an electronic component (*.prt). The orientation and the
location of the origin for a 3D model of an electronic component must still
be the same as on the corresponding ECAD symbol. For the placement
purposes out of mechanical view it is helpful, to define in addition the
datum axis for PIN_1 and the middle planes for the component in X and Y
direction.

Its possible to display and measure the ECAD symbol (*.dra file) of an
electronic component with the Allegro Free Physical Viewer

5. There are three possibilities to create a 3D model of an electronic

component in ProE

Create the 3D model of an electronic component by designing it

completely yourself in ProE
Start with a new part, using the default template

Check that the name of the coordinate system is ECAD_DEFAULT.

The basic sketch for the 3D model must still be placed on the FRONT
plane (X-Y plane). The volume of the 3D model for an electronic
component has still to upraise in Z + direction. Design the 3D model
as detailed as necessary by respecting the before mentioned
requirements regarding the ECAD symbol.

Create a simplified 3D model of an electronic component by

importing the basic design information from an export file of the
ECAD system (*.emp file).
The Hardware Electronic Design Engineer can provide the needed
*.emp file created with Cadence tool.
Click File > Open
Select file type *.emp
Select the component (*.emp file) to be imported
Click Open

Click component and fill in the correct component name.

Click OK
The simplified 3D model for the electronic component will be
created.

Now you have the possibility to get the 3D model of the electronic
component more detailed by modifying adding further features
yourself.

Create a (detailed) 3D model of an electronic component by

importing an exchange file into ProE, youve got from the supplier
(STEP, IGES, etc.).
Start with a new part, using the default template

Click Insert > Shared Data > From File

Select the component file (STEP, IGES, etc.) to be imported
Click OK
The (detailed) 3D model of the electronic component will be created
Mostly the location of the coordinate system and the orientation of
an imported component does not match to the corresponding ECAD
symbol. Therefore youve to move and rotate the import feature to
achieve the required positioning.

Measure according to the ECAD symbol how to move and rotate the

imported feature.
Click Insert > Model Datum > Coordinate System
Fill in the measured values for the required movement and rotation.

Click OK
A further coordinate system will be created

Right Click to the Import Feature and select Edit References

You will be promted if you want to roll back the model

Click Yes
You will be prompted to select an alternate coordinate system

Select the alternate created coordinate system

The Import Feature will now be moved and rotated, so that the
coordinate system ECAD_DEFAULT will match the required posit

6. How to create a 3d model of a PCBA in ProE

Start with a new assembly, using the default template

Add the 3D model of the PCB as first component to the assembly

For the placement choose Default, so that the origin of the 3D model PCB
will match with the origin of the new 3D model PCB assembly.

Now you can add the 3D models of the needed electronic components to
the 3D model PCB assembly. In case of placement it is the best, to choose
the datum planes of the 3D model electronic components in reference of
the datum planes of the 3D model PCB assembly.

To prepare the 3D model PCB assembly for the export via IDF 3.0 (*.emn
file) to the ECAD system you have to add the required ECAD parameters.
Click Settings >Tree Columns

Select ECAD Params

Toggle the three parameters ECAD_REF_DES, ECAD_NAME and

ECAD_ALT_NAME from not displayed to displayed.

Click OK, so that the required columns will appear.

Fill in the parameters ECAD_REF_DES, ECAD_NAME and ECAD_ALT_NAME

for each component, by clicking into the accordingly cell right to the
component.

7. How to export a 3d model PCB assembly via IDF 3.0 (*.emn file) for the
usage in the ECAD system (Cadence).
Click File > Save a Copy
Select the file type ECAD IDF (*.emn)
Click OK
A new window ECAD Save As Assembly opens
Keep IDF Version 3.0

Now you can change the export status of each component in the 3d model
PCB assembly.
It is possible to exclude the board and / or components from the export.

It is also possible to change the coordinate system. But as we still use the
ECAD_DEFAULT coordinate system there is no change needed.

Click OK to create the *.emn export file.

Note: When importing this *.emn file into Cadence, the placement for the
included components is proposed to move to the new position defined by
the MCAD system (ProE).
8. How to compare the component placement done by ECAD (Cadence)
according to the component placement done by MCAD (ProE).

Open the current design of your 3D model PCB assembly in ProE

Click Insert > Shared Data > From File
Select the ECAD IDF 3.0 file (*.emn) you have got from the Cadence
system for exchange
Click Open
A new window ECAD Input Assembly opens
In the Component List - Insert column you can define (yes or no) which
components should be included or excluded from the design investigation.
At the Options please click Investigate Placement
Click OK

After the investigation a new window Component Investigate will appear.

Components with different placement according to the current ProE design
will be highlighted in blue
Components which are new according to the current ProE design will be
highlighted in magenta
Components which are missing according to the current ProE design will be
highlighted in green
With the Change Status button you can toggle the import status for each
component.
Components highlighted in blue:
Replace - The before placement from ProE will be replaced with the new
component
placement from the file being imported

 Keep - The before placement from ProE will be kept

Components highlighted in magenta:
Accept New - This new component will be added to the ProE assembly
Reject New - This new component will be not added to the ProE assembly
Components highlighted in green:
Keep Missing - This component is missing in the imported file, but it
should still be kept in the ProE assembly
Delete Missing - This component is missing in the imported file and will
be also deleted in the ProE assembly.

After the import status was selected for each component click OK
The ProE assembly will be changed as you have defined in the import
status
You can edit the IDF files *.emn and *.emp with Notepad or WordPad