Parametric Technology Corporation

Pro/ENGINEER® Wildfire® 4.0

ECAD-MCAD Collaboration
Workflows

July 2008
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 Contents

About This Guide

Chapter 1 ECAD-MCAD Workflows

ECAD-MCAD Collaboration 1-2
Generic Workflow 1-3
MCAD to ECAD Workflow 1-4
ECAD to MCAD Workflow 1-6
Transaction of Files in a Workflow 1-8

ECAD-MCAD Collaboration Workflows iii

 About This Guide

ECAD-MCAD Collaboration Workflows is an overview of the MCAD to

ECAD and ECAD to MCAD task flows. When working in the
ECAD-MCAD collaborative mode, you can propose and share design
changes between the mechanical and electrical environments. Both a
high-level workflow and detailed workflows are provided.
Use this document with Pro/ENGINEER ECAD Help.

ECAD-MCAD Collaboration Workflows v

 1
ECAD-MCAD Workflows

This chapter briefly explains the ECAD-MCAD Collaboration mode and

outlines the generic and specific workflows. It also describes the file
transactions involved.

Topic Page
ECAD-MCAD Collaboration 1-2
Generic Workflow 1-3
MCAD to ECAD Workflow 1-4
ECAD to MCAD Workflow 1-6
Transaction of Files in a Workflow 1-8

ECAD-MCAD Collaboration Workflows 1-1

ECAD-MCAD Collaboration
The ECAD-MCAD collaboration mode provides an interactive
environment for ECAD and MCAD applications, such as, InterComm
Expert, the native ECAD tools, and Pro/ENGINEER. ECAD and MCAD
users can propose and share design changes and synchronize the
mechanical and the electrical aspects of the ECAD assembly design.
The addition, deletion, modification, and movement of assembly
components and board outline changes constitute a design change.
During a collaborative session, you can use InterComm Expert to view
the proposed changes from either domain.
The IDX file provides the incremental design change content with a
record of the changed history. Use the IDX file to propose and review
design changes in a workflow across Pro/ENGINEER and ECAD.

1-2 ECAD-MCAD Collaboration Workflows

Generic Workflow
The basic workflow for the incremental data exchange follows. There
may be some differences in the process depending on whether you start
from MCAD (Pro/ENGINEER) or ECAD:
• The creation of the initial baseline *.eda file of an ECAD assembly
or Printed Circuit Board (PCB) design.
• The modification of the ECAD assembly or PCB design.
• The generation of a *.eda file of the current ECAD assembly or PCB
design.
• A comparison of both the *.eda files, that is, the baseline design
and the current design.
• The generation of the IDX file with the comparison results.
Note
The comparison results include the parametric variations in data between
the baseline and the current designs. The changed data consists of the
added, deleted, moved, and modified components and board outline
changes. These variations are the proposed changes.
• The transfer of the IDX file with the comparison results set as the
proposed changes to the ECAD or the MCAD user.
• The analysis of the proposed changes.
• The selective acceptance or rejection of the proposed changes.
• The update of the IDX file with the acceptance or rejection history.
• The incremental update of the ECAD assembly or PCB design with
the accepted changed data.
• The creation of the next baseline *.eda file of the updated assembly
or PCB design.
• The iterative assembly modifications, updates of the design database
and the IDX file, and the IDX file transfers.
The workflow is repeated with a new IDX file when you set a new
baseline.

ECAD-MCAD Collaboration Workflows 1-3

MCAD to ECAD Workflow
The following figure shows the sequence of the collaboration effort that
begins in Pro/ENGINEER.

An MCAD user performs the following tasks in Pro/ENGINEER:

1. Saves an ECAD assembly design as the baseline ECAD EDA
(*.eda) file.
2. Develops the design that may include the addition, deletion,
modification, and movement of assembly components or board
outline changes.
3. Clicks Applications > ECAD Collaboration on the Pro/ENGINEER
menu bar to enter the ECAD-MCAD collaboration mode.

1-4 ECAD-MCAD Collaboration Workflows

 4. Clicks Utilities > MCAD/ECAD Compare and selects the baseline
*.eda file. ProductView Validate displays the comparison results.
Note
The changed data includes board outline changes and the added, deleted,
moved, and modified components of the ECAD assembly. These
parametric variations in data are the proposed changes.
5. Clicks File > Save As in ProductView Validate to generate an IDX file
with the proposed design changes.
6. Analyzes the delta changes before proposing changes to ECAD.
7. Excludes some of the changed data.
8. Saves the changes to the IDX file.
9. Sends the IDX file with the proposed changes to the ECAD user.
The ECAD user receives the IDX file and performs the following tasks in
ECAD:
1. Opens the IDX file received from the Pro/ENGINEER user in
ProductView Validate.
2. Verifies the changes proposed by the Pro/ENGINEER user.
Note
For ECAD tools, such as Cadence Allegro, you can directly
cross-highlight from ProductView Validate to the ECAD native tool.
ProductView Validate communicates the transactions through
EDAconduit. Only highlight is supported. EDAconduit does not
understand messages, such as Accept and Reject.
3. Accepts all the proposed changes or rejects some of them, proposes
additional changes if any, and saves the accepted changes to the
ECAD database and the IDX file.
4. Sends the updated IDX file to the Pro/ENGINEER user.
5. If a proposed change was rejected, synchronizes the ECAD design
with the Pro/ENGINEER design. That is, the Pro/ENGINEER user
must analyze the rejected proposals in ProductView Validate and
update the design database in Pro/ENGINEER.
6. Sets a new baseline when both designs are in synchronization.

ECAD-MCAD Collaboration Workflows 1-5

ECAD to MCAD Workflow
The following figure shows the sequence of the collaboration effort that
begins in ECAD.

An ECAD user performs the following tasks:

1. Opens a PCB design in the native ECAD PCB Layout tool.
2. Exports the design through EDAconduit or InterComm Expert to
create the baseline *.eda file.
3. Develops the PCB design.
4. Saves the current PCB design with the changes as a *.eda file.

1-6 ECAD-MCAD Collaboration Workflows

 5. Compares the two *.eda files, that is, the baseline and the current
PCB designs, using standalone ProductView ECAD Compare.
6. Opens the IDX file with the comparison results in standalone
ProductView Validate.
7. Analyzes the delta change before sending the IDX file to the
Pro/ENGINEER user.
8. Includes or excludes some of the changed object data and updates the
IDX file with the proposed changes.
9. Sends this updated IDX file to the Pro/ENGINEER user.
The Pro/ENGINEER user performs the following tasks:
1. Opens the ECAD assembly design and clicks Applications > ECAD
Collaboration on the Pro/ENGINEER menu bar.
2. Clicks Utilities > Launch ProductView Validate on the
ECAD-MCAD Collaboration Mode dashboard. ProductView
Validate opens in a separate window.
3. Opens the IDX file received from the ECAD user in ProductView
Validate.
4. Reviews the changes proposed by the ECAD user in ProductView
Validate.
5. Accepts or rejects the proposed changes.
6. Saves the accepted or rejected changes to the IDX file and the design
database in Pro/ENGINEER, and incrementally updates the ECAD
assembly.
7. Synchronizes the Pro/ENGINEER design with the ECAD design if
some proposals were rejected.
8. Sets a new baseline.
9. Sends the IDX file to the ECAD user.

ECAD-MCAD Collaboration Workflows 1-7

Transaction of Files in a Workflow
The *.eda files generated at different stages of the design process and
the IDX file with the comparison results provide the incremental change
content.
The files may be transferred through methods such as email, FTP (File
Transfer Protocol), or PDM tools such as PDMLink and ProjectLink.
Note
You can upload *.eda and IDX files as "document" to Windchill.

File Transactions While Proposing Changes From ECAD

The ECAD user compares two PCB design iterations using ProductView
ECAD Compare and generates an IDX file with the incremental changes.
The ECAD user sends the IDX file with the design differences to the
Pro/ENGINEER user as proposals of change.
In a realtime scenario, the Pro/ENGINEER or ECAD user can directly
load in ProductView Validate an IDX file that is already generated in
either environment. The Pro/ENGINEER or ECAD user analyzes the
design changes and can dynamically visualize specific changes and
cross-highlight between Pro/ENGINEER and InterComm Expert.

Stage 1:Sending an IDF File of the Board Outline and

Components to the ECAD User
The Pro/ENGINEER user performs the following steps:
1. Generates a board.
2. Places mechanical components on the board.
3. Defines keepin and keepout areas on the board.
4. Exports the board outline and components to the IDF format.
5. Sends the IDF file to the ECAD user.

Stage 2A: Setting Baseline and Modifying Design in ECAD

The ECAD user receives the IDF file sent by the Pro/ENGINEER user
and performs the following steps to create two iterations of the ECAD
assembly design:
1. Imports the IDF file with the board outline and components into a
native ECAD tool.
2. Synchronizes the ECAD design with the Pro/ENGINEER design.
3. Develops the ECAD design.

1-8 ECAD-MCAD Collaboration Workflows

 4. Generates a *.eda file of the design as the baseline using
EDAconduit or InterComm Expert.
5. Adds components to the design.
Note
The added components must have unique reference designators.
ProductView ECAD Compare does not compare components that do not
have unique identifiers.
6. Generates a*.eda file of the modified design when the ECAD user is
ready to share the changed design data with the Pro/ENGINEER
user.

Stage 2B: Identifying Changes Using Standalone

ProductView ECAD Compare
The ECAD user compares the baseline *.eda file with the *.eda file of the
modified design, created in Step 3 and Step 5 of the previous stage, in
standalone ProductView ECAD Compare as follows:
1. Opens standalone ProductView ECAD Compare.
2. Loads the baseline and the modified *.eda files.
3. Clicks Compare Designs in standalone ProductView ECAD
Compare to compare the two *.eda files. The comparison results are
generated as an IDX file.
4. Opens ProductView Validate.
5. Loads the IDX file with the results of the comparison.
6. Reviews and marks the incremental changes in the IDX file as
Change, Difference, or Exclude.
7. Saves the IDX file with the marked changes.
8. Sends the IDX file with the marked changes to the Pro/ENGINEER
user.

Stage 3: Identifying and Analyzing ECAD Changes in

Pro/ENGINEER
The Pro/ENGINEER user performs the following steps when the ECAD
user sends the IDX file with the marked changes:
1. Opens in Pro/ENGINEER the ECAD assembly design.
2. Clicks Applications > ECAD Collaboration on the Pro/ENGINEER
menu bar.

ECAD-MCAD Collaboration Workflows 1-9

 3. Clicks Utilities > Launch ProductView Validate on the
ECAD-MCAD Collaboration Mode dashboard. ProductView
Validate opens in a separate window.
4. Loads in ProductView Validate the IDX file received from the ECAD
user.
5. Reviews all marked changes in the IDX file.
6. Accepts all marked changes or rejects some of them.
7. Saves the IDX file.
8. If proposed changes were rejected, locates the IDX file and sends it
back to the ECAD user.
Note
This scenario is valid for the Pro/ENGINEER as well as the ECAD user.
The Pro/ENGINEER or the ECAD user can start standalone ProductView
Validate, without opening Pro/ENGINEER or an ECAD native tool, load
the IDX file that is already generated in either environment, and evaluate
the incremental changes.

Stage 4: Investigating Transactions in ECAD

The ECAD user receives the IDX file generated by the Pro/ENGINEER
user and performs the following steps:
1. Loads the IDX file in standalone ProductView Validate.
2. Opens the PCB design in the native ECAD tool.
3. Reviews the proposed changes.
4. Manually implements the design changes in the ECAD tool.
Note
While cross-highlighting from Allegro (via EDAconduit) to
Pro/ENGINEER, ProductView Validate communicates the transactions
through EDAconduit. The ECAD user saves the updated design in the
ECAD tool as appropriate.

1-10 ECAD-MCAD Collaboration Workflows

File Transactions While Proposing Changes From
Pro/ENGINEER
During the design process, the Pro/ENGINEER user may develop the
design and generate a requirement to change the ECAD assembly.

Stage 1: Identifying Change Delta in Pro/ENGINEER

The Pro/ENGINEER user performs the following steps to identify the
delta change:
1. Saves the assembly design.
2. Clicks Applications > ECAD Collaboration on the Pro/ENGINEER
menu bar.
3. Clicks Utilities > MCAD/ECAD Compare.
4. Compares the current assembly with the previous design iteration.
5. Reviews the comparison results displayed by ProductView Validate.
6. Changes the status of the proposed changes to Difference or
Exclude.
7. Saves the changes to an IDX file.
8. Sends the IDX file to the ECAD user.

Stage 2: Reviewing MCAD Changes in ECAD

The ECAD user performs the following tasks:
1. Loads the IDX file received from the Pro/ENGINEER user in
standalone ProductView Validate.
2. Opens the PCB design in the native ECAD tool.
3. Reviews the proposed changes.
4. Manually implements the accepted design changes in the ECAD tool.
Note
While cross-highlighting from Allegro (via EDAconduit) to
Pro/ENGINEER, ProductView Validate communicates the transactions
through EDAconduit. The ECAD user saves the updated design in the
ECAD tool as appropriate.

ECAD-MCAD Collaboration Workflows 1-11