connecting . two . worlds
As form factors continue to shrink, while at the same time ever increasing complex electronics are still
expected to fit seamlessly, ECAD/MCAD Collaboration must be a natural part of your product design cycle.
Modern designs require functionality that spans multiple design disciplines. This requires close communication between electrical
and mechanical engineers from each team. Designers are no longer bound by a single domain. Many products result from collaboration with teams
that work across multiple countries and continents, which presents a challenge when communicating between the different designers and
engineers in a electro-mechanical system.
Many product designs are conceived in the MCAD domain and historically design reviews take place late in the overall design cycle, therefore
causing maximum disruption and forcing non optimal trade-offs and effort to get to market on time. The prostep ECAD/MCAD Collaboration
standard supports the instant communication of design intent and incremental changes.
IDX supports the continued real time synchronization of the ECAD and MCAD designs. The tighter integration will lowers risk and improves time
to market.
Most issues with collaboration can be traced back to the limitations of the format that was used during the exchange. To date, the Intermediate
Data Format (IDF) and Drawing eXchange Format (DXF) have been widely-used to exchange PCB data between mechanical and electrical designs.
IDF was initially developed and released in 1992 and was updated until 1998. DXF, on the other hand, was released in 1982. For older designs,
IDF and DXF provided a powerful mechanism to collaborate between electrical and mechanical domains, however with the evolution of the workforce
and ever-changing product complexity and scale of the products we design, these static formats can end up hindering the design process instead
of facilitating it.
With the introduction of the ProSTEPiViP Incremental Data Exchange (IDX) communication protocol, designers are now able to fully sychronize
their data between both ECAD and MCAD and more effectively collaborate on criticle design items between domains, ensuring that the design
intent is interpreted correctly. This allows designers to collaborate and identify issues much more easily throughout the design process,
which in turn enables more robust designs that get out to market faster.
The aim of the ECAD/MCAD Collaboration Implementor Forum (IF) is not only to develop a standard for the exchange of ECAD and MCAD data,
but also simplify the implementation for vendors. For this reason, in addition to adding new functionality to IDX schema we’ve also
significantly simplified the way items are described in the format. Information and examples of how to describe items using the new
simplified standard format are available in the “Implementation Guidelines”. These Guidelines and the Recommendation documents are available
for free from the prostep ivip Media Library.
| Design Object | IDX | IDF |
|---|---|---|
| Incremental Changes | ||
| Accept / Reject Changes | ||
| Comments on Changes | ||
| Change History Tracking | ||
| Board Outline | ||
| Stackup Structure | ||
| Multiple Stackups(Flex/Flex-rigid) | ||
| Board Bend Areas | ||
| Board Cutouts(Contours) | ||
| Board Cavities | ||
| Components | ||
| Holes | ||
| Obstructs/Keep-out | ||
| Room | ||
| Traces | ||
| Pads | ||
| Copper Shapes | ||
| Pin 1 Location | ||
| Object Ownership |
In this Project Group prostep ivip
is working together with different
partners from the industries:
| Company | Product | Integration Tool | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| CADCAM Group | Catia V5 | MECODES | Link |
| CADCAM Group | 3DEXPERIENCE Catia | MECODES | Link |
| Cadence Design Systems | Allegro X | MCAD Collaboration | Link |
| Cadence Design Systems | OrCAD X | MCAD Collaboration | Link |
| Dassault Systèmes | SolidWorks | CircuitWorks | Link |
| Dassault Systèmes | 3DEXPERIENCE Catia | Circuit Board Design | Link |
| PTC | Creo Parametric | ECAD-MCAD Collaboration Extension | Link |
| PTC | Onshape | PCB Studio | Link |
| Siemens | Xpedition | MCAD Collaborator | Link |
| Siemens | PADS Professonal | MCAD Collaborator | Link |
| Siemens | NX | PCB Exchange | Link |
| Siemens | Solid Edge | ECAD Collaborator | Link |
| Zuken | Design Force | EMD Collaborator | Link |
IDX is helping companies enable better collaboration between ECAD and MCAD worlds. They join together two different silos in one unique model of collaboration. Today in very complex product development, where all products have a combination of ECAD and MCAD design, and the market needs very fast and cost-effective development, IDX is the right answer to that challenge. CADCAM Group in agreement with Dassault Systemes develops MECODES which combines the IDX protocol into CATIA V5 and 3DEXPERIENCE.
Zlatko Šimunec (CADCAM Group CEO)
IDX schema enables a co-design environment that was never feasible with previous, traditional approaches. Cadence supports the IDX schema completely and is actively working with MCAD partners to get it adopted quickly.
Vince DiLello (Cadence)
IDX for printed circuit board design is the key to efficiency, data integrity, and cost savings. It streamlines the design process, ensures data consistency, and promotes seamless collaboration. With ongoing improvements and updates, it extends its capabilities to support ever evolving electronics. In today's fast-paced world, IDX is not a luxury; it's a necessity for success.
Simon Royer (Dassault Systèmes)
Desktop EDA is a vendor independent CAD developer focused on ECAD/MCAD collaboration solutions. IDX allows us to use the same code base for all of our solutions. This results is faster development and reliable products. As the needs of the industry change, IDX changes with it and this allows us to continue to improve our products.
Brian Watson (Desktop EDA)
The IDX format was developed to support collaboration rather than just translation, resulting in a much closer integration between the worlds of Electrical and Mechanical design. The ability to exchange, accept and reject proposed design changes allows for rapid communication of design intent, and the active and growing group of leading ECAD and MCAD companies developing IDX mean that as the worlds of electrical and mechanical design continue to evolve, so does the format.
Rob Lacey (PTC)
The prostep ivip IDX schema provides communication of design intent & proposed changes, therefore ensuring both ECAD and MCAD designs stay in sync. A clear specification, using a common vocabulary mapping, enables both ECAD & MCAD domain experts to efficiently review, accept & reject proposed changes in real time. This reduces overall designs cycle times & costs, resulting in lower risk & increased schedule predictability.
Alex Grange (Siemens EDA)
Enjoying the benefits of ECAD/MCAD is fairly simple.
First of all, you and your company need to become a member of the prostep ivip association, here.
If you like, you can also participate in the first meeting as a guest without a membership, so you can casually evaluate, whether ECAD/MCAD solutions fit your needs.
After becoming a member, you can fully get involved and benefit from every aspect of the ECAD/MCAD project.
For more information on the prostep ivip association membership, you can click here.
If you have questions of any kind, feel free to contact us via the form down below.
