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36 The PCB Magazine • February 2014 timate that about one-quarter of all Gerber file sets received have errors of one form or another. Smart Data Transfer for CAD/CAM Disciplines The better way to transfer data between de- sign and manufacturing disciplines is to have an intelligent manufacturing-oriented data for- mat from the outset. Intelligent data conveys not just the physical attributes, but complete data for fabrication without the need to re-in- tegrate the data and carry out extensive error checking. The ODB++ format was first introduced in 1995, and since then it has been glob- ally implemented by PCB design and manufacturing organiza- tions both large and small. This format output is available on virtually all major CAD/CAM tools, and it delivers an inte- grated manufacturing orient- ed product-model, requiring minimal work to prepare at the fabricator before moving on to defining the manufacturing process. Although not a formal standard, it has been accept- ed to the point of being a de facto standard, adopted by many top-tier electronics man- ufacturers for many years al- ready. The ODB++ format was created and maintained by Valor Computerized Products (now Mentor Graphics), and Mentor formed the ODB++ Solutions Alliance (www.odb- sa.com). Here, more than 5,000 members share a forum for imple- menters and supporters of the ODB++ format and discuss their interest and success with others. The ODB++ format is an open, ASCII file structure containing all product data for fab- rication, assembly and test in a single file, in- cluding DFM analysis (Figure 1). Because of design and data quality checks, the ODB++ file does not need the rigorous examination by the fabricator. Minimizing the amount of manual manipulation and packaging all required data together ensures high quality and the quickest turnaround. Viasystems' PCB fabrication division in Forest Grove, Oregon, has been an active sup- porter of the intelligent ODB++ data format for transferring their designs into fabrication pro- cess-preparation. Stephan Hackl, CAM lead at Viasystems, sums it up succinctly: "Our num- ber one issue is the amount of time required to successfully import, analyze and prepare design packages for production tooling. With full utili- zation of intelligent ODB++ files, we can greatly reduce the amount of manual time consuming human interaction, and reduce oppor- tunity for quality errors." What ODB++ brings to the design and manufacturing ta- ble is that it produces a man- ufacturable design, requiring very little work to prepare at the fabricator, using intelli- gent data. This combination of a manufacturable design and the intelligent data means products are fabricated in the minimum cycle time and sig- nificantly improves the qual- ity risk in the new product in- troduction (NPI) phase of the product lifecycle. Gerber Obsolescence Drives the Need for a New Data Format The Gerber format has been used since 1980 and, while containing much of the graphical image information required for initiating PCB fabri- cation, it has some significant limita- tions. For example, drilling information is not contained in the file and is communicated with a separate file in another format, usually Excellon. Significantly, there is no information about how the PCB layers stack up, and there is no information about nets; all that comes in separate files or documents that have to be reintegrated by the fabricator. In recent years, the use of buried and blind vias, and complex SMART DATA TRANSFER FORMATS AUTOMATE CAD/CAM continues our number one issue is the amount of time required to successfully import, analyze and prepare design packages for production tooling. with full utilization of intelligent oDB++ files, we can greatly reduce the amount of manual time consuming human interaction, and reduce opportunity for quality errors. " "