In the CAD world, it is becoming more and more important to have a CAD to CAM interface. Not only that, it must be an interface that works!

DBX2INS is a program that provides just such an interface. It links the CAD and CAM environments together by producing a file that can be used by Auto-Insertion equipment.

The format of the file is designed to be similar to that produced by PCAD, which allows it to be instantly recognized and read in by CAM programs currently being used by many fabrication shops that have come to rely on the PCAD format.

DBX2INS has several Options for creating the Auto-Insertion file. Selection of the Origin is one of them. DBX2INS uses one of several User-Selected methods for determining the Pick-N-Place points for the Auto-Insertion files.

The first option in the list 'Use Pick-N-Place Pts', uses the Pick and Place Points that the user places in the Patterns, when the Patterns are created.

Many times though, Patterns are not created with these, and so the next option helps - 'Calculate Centroids'. DBX2INS uses a proprietary algorithm to calculate the Pattern Centers. This has been tested and verified to be within 1 or 2 mils of the actual Pattern Centers.

The third option that the user can select - first looks for embedded Pick-N-Place points to use. If it does not find these, it then uses the 'Calculate Centroids' algorithm to determine the centers.

A file is also written out that lists all of the Patterns that do not have the Pick-N-Place Points so that the user can later add these, if they desire to do so.

The last option - 'Use Pattern Pin 1' - does just that - it uses Pin 1 of the Patterns for the Auto-Insertion data.

DBX2INS is a 32-bit program that runs in a Windows 95/98/2000/NT/XP(etc) environment, and has been updated to work with P-CAD 2004 (SP2) - Version 18.

DBX2INS uses the ACCEL DataBase eXchange (DBX) Interface to extract the information, and therefore requires P-CAD 2004 to be running, as well as the ACCEL DBX Development files to be installed from the P-CAD 2004 (SP2) CD.

There are several user selectable options which give the program flexibility, such as the selection of Units (English (mils) or Metric (mm)), and the setting of the Grid Origin to an Absolute or Relative offset.

The example file shown below, is the result of running DBX2INS.

%**********************************************************************
%                                                                    **
%      Program     :    DBX2Auto-Insert Version 2.0 (c) Oztronics    **
%      CurrentDate :    03-31-1998                                   **
%      CurrentTime :    19:33:56                                     **
%      Design Name :    C:\ACCEL\data\serial\Serial2-renum.pcb       **
%      Title       :    OZTRONICS                                    **
%      Designer    :    James O. Jackson                             **
%      Version     :    1.50                                         **
%      FileDate    :    July 28, 1997                                **
%      FileTime    :                                                 **
%      Format      :    Auto Insertion File - Relative Origin        **
%                                                                    **
%**********************************************************************


$FORMAT
    REFDES          CENTX          CENTY     ANGLE                TYPE
$UNITS
         MIL
$BOARD-EXTENT
                     0          4500         13200     -300 
$BOARD-ORIGIN
                       0               0
$TARGET
$THROUGH-TOP
        C5           8350            625      180        CAP,.25ELECT
        C6           6500            675       90        CAP,.25ELECT
        C7           8425            175      180        CAP,.25ELECT
        C1           8325            850        0             CAP,.30
        C2           4000            650        0             CAP,.30
        C3           4600            650        0             CAP,.30
        C4           5800            650        0             CAP,.30
        C8           8425           -125        0             CAP,.30
        U1           8950           4175      270          DIP,14-PIN
        U2           9850           4175      270          DIP,14-PIN
        U3           8950           3625      270          DIP,14-PIN
        U4           9850           3625      270          DIP,14-PIN
        U5           2800           3775      180          DIP,14-PIN
        U6           8950           3075      270          DIP,14-PIN
        U7           4600           3925      180          DIP,20-PIN
        U8           1125           3650      180              QFP,44
        R1           4000           3775        0                RC07
        R2           4000           3475        0                RC07
        R3           2200           3200        0                RC07
        R4           2200           3050        0                RC07
        R5           3400           3000        0                RC07
        R6           2200           2900        0                RC07
        R7           2200           2750        0                RC07
        R8           2200           2600        0                RC07
        R9           2200           2450        0                RC07
$THROUGH-BOTTOM
$SMT-TOP
        P1           4250           -150        0          CONN,ZORRO
$SMT-BOTTOM
$END

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