The need has arisen, to convert a PCAD PC Board database to a Cadnetix PC Board database. As yet, no direct conversion exists that will allow one to go directly across from PCAD to Cadnetix. This would be the optimal solution, translating the complete CAD database over to the Cadnetix workstation. Since this is not yet possible to, another way must be found.
Another possibility would be to extract a Netlist from PCAD-DOS, and compile it on the Cadnetix platform. The job would have the connectvity needed from the Netlist, but his would mean starting over with routing the PC Board.
Third iteration, read in Gerber files produced by PCAD-DOS into Cadnetix. This is viable, allowing all of the trace layers imported into the system, but does not allow one to have a Netlist associated with it. The resulting Gerber database has trace layers that are not intelligent.
Fourth, and most viable solution, is to take a combination of the above two ideas, and create an intelligent Netlist PC Board job. To do this requires a bit of wand waving, but if done carefully, will reproduce a PCAD-DOS job on the Cadnetix workstation that has a Netlist, traces, and part positional information for your components that will allow you to do a Netlist Place and regenerate a PC Board in very little time.
The first step on this journey starts with a trip to RSI, makers of a PCAD-Cadnetix Netlist extractor/translator. The cost is approximately $1000, but the time saved in work is worth the expense. The resulting Cadnetix Netlist will have three subfiles, PARTS, NETLIST, and POSITION.
Next, using the above generated Netlist, compile the Netlist into a new PC Board job. After the workstation finishes compiling the Netlist job, view into it. Set the attributes of the newjob, 24 layers, D-size, 48 layers shown, etc. Now do a Cadnetix SAVE & CLOSE. Keep this job sacred. You may have to return to this step.
Now, using Gerber files of all of the Trace Layers generated by the PCAD-DOS software, do a Gerber-in, generating one trace layer for each gerber file. As with the above Netlist job, keep this Gerber-in job sacred. You may have to return to this step later if the Netlist job gets corrupted for some reason.
Now the fun, but tricky part begins. (Or is that tricky, but fun.) You must merge the two previously created databases (Netlist PC, and Gerber PC) into a third Netlist PC job. To do so, requires you to do a bit of work in unix.
From the unix prompt, 'cd' the folder where both of the above jobs exist. Using the unix 'mkdir' command, create the destination job subdirectory, possibly naming it something like 'new.npc.' 'cd' to the Gerber-in subdirectory. 'cp' all of the trace layers (trc*) to the newly created 'new.npc' subdirectory. Then, copy all of the attribute files from the Netlist PC job to the new.npc subdirectory. Also, copy the file 'instZ6gr' to the new.npc. Also, view the windowZ6att attribute file for the Gerber-in job file. In particular, make a note of the value right under the 'nextblkid'. Edit the windowZ6att file in your newly created new.npc subdirectory, making it the same value as what you just read.
Well, that should do it. You are finished wallowing around in unix.
Make a copy of the Netlist, and associate this new Netlist with the 'new.npc' job, doing a 'Recover compile'. There is a lot of information now in this job, so it may take a while before the workstation completes the compile.
After you have a compiled job, make a copy of it. This will give you a buffer just in case things blow up later. View into the newly compiled PC job. If all went well, you should have a job that shows up with traces placed already on the board.
Through a bit of trial and error, you can now determine where the PCAD's 0,0 reference was. Once you do this, you will be able to do a Netlist place, putting all of the components onto the PC Board in their original positions. As each part gets placed, the system will automatically check each trace that is connected to the part, and then associate those traces with the signals that are on the parts-pins.