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What is the most appropriate way to view PCB .brd files?
gyuunyuu1989 , 10-10-2023, 05:01 PM
I work with different FPGA boards. These often come with a .dsn file and a .brd file. The .dsn file can be imported into Altium but the .brd file does not work in Altium.
What is the most appropriate program that can be used to view these .brd files? Viewing them means we can search for nets, look at different layers, search for components e.t.c., things that we would expect to do when we open PCB file from someone else.
Maybe I could take someone's PCB design, remove some of the things and then create a reduced version for my own useage?
What is the most appropriate program that can be used to view these .brd files? Viewing them means we can search for nets, look at different layers, search for components e.t.c., things that we would expect to do when we open PCB file from someone else.
Maybe I could take someone's PCB design, remove some of the things and then create a reduced version for my own useage?
gyuunyuu1989 , 10-11-2023, 08:03 PM
It is funny to see that we still need some program from Cadence which is not actually free to complete the conversion process. Only the .brd file exists, no .alg file is present. I just wish there was a program that could do this for free.
gyuunyuu1989 , 10-12-2023, 06:44 AM
I found a program called "Cadence Allegro Viewer" that can be used to view the PCB but I must say, it is not easy to use. Feels like a program that was designed 30 years ago and has only been minimally updated. But conversion needs Allegro which is not free i.e license required. Also, I don't know if the import into Altium can be expected to give a 100% satisfactory result.
Anyway, thanks to your link I now also know that there is something called .alg format as well.
What I am facing is a very common issue it seems but no actual solution exists other than, use Allegro to convert the file so Altium can open it, or just forget about Altium and just use Allegro.
Anyway, thanks to your link I now also know that there is something called .alg format as well.
What I am facing is a very common issue it seems but no actual solution exists other than, use Allegro to convert the file so Altium can open it, or just forget about Altium and just use Allegro.
gyuunyuu1989 , 10-12-2023, 04:04 PM
OK so here is the deal. The brd file was created long ago so a recent version of OrCAD can't open it. We can an error message.
Also, if one has recent version of the OrCAD, Altium gets stuck when trying to do the conversion.
OrCAD 16.6 should be able to open it since it was used to create it.
Also, if one has recent version of the OrCAD, Altium gets stuck when trying to do the conversion.
OrCAD 16.6 should be able to open it since it was used to create it.
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