PCB thickness and ODB output

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dbvanhorn
Posts: 4
Joined: 24 Feb 2024, 07:17

PCB thickness and ODB output

#1 Post by dbvanhorn » 24 Feb 2024, 07:22

I am designing a board that needs to be input to Remcom's XFDTD by way of ODB files.
I am using the V5 beta. I have no prior DT experience, but many years with Altium, Orcad and other packages.

I have two problems, possibly related

In DT, the PCB stackup works out to 62.2 mils, which is as intended.
Export to ODB, import to XF, and the PCB is razor thin.
When I tried to import to XF, I got nothing at all, as if the files were empty.
In order to get the DT ODB output to import to XF, I had to send the ODB files to Remcom support who told me this:

I'm checking with the development team, but the issue here seems to be the .Z archives that are included in the ODB++ hierarchy. Support for these files does appear to be part of the ODB++ standard, and XF does appear to be trying to unpack them, but is not successful. In the meantime, I've manually unpacked them and was able to import the board into XF. Please try the attached ODB++ and see if it imports as expected for you.

Their manually patched file did import, but resulted in the razor thin board.

How can I fix this?

dbvanhorn
Posts: 4
Joined: 24 Feb 2024, 07:17

Re: PCB thickness and ODB output

#2 Post by dbvanhorn » 24 Feb 2024, 10:01

Here's the XF log from importing:

Successfully read matrix.
Successfully read feature file: Profile.
Could not uncompress EDA file: D:/XFDTD Projects/ODB Saturday/meander/steps\pcb/eda/data.Z
Attribute list file D:\XFDTD Projects\ODB Saturday\meander\steps\pcb\layers\rout\attrlist does not exist.
Could not uncompress file: D:/XFDTD Projects/ODB Saturday/meander/steps/pcb/layers/top/features.Z
Could not uncompress file: D:/XFDTD Projects/ODB Saturday/meander/steps/pcb/layers/bottom/features.Z
Could not uncompress file: D:/XFDTD Projects/ODB Saturday/meander/steps/pcb/layers/through_drill/features.Z
Could not uncompress file: D:/XFDTD Projects/ODB Saturday/meander/steps/pcb/layers/rout/features.Z
Could not uncompress file: D:/XFDTD Projects/ODB Saturday/meander/steps/pcb/layers/fr-4/features.Z
Could not uncompress file: D:/XFDTD Projects/ODB Saturday/meander/steps/pcb/layers/bottom/features.Z
Could not uncompress file: D:/XFDTD Projects/ODB Saturday/meander/steps/pcb/layers/fr-4/features.Z
Could not uncompress file: D:/XFDTD Projects/ODB Saturday/meander/steps/pcb/layers/rout/features.Z
Could not uncompress file: D:/XFDTD Projects/ODB Saturday/meander/steps/pcb/layers/through_drill/features.Z
Could not uncompress file: D:/XFDTD Projects/ODB Saturday/meander/steps/pcb/layers/top/features.Z
Could not uncompress file: D:/XFDTD Projects/ODB Saturday/meander/steps/pcb/layers/bottom/features.Z
Could not uncompress file: D:/XFDTD Projects/ODB Saturday/meander/steps/pcb/layers/fr-4/features.Z
Could not uncompress file: D:/XFDTD Projects/ODB Saturday/meander/steps/pcb/layers/rout/features.Z
Could not uncompress file: D:/XFDTD Projects/ODB Saturday/meander/steps/pcb/layers/through_drill/features.Z
Could not uncompress file: D:/XFDTD Projects/ODB Saturday/meander/steps/pcb/layers/top/features.Z
Could not uncompress file: D:/XFDTD Projects/ODB Saturday/meander/steps/pcb/layers/bottom/features.Z
Could not uncompress file: D:/XFDTD Projects/ODB Saturday/meander/steps/pcb/layers/fr-4/features.Z
Could not uncompress file: D:/XFDTD Projects/ODB Saturday/meander/steps/pcb/layers/rout/features.Z
Could not uncompress file: D:/XFDTD Projects/ODB Saturday/meander/steps/pcb/layers/through_drill/features.Z
Could not uncompress file: D:/XFDTD Projects/ODB Saturday/meander/steps/pcb/layers/top/features.Z

dbvanhorn
Posts: 4
Joined: 24 Feb 2024, 07:17

Re: PCB thickness and ODB output

#3 Post by dbvanhorn » 24 Feb 2024, 12:28

I was sort of able to do it by exporting Diptrace to Eagle, then importing Eagle to Altium, but then the board has THREE layers where it only has two in Diptrace.
I knew a three party translation was risky, but I need good OBD files or I can't work on it. It's definitely two layers in Diptrace, but it grows a middle layer somehow in those translations.

Alex
Technical Support
Posts: 3894
Joined: 13 Jun 2010, 23:43

Re: PCB thickness and ODB output

#4 Post by Alex » 26 Feb 2024, 20:55

dbvanhorn wrote: 24 Feb 2024, 10:01 Here's the XF log from importing:

Successfully read matrix.
Successfully read feature file: Profile.
Could not uncompress EDA file: D:/XFDTD Projects/ODB Saturday/meander/steps\pcb/eda/data.Z
Attribute list file D:\XFDTD Projects\ODB Saturday\meander\steps\pcb\layers\rout\attrlist does not exist.
Could not uncompress file: D:/XFDTD Projects/ODB Saturday/meander/steps/pcb/layers/top/features.Z
Could not uncompress file: D:/XFDTD Projects/ODB Saturday/meander/steps/pcb/layers/bottom/features.Z
Could not uncompress file: D:/XFDTD Projects/ODB Saturday/meander/steps/pcb/layers/through_drill/features.Z
Could not uncompress file: D:/XFDTD Projects/ODB Saturday/meander/steps/pcb/layers/rout/features.Z
Could not uncompress file: D:/XFDTD Projects/ODB Saturday/meander/steps/pcb/layers/fr-4/features.Z
Could not uncompress file: D:/XFDTD Projects/ODB Saturday/meander/steps/pcb/layers/bottom/features.Z
Could not uncompress file: D:/XFDTD Projects/ODB Saturday/meander/steps/pcb/layers/fr-4/features.Z
Could not uncompress file: D:/XFDTD Projects/ODB Saturday/meander/steps/pcb/layers/rout/features.Z
Could not uncompress file: D:/XFDTD Projects/ODB Saturday/meander/steps/pcb/layers/through_drill/features.Z
Could not uncompress file: D:/XFDTD Projects/ODB Saturday/meander/steps/pcb/layers/top/features.Z
Could not uncompress file: D:/XFDTD Projects/ODB Saturday/meander/steps/pcb/layers/bottom/features.Z
Could not uncompress file: D:/XFDTD Projects/ODB Saturday/meander/steps/pcb/layers/fr-4/features.Z
Could not uncompress file: D:/XFDTD Projects/ODB Saturday/meander/steps/pcb/layers/rout/features.Z
Could not uncompress file: D:/XFDTD Projects/ODB Saturday/meander/steps/pcb/layers/through_drill/features.Z
Could not uncompress file: D:/XFDTD Projects/ODB Saturday/meander/steps/pcb/layers/top/features.Z
Could not uncompress file: D:/XFDTD Projects/ODB Saturday/meander/steps/pcb/layers/bottom/features.Z
Could not uncompress file: D:/XFDTD Projects/ODB Saturday/meander/steps/pcb/layers/fr-4/features.Z
Could not uncompress file: D:/XFDTD Projects/ODB Saturday/meander/steps/pcb/layers/rout/features.Z
Could not uncompress file: D:/XFDTD Projects/ODB Saturday/meander/steps/pcb/layers/through_drill/features.Z
Could not uncompress file: D:/XFDTD Projects/ODB Saturday/meander/steps/pcb/layers/top/features.Z
It seems the EDA can't unpack Z files from the archive. These are zip files. Please unzip the archive to a temp folder and open ODB++ files from the folder.

dbvanhorn
Posts: 4
Joined: 24 Feb 2024, 07:17

Re: PCB thickness and ODB output

#5 Post by dbvanhorn » 29 Feb 2024, 15:42

Ok, more investigating and it's clear that Diptrace output is correct, and the importer for XF needs work.
Thanks for the help guys, looking forward to working with DT!

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