Using Pro/ECAD to generate a 100% geometrically accurate 3D PCB in Pro/Engineer has never been easier or faster!

Mechanical Engineers can design smaller, sleeker products with fewer errors when working with more detailed 3D PCB information. Generating an accurate, 3D, PCB in Pro/Engineer has always been a challenge. At Simplified Solutions Inc, we have streamlined the process of generating the information you require.

Please register if you are interested in an online Webex Demo showing how our products are used in conjunction with Pro/ECAD and your IDF.emn file to develop 3D PCBs in Pro/E.

All of our yearly subscription packages include our Hint Map Tool integrated with a large library of 3D electrical components modeled in Pro/Engineer. In a fraction of the time, users can now generate an ecad_hint.map file and build a PCB with real 3D components.

Overview

Simplified Solutions Inc. provides the following tools and services:

• Subscribers get access to our 3D library of electrical components modeled in Pro/Engineer. IGES formats are also available for download. (Learn More)
• Subscribers have access to emn component outlines in IDF format that match all Pro/Engineer library components. These files can be imported into your electrical ECAD package to produce accurate component outlines. (Learn More)
• Our ecad_hint.map tool streamlines the process of replacing 2D ECAD geometry with 3D MCAD geometry. The tool's output is used by Pro/ECAD, which allows the user to import real 3D components into a PCB assembly. (Learn More)
• Our component modeling service, will build your PCB components that currently are not available in our vast library. (Learn More)
• Our staff can quickly generate a 100% geometrically accurate Pro/Engineer assembly of your PCB (Learn More)
• Pro/Cable Design Services (Learn More)

Pro/Engineer Library of Electrical Components

  Click the image to the left to download a zip file containing a typical Pro/Engineer library component

• All Components are modeled in Pro/Engineer. Equivalent IGES geometry is available for each electrical component in the library.
• Components are modeled per IPC, JEDEC, EIA, or vendor package data.
• Dimensions are typically modeled to nominal with tolerances shown. If a nominal dimension is not available for a particular component, Min or Max dimensions may be used and are denoted in the Pro/Engineer model and drawing.
• Components are oriented using a coordinate system called cs_ecad_comp. The orientation of this coordinate system follows guidelines set forth in IPC-7351. The coordinate system can be re-orientated by the user as necessary.
• A dimensioned print similar to the one below is viewable for all components prior to downloading the file.

EMN Files

3D view of Component

Top view of same component

IDF (EMN) Data

• Matching EMN files are available for all components in our library. These files can be imported into ECAD packages that support IDF (Intermediate Data Format)
• Component EMN Geometry matches Pro/Engineer models in the X and Y directions when viewing a component from the top view.
• Data imported through IDF is much easier to work with in ECAD packages than IGES or DXF data. Extra line segments that will not be used in the ECAD outline will already be removed before import.
• Click here to download a zip file containing a typical component emn file

Hint Map Generation Tool

• A user can navigate to, and upload an IDF file containing the PCB information created in many different ECAD tools. This file must have an .emn extension.
• The tool gathers emn file data and simplifies the information into a tabular format. The columns containing the quantity, ecad_name and ecad_alt_name are automatically populated. Non-essential data is immediately discarded.
• The user populates the "Pro/E name" column. Through the tool, the user can search for an appropriate replacement 3D model on our site. After selecting that model, the Pro/E name field is auto-populated. If the user has a model of their own, that model name can be typed into the field.
• The output of the tool is an ecad_hint.map file. This data links the electrical information exported from the ECAD tool to replacement 3D models in Pro/Engineer.
• The user is prompted to download the ecad_hint.map file as well as the 3D replacement models that were chosen.

Sample view: Partially populated "Pro/E name" after uploaded EMN file has been processed

Sample view: Search through 3D models available in our library to populate each "Pro/E name"