CircuitWorks for SolidWorks is a bi-directional IDF and PADS file interface for the SolidWorks 3D CAD system. CircuitWorks adds in to SolidWorks and allows it to read and write the industry standard IDF 2.0, 3.0 or 4.0 format files produced by Electrical CAD (ECAD) systems used for Printed Circuit Board (PCB) design. It can also read *.asc files from the Mentor PADS ECAD system.

What CircuitWorks for SolidWorks does

Once a compatible file is opened in CircuitWorks for SolidWorks, its contents are shown as a tree and preview image. The tree and preview show the various types of entities in the file such as the Board, Plated and Non-Plated Holes, Components, Keepouts, Outlines and Annotations. When used with files written in the IDF 4.0 format, CircuitWorks can also show Pads, Traces and Filled Areas:

An IDF 3.0 format file open in the CircuitWorks for SolidWorks user interface.

An IDF 4.0 format file open in CircuitWorks for SolidWorks showing the traces.

Once a file is open in CircuitWorks, it can be modified if required using the advanced property editing and filtering tools in CircuitWorks. Small components which might not be required in SolidWorks can be filtered out for example. When the user is happy with the data, the Circuit Board and components can be built in SolidWorks as an assembly.

A SolidWorks Assembly modelled by CircuitWorks for SolidWorks. The CircuitWorks 'Locate Component' window is also shown.

CircuitWorks can be used with existing SolidWorks component models, or can build its own simple component models using the data in the ECAD file. CircuitWorks stores the component models it creates in its Component Library for re-use in future. CircuitWorks gets faster the more it's used as it builds up a collection of component models.

The CircuitWorks Component Library: Component names from the ECAD file can be cross referenced against the SolidWorks model to used to represent it. The library supports Parts, Assemblies and Configurations.

As CircuitWorks is bi-directional, SolidWorks parts and assemblies can be exported from SolidWorks back into the CircuitWorks user interface, they can then be modified if required and then saved as IDF files to be read back into an ECAD system.

What can the models CircuitWorks for SolidWorks generates be used for?

CircuitWorks uses the information in IDF or PADS ASCII files to produce a fully detailed 3D SolidWorks assembly of a Printed Circuit Board and its components. The completed SolidWorks assembly can be used in a number of ways:

• Checking For Interference: By transferring an accurate model of a PCB and its components accurately into SolidWorks, users can check for any potential clash between the Circuit Board and its surroundings. If there is a clash, then the board shape or the positions of components on it can altered and the resulting changes saved back out for use with the ECAD system.

• Creating Complex Board Shapes: Often the shape and size of a PCB is driven by the product that will contain the board. Using CircuitWorks, the board and any key components can be modelled initially in SolidWorks, and the shape captured and exported to an ECAD system.

• Visualization: CAD models are increasingly used for visualisation and sales use, often before the product has been manufactured. Using CircuitWorks for SolidWorks, accurate models of Printed Circuit Boards with their components can be generated to create images for sales use.

• Prototyping: SolidWorks models created by CircuitWorks can be used to create physical prototypes in conjunction with Rapid Prototyping systems.

• Manufacturing: CircuitWorks embeds ECAD information into the SolidWorks Assemblies it creates. This information can then be used to add annotations such as Reference Designators to assembly drawings which can then be used as aids to manufacturing the PCB assembly.

• PDM: CircuitWorks adds custom properties defined in the IDF file format into the SolidWorks component models it creates, these attributes can then be used to describe the component in a data management system such as PDM/Works.

• Analysis: The 3D PCB models generated from ECAD data can be used for thermal analysis within Mechanical CAD systems, especially in the case of products with tight packaging constraints such as cellular phones and PDAs where localized heat build up can cause problems.

A model created with CircuitWorks undergoing thermal analysis in Ansys software.