ODB++ is an ASCII open-format developed by Mentor Graphics to capture CAD/EDA, assembly, and PCB fabrication information. It has become the proprietary industry standard for formatting and transferring PC board data.
The Ansys ODB++ translator, AnsTranslator, allows you to utilize ODB++ and ANF file formats to perform analyses of printed circuit boards in support of SIwave and Planar EM. AnsTranslator takes as input an ODB++ v7.1 job structure and produces as output an ANFv4 file or an ANFv2 file and an SIwave component file (.cmp).
- The input to AnsTranslator is an ODB++ v7.1 job structure (either as a compressed .tgz file or an uncompressed top folder) and an optional control file (.xml).
- AnsTranslator can export to an edb directory or to a control file.
- The output from AnsTranslator is either an EDB directory or ANFV2 file and a component file (.cmp). ANFV4 is also supported. A log file (.log) is also produced.
- The information translated is a collection of geometric data that is sufficient to perform a useful analysis of the represented circuit for SIwave and Planar EM designs (which also supports HFSS, Q3D, and TPA). Note the AnsTranslator process is subject to whatever limitations exist for the ANF format to represent ODB++ content.
- If the board outline is included in the profile file, it are translated onto an assembly layer called "outline". This same polygon are used to translate negative-plane data to a positive-plane shape. If the board outline is composed entirely of disjoint segments, Electronics Desktop attempts to stitch the data together so long as the end points are within a nanometer of each other.
- The data can be modified through the Control File.