Electrical Design > ECAD > Supported ECAD File Formats > About Supported ECAD File Formats
About Supported ECAD File Formats
ECAD supports the following ECAD systems for import to and export from ECAD. Additionally, you can use the IDF format, either 2.0 or 3.0.
IDF2.0—Intermediate Data Format (IDF) specifications for version 2.0.
IDF3.0—Intermediate Data Format (IDF) specifications for version 3.0.
IDF files default to the following extensions:
.emn—For a neutral file of the board outline and component placement
.emp—For a profile file that contains component outlines
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Board Station IDF files use the .brd and .lib extensions. If you have files with .brd or .lib extensions, ensure that you rename them to .emn and .emp, respectively, before importing them into ECAD.
Other supported formats are as follows:
Using the Incremental Design Exchange (IDX) format—An XML-based messaging format based on the ProSTEP EDMD (ECAD Design and MCAD Design) open schema for the incremental exchange of PCB layout changes between MCAD and ECAD tools. You can capture and track the proposed changed initiated by the mechanical and electrical users in Creo ECAD-MCAD Collaboration.
Using the ECAD EDA Format—This is a neutral format. You can export ECAD assemblies and Printed Circuit Board (PCB) designs to the ECAD EDA (*.eda) format. You cannot export paneled outlines to this format. The board outlines, ECAD areas, hole features, and the component profiles and placements of the ECAD assemblies are exported to the *.eda files.
Using the Boardstation Format—Uses versions 1.0 and 2.0 of Intermediate Data Format (IDF) from Mentor to interface with the Mentor Graphics Board Station software. The mentor_ver_2_0 configuration option controls whether Creo Parametric is exported in version 1.0 or version 2.0 format.
Creo Parametric accepts exported information from Mentor Graphics that uses the 3D Mechanical interface. See your Mentor Graphics documentation for more information.