EDIF delivers on PCB Standard

Standard addresses issues critical to PCB industry

December 23, 1994 -- Arlington, VA - The Electronic Industries
Association's (EIA) Electronic Design Interchange Format (EDIF) Division
announced today its release of the EDIF Printed Circuit Board standard,
EDIF Version 3 5 0. With the release of PCB, the process of transporting
PCB layouts from one CAD system to another has been dramatically
simplified and is now far more efficient.

EDIF PCB enhances the existing EDIF release beyond connectivity and
schematics to encompass support for printed circuit board design,
manufacturing and assembly. It includes support for parts, packages, bare
boards and assembled boards. Like previous EDIF releases, PCB consists of
a formal model of the information it uses to represent a PCB/PCA, and a
reference manual describing the syntax and examples. In total, EDIF V3 5 0
is of high quality and represents many high-level PCB constructs as well
as the currently addressed artwork features.

"As a customer and as Chair of EDIF's Steering Committee, I feel very good
about this announced release and what it says to the PCB community,"
stated Jeri Crowley, Senior Member, Technical Staff, for Texas Instruments
and Chair of EDIF's Steering Committee. "The EDIF division of the EIA did
its homework and has addressed key issues that the industry said would
make a difference," she concluded.

Key features of EDIF V3 5 0 are its ability to handle simple layout
features, complex sub-layouts, padstack usages, physical nets, sub/nets,
layout text, power plane templates, and probe point references. Another
key section, assembled board, will address component netlist definition,
component placement, route and wirebond assembled physical nets,
association between components and their footprints, and function
allocation information.

"Industry interest in a PCB standard for EDA has been clear for some time,"
offered Patti Rusher, director of the Electronic Information Group for
EIA. "Since the release schedule for PCB was announced at the Design
Automation Conference in San Diego this year, we have received
overwhelming contact from individuals expressing interest in the standard.
Coupled with the tremendous financial and technological support we've
received from corporate participants, it says to me loud and clear that
the time for a PCB standard release is now," concluded Ms. Rusher.

EDIF V4 0 0, which will include coverage for MCM (multichip modules)
representation, design rules and assembly drawings, is due out at a later
date and will further expand on EDIF V3 5 0. MCM's might be thought of as
small PCB's, or large chips, or a mix. It is a goal to be able to extend
the PCB representation facilities to allow for a more generic layered
product, covering both PCB's and MCM's.

Copies of EDIF V3 5 0 are available in electronic format for $100 and may
be obtained from Ms. Patti Rusher, Electronic Industries Association
(EIA), Tel: (703) 527-7002, Fax: (703) 527-0685.

For 70 years, the Electronic Industries Association has been the national
trade association representing U.S. electronics manufacturers. EIA
represents the entire spectrum of companies involved in the manufacture
and design of electronic components, parts, systems and equipment for
communications, industrial, government and consumer-end uses.

For further information, please contact Ms. Patti Rusher, Electronic
Industries Association, 2500 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 203, Arlington, VA
22201; Tel: (703) 527-7002, Fax: (703) 527-0685. After January 10th, Ms.
Rusher may be reached at her new telephone and facsimile numbers: Tel:
(703) 907-7545, Fax: (703) 9077501.

Electronic Industries Association
2001 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Washington, D.C. 20006-1813
202-457-4900,  fax 202-457-4985

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