Import Allegro using ASCII File

From the menu bar, click File > Import ECAD > Cadence Allegro Expansion to import Allegro design. The Import from Cadence Allegro dialog opens.

In the Allegro ASCII Files section of the Import from Cadence Allegro dialog, to read Allegro design with ASCII file, the reading type check button should be Allegro ASCII File. You can set this setting in environment.

Click

for Allegro Expansion reading, you can select ASCII files. Click Read from ASCII, import selected ASCII files, and convert them to PollEx PCB design job file, *.PDBB.

Note: There are six ASCII files: *.Comp, *.CompPin, *.Geom, *.Lay, *.Net, and *.Pad. PollEx PCB reads these six files after running the extracta.exe command.

Extract ASCII File

The following two windows guide you to extract ASCII file from Allegro binary design file, *.brd.

Use the Allegro ASCII file extraction command, AllegroExpansionASCIIExtractor.exe in the path, C:\ProgramData\altair\PollEx\<Version>\Share.

In the Allegro Expansion Ascii File Extractor dialog, specify the Allegro ASCII extraction command file, extracta.exe path, specify the control file, AllegroExpansion_ExtractCommandFile.txt path under C:\ProgramData\altair\PollEx\<Version>\Share.

For Design File, select the target Allegro design file.

Click Extract ASCII Design File to create six different ASCII files.

Note: The Allegro Expansion Ascii File Extractor is for extracting Allegro ASCII files from a machine that is not installed PollEx application.