Mel,

One of the most popular packages for Design package review and manufacturability analysis BEFORE Gerber generation is the GENESIS 2000.  Manufacturing outputs are also handled: Gerber 274D, 274X, Excellon Drill, IPC D 356, etc... all can also be output from the system too.  Below is a brief description of the different options and hardware requirtements:

                       GENESIS 2000 BRIEF DESCRIPTION

I. Basic Pre-production Modules:
Auto Input: Complete functionality to automatically recognize input, and translate standard formats such as Gerber 274D,  Gerber 274X,  Pentax,  CSI Autoplot,  Sieb & Meyer,  Excellon I & II Drill and Rout,  Optrotech,  Excellon .img,  ATI,  Barco DPF,  IPC D 356, PADS Netlist, Mentor Netlist,  Mentor Neutral,  Mentor CAD, Zuken Redac CAD, HPGL I & II,  PDA,  NTD, IGI-PAR, DXF,  Probot and many more files automatically with virtually  no user interaction.  New technology employs adaptive heuristic methodology to maintain compatibility with changes in the CAD industry.

Design Analyzer: The Design Analyzer is a comprehensive yet flexible environment that allows the engineer to review a design before, during, or after tooling, The Design Analyzer uses an interactive environment for pre-production general review, or manufacturability, allowing for graphical printouts, etc... This tools will analyze your design for OVER 70 DIFFERENT categories of manufacturability review!

Graphic Editor: The Graphic Editor is based on  an on-line DRC and Netlist  technology that eliminates the possibility for an operator to create or edit an error into the design.  The advanced human interface is based on intuitive software concepts that will reduce personnel training time and at the same time lend itself to high productivity for the advanced operator. An additional highlight of the Graphical Editor is that the PCB can continuously be viewed in  3rd dimension (stackup). Allowing, for instance, the operator to view all affected layers in a process.  In addition to the Genesis being an on-line  netlist based system, it is necessary to be able to output a netlist to other systems such as electrical testers, rework stations or any other netlist driven system. To achieve this, the Netlist Extraction module outputs an ASCII based netlist that will allow easy integration to 3rd party systems and environments. This module can also be used to compare the Netlist extracted from the incoming  data to a customer supplied IPC D 356 file. Pre-requisite IPC D 356 auto input and output.

Output Formats: Valor's open products policy is demonstrated by the output converters that are designed to give the user the freedom of choosing the output device that best  meets their  needs (plotter, drill, etc.). The following formats are currently supported:  Gerber 274D,  Gerber 274X,  Gerber RPD,  Pentax, CSI Autoplot, Sieb & Meyer, Excellon I & II Drill and Rout, Optrotech, Excellon .img,  ATI, Postscript, Barco DPF, IPC D 356 and HPGL I & II,  PDA,  NTD, IGI-PAR, DXF,  Probot  and many more. Additional format outputs will be continuously developed per customer needs.


II. Advanced Pre-production Modules:
Sub Panel Optimizer: The only Array optimizer program designed to intelligently handle incoming data in array (sub panel form), automatically extracting the array information while seperating it from the PCB data.  Use this tool drastically improves the tooling speed and efficiency of array designs.

Panel Optimizer: The only panel optimizer program designed to place single images on array¹s, array¹s on panel, panels on sheets.  Maximize panel utilization using the most advanced algorithm in the industry.  Places  rectangle, round or L shaped PCB¹s and calculates all the possible panel placement combinations in seconds!

Stackup Builder: Develop automated prepreg selection, pull stackups from libraries, graphically build stackups from scratch.  Designed from the ground up to be the most innovative easy to use graphical stackup program in the industry. Constraint based approach allows for cost optimization rules to determine the most cost effective production stackup.

Impedance Simulator: Designed to handle the 3 most common types of characteristic impedance requirements. Users can define their own formula or use the Valor supplied formulas.  Both the Impedance Control and Stackup modules are tied to the design.  Modify a impedance tolerance and automatically modify the associated line width - ³Hot Linked Graphics² and more...

Auto Drill Manager: Designed to calculate the selection of the drill tools.  Total automation provides not only speed but complete reliability and guaranteed repeatability.  User defined criteria selects the correct finished drill tool that achieves the correct finished hole size every time, time after time. 

Drill Path Optimizer: The drill path optimizer generates alternative drill path maps based on a different algorithmic criteria. This approach guaranties that the optimizer will handle variable drill file geometry with maximum efficiency. Groups of drill holes that are marked with the "Don't Optimize" system attribute are kept in their original sequence. This special "Don't Optimize " attribute may be used to mark slot drill packs on the original drill file. Has been independently benchmarked and proven to be the worlds most efficient optimizer.

Auto Rout Manager: Minimize the amount of user interaction and cycle time required to create fully production ready rout outputs.  The fully integrated and automated foundation to the Genesis system allows for maximum productivity.

EDA Data Viewer: Speak in the customers own design language, with the ability to read in and display the full Mentor Graphics Board Station ASCII neutral file.  This will allow you to see on screen exactly what the designer will see on his screen - including all component information!

III. Advanced Automation Tools:
Script Debugger: The PCB industry has put strong demand on "C shell" script automation over the last few years. Valor has developed a script debugger that is a state of the art set of tools for creating and debugging "C shell" scripts. When using the debugger option the user can enter into script recording mode. The recorded file may be edited later and then used as a script. This package has the ability to link execution of specific scripts with function keys. At any point where the script is suspended (due to break point or other reason) the user may view the relevant system window (for example: Graphic Editor, Panelization window, job matrix etc.) and analyze the script impact on the PCB data.

DFM Environment: This module may be the most potent technological tool introduced to Pre-production engineering since the introduction of conventional CAM. This unique technology developed for PCB fabricators automatically enables the automation of today's labor intensive manual editing sessions, that are necessary for PCB manufacturers to meet their internal manufacturability criteria's.  Additionally, the development environment is available for creation of plant specific or company proprietary editing functionality. The DFM Environment is structured so that a systems engineer can create these advanced customized tools virtually in hours without having to write actual low level code. This is done by providing an algorithmic kernel of the Genesis as an object library accessible to the fabricators systems engineer. Using this technology the fabricator will be able to reduce the cycle time of one of the most time consuming engineering processes in today's front end engineering, and at the same time significantly improve overall manufacturing  yield.

DFM Components: The concept of DFM Component programs will be the continuous development and improvement of advanced applications using the DFM Environment. This will be an on going process in the PCB industry for years to come. DFM programs can be simple programs such as non-functional-pad-removal, or complex programs such as, neckdown and rerouting of traces based on a comprehensive set of manufacturability rules. These programs will be developed by Valor, the Genesis customer base and by Valor VAR's. The importance of the DFM program concept is that  continuous improvement is not limited to the system supplier, and customer specific programs will be exclusive to each company (The DFM Environment is not  a prerequisite for DFM programs).

DFM Component: Automatic Soldermask Optimizer - Eliminates the tedious hours spent on each job modifying the Soldermask.  The optimizer performs complete global optimization in minutes.  The results are generally superior to any manual method.

DFM Component: Automatic Sliver Filling - Fully automatic analysis and repair of the resist redeposition slivers

DFM Component: Automatic Copper Balancing - Improves stability of thin inner cores, significantly reduces the cost of copper related waste treatment costs and provides a method to automatically balance outer layers in terms of copper density distribution.

DFM Component: Automatic Line Width Optimizer -  Provides for the optimal line width without compromising spacing.  Tight designs have shown a significant improvement in final yield.

DFM Component: Automatic Pinhole Eliminator -  features and ground planes often  contain small pinholes (data does not overlap).  These pinholes go unrepaired due to their small size.  This program automatically searches through a design for any pin hole and repairs them automatically.

DFM Component: Automatic Signal Layer Optimization - Drastically slash the amount of time required to perform manual editing!  Automated signal layer optimization performs in seconds what otherwise would take operators hours to perform without the risk of errors! Flash Editor - Automated repair of manufacturability issues found during in the Design Analyzer.  The Flash Editor is based on  an on-line DRC and Netlist technology that eliminates the possibility for an operator to create or edit an error into the design.  Several alternative types of automated repairs are often possible, allowing the user to preview each option selecting the preferred repair.

DFM Component: Acute Angle Repair - Drastically slash the amount of time required to perform manual editing!  Automated signal layer optimization performs in seconds what otherwise would take operators hours to perform without the risk of errors!

DFM Component: Automatic Silkscreen Optimizer - Eliminates the tedious hours spent on each job modifying the Silkscreen.  The optimizer performs complete global optimization in minutes.  The results are generally superior to any manual method.

DFM Component: Nomenclature Detection - Accurate and intellegent Nomenclature detection algorithm will seek out and apply the Nomenclature attribute for you automatically.  This function quickly will indetify text for the correct categorization of text spacing, conturization, etc...

DFM Component: Text Sliver Fill - rapid repair of all features with the nomenclature attribute set.  The repair will remove all serious slivers, thus eliminating the possibility of resist redeposition issues.

DFM Component: Redundant Vector Removal -  Intelligent data reduction for your most serious design databases.  The removal of covered data received by your customer will not only reduce the size of ³drawn ground planes² but greatly speed the time required to perform Design Analysis etc...

DFM Component: Line Unification - Improve the accuracy and quality of the customers database.  Today, you use ³Draw to Flash² convertion.  Now you can extend the Genesis to analyze for over lapping traces and ³flash² them into what should appear on your artwork. For example 2 overlapping 6 mil lines that measure on the film as 10 mils will be converted automatically to a 10 mil line!

IV. Enterprise Wide Interface:
Framework: A complete engineering management  tool, monitoring the activity of the physical network and other modules operation as part of the Genesis system.  Designed for the system administrator, engineering manager, customer service representative, etc...  Balance CPU loading in a client server environment, status jobs, perform bottleneck review etc...

Workforms: A complete and customizable Electronic Form generation technology.  User will be able to customize according to the plants requirements.  Interactive Forms, such as a Job Release Form or a Manufacturing  Check List Form, can contain text, drawings, pictures, voice and special action buttons and much more.  One master copy is viewable throughout the network.  User updates show instantly on all terminals.

Workflows: A complete and customizable Workflow generation technology. Every process can be defined as a graphical workflow, or sub-workflow, that changes dynamically according to the specific customer needs and production status.  Provides immediate monitoring of job status.  Will protect users from making costly decision mistakes, or errors of omission in this rapid engineering environment.

HARDWARE OS: HPUX, SUNOS, SOLARIS

Hope this helps... Call Valor at the number below for any sales information.

Best Regards,



Leigh Eichel




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VALOR COMPUTERIZED SYSTEMS INCORPORATED
         1601 TRAPELO ROAD
    WALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS 02154

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   " Changing Data Into Information"

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