ODB++

Introduction

Inside almost every electronic device is at least one printed circuit board (PCB) onto which the semiconductor and other components are mechanically and electrically connected by soldering. These PCBs are designed using a computer-aided design (CAD) system.{{cite web |access-date = December 18, 2011 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120406144126/http://www.edac.org/Video/ElectronicsBegins/electronics_begins_en.jsp |archive-date = April 6, 2012 | access-date = December 18, 2011 | archive-date = May 25, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130525085447/http://www.pcbexpress.com/technical/tutorial.php | url-status = live | access-date = December 18, 2011 | archive-date = 14 August 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110814100246/http://pcdandf.com/cms/designnews/8107-a-short-history-of-electronic-data-formats | url-status = live

File structure

ODB++ can handle all the specifications surrounding a PCB – i.e. not only the basic dimensions and the layout of conducting layers and drill data, but optionally also material stack up, netlist with test points, component bill of materials, component placement and fabrication data. The data for all these different aspects is stored in a collection of separate files within a specified hierarchy of file folders. | access-date = 2 October 2011 | archive-date = 25 April 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120425013828/http://artwork.com/odb++/odb++_hierarchy_tree.gif | url-status = live For simplified archiving and transmission the collection is usually packed in a single archive-file that preserves the file structure, for example using tar or gzip or both.

In ODB++(X) the data is contained in a single XML file.

History

Valor was founded in 1992{{cite web | archive-url = https://archive.today/20130119030733/http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=12517486 | archive-date = January 19, 2013 | access-date = 4 October 2011 | url-status = dead

The ODB++ data format was expanded in 2020 and was designed to facilitate communication between designer and manufacturer by use of a digital twin. The format was renamed the ODB++ Family and was split into three connected format uses.

• ODB++Design: Created using typical EDA software, used for design for manufacturing, fabrication, test and assembly analysis (DFx), as well as being the single carrier of design data to electronics assembly and fabrication.
• ODB++Process: A transitional format for conversion of design data into files for use at any production machine or workstation.
• ODB++Manufacturing: A format for manufacturing floor events, with communication capabilities between machines and Smart Industry 4.0 software solutions.

Adoption

In the late 1990s it became clear to industry participants that a second-generation data transfer format would be more efficient than prevalent Gerber format, which was a first generation format at that time. However, it was very difficult to reach a consensus over which of two candidates should be selected:

1. ODB++: proven but proprietary
2. IPC-2511 GenCAM: not widely used but open In 2002, a compromise format, ODB++(X), was recommended by National Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (NEMI; an industry body, subsequently renamed International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative, iNEMI) after a two-year mediation effort between the GenCAM and ODB++ camps. Companies that supported the recommendation at the time included Cadence, Hewlett-Packard, Lucent, Easylogix, Mentor (which acquired Valor some eight years later), Nokia and Xerox. But in fact adoption to date has been minimal. As a result, and as detailed below, the industry is still divided. Late 2014 Gerber X2 was introduced which added attributes ("intelligence") to the Gerber format in a compatible way, converting Gerber to a second generation format.

Advocacy

Lists of EDA tools that support import and/or export of ODB++ have been compiled by Artwork Conversion Software,{{cite web | access-date = 25 September 2011 | archive-date = 29 May 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120529224543/http://www.artwork.com/odb++/pcb_tools_supporting_odb.htm | url-status = live |access-date = 25 September 2011 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121006175726/http://www.mentor.com/products/pcb-system-design/odb-data-exchange |archive-date = 6 October 2012 | access-date = February 28, 2012 | archive-date = April 30, 2014 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140430145123/http://www.odb-sa.com/partners/ | url-status = live Some companies that have adopted the ODB++ format are advocates for its use. Streamline Circuits reports that ODB++ provides much greater efficiency than the competing Gerber format, stating that "an 8-layer printed circuit board can take up to 5 hours to plan and tool using Gerber and only 1 hour when using ODB++." According to Streamline, manufacturers are adopting it to overcome the limitations of the simpler Gerber format.{{cite web | access-date = 25 September 2011 | archive-date = 2 April 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120402031520/http://www.mentor.com/products/pcb-system-design/upload/streamline-circuits-ss.pdf | url-status = live | access-date = 25 September 2011 | archive-date = 22 October 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111022005750/http://www.downstreamtech.com/cam350/ODB-interface.html | url-status = live Kent Balius of Viasystems, states of ODB++ "...really we don’t need anything else."{{cite web | access-date = February 27, 2013 | archive-date = February 17, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130217050130/http://www.frontline-pcb.com/category/ODBResources | url-status = live

Criticism

Concerns

ODB++ is a proprietary format controlled by Valor later Mentor and now Siemens, and so, like all proprietary standards, it comes with the risk of vendor lock-in. CAD companies had some concerns about this when ODB++ was controlled by Valor, a CAM company, but these concerns were magnified when a rival CAD company, Mentor, acquired Valor. Although Mentor claims that it "...openly supports inclusion of ODB++ and updates for other EDA tool vendors,"{{cite web | access-date=25 September 2011 | archive-date=2 April 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402031437/http://www.mentor.com/products/pcb-system-design/upload/odb-plus-plus-ds.pdf | url-status=live |access-date=30 September 2011 |archive-date=7 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211107133839/https://resources.sw.siemens.com/en-US/contact-eda?fmpath=%2Fcompany%2Fpartner_programs%2Fopendoor%2Fjoin |url-status=live | access-date = 2011-11-04 | archive-date = 2011-08-08 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110808143849/http://communities.mentor.com/mgcx/message/24010 | url-status = live

In 2012, Julian Coates, director of business development at Mentor's Valor division claimed that, so far, all ODB++ partners, including competitors to Mentor, who have applied for assistance to build and maintain ODB++ interfaces via the ODB++ Solutions Alliance have been accepted without reservation or cost.{{cite web | access-date = March 20, 2012 | archive-date = March 8, 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120308140715/http://signal-integrity.tm.agilent.com/2012/o-is-for/#comments | url-status = live | access-date = 2021-05-11 | archive-date = 2021-05-11 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210511212409/http://omlcommunity.com/wp-content/uploads/ODB_Format_Description_v7.pdf | url-status = live

Lack of need

Ucamco, the developers of the Gerber format, argue that the prevalent Gerber-based flow (with some additions) is as complete and efficient as ODB++.{{cite web | access-date = 2 October 2011 | archive-date = 20 December 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161220042957/http://www.hkpca.org/uploadfileMgnt/0_20134189127.pdf | url-status = live |access-date=19 February 2013 |archive-date=7 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211107133902/https://www.ucamco.com/files/downloads/file_en/22/kick-starting-a-revolution-ipc-2581-meets-gerber_en.pdf?6f1ad339fbbb654d75d8b25bc426d2c3 |url-status=live

Alternatives

Critics of the proprietary nature of ODB++ point to several more open formats as models for a future consensus format:

• Gerber Format: Nominally proprietary to Ucamco, like ODB++ is also a proprietary format.
• IPC-2511 ("GenCAM"){{cite web | access-date = 2 October 2011 | archive-date = 17 August 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110817212145/http://www.ipc.org/CommitteeDetail.aspx?Committee=2-14 | url-status = live
• IPC-2581 ("Offspring"){{cite web | access-date = 1 October 2011 | archive-date = 14 January 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120114140758/http://www.ipc2581.com/ | url-status = live | access-date = 3 October 2011 | archive-date = 14 August 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110814102703/http://pcdandf.com/cms/component/content/article/171-current-issue/8197-cover-story | url-status = live | access-date = October 4, 2011 | archive-date = April 2, 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120402145912/http://www.artwork.com/press_rl/ipc2581_announcement.htm | url-status = live | access-date = April 4, 2012 | archive-date = November 7, 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211107133925/https://www.notified.com/GNW-PR/press-release-distribution | url-status = live | access-date = 3 October 2011 | archive-date = 3 October 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111003060852/http://pcdandf.com/cms/designnews/8345-ipc-2581-consortium-adds-ucamco-aegis | url-status = live | access-date = 3 October 2011 | archive-date = 8 March 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120308134607/http://pcdandf.com/cms/component/content/article/237-2011-issues/8111-mentors-coates-our-strategy-is-based-around-odb | url-status = live | access-date = March 25, 2012 | archive-date = 9 April 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120409144512/http://pcdandf.com/cms/designnews/8879-mentor-to-support-ipc-2581 | url-status = live | access-date = November 13, 2016 | archive-date = November 7, 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211107133913/https://www-zuken-co-jp.translate.goog/news/odb_solutions_alliance/?_x_tr_sl=ja&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=nui | url-status = live
• OpenAccess, which resulted from a transfer of certain technologies by Cadence to the Si2 organization.{{cite web | access-date = 2 October 2011 | archive-date = 10 November 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111110204409/http://www.si2.org/?page=76#7 | url-status = dead | access-date = 2 October 2011 | archive-date = 6 November 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111106090758/http://www.si2.org/oac_members_list.php | url-status = live
• JPCA-EB02 ("Fujiko"){{cite web |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111113072659/http://www.jpca.net/jp/e/standards.html |archive-date = 2011-11-13 | access-date = 2011-11-07 | archive-date = 2012-04-25 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120425145045/http://www.zuken.co.jp/club_Z/z/feature/f04/03/f_110929_2.html | url-status = live
• EDIF - Electronic Design Interchange Format

References

References

1. "Siemens to expand its digital industrial leadership with acquisition of Mentor Graphics".
2. [http://www.cadence.com/Community/blogs/ii/archive/2011/10/02/ipc-2581-panel-a-spirited-discussion-on-pcb-data-transfer-formats.aspx IPC-2581 Panel: A Spirited Discussion on PCB Data Transfer Formats] {{Webarchive. link. (2014-05-08 , Richard Goering, Cadence Design Systems blog, October 2, 2011 on the panel session "Data Transfer in the 21st Century," PCB West conference, Santa Clara, California, September 29, 2011)
3. . (2020-05-19). ["Siemens Expands ODB Data Exchange Format"](https://www.digitalengineering247.com/article/siemens-expands-odb-data-exchange-format).
4. (20 May 2020). "Siemens Expands ODB Data Exchange Format and Adds Electronics Manufacturing Information Flow To Digital Twin".
5. "Gerber version 2 FAQ". ucamco.
6. "Resources | ODB++ Solutions Alliance".
7. (November 2016). "The Gerber File Format Specification". Ucamco.
8. [https://web.archive.org/web/20110705120048/http://pcdandf.com/cms/designnews/8103-users-updating-adopting-ipc-data-transfer-spec- Users Updating, Adopting IPC Data Transfer Spec], ''Printed Circuit Design and Fab'' magazine, Mike Buetow, 24 June 2011