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The PCB Design, Assembly, and Trends Blog

Building The Bridge Between ECAD and MCAD One Symbol, Footprint, and 3D Model at a Time

May 1, 2018
in ECAD/MCAD Workflow & Team Management
3 min read
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Mechantronic engineers use a multidisciplinary approach to develop the innovative technologies we, as a society, are quickly becoming dependent on. Emerging smart technology allows us to do some pretty amazing things like remotely control our thermostats, enjoy safer driving with smart sensing technology, and take excellent pictures with autofocus camera settings, among many other useful technologies. As our smart and connected world continues to expand, the partnership between ECAD and MCAD requires an increasingly synergistic approach to PCB design, with a focus on CAD library data, to work efficiently.

The engineering community has been struggling for years to find a reliable solution to the growing communication and collaboration issues between ECAD and MCAD. Matching schematic symbols to PCB footprints and 3D models all built from different sources can result in multiple product re-spins and hours of extra work for both the ECAD and MCAD engineers. At the end of the day, simple extrusions are no longer sufficient with our increasingly accelerated design schedules.

All CAD Data is Not Created Equal

Access to downloadable CAD data files is a tremendous step forward in the quest to solve the ECAD/MCAD collaboration issues; however, not all sources are equally reliable. How many times have you worked on a design where three different people created and/or sourced the schematic symbol, PCB footprint, and 3D model—and of course they don’t match? The symbol doesn’t have the right number of pins; the footprint is a generic version that’s “close enough”; the 3D model is the right type, but the solder points don’t quite line up with the footprint pads; the problems seem endless. Wouldn’t it be nice to simply download a matched set?

Your ECAD/MCAD Library Data Problems Solved Once and For All

By providing a verified source for unified PCB CAD models, we hope to solve the ECAD/MCAD library collaboration issue once and for all! Did you know the symbols, footprints and 3D models in our library were built at the same time using the same data source? This allows us to provide you with a set of unified models that represent the logical, physical, and 3D representations of a single component. When placing a schematic symbol from our library you know that it will have the properties associated with the PCB footprint and 3D model, allowing you seamlessly move from schematic design to PCB Layout to mechanical without misconceptions or mismatched data. 

3D Model

We are committed to giving back to you, the engineer, the time you need to do what you were hired to do—design innovative products. In order to assist mechatronic engineers in both the ECAD to the MCAD spaces develop the latest cutting-edge technology, we wanted to do our part by providing a reliable source for unified CAD models. By having a common ECAD and MCAD model library for your components ECAD and MCAD can now truly work together in harmony. Bridging the gap between your ECAD and MCAD teams and accelerating your design process starts with unlimited free PCB CAD models from  www.UltraLibrarian.com.
 

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The Ultra Librarian Team

Ultra Librarian offers the world's largest PCB CAD library, putting cutting-edge materials at your fingertips so you can build better products faster—all for free.

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