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Quadra solutions - CAD Terms Category: Electronics and Engineering > CAD Date & country: 16/12/2007, UK Words: 115

AAI
Approved Autodesk Instructor. These are instructors based at a ATC who have reached the required training level and quality and customer satisfaction level as laided down and monitored by Autodesk. The AAI approval is updated continously due to live feed back (on-line) and required training groups.

ACIS
3D modelling 'number cruncher' at the heart of 3D modelling software.

Adaptive Design
The ability to control the relationship between parts and assemblies without using any equations.

Analogue
There are many definements of analogue however the ones we are using are :-

Annotation
Adding notes to a schematic, in particular filling in the legends describing a component (e.g IC2, R45, C3) and labelling the pin tags with the actual pin numbers used in the PCB, allowing for gate allocation, equivalent pin swapping, and similar that may take place during PCB layout.

ANSI
Specific type of drawing standards that companies use to ensure all the drawings following the same rules.

Aspect Ratio
the proportion of an image size given in terms of the horizontal length vs. the vertical height. A 5x7 image has a ratio of 7:5.

Aspect Ratio(PCB)
This is the ratio of the board thickness to the smallest-hole diameter of the printed circuit board.

Assembly
Where more than one part exists within the 3D session e.g. a complete racing car as opposed to just a wheel.

Associativity
The abilty for a 2D drawing to update automatically when its 3D model is changed.

Auto routing
Method of automatically routing tracks in CADSTAR.

AutoCAD
The industry Standard computer aided design/drafting program developed by Autodesk. AutoCAD files typically have the extensions DWG and DXF.

AutoCAD Electrical 
An application based on AutoCAD specifically designed Electrical designers or Electrical engineers, with additional tools for electrical schematic design.

AutoCAD LT 
2D only version AutoCAD.

Autodesk ATC 
Within CAD field the ATC stands for Authorised Training Centre; usually displayed as 'Autodesk Authorised Training Centre' or 'Autodesk ATC' these are approved training centres with the backing of Autodesk and staffed by AAI's and quality monitored by Autodesk.

Autodesk Inventor Professional 
Same as inventor series but with additional industry specific tools for example piping, cable harness design and stress analysis.

Autodesk Inventor Series
The best selling 3d modelling software for mechanical design Autodesk 3D solid modelling package for mechanical design.

Autodesk VIZ 
An alternative version of 3D Studio MAX for architects and mechanical engineers. Used for rendering photo-realistic images.

Autodesk 
Autodesk, Inc., design software and digital content company, the market leader of CAD and digital content creation software. 7 million users worldwide.

Bare board
An unpopulated PCB.

BBT
Bare Board Test

Block 
A collection of CAD entities saved in a symbol library.

BMP
Bitmap. A graphical format used for photographic images.

Boolean
A method of modelling joining and subtracting primitive shapes.

CAD
Computer Aided Design; Also sometimes called computer aided drafting, is a computer program which implements the functions of geometric design, drafting and documentation. The use of a computer in industrial design applications such as architecture, engineering, and manufacturing.  An automated system for the design, drafting, and display of graphi…

CADIF
A description of a PCB in ASCII format. A neutral file format for use across a variety of different source applications for example into a simulation tool like SI or to interface with automated assembly machines

CADSTAR 3D
Enables the design of PCB in 3D not just 2D

CADSTAR SI
Signal Integrity simulation tool for integrated into CADSTAR

CAE
Computer Aided Engineering. Generic term encompassing CAD & CAM

CAM
Computer Aided Manufacture. The use of computers to automatically control the machinery performing various manufacturing processes. To aid the programming of CNC machines.

CAM 350
Package used to create and view Gerber files for PCB design

CCITT
Consultative Committee on International Telephony and Telegraphy. An international standards group.

CEIBER Meyer
A drilling format

CFD
Computational Flow Dynamics. The science of predicting how fluids flow through and around parts.

CLI
Caller Line Identification. The callers number displays on the phones LCD screen

Clients DO standards 
Clients Drawing/Design Office Standards

CMS       
Content Management System

CNC
Computer Numerical Control: A CAM technology using computers to control cutting machines such as milling machines and lathes to cut specified three-dimensional shapes. CNC has been used since the early 1970s. Prior to this, prepared tapes controlled machines and the process was called simply Numerical Control (NC).

COB
Chip On Board: A configuration in which a chip is directly attached to a printed circuit board or substrate by solder or conductive adhesives.

Concurrent Engineering
An engineering practice where by several parts of the design process take place at once instead of completing one task before moving to the next.

crossref
A crossref is a reference that tightly binds one reference to another, so that for using the referencing reference it is also necessary to have the cross-referenced reference. Crossrefs are mirroring BibTeX's concept of a crossref field and are used to avoid redundancies when dealing with references to a resource that contains a number of sub-resou…

CTF
Constraints Transfer File. This file matches attributes and their values to the appropriate Constraints (required in P.R.Editor XR HS only).

CTI Installation
Computer Telephony Integration - The term used to describe the linking of the telephone system with a computer or network. The classic CTI application is “screen popping', which uses CLI to identify the caller and display his/her database records on the screen before the call is answered. CTI also enables calls to be made directly from a contact ma…

DFF
Dynamic File Format. It is Jonathan Bettencourt's cross-platform open file format, similar to a resource fork but allowing many more items with longer type codes and more attributes.

DHTML 
Dynamic HTML. An extension of HTML that enables, among other things, the inclusion of small animations and dynamic menus in Web pages. DHTML code makes use of style sheets and JavaScript.

DIN
Specific type of drawing standards that companies use to ensure all the drawings following the same rules. 

DirectX
Different Generations of DirectX exist currently we are on version 9c this is a software tool employed by the Windows Operating System to achive a higher performance out of your computer's graphics. Some software depends on DirectX for it graphics playback functions, thus DirectX must be present on any PC that plays back some scripts.

Drawing Standards
A set of rules that engineers use to make sure they create an engineering drawing in an internationally recognised format.

DRC 
Design Rules Check. Automated shape based check in the PCB industry. All our PCB software packages have this feature and are used to find electrical or physical errors within a design.

DWF 
Design WEB Format. Lightweight vector format for sharing CAD data with recipients who do not own a CAD application. A way of allowing people to see a CAD drawing using a web browser but without having to have any CAD software themselves. Viewable with a free viewer downloadable from Autodesk. Or click here to download for free from Quadra.

DWG 
The standard file format for AutoCAD and Mechanical Desktop. Native AutoCAD drawing format owned by Autodesk.

DXF
Drawing 'X'change Format. A Vector format used to exchange data between CAD applications. A method of exchanging 2D drawings between any 2D CAD systems.

ECAD 
Electronic Computer Aided Design.

EDA
Electronic Design Automation. The successor to CAE refers to software tools used by general or specialized designers of chips.

EDM
Electronic Data Management. A way of controlling all electronic data associated with a company's products.

EEE
Electrical & Electronic Equipment.

EIA
Electronic Industries Association; a trade association that establishes electrical and electronics-oriented standards.

EMC 
Electro Magnetic Compatibility: the interaction between electronic components.

EMI 
Electro Magnetic Interference. A by product of EMC.

Excelcam 
ExcelCAM Software provides CADSTAR users with a comprehensive range of features for Editing, Panelling, Net list Extraction, CADIF Export.

Excellon
Industry standard drilling protocol founded by the company of the same name.

FEA
Finite Element Analasys. The science of  predicting if and when mechanical parts with break under loads or heat or vibration.

FFT
Fast Fourier Transform. An algorithm for computing the Fourier transform of a set of discrete data values. Given a finite set of data points, for example a periodic sampling taken from a real-world signal, the FFT expresses the data in terms of its component frequencies. It also solves the essentially identical inverse problem of reconstructing a s…

FIF
Floorplanner Interface Format. The information in this file describes the component placement.

Fourier
French mathematician who developed Fourier analysis and studied the conduction of heat (1768-1830).

GenCAD
GenCAD is a format for electronic data interchange the primary focus is PCB.

GenCAM
The Generic Computer Aided Manufacturing (GenCAM) standard, which is under development by IPC, has the goal of reducing the costs of non-value-added translation of design data for the production of circuit board assemblies. GenCAM is a method of representing data associated with an electronic assembly in a standards-based manner. Some of the data c…

GERBER
A Gerber File is a standard file used by Printed Circuit Board fabrication houses that contains information necessary for computer controlled machines to draw wires, drill holes, mill, and cut the PCB.

GmBh
Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung (GmbH) is a type of business structure in Germany, Austria and Switzerland similar to a limited liability company (LLC) in the United States, or Ltd. Within the UK.

HDI
High Density Interconnect: High density interconnects (HDI) are defined as substrates or boards with a higher wiring density per unit area than conventional printed circuit boards (PCB). They have finer lines and spaces (<75 µm), smaller vias (<150 µm) and capture pads (<400 µm), and higher connection pad density (>20 pads/cm2) than in use…

HDR
High Dynamic Range. This is a lighting procedure designed to emulate the way that light levels in the real world vary over an enormous range. This is mostly achieved by the use of floating point textures and render targets (as well as using the suitable lighting algorithm); integer formats do not offer anywhere near the same range of values. Althou…

HDR
HDR can also mean Hard-Drive Recorder. Device that uses a computer hard drive to store compressed digital audio and video signals.

ICT – infrastructure
This is the catchall phrase used to describe a range of technologies for gathering, storing, retrieving, processing, analysing and transmitting information. Advances in ICT have progressively reduced the costs of managing information, enabling individuals and organisations to undertake information-related tasks much more efficiently, and to introdu…

Idesign
A series of feature and functions within Autodesk software to allow users to communicate their design ideas using the Internet

IDF
Intermediate Data Format, is the standard format for communication between PCB design systems and 3D mechanical design systems.

IGES
A method if transferring surface data in and out of 3D systems.

IPC
Institute for Interconnecting and Packaging Electronic Circuits changed its name to IPC: for example see: -http://www.ipc.org/4.0_Knowledge/4.1_Standards/SpecTree.pdf 

ISO
International Standards Organization. Develops standards such as JPEG and MPEG. Closely allied with the CCITT.

JPEG
Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG): Easily compressed graphics format that displays photographic as well as graphic images. As laid down by ISO and CCITT.

Large Model Perfomance
The ability to handel thousands of parts very easily at the same time.

Layers
An Element for superimposing text or images in a page. In image-editing software, a constituent part of an image that can be manipulated independently of other parts. Common to DHTML, CAD, Graphics Packages.

LCD 
Liquid Crystal Display.

Library 
A file for the CAD software contains standardised components; users are able to create their own libraries of CAD designs that they would use on a recurring basis. This is to save repetitive drawing of a standard component eg a screw, nut bolt, capacitor, and diode. In many cases companies supply library files of their products to partner companies…

Life cycle-end of life
The end of a products development cycle, where manufacturers will no longer provide support or updates thus freeing up developers to enable them to concentrate on new products and updates of newer products. A common misconception is that end of life will end products usability. Although official support for software is removed at end of life the pr…

Machining
The process of creating components using machines to cut material.

MCM design
Acronym for Multi-Chip Module, an integrated circuit comprising of several chips.

MDI
Multiple Document Interface developed by Microsoft, with menus, buttons, tools, and windows called documents. AutoCAD products now also support this style of user access and are based on the MDI standard, including multiple document types: Project View, Table, Layout, Chart, and Scripts. Documents can be organized and manipulated in a variety of st…

Metadata
Data that is used to describe other data. Data definitions are sometimes referred to as metadata. Examples of metadata include schema, table, index, view and column definitions.

Migration 
Preservation of digital content, where the underlying information is retained but older formats and internal structures are replaced by newer.

Milling
A specific type of machining to cut material.

MRC
Master Requirements Code: A code assigned to each different approved FIIG Requirement. The MRC serves to identify the item characteristic defined by the requirement.

NC
See: CNC

NWML
National Weights & Measures Laboratory.

ODB++
Invented by Valor a CAD/CAM data format.

PCB
Abbreviation for Printed Circuit Board. An insulating material with attached electrical conductors, and usually, various types of electronic devices.

Perspective view
 A view of a three-dimensional image that portrays height, width, and depth. This allows the viewer to get a more realistic image or graphic.

QRTS program
Quadra React Technical Support. Our React Technical Support team gives you access to a vast range of technical and industry related information including user bulletins, downloadable software updates and product demonstrations.

RAID
This stands for Redundant Array of Independent Disks. It is a subsystem storage concept designed for the purpose of offering higher levels of protection from data loss that can occur from any down time caused by malfunctions compared to the protection offered by conventional disk drives. RAID arrays composed of conventional discs can function for h…

Reference
A reference is a collection of metadata about a resource; the metadata is structured into fields. References are stored in bibliographies. References to references are called shadows. References may have connections to other references (through a crossref or an association, in the latter case possibly typed by using an association), to keywords, or…

RIF
Router Interface Format. The information in this file describes the routes, connections and attributes in the circuit. This is the file you need to quote when opening a design in P.R.Editor XR.