ALTAIR PollEx 2021.1 CAM User Guide

Altair PollEx 2021.1

CAM User Guide

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Rev: 1.1 March 18, 2021

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Conventions Used in this Guide

This guide uses the following conventions:

Bold Italic      All commands from the user interface. Options, menus, buttons, and dialog box names are bolded, but not italicized.

Example: On the Welcome screen, click Next.

Courier      The path of a program or folder; a web address; a file name or component; text that the user is expected to enter.

Example: The default path is C:\Program Files\Altair\2019\PollEx

Questions regarding the document may be directed to PollEx team at PollEx_support_kr@altair.com.

PollEx CAM

PollEx CAM makes you more easily to handle the Gerber file. It could handle any type of Gerber like 274D or 274X type. It can convert 274D to 274X type and compare each revision data. If you are using the PollEx CAM, you should be better place to work.

1. PollEx CAM Windows

Below picture is the launched PollEx CAM main window.

PollEx CAM Classifies 3 parts.

1) Menu Bar/Tool Bar
Menu Bar gives users many useful functions. Also, Tool Bar menu give users easy and institute icon menu.

2) Layer View Windows
It can set layer of Gerber file. It has displaying layers on/off and changing the color of layers and controlling the priority of layers.

3) Main Working Area
User can view and edit the Gerber file in main working area.

File

1. Import

(1) ASCII Gerber: Importing Gerber file(274D, 274X etc.).
(2) CAM350: Importing CAM350(*.cam).

1.1. Import Gerber
PollEx CAM can import Gerber(274D, 274X), GDBB, CAM350 data.
File > ASCII Gerber

After selecting the files (multiple files can be selected), you can read the data. The number of layer is not limited. You can read another Gerber file additionally if you read data once. If you read the names of layers which are the same case, the number at the end of the same layer name is automatically written. And Save the file(*.gdbb-PollEx CAM Gerber file Binary Format)

1.2. CAM350
Select *.cam(CAM350) Format File data.
File > Import > CAM350

Also, complete same job using the menu. Click mouse right button on main working window and Showing Pop-Up window as below picture.

Setup

1. Environment

Set PollEx CAM’s Environment for Gerber file.

(1) Default Settings: Set the unit, digit points, decimal points, zoom factor.
(2) Layer Color Settings: Set the Layer colors.
(3) Language: Select the language.
(4) Use Windows Operation(Zoom In/Out/Panning): For zoom In/Out and panning operation operations will be applied reversely.
(5) Default Path: Set the default file path for PollEx CAM data.
– Default Save Path: Set the default file saving path for PollEx CAM data.
– Save Prefix String: Specify the Prefix of the name to be used when saving files.
Ex. Enter the Prefix “New_” to Layer of TOPSILK.grb. Then this will be saved as New_TOPSILK.grb.
– Default file extension: Set the default file extension when saving files.
(6) Set this Grid, Snap, Cursor.
– Grid: Set the displaying grid on/off and spacing of grid.
– Snap: Set the spacing of snap.
– Cursor visible: Set the displaying cursor on/off.
– Snap enable: Set the activating snap on/off.
(7) Auto Selection CP Mode: First of all, select the layer in the layer list. If you click mouse right button on this layer list, the same layer name is automatically selected.
Then you can easily use the Cross Probe.
(**If there are same each layer name of File1 and File2, File2 name is created itself added ‘1’ to original layer name. Ex. ‘Original Layer Name1’)

2. Aperture/Tool List

Check the Aperture Object information that was used in the shape of Gerber file.
– Aperture List: You can see aperture objects in list that is used in Gerber.

– Tool List: Check the Drill Aperture Object information of Gerber file.

Layer

This option is to easy the use of the Layer.

(1) Add/Remove: Add and remove the layers.
(2) – Transfer: Move the shape data of the selected layers to the other layers(Remove the shape data of the selected layer).
– Replicate: Copy the shape data of the selected layer to the other layers(Keep the shape data of the selected layer)

(3) – Move Layer: If the Origin between the layers does not match, it matches the Origin by moving the shape data of the particular layer.

– X, Y Distance: Enter the X, Y-coordinate value, and move the shape data of the layers.

– Object to Object Distance: When you select a shape in the other layers to be moved after selecting the shape of the target layer, you can move the both of shape in one place.

(a) Select the particular layer from the layer list.
(b) Select a target shape in the particular layer
(c) Select the moving layer, and select a moving shape of the layer.
(d) Then, the distance to be moved is calculated automatically. When you press the OK button, move to the target Object position.

Tip: How to move the selected Item in main working area.
After selecting a moving Item, and press the Enter key, it is changed to move mode. When the user presses the Enter key, it is used as a reference the coordinates of the cursor position.

[Use the Enter key]
When you select Item, it is highlighted in yellow. After you select the coordinates with pressing the Enter key, Item will move.

– Mirror Layer: Use to mirror the layer.
First, you select the layer to mirror, and then perform this function.

– Rotate Layer: Use to rotate the layer.
First of all, after you select the layer to rotate, and then perform this function.

(4) Layer Next/Layer Previous: View next / previous layer of the selected the layer.

View

(1) Window zoom control: Zoom In/Out, mouse wheel up/down.
Panning: Window scroll, mouse right button click + Move.
(2) Fill/UnFill Layer
(3) Display Control

1. Fill/UnFill Layer

Set whether to fill or not in displaying Gerber file.

2. Display Control

– Pan: Mouse right button click + move
– View: Set normal or transparent mode.
– Mini-map: If you want to check the Gerber file, it will be able to grasp the position of the location that is currently displayed in the board.

– Go to Position: Move cursor point to the given location.
– Layer View: Layer list window On / Off
– Output: Data output window On / Off
– Measure: Measure the distance between objects.
– Status Bar: Status Bar On / Off at the bottom of the screen

Tool

1. Capture

Press the menu button. Select two points on screen with left click to set rectangle area. Have to paste image using the “Ctrl + V” key into the document after using the “Ctrl + C” key.

2. Measure

If you want to measure the size, length of the shape in the Gerber file, you can use it.

After launching measure tool, user can see above dialog window at right sides in main window.

Upon using following proper function, user can easily check the size or distance between objects.

(1) Point to Point: use this function to measure the distance between two points.
(2) Object: Check Type of shape, position, size.
– Object Type: Shape Type such as Point, Line.
– Layer Name: The name of the layer selected shape is located.
– Current Point: Position information for the selected geometry.
– Decode Number: Unique number is automatically assigned according to the Aperture Type, size used in the shape.
– Width/Height/Length/Thickness: It indicates the size information of the selected geometry.
(3) Object to Object: use this function to measure object to object.

3. RedMark Manager

Tool > RedMark Manager
During exploring Gerber file, if user input red-mark comment and save, all red-marks will be saved into Gerber file. So later, when other engineer open the design file, it is possible to see added red-mark comments.

(1) Use Add, Del or Close button to add, delete or close red-mark in list, respectively.
(2) Input new red-mark title.
(3) Select drawing object to make geometry into red-mark. Supporting geometries would be circle, rectangle or arrow. Using geometries supported by Red-mark , user can express more easy and intuitive representation.
(4) Done or cancel it.
(5) Attach file to red-mark.
(6) After adding red-mark, user can see list of completed red-marks. Saving Gerber file in PollEx CAM will also save added red-marks into Gerber file.

4. Cross Probe

It can easily check the difference in the Gerber file. After reading the two of Gerber file primarily, it is used to manage the revision to confirm the change.
It offers three types which have XOR, Merge and Diff-Get.

< XOR>
XOR, only the wrong part of both Gerber file is displayed on the screen.

1. Layer selection you want to compare
2. PollEx CAM > Tool > Cross Prove > XOR
   **Click mouse right button on the list > Showing Pop-Up window > Cross Prove

   XOR**

< Merge>
Merge is displayed all of the both Gerber file, shows the color of the overlapping part in a different way.

1. Layer selection you want to compare
2. Tool > Cross Prove > Merge
   **Click mouse right button on the list > Showing Pop-Up window > Cross Prove

   Merge**

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References

• Altair | Discover Continuously. Advance Infinitely - Only Forward.
• Altair | Discover Continuously. Advance Infinitely - Only Forward.
• Altair | Discover Continuously. Advance Infinitely - Only Forward.
• Altair Community - Altair Community
• Intelligent Light - IntelliTwin™ Realizable Digital Thread for HPC
• Altair One
• Altair Community - Altair Community
• Altair Altair Learning
• Altair Community - Altair Community
• Partner Search
• Partner Search

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