**Ecce Program Overview**

**Stephen C. Fortier**

**Intermetrics, Inc.**

**7918Jones Branch Drive, Suite 710**

**McLean, Virginia 22102**

**(703) 827-2606 (t), -5560 (fax)**

**sf@wash.inmet.com**

**http://www.inmet.wash.com/ecce**

**Abstract**

The Electronic CAD-CAM Exchange (Ecce) program was kicked-off in
December 1996. The goal of the program is to develop an industry
standard that facilitates exchange of electronic product data between
electronics designers and electronics manufacturers.

Ecce is Latin for the word *behold*. Manufacturers have traditionally
"gazed at" CAD data from their side of the CAD-CAM divide, but have been
unable to actually reuse this information. The technology proposed
hereinafter, will solve this data exchange problem.

**Innovative Claims for the Proposed Research**

The Ecce program will develop and demonstrate an integrated solution to
providing compatibility between Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer
Aided Manufacturing (CAM). The Institute for Interconnecting and
Packaging Electronic Circuits (IPC) has estimated that its industry
spends well over \$150 million a year to capture design data and
transport the information into the CAM environment.

The current practice does not take advantage of the elegant data
solutions that the CAD vendors supply in their current tools. In most
cases, design data is not efficiently reused. The manufacturing engineer
often re-engineers or recreates the product netlist from a Gerber file.
Gerber files were designed only for the graphical information needed to
create films and do not carry information, such as impedance control
requirements, necessary for high speed digital designs.

Intermetrics has assembled a unique team and strategy to solve this
problem. The Ecce team includes the Electronic Industries Association
(EIA), which is the recognized standards organization for PCB/A CAD, and
the IPC, which is the recognized standards organization for PCB/A CAM.
The EIA and the IPC have joined forces to support the Ecce approach (see
the attached Memorandum of Understanding). The Ecce team also includes a
leading PCB manufacturer and PCA assembler and a small set of premier
third-party CAM tool vendors. These industrial partners ensure that Ecce
provides a practical and economical solution to real industry problems.

The Ecce technical approach applies the formalisms of information
modeling to CAM. Ecce will create an information model, from the
"manufacturer\'s point of view," that documents CAM information
requirements. The CAM information model will be mapped to the CAD
information model, as represented by EDIF 4 0 0. With the concurrence of
the EIA and the IPC, Ecce will initiate changes to EDIF to better
support CAD-CAM exchange.

The Ecce technical approach allows for rapid, practical evaluation and
frequent industry review of results. Model development follows a spiral
methodology, with products available at three-month intervals. Two
experiments, at six month intervals, are designed to provide practical
feedback about the in-progress models.

The Ecce strategy assures that the resulting standards are "owned by the
right people." The CAM information model will become the basis for a
new, interoperable CAM standard, owned by the IPC. The modified EDIF
will be a new CAD standard, owned by the EIA. The CAD-CAM mapping model,
which assures interoperability between the EIA and IPC standards, will
be standardized jointly by the EIA and IPC.

The Ecce solution addresses the full range of PCB/PCA manufacturing
technologies. Ecce will provide error-free data transfer for product
technologies such as high-speed digital and mixed-signal designs. Ecce
will provide error-free data transfer for mounting technologies such as
flip-chip and surface-mount. Ecce will provide error-free data transfer
for interconnect technologies such as micro-via and additive thin-film.

The Ecce strategy assures quick commercial availability of all these
benefits through the CAM tool vendor team members, who have committed to
commercialize the Ecce solution. End-users will be able to buy the Ecce
solution as an integral part of CAD-station and CAM-station products.

The team will encourage and provide massive industry participation. The
widespread need for our unique solution to the current problem of
CAD/CAM information exchange has fostered interest on the part of
several commercial companies to participate, at their expense, in the
demonstrations planned for this project.

**Deliverables Associated With the Proposed Work**

At the end of the Ecce program, the team will have developed the
following:

-   An CAM information model describing the "manufacturer's view"  This
    will be an industry consensus information model that is represented
    in the EXPRESS information modeling language. The model will be
    developed in a style and form that is compatible with the EDIF
    information models.

-   A mapping model between EDIF 4 0 0 and the CAM information model 
    This will be documented as an EXPRESS information model, and will be
    prepared for submission as a joint standard by the EIA and the IPC.
    This model is the basis for the proposed extensions to EDIF 4 0 0
    and for the CAM-F format (below).

-   Proposed modifications to the EDIF 4 0 0 model  The modified model
    will incorporate concepts and information entities that are needed
    in the CAM information model and which are useful to the CAE
    designer. Entities that are useful only in CAM/CAM exchange will not
    be part of this model. The modifications will be prepared as an
    EXPRESS model, with changes to the current EDIF 4 0 0 standard
    clearly marked. The proposed modifications will be documented in a
    form suitable for standardization by the EDIF subcommittee of the
    EIA.

-   A CAM-F format based on the CAM information model  This will
    prepared in a form suitable for standardization by the IPC. The
    format will be an industry consensus, based firmly on the CAM
    information model.

-   Commercial reader/writers based on the CAM information model 
    Existing commercial CAM tools will be fitted with readers and
    writers for the CAM-F format to ensure quick industry insertion of
    the new format.

-   Commercial reader/writers based on the CAD-CAM mapping model -
    Existing CAD and CAM tools will be fitted with readers of EDIF 4 0 0
    into the CAM information model and writers of EDIF 4 0 0 from the
    CAM information model.

-   Compliance Test Modules (CTMs)  Syntax and semantics checkers will
    be developed for CAM-F files and for EDIF files. The CTM for CAM-F
    will check for conformance to the CAM information model semantics
    and the CAM-F format syntax. The CTM for EDIF will check for
    conformance to the semantics of the CAD-CAM mapping model.

Unless otherwise noted, the software and corresponding documentation
being developed are commercial, proprietary products that are not being
provided to the Government with unlimited data rights. If the Government
expresses an interest, a full proposal for this project will include the
option of a small number of licenses for the software (binary) and
documentation for each of the developed products. Intermetrics will
deliver all required technical and status reports for the project.

**Technical Approach and Plan**

The proposed work will be broken up into six tasks. The work includes a
determination of the information requirements, prototype of the
information exchange and a demonstration of the technology.

**An Information Modeling Approach**

Intermetrics has assembled a unique team to solve the CAD-to-CAM
problem. The team brings together industrial organizations representing
the CAD and the CAM industries, and vendors in the two domains. Figure 1
shows the relationship between the team members.

Intermetrics provides technical leadership, based on their with
experience with both tools and standards in the CAD and CAM realm. The
EIA speaks for the CAD industries, and is the standardization vehicle of
choice for this industry. The EIA delegates responsibility for the EDIF
standards to the EDIF Technical Subcommittee. The EDIF Technical
Subcommittee is supported by the University of Manchester and
Intermetrics. The IPC speaks for the CAM industries, and is the
standardization vehicle of choice for this industry. IPC will manage the
efforts of the Design Transfer Solutions '96 (DTS '96) and the
Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) Consortia Program, in
relation to the Ecce
program.![](media/image2.emf){width="3.7493055555555554in"
height="2.5965277777777778in"}

One goal of the Ecce program is to develop international standards
supporting the developed technology. The experience and prestige of
these team members will ensure that solid, viable standards will result
from this project.

The industrial team members, as end-users of the technology we are
developing, are vital to the success of this program. Mentor Graphics is
a leader in CAD software. Zycon is a large manufacturer of printed
circuit boards. Solectron is one of the largest electronic systems
contract manufacturers in the world. There will be a number of CAM
vendors supporting this program. Valor will support Zycon via a direct
subcontract. Fabmaster and GraphiCode will support the program through a
subcontract with Solectron. Also, IPC is partnering with Mitron and
Infinite Graphics (IGI) to support this effort. Together, these team
members span the entire CAD-to-CAM information flow, from design to
bare-board fabrication, to assembly, and test.

IPC will use the standing DTS '96 working group to support/review the
work in progress. They will also spawn pilot projects, through ITRI, to
exercise implementation of the developed Ecce technology. The industrial
experience of these team members will ensure that the practical, useful
standards will result from this project.

**Technology Overview**

Intermetrics recognizes that an entirely new CAM standard will not
satisfy the needs of industry or Government. Instead, a standard is
needed that leverages existing work, to benefit from previous experience
and to build on an established commercial base.

CAD-CAM data exchange is shown in Figure 2. Information flows from the
CAD station to the manufacturers. Some of the information is used by the
bare-board manufacturer and some is used by the electronic systems
manufacturer. On the CAD side of the process, EDIF 4 0 0 is being used
for information exchange. On the CAM side is the CAM-F format that is to
be developed.![](media/image3.emf){width="4.25in"
height="1.9027777777777777in"}

The goal of the Ecce program is to design CAM-F in a way that ensures an
viable, sustainable method of CAD/CAM and CAM/CAM information transfer.
Ecce will also demonstrate how the CAM information model can be
populated with CAD data, enabling error-free transfer of data from CAD
to CAM.

EDIF 4 0 0 does not contain all of the information needed by the
manufacturers. The Ecce program proposes that some of the missing
information actually belongs in the EDIF standard, while most is "owned"
by manufacturing and should be separate from EDIF. However, we want to
avoid "reinventing the wheel," so we propose to use EDIF directly in the
neutral format.

Intermetrics recognizes the importance of the CAM industry consensus on
the IPC Significant Seven. The division of CAM information into seven
categories reflects the distinct processes within the CAM industry, and
the desire of CAM tool vendors to read and write information that is
focused on their particular process. The Significant Seven will be
supported through a series of small information models, each of which is
entirely derived from the overall CAM information model. Each small
model thus contains only the information needed for a particular
process, while maintaining inter-model consistency.

**Task 1: Develop information model**

Intermetrics and IPC will evaluate CAM information requirements and will
formalize them in an EXPRESS information model. The industrial team
members, especially Zycon, Solectron, and the third-party vendors that
support them are crucial to an accurate view of the CAM information
requirements. The industrial team members serve as the "domain experts"
in this phase of the program. There are four sub-tasks.

1.  An initial analysis and scoping effort will determine scope of the
    CAM information model. This effort will identify processes of
    interest as well as manufacturing technologies of interest.
    Processes include PCB fabrication, PCB testing, PCA assembly, and
    PCA testing. Technologies include current PCB/PCA technologies as
    well as more advanced technologies that include micro vias or
    additive thin-film.

2.  A draft CAM information model, satisfying the scope statement, will
    be developed. This will involve all team members as information
    modelers or domain experts. The IPC will use its influence to
    attract additional, volunteer model reviewers from Industry.

3.  The CAM information model will be mapped to the CAD information
    embodied by EDIF 4 0 0. Both the EIA and the IPC will provide
    reviewers for this task, assuring that the mapping model will
    satisfy both organizations. The mapping may identify CAD
    information, needed by the CAM information model but missing from
    EDIF 4 0 0, that should be added to the EDIF model.

4.  A set of small information models, one for each activity in the
    Significant Seven, will be derived from the CAM information model.

**Task 2: Develop Formats**

A CAM-F format will be developed to exchange CAM information. The
semantics of the CAM-F format are defined by the CAM information model.
CAM-F will develop with Industry review, and will probably be organized
as a set of distinct files, one for each process in the Significant
Seven. The semantics of the individual files will be defined by the
Significant Seven information models, developed under Task 1.

If any enhancements to the EDIF information model are identified during
the CAD-CAM mapping, then EDIF 4 0 0 syntax will be modified to support
the changes. The syntax changes will be made to support the Ecce
demonstrations, and will be designed for minimum impact on existing EDIF
readers and writers.

**Task 3: Develop Prototype Tools**

Prototype tools will be developed for information exchange, based on the
information models and formats resulting from Tasks 1 and 2.

Mentor Graphics will enhance the Board Station EDIF 4 0 0 writer to
incorporate the modifications, if any, recommended in Task 1. At the
same time, selected CAM-station vendors will develop readers and writers
for EDIF 4 0 0, and the remaining CAM-station vendors will develop
readers and writers for CAM-F. These readers and writers will be
integrated into the vendorÕs tools.

IPC will develop a set of Compliance Test Modules (CTMs) for CAM-F. The
CTM, to be commercialized by IPC industry partners, will serve as a
checker for CAM-F files. The CTMs will verify the semantics, as defined
by the CAM information model. Intermetrics will develop a CTM for EDIF;
this CTM will verify that an EDIF file conforms to the semantics of the
CAD-CAM mapping model.

A complete set of the tools in use on the Ecce program will be installed
in two Ecce Laboratories. The Ecce Laboratory will serve as a testbed
for developing software, and as a demonstration site for Ecce results.
One laboratory will be sited in McLean, Virginia and one in San Jose,
California.

**Task 4: Electronic Demonstrations**

Two demonstrations will be conducted to evaluate the coverage of the
developing information models. Both experiments will be "dry runs" of
the CAD-CAM transfer. CAM stations will create the data needed to
control the factory, but no products will actually be built.

One demonstration will map the CAM information model to an industry
format, and will exchange the format between CAM stations. Missing or
incomplete information, identified by problems in the exchange, indicate
areas of the CAM information model that need improvement.

The second demonstration will exchange EDIF 4 0 0 files between CAM
stations, evaluating the ability of EDIF to convey adequate CAD
information to CAM stations. Problems identified during this experiment
indicate areas of the CAD/CAM mapping model that need improvement.

**Task 5: Manufacturing Demonstration**

An existing PCB design will be entered into the CAD station, transferred
to the CAM systems, and then to fabrication facilities where it will be
manufactured and tested. Metrics will be collected, comparing the costs
and benefits of using standards to existing data transfer methods. CAD
data will be transferred from the CAD station to the CAM stations using
EDIF 4 0 0. Communication between CAM stations will use a mix of EDIF
and CAM-F.

Intermetrics intends to solicit an OEM PCA that is already scheduled for
prototype production  we expect that the OEM will bear the actual
production costs, reducing the GovernmentÕs total program cost for this
demonstration.

**Task 6: Technology Transfer**

Ecce technology will be transferred to Industry through standards,
commercial tools, and on-going publicity.

The IPC intends to standardize the CAM information model and the CAM-F
formats as a basis for exchanging CAM information. The EIA intends to
incorporate the CAD information enhancements into a future revision of
EDIF. The EIA and IPC have agreed to jointly standardize the CAD-CAM
mapping model, and to use it to control future revisions of EDIF and
CAM-F.

The Ecce team tool vendors intend to commercialize the interfaces
developed under this program. The result will be a data transfer
solution that is available to all users of these CAM and CAD stations.
The CTMs will also be either commercialized or distributed as freeware.

Finally, Ecce results will be publicized through papers and
presentations given by team members at industry conferences, and through
IPC and EIA press releases. Ecce results will also be available on the
World Wide Web (including freeware tools available for download).

**Business Plan/Technology Transfer Plan**

The EIA and IPC will aggressively seek member-organization participation
in this effort, and will promote the results of this work with the
industry. Both the EIA and IPC will sponsor this activity with existing
funding as well as in-kind support from member organizations.

From the CAD perspective the EIA, via the EDIF steering committee, will
push the technology transfer into industry.

**IPC Initiatives**

The IPC will share the work-in-progress with two parallel initiatives:
Data Transfer Solutions '96 and CAD to CAM Implementation Teaming,
hosted by ITRI.

***Data Transfer Solutions '96***

The objective of Data Transfer Solution '96 (DTS '96) is to improve the
transfer of information between the design facility responsible for
defining the configuration and performance of the final electronic
assembled product and the Printed Board Manufacturer and Electronics
Manufacturing Services Providers. The goal is to develop a seamless
methodology that describes the end product in unambiguous terms and
provides the manufacturing information necessary to build the product.

***CAD to CAM Implementation Teaming***

The Interconnection Research Institute (ITRI) consortia teaming program
is intended to help move the ideas and concepts developed in Phase 1
into the infrastructure for manufacturing printed boards and printed
board assemblies. The focus of the program will be to stimulate interest
in by the members of ITRI or National Electronics Manufacturing
Initiative (NEMI) to validate the ideas and concepts formulated in the
companion programs. To accomplish the proof of concept and start the
implementation phase, two teams will be formed and will mirror the
Intermetrics' team approach. These teams will evaluate the consistence
of the information models and the neutral format. Once completed the
teams will also become the beta testers of the Compliance Test Module
(CTM) developed as a part of the Joint Venture Program.

**Commercialization**

The goal of this program is commercial acceptance of the technology
developed under this program, therefore, commercial translators and
support tools will be developed.

***Mentor Graphics***

Through its participation in the RASSP program Mentor Graphics
Professional Services Division (PSD) has committed to the
commercialization of an EDIF 4 0 0 bi-directional translator for Board
Station. This translator will be available to Mentor Graphics customers
in the first software release after the conclusion of the RASSP program,
probably in the third or fourth quarter of 1997.

Proposed enhancements to EDIF 4 0 0 that arise from this program will be
incorporated as regular enhancements to the translator in the first
Mentor Graphics software release after the enhancements are balloted and
approved by the EIA.

***Joint Venture Program (CAM toolset development)***

IPC will co-fund, with industry partners, a toolset that supports the
Compliance Test Module (CTM). The CTM will verify data consistency
through semantics and syntax validation. It will be distributed at
little or no cost to industry so that it can be integrated with CAD or
CAM systems exporting or importing data. The CTM will be capable of
providing error messages to indicate incompleteness or problems with the
data.

***Third Party CAM Vendors***

Valor, Fabmaster, GraphiCode, Mitron and IGI have all committed to
producing commercial translators based on the proposed Ecce technology.

**Team Members and Prior Experience**

In addition to the team members listed below, the Intermetrics team is
currently in discussions with a number of original equipment
manufacturers (OEMs). At least one will be selected, prior to full
proposal submittal, to be an active team member. A number of third-party
vendors, both funded and non-funded, will be selected to participate in
the program.

*Intermetrics* is the prime contractor for this effort, and will also
lead the information modeling effort. Intermetrics provides software
systems, services and products to a broad base of customers around the
world. Our innovative, production-quality software solutions are
important elements in our customers\' successful use of computer systems
and related technologies. In particular, the Integration Technologies
Department\'s primary focus is to provide methods, tools, and standards
for the design, manufacturing, and support of electronic systems.
Intermetrics will manage the overall program.

*The Institute for Interconnecting and Packaging Electronic Circuits
(IPC)* is a U.S.-based trade association with over 2,000 members. IPC
devotes resources to management improvement of member companies,
technology enhancement programs, and creates and supports relevant
standards. Products of the industry include all types of electrically
conductive interconnection patterns on insulating substrates, including
rigid and flexible printed boards, flat cable, hybrid circuits and
various types of discrete wiring. IPC will also bring their research
arm, the Interconnection Research Institute (ITRI), into the program.

*Electronic Industries Association* has been the national trade
organization, for more than 72 years, representing U.S. electronic
manufacturers. Committed to the competitiveness of the American
producer, EIA represents the entire spectrum of companies involved in
the design and manufacture of electronic components, parts, systems and
equipment for communications, industrial, government and consumer uses.

*Mentor Graphics* has pioneered advances in electronic design automation
(EDA), encouraging the use of technically advanced computer software to
automate the design, analysis, and documentation of electronic
components and systems. Today, the company is one of the world\'s
leading suppliers of EDA software and professional services. Insertion
of this technology in the Mentor Graphics product line insures immediate
access to a large market of designers most likely to need this
capability for their next-generation design.

*Solectron* is one of the largest electronic manufacturing services
(EMS) companies in the U.S./world. Solectron  with over 100 customers
worldwide  has by necessity made a substantial investment in business
and manufacturing tools utilizing electronic data transfer to and from
customers and vendors. Solectron is a 1991 Winner of the Malcolm
Baldrige National Quality Award. The business needs for purchase orders,
change orders, invoicing, parts procurement and others are supported by
EDI and EDIFACT.

*Zycon, Inc.* is the third largest non-captive PCB manufacturer in the
U.S. All manufacturing is in Santa Clara, California. Zycon has
approximately 400,000 square feet of manufacturing floor space and
utilizes strict ISO 9002 certified processes. Zycon builds custom PCBs
for small to large computer, networking, telecommunication and medical
companies.

*The University of Manchester* has been a major technical contributor to
the development of information modeling technology and applying the
technology to the Electronic Design Interchange Format (EDIF)
standardization activities.

*Third Party CAM Vendors* have been selected to support this program.
They include Valor, Fabmaster, GraphiCode, Mitron and IGI.