Aperture control system for printed circuit board fabrication
First Claim
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1. A PCB laser plotter data control system comprising:
- a computer aided design workstation for generating CAD aperture data in any one of a plurality of CAD formats for one of at least first and second types of PCB laser plotters;
a data converter that is operative for said first type of PCB laser plotter for reading said CAD aperture data in said any one of a plurality of CAD formats, for comparing said CAD aperture data in said any one of a plurality of CAD formats to entries in a conversion table of allowable conversion values, and for providing converted aperture data in a prespecified one of a plurality of PCB laser plotter formats from corresponding ones of said allowable conversion values;
said data converter being operative for said second type of PCB laser plotter for reading said CAD aperture data in said any one of a plurality of CAD formats, for comparing said CAD aperture data in said any one of a plurality of CAD formats to geometric shapes having predefined conversion values, and for providing converted aperture data in a prespecified one of a plurality of PCB laser plotter formats from corresponding ones of said predefined conversion values;
a PCB laser plotter of one of said at least first and second types of PCB laser plotters disposed in a location remote from said data converter, said PCB laser plotter employing said converted aperture data in said prespecified one of said plurality of PCB laser plotter formats to control a laser beam used in the generation of a PCB mask; and
a modem operative to transmit said converted aperture data from said data converter directly to said PCB laser plotter for the generation of said PCB mask by said PCB laser plotter.
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Abstract
An aperture control system comprising a computer aided design workstation for generating CAD aperture data, a data converter for reading the aperture data and generating, in response to the aperture data, converted aperture data, and a PCB optical, laser or other suitable plotter for generating a mask from the converted aperture data.
37 Citations
42 Claims
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1. A PCB laser plotter data control system comprising:
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a computer aided design workstation for generating CAD aperture data in any one of a plurality of CAD formats for one of at least first and second types of PCB laser plotters; a data converter that is operative for said first type of PCB laser plotter for reading said CAD aperture data in said any one of a plurality of CAD formats, for comparing said CAD aperture data in said any one of a plurality of CAD formats to entries in a conversion table of allowable conversion values, and for providing converted aperture data in a prespecified one of a plurality of PCB laser plotter formats from corresponding ones of said allowable conversion values; said data converter being operative for said second type of PCB laser plotter for reading said CAD aperture data in said any one of a plurality of CAD formats, for comparing said CAD aperture data in said any one of a plurality of CAD formats to geometric shapes having predefined conversion values, and for providing converted aperture data in a prespecified one of a plurality of PCB laser plotter formats from corresponding ones of said predefined conversion values; a PCB laser plotter of one of said at least first and second types of PCB laser plotters disposed in a location remote from said data converter, said PCB laser plotter employing said converted aperture data in said prespecified one of said plurality of PCB laser plotter formats to control a laser beam used in the generation of a PCB mask; and a modem operative to transmit said converted aperture data from said data converter directly to said PCB laser plotter for the generation of said PCB mask by said PCB laser plotter. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An aperture control system comprising:
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a computer aided design system comprising; a computer aided design workstation for generating CAD aperture data in any one of a plurality of CAD aperture formats; and a data converter for reading said CAD aperture data in said any one of a plurality of CAD formats, for comparing said CAD aperture data in said any one of a plurality of CAD formats to entries in a conversion table of allowable conversion values, and for providing converted aperture data in a prespecified one of a plurality of PCB laser plotter formats from corresponding ones of said allowable conversion values; a PCB laser plotter disposed in a location remote from said data converter, said PCB plotter employing said converted aperture data in said prespecified one of said plurality of PCB laser plotter formats to control a laser beam used in the generation of a PCB mask; and a modem operative to transmit said converted aperture data from said data converter directly to said PCB laser plotter for the generation of said PCB mask by said PCB laser plotter.
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14. A PCB laser plotter data control system comprising:
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a computer aided design workstation for generating CAD aperture data in any one of a plurality of CAD formats; a data converter for reading said CAD aperture data in said any one of a plurality of CAD formats, for comparing said CAD aperture data in said any one of a plurality of CAD formats to geometric shapes having predefined conversion values, and for storing in a table converted aperture data in a prespecified one of a plurality of PCB laser plotter formats from corresponding ones of said predefined conversion values; a PCB laser plotter disposed in a location remote from said data converter, said PCB laser plotter employing said converted aperture data from said table in said prespecified one of said plurality of PCB plotter formats to control a laser beam used in the generation of a PCB mask; and a modem operative to transmit said converted aperture data from said data converter directly to said PCB laser plotter for the generation of said PCB mask by said PCB laser plotter. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. An aperture control system comprising:
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a computer aided design system comprising; a computer aided design workstation for generating CAD aperture data in any one of a plurality of CAD aperture formats; and a data converter for reading said CAD aperture data in said any one of a plurality of CAD formats, for comparing said CAD aperture data in said any one of a plurality of CAD formats to geometric shapes having predefined conversion values, and for storing in a table converted aperture data in a prespecified one of a plurality of PCB laser plotter formats from corresponding ones of said predefined conversion values; a PCB laser plotter disposed in a location remote from said data converter, said PCB laser plotter employing said converted aperture data from said table in said prespecified one of said plurality of PCB laser plotter formats to control a laser beam used in the generation of a PCB mask; and a modem operative to transmit said converted aperture data from said data converter directly to said PCB laser plotter for the generation of said PCB mask by said PCB laser plotter.
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19. A method of generating printed circuit board masks comprising the steps of:
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reading CAD aperture data in any one of a plurality of CAD aperture formats from a CAD workstation; comparing said CAD aperture data in said any one of a plurality of CAD aperture formats to entries in a conversion table of allowable conversion values; providing converted aperture data in a prespecified one of a plurality of PCB laser plotter formats from corresponding ones of said allowable conversion values; and transmitting said converted aperture data in said prespecified one of said plurality of PCB laser plotter formats directly to a remote PCB laser plotter by a modem, wherein said remote PCB laser plotter employs said converted aperture data to control a laser beam used in the generation of a PCB mask. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A PCB laser plotter data control system comprising:
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a computer aided design workstation for generating CAD aperture data in any one of a plurality of CAD formats; a data converter for reading said CAD aperture data in said any one of a plurality of CAD formats, for comparing said CAD aperture data in said any one of a plurality of CAD formats to entries in a conversion table of allowable conversion values, and for providing converted aperture data in a prespecified one of a plurality of PCB laser plotter formats from corresponding ones of said allowable conversion values; and a PCB laser plotter for generating a PCB mask based upon said converted aperture data in said prespecified one of said plurality of PCB laser plotter formats, said PCB laser plotter employing said converted aperture data in said prespecified one of said plurality of PCB laser plotter formats to control a laser beam used in the generation of said PCB mask. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27)
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28. An aperture control system comprising:
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a computer aided design system comprising; a computer aided design workstation for generating CAD aperture data in any one of a plurality of CAD formats; and a data converter for reading said CAD aperture data in said any one of a plurality of CAD formats, for comparing said CAD aperture data in said any one of a plurality of CAD formats to entries in a conversion table of allowable conversion values, and for providing converted aperture data in a prespecified one of a plurality of PCB laser plotter formats from corresponding ones of said allowable conversion values; and a PCB laser plotter for generating a PCB mask based upon said converted aperture data in said prespecified one of said plurality of PCB laser plotter formats, said PCB laser plotter employing said converted aperture data in said prespecified one of said plurality of PCB laser plotter formats to control a laser beam used in the generation of said PCB mask.
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29. A method of generating printed circuit board masks comprising the steps of:
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reading CAD aperture data in any one of a plurality of CAD aperture formats from a CAD workstation; comparing said CAD aperture data in said any one of a plurality of CAD aperture formats to geometric shapes having predefined conversion values; storing in a table converted aperture data in a prespecified one of a plurality of PCB laser plotter formats from corresponding ones of said predefined conversion values; and transmitting said converted aperture data in said prespecified one of said plurality of PCB laser plotter formats directly to a remote PCB laser plotter by a modem, wherein said remote PCB laser plotter employs said converted aperture data to control a laser beam used in the generation of a PCB mask. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31)
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32. A PCB laser plotter data control system comprising:
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a computer aided design workstation for generating CAD aperture data in any one of a plurality of CAD formats; a data converter for reading said CAD aperture data in said any one of a plurality of CAD formats, for comparing said CAD aperture data in said any one of a plurality of CAD formats to geometric shapes having predefined conversion values, and for storing in a table converted aperture data in a prespecified one of a plurality of PCB laser plotter formats from corresponding ones of said predefined conversion values; and a PCB laser plotter for generating a PCB mask based upon said converted aperture data in said prespecified one of said plurality of PCB laser plotter formats, said PCB laser plotter employing said converted aperture data from said table in said prespecified one of said plurality of PCB laser plotter formats to control a laser beam used in the generation of said PCB mask. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35)
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36. An aperture control system comprising:
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a computer aided design system comprising; a computer aided design workstation for generating CAD aperture data in any one of a plurality of CAD aperture formats; and a data converter for reading said CAD aperture data in said any one of a plurality of CAD formats, for comparing said CAD aperture data in said any one of a plurality of CAD formats to geometric shapes having predefined conversion values, and for storing in a table converted aperture data in a prespecified one of a plurality of PCB laser plotter formats from corresponding ones of said predefined conversion values; and a PCB laser plotter for generating a PCB mask based upon said converted aperture data in said prespecified one of said plurality of PCB laser plotter formats, said PCB laser plotter employing said converted aperture data from said table in said prespecified one of said plurality of PCB laser plotter formats to control a laser beam used in the generation of said PCB mask.
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37. A method of generating printed circuit board masks comprising the steps of:
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reading CAD aperture data in any one of a plurality of CAD aperture formats from a CAD workstation; comparing said CAD aperture data in said any one of a plurality of CAD aperture formats to entries in a conversion table of allowable conversion values; providing converted aperture data in a prespecified one of a plurality of PCB plotter formats from corresponding ones of said allowable conversion values; transmitting said converted aperture data in said prespecified one of said plurality of PCB plotter formats directly to a PCB plotter; and generating a PCB mask by having said PCB plotter use said converted aperture data in said prespecified one of said plurality of PCB plotter formats to control a light beam. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39)
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40. A method of generating printed circuit board masks comprising the steps of:
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reading CAD aperture data in any one of a plurality of CAD aperture formats from a CAD workstation; comparing said CAD aperture data in said any one of a plurality of CAD aperture formats to geometric shapes having predefined conversion values; storing in a table converted aperture data in a prespecified one of a plurality of PCB plotter formats from corresponding ones of said predefined conversion values; transmitting said converted aperture data in said prespecified one of said plurality of PCB plotter formats directly to a PCB plotter; and generating a PCB mask by having said PCB plotter use said converted aperture data in said prespecified one of said plurality of PCB plotter formats to control a light beam. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42)
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Specification