Using Extracta in Allegro PCB Editor
Product Version 17.4
July, 2021
Using Extracta in Allegro PCB Editor
Copyright Statement
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Using Extracta in Allegro PCB Editor
Contents
Purpose........................................................................................................................ 4
Audience ...................................................................................................................... 4
Extracta ........................................................................................................................ 4
Extracta Command File ............................................................................................ 5
Extracta Output ......................................................................................................... 6
Ways to Run Extracta .................................................................................................. 7
Extracta Command ................................................................................................... 7
Extracta UI .............................................................................................................. 14
Custom Reports ......................................................................................................... 15
Examples ................................................................................................................... 19
Summary.................................................................................................................... 26
Support ...................................................................................................................... 26
Feedback ................................................................................................................... 26
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Using Extracta in Allegro PCB Editor
Purpose
Extracta is an Allegro PCB Editor/ Allegro Package Designer (APD) command to generate
reports that show the extracted data from a design.
Extracta uses a “view” file or “cmdfile”, which is a plain text file (*.txt) and contains data
fields to generate a report for specific database views.
This application note will help users understand how to extract the desired data from a
design using the view file.
Audience
This document is intended for Allegro (*.brd) /APD (*.mcm and *.sip) users who want to
generate customized reports using an Extracta command file within Allegro / APD or from
Windows command line, apart from those available in the software under the Reports
section (Tools > Reports).
This document may be helpful for users who would like to generate reports for various
layout analyses as per their requirements.
Extracta
The Extracta command reads the binary representations of the layout designs, and then
translates that data into ASCII text files. These files contain database information that can
be used for reporting and analysis. By using this command, you obtain flattened
information from a design as per the information contained in the view.
The three files of Extracta are: Extracta View File, Layout File (*.brd, *.mcm and *.sip), and
Extracta Output.
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Using Extracta in Allegro PCB Editor
Extracta Command File
To control the Extracta output, create an extracta command file that Extracta uses as input.
In the Extracta command file, list the data fields to extract from the layout database and
establish the selection criteria for certain data values. Data fields may change as per the
database view being extracted. The information provided as data fields is called a view,
and the file is thus named as a view file or cmdfile (*.txt). This command file must exist
before you can run Extracta.
Base-View files are predefined views for which reports are already present in the tool and
can be customized as per your requirement. Available view files can be referred from
%CDSROOT%\share\pcb\text\views.
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Using Extracta in Allegro PCB Editor
Extracta Output
The Extracta command output (*.txt, *.rpt, or *.htm file) contains the extracted information
from the design specified in cmdfile. The output file is composed of many text record
representations of the database. In addition to the output file, Extracta creates extracta.log,
which contains a copy of cmdfile and error messages, if any.
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Using Extracta in Allegro PCB Editor
Ways to Run Extracta
There are two ways to use Extracta:
•
•
Extracta Command
Extracta UI
Extracta Command
To run the command using the Windows command prompt, use the following:
extracta <board_file_name.brd> <extracta_cmdFile.txt>
<extract_outfile.txt>
extracta: It references a command file (cmdfile) to extract data from the database (run it
from the command prompt).
board_file_name.brd: This is the layout file name to extract the design database for
reporting and analysis.
Extracta_cmdFile: This is the view file name with data fields to be extracted from the
database.
Extracta_outfile: This is the name of the Extracta output file.
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Using Extracta in Allegro PCB Editor
There are several options available to control the extract process. The arguments are listed
below:
extracta [ args] [<drawing>] [<cmdfile>] [<outfile>...]
-c
Dumps interior of cross hatch shapes as individual lines
-k
extracta -d [<boardfile>]
Precludes generation of errors if cmdfile has illegal field names
-d
-m
-q
-r
-s
-w
Dumps all field names. The file names are unused, and the output goes to
the log (extract.log) file.
Overrides the default behavior of the command of renaming the outermost
etch layers to TOP / BOTTOM. This only works for APD and SIP designs.
Prevents Extracta from displaying status messages during processing (quiet
mode)
Reuses the log file (delete before execution)
Provides the output file in a short output format; the output contains only
records.
Excludes the extra date in output file
-l <logfile> Name of the log file. It overrides the default log file name (extracta.log) and
location; defined by the ads_sdlog environment variable (The subdirectory
to which the log file is written).
-z
Generates a unique net name for items on dummy net in non-net views
-A
-a <name>
<drawing>
Lists all database attachments in the design. This option does not require
any other option.
Extracta -A [<boardfile]
Extracts the attachment as given by -A arg above to a file <name>.dat. To
extract more than one attachments, use this option multiple times on the
command line. This option does not require any other option.
Extracta -a CVLayerSettings [<boardfile>]
Name of the design database
<cmdfile>
Name of the Extracta command file. It uses TEXTPATH to locate the file if
the relative path is given.
Name of the output file. If multiple views are given in cmdfile, one output file
<outfile>... is needed for each file. If no outfile file is given, the output is dumped to
stdout.
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Using Extracta in Allegro PCB Editor
Command File
To initialize the view file or command file, the record contains the name of the database
view (like BOARD, COMPONENT…). Using “END” as a keyword in the Extracta cmdFile
file helps to extract multiple views from a single command file. Here is an example of a
sample view file:
Use the Allegro / APD Reports menu to create the custom view file. You can also use any
text editor to write the Extracta commands.
To open the Extracta UI, in Allegro, use Tools > Reports > New/Edit, a dialog box with
name Extract UI is opened.
Now, you can choose the database views type and other fields per your requirement. As
you go on adding these items, you can see them being added on the left side. When you
save this and write the report, you will find an extracta.log file in your current working
directory. Open it in any text editor, and you can see the Extracta commands inside it. You
can save it as *.txt to use it as the Extracta command file if you are using the commandbased method.
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Using Extracta in Allegro PCB Editor
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Using Extracta in Allegro PCB Editor
These commands are generated by extracta_ui and are written in the extracta.log file. You
need to copy them in a *.txt file to use as the command file while using Extracta in
command mode.
Types of Database Views
Typically, one type of data is extracted from the design. The following is a list of predefined
data views available with their prefix name:
Database View Type
BOARD
COMPONENT
COMPONENT_PIN
COMPOSITE_PAD
CONNECTIVITY
FULL_GEOMETRY
FUNCTION
GEOMETRY
LAYER
LOGICAL_PIN
NET
SYMBOL
Prefix Name
BOARD_
COMP_
PIN_
PAD_ ; PIN_ ; DRILL_ ; VIA_
NET_ ; NODE_ ; PIN_ ; SEG_ ; GRAPHIC_
GRAPHIC_ ; SEG_ ; PAD_
FUNC_
GRAPHIC_ ; SEG_
LAYER_
PIN_
NET_
SYM_
Data Fields and Description
Available data fields and their descriptions can be referred from “Extracta Data Dictionary”
available at %CDSROOT%\doc\algrodescmp.
Now, you can generate the command files both by writing them yourself in the text editor or
by generating the custom view files from the Extract UI.
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Using Extracta in Allegro PCB Editor
Output File
Extracta output can be stored in the *.txt file format. If you do not specify any output file
on the command line, Extracta will print the output on the command line.
To store the output in a file, you need to give the name of the output file with the
extension you want to save the file as (for example, *.txt). If you just give the file name,
Extracta will create *.txt for it.
Your output file will store all the information extracted from the database as per the
fields mentioned in the command file.
With this output file format (.txt), data fields in the output file are separated by “!” marks
and “!!!” to separate subsequent data element records. To generate a report from a
Linux/UNIX or DOS command line, you can use the following syntax:
extracta ./test.brd ./test.txt ./out.txt
The output report will look something like below:
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Using Extracta in Allegro PCB Editor
The output text file contains two header records followed by one data record per
extracted element. Each data record starts with a record-type character:
•
The first record starts with the letter A. This record contains labels for each data
field that Extracta writes. Label names are same as the one present in the
Extracta command file.
•
The second letter of the record is J. This record contains global data about the
Allegro / APD design serially (Design name, Extracta execution date, drawing
extents left X, drawing extents lower Y, drawing extents right X, drawing extents
upper Y, database accuracy, database units, value of
BOARD_SCHEMATIC_NAME property, value of BOARD_THICKNESS property,
number of conductor layers in the design, BOARD_DRC_STATUS_FIELD).
•
Subsequent records start with the letter S. This signifies values for data field
names in record A in the same order.
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Using Extracta in Allegro PCB Editor
Extracta UI
The Extracta UI assists in creating custom view files. The UI returns a list of data fields
available as per the selected database view type.
Earlier in this document, you ran Extracta from the command line, creating the
command files and then passing those as arguments for the command. Here, you can
do all of that through the UI inside Allegro PCB Editor or APD.
The Extracta UI can be opened in the following two ways:
1. In PCB Editor, select Tools > Reports or in Allegro Package Design, go to the
Reports menu and then select Reports.
Select the New/Edit button to open a dialog box with name Extract UI.
For Allegro PCB Editor
For APD
2. You can also open the Extract UI directly from the Allegro command line by
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Using Extracta in Allegro PCB Editor
typing extract_ui.
Custom Reports
By using the Extract UI, you can generate custom reports by selecting database views
and configurations. You can also generate command files directly from this UI and load
your custom command files directly in it.
Load: The Load button is used to load the command file (*.txt) already present in your
directory.
Save: The Save button is used to save the current configuration as a command file
(*.txt).
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Using Extracta in Allegro PCB Editor
Data Fields: This tab helps choose the database view and the type of elements desired
as data fields in the custom report.
•
Select database view: This is used to choose a predefined view, which contains
data fields defining the type of element to extract from the design database and
include in the custom report.
•
Available Fields: This is used to choose data fields to include in the report. Data
fields that display are those associated with the view chosen in the Select
database view field. Double-click on a data field to include it in the custom
report. Your choices appear in the right pane. Click the arrow buttons next to the
right pane to rearrange the order in which the data fields appear in the generated
report, if necessary.
•
Current Configuration Database View: This displays the view chosen in
the Select database view field.
Properties: You can use this tab to select properties as per the object for which the
view file is being created.
Miscellaneous: This tab contains the following:
•
Group Names: This is used to choose the group names to include the
membership of that group in the report.
•
Sort Commands: This is used to choose data fields by which to sort the
extracted data fields in the report.
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Using Extracta in Allegro PCB Editor
.rpt
This format generates comma-separated output from Allegro / APD. Go to Tools >
Reports. In the Reports dialog box, enter the Output File (optional) name, enable the
Write Report option, and click Report.
As seen in the following screenshot, if you generate a predefined Cadence-provided
report, you also automatically generate the output filename consisting of the keyword
associated with the chosen report with a .rpt extension appended. You can save the
report to a file and display it on the screen by enabling both Write Report and Display
Report fields.
For example, the output filename for the Bill of Materials report is bom_rep.rpt. If you
generate a custom report configuration such as myreport.txt, and the written output file
is myreport.rpt, you can give the name in the Output File (optional) box.
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Using Extracta in Allegro PCB Editor
With the .rpt file format, the first line records the name of the report. The second line
gives the design name. The third line contains the timestamp of the execution of the
report, and the fourth line contains comma-separated values for the mentioned data
field in subsequent lines.
If you do not save the command file from the Extract UI, and just select your fields and
generate a report, the Extracta commands are stored in the extracta.log file generated
in your current working directory.
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Using Extracta in Allegro PCB Editor
Examples
Download and save the attached database.
1. Run the Extracta command to generate the report from the command line:
Use the attached examples of the command file test.txt. Go to Start > Run and
type “cmd”. This will open a command prompt. Browse to a location where your
command file is saved using the “cd” command.
Type the following to generate a report on using the attached sample design saved
at the same location as the view file. You can also use your board file to generate
the report.
> extracta ./test.brd ./test.txt ./out.txt
This will generate the out.txt file in the working directory.
2. Run Custom Report from Allegro/APD:
In Allegro PCB Editor, open a design, like the test.brd file, on which a report needs
to be generated. Select Tools > Reports.
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Using Extracta in Allegro PCB Editor
Scroll down the available reports, and you can see the command file, test.txt, already
present there.
Add the Output File (optional) name, and enable the Write Report option. Click Report
to generate the report in comma-separated *.rpt format.
To generate a report on an APD design, open the design with Package Designer and
select Reports > Reports, and you can perform the above-mentioned steps there also.
You can also open extracta_ui and try generating different custom reports by clicking on
the New/Edit button as per your needs.
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Using Extracta in Allegro PCB Editor
•
Generating a custom report with Pin number, RefDes, and Padstack Name
The following example helps understand the usage of logical NOT (!=) operator:
----- pin_details.txt----COMPOSITE_PAD
REFDES
REFDES_SORT
PIN_NUMBER != ''
### PIN_NUMBER != '' is to avoid pins with no pin number like mechanical
## pins. Comment this to include mechanical pins in the report.
PIN_NUMBER
PIN_X
PIN_Y
PAD_STACK_NAME
END
-----------------------------------
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Using Extracta in Allegro PCB Editor
•
Generating a custom report to see text present on SILKSCREEN layer, avoiding
blank layers
The following example helps explain the usage of the logical OR (OR) and logical
NOT (!=) operators:
-----silkscreen_text.txt----FULL_GEOMETRY
GRAPHIC_DATA_7 != ''
CLASS='REF DES'
SUBCLASS='SILKSCREEN_TOP'
OR
GRAPHIC_DATA_7 != ''
CLASS='REF DES'
SUBCLASS='SILKSCREEN_BOTTOM'
GRAPHIC_DATA_NAME = 'TEXT'
GRAPHIC_DATA_7
CLASS
SUBCLASS
### GRAPHIC_DATA_7 is the text string.
END
----------------------------------------
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Using Extracta in Allegro PCB Editor
•
Generating a report to list symbols as SMD or Thru hole placed on the top or
bottom layer
This same list can be generated as a component to list only components,
ignoring format and mechanical symbols in the design.
-----sym_layer_type.txt----SYMBOL
REFDES
REFDES_SORT
COMP_CLASS
SYM_CENTER_X
SYM_CENTER_Y
SYM_PIN_COUNT
SYM_MIRROR
COMMENT
END
### Modify report as COMMENT = SMD or COMMENT = TH, to create pick and
## place report for SMD components or Thru hole specific.
### SYM_MIRROR value = NO, symbol placed on TOP
### SYM_MIRROR = YES, symbol placed on the BOTTOM layer
----------------------------------
•
Creating a report that provides information on silk outlines and shapes of a
footprint
The following example illustrates the usage of the logical OR (OR) function with
Extracta. Similarly, logical AND (AND) can be used to restrict sorting when both
data fields (logically ANDed) are available.
----- pkg_silkscreen.txt----FULL_GEOMETRY
CLASS = "MANUFACTURING"
SUBCLASS = "AUTOSILK_TOP"
OR
CLASS = "MANUFACTURING"
SUBCLASS = "AUTOSILK_BOTTOM"
OR
CLASS = "REF DES"
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Using Extracta in Allegro PCB Editor
SUBCLASS = "SILKSCREEN_BOTTOM"
OR
CLASS = "REF DES"
SUBCLASS = "SILKSCREEN_TOP"
OR
CLASS = "DEVICE TYPE"
SUBCLASS = "SILKSCREEN_BOTTOM"
OR
CLASS = "DEVICE TYPE"
SUBCLASS = "SILKSCREEN_TOP"
OR
CLASS = "TOLERANCE"
SUBCLASS = "SILKSCREEN_BOTTOM"
OR
CLASS = "TOLERANCE"
SUBCLASS = "SILKSCREEN_TOP"
OR
CLASS = "PACKAGE GEOMETRY"
SUBCLASS = "SILKSCREEN_BOTTOM"
OR
CLASS = "PACKAGE GEOMETRY"
SUBCLASS = "SILKSCREEN_TOP"
OR
CLASS = "USER PART NUMBER"
SUBCLASS = "SILKSCREEN_BOTTOM"
OR
CLASS = "USER PART NUMBER"
SUBCLASS = "SILKSCREEN_TOP"
CLASS
SUBCLASS
GRAPHIC_DATA_NAME
GRAPHIC_DATA_NUMBER
GRAPHIC_DATA_1
GRAPHIC_DATA_2
GRAPHIC_DATA_3
GRAPHIC_DATA_4
GRAPHIC_DATA_5
GRAPHIC_DATA_6
GRAPHIC_DATA_7
END
### GRAPHIC_DATA_NAME: This is the Allegro PCB Editor figure name.
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Using Extracta in Allegro PCB Editor
### GRAPHIC_DATA_NUMBER: This field may be used instead of
## GRAPHIC_DATA_NAME to save disk space and to make the
## post processor’s job easier.
### GRAPHIC_DATA_N: The GRAPHIC_DATA_N (where N is 1 to 10) fields
## are used differently depending on the graphic element as defined.
### GRAPHIC_DATA_NAME (and GRAPHIC_DATA_NUMBER) field
### Refer to the Extracta Data Dictionary in the
## <install_dir>/doc/algrodescmp folder.
---------------------------------•
Picking and placing the report specific to mechanical symbols
----- pick_n_place.txt----SYMBOL
SYM_TYPE = MECHANICAL
#OR
#SYM_TYPE = PACKAGE
#OR
#SYM_TYPE = FORMAT
SYM_TYPE
SYM_NAME
REFDES
SYM_BOX_X1
SYM_BOX_X2
SYM_BOX_Y1
SYM_BOX_Y2
SYM_CENTER_X
SYM_CENTER_Y
SYM_EXTENTS_X1
SYM_EXTENTS_X2
SYM_EXTENTS_Y1
SYM_EXTENTS_Y2
SYM_HAS_PIN_ED
IT SYM_MIRROR
SYM_ROTATE
SYM_X
SYM_Y
SYM_LIBRARY_PATH
END
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Using Extracta in Allegro PCB Editor
### Remove “#” (comment) to modify this report for the package
## or format symbol.
### Similarly, the report can be modified to generate the report
## specific to SYM_NAME.
----------------------------------
Summary
This document covered different methods to generate custom reports to extract design
data for various analyses.
Support
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