EDIF for PCBs-the Racal experience

EDIF (Electronic Design Interchange Format) was originally designed to cater for the needs of the IC (integrated circuits) industry. Although earlier versions of the standard did not address the needs of PCBs (printed circuit boards), version 200 does have many constructs designed to cater for interfaces between PCB systems. The need for data exchange between different systems is understood by Racal-Redac and the Visula system has been designed with an open system architecture. This means that users are able to access the PCB design and library (parts) data using a standard relational database management system. This enables the application of a standard query language (SQL) to the data for queries and re-formating as required for other systems. Racal-Redac have been involved in the development of other EDIF products including: netlist data interface, schematic interface, and a name mapping scheme