Using the UPLOAD Program to update CADSTAR DOS files to CADSTAR Windows files

James Head, 24 August 2009

Using the UPLOAD Program to update CADSTAR DOS files

UPLOAD is a program used to convert CADSTAR for DOS PCB files of version 6 or earlier up to CADSTAR for DOS version 7 format so that they can be then loaded in to CADSTAR for Windows, where they can then be saved as CADSTAR ASCII format files and imported into Pulsonix.

Download and install DOSbox from: http://www.dosbox.com/ and download Cutemouse from http://cutemouse.sourceforge.net/ and extract the cutemouse zip file to somewhere on your hard disk that’s going to be visible to DOSbox afterwards: e.g. “c:\programs” could be mapped as c: drive, and cutemouse could be “c:\programs\cutemse”.

Place the upload program in a location that’s going to be visible to DOSbox afterwards: e.g. “c:\programs\upload”.

A default installation of UPLOAD requires a serial RS-232 mouse. It’s unlikely that you’ll be using one of these on a modern PC, and will probably be using either a PS/2 or USB mouse instead.

If you’re using a PS/2 mouse then rename the current upload file “CSCONFIG.DAT” to “CSCONFIG.DAT_OLD” and make a copy of “BUSMOUSE.DAT” called “CSCONFIG.DAT”.

If you’re using a USB mouse then this will hopefully be seen as a PS/2 mouse and you should also rename the current upload file “CSCONFIG.DAT” to “CSCONFIG.DAT_OLD” and make a copy of “BUSMOUSE.DAT” called “CSCONFIG.DAT”.

Save your CADSTAR file in the upload directory: it’s important you do this before running DOSbox.

Starting Upload in DOSbox

Run DOSbox and when the DOSbox window opens, mount the c (or any other letter) drive to a folder on your harddisk.

mount c c:\programs

Change to the directory containing the cutemouse driver “ctmouse.exe” and run it:

c:

cd cutemse

cd bin

ctmouse.exe

Then change to the upload directory and set the environment and run the program:

cd c:\upload

setenv

upload

This can be seen in Figure 1.

http://www.dosbox.com/

http://cutemouse.sourceforge.net/


Figure 1 DOSbox


Using Upload

Then press the CTRL key and F10 to capture the mouse pointer to the DOSbox window.

The crosshair in the CADSTAR PCB UPLOAD program should now be moveable using the mouse. If the cursor isn’t moveable then you can still use the up, down, left and right arrow keys, and the Home key to select items.

Move the crosshair over the CONTROL button, select it, and then select READ LAYOUT, as in Figure 2. You should now see a list of the CADSTAR .CDO files available in the current folder to be converted, as in Figure 3. Select the file required and press F4 when prompted to confirm opening the selected file.

Figure 2 Upload | Read Layout

Figure 3 Upload | Select File

The file will now open and be displayed in the UPLOAD program as shown in Figure 4.


Figure 4 Cadstar file open in upload

Select CONTROL again, and then select STORE LAYOUT, Figure 5, where you’ll be prompted to accept the current file name or edit it to a new file name.

Figure 5 Upload | Store Layout


Press ENTER when finished. The new .CDO file output by UPLOAD is in CADSTAR for DOS version 7 format which can be loaded into CADSTAR for Windows.


Opening the converted file in CADSTAR

Start CADSTAR for Windows (Design Editor) and once CADSTAR opens select FILE and OPEN, then in the dialogue window that opens click next to “Files of type” and select “CADSTAR 7 (for DOS) files”, as in Figure 6.

Figure 6 CADSTAR | File Open dialogue

Select the appropriate file and click the OPEN button which will open the file normally in CADSTAR as shown in Figure 7.

Figure 7 Converted file open in CADSTAR


Converting the file to CADSTAR ASCII for import into Pulsonix

Next you need to re-save the file in CADSTAR for Windows ASCII format so that it can be imported into Pulsonix.

From the menu in CADSTAR select FILE EXPORT as shown in Figure 8, which will open the FILE EXPORT dialogue window shown in Figure 9.

Figure 8 CADSTAR | File Export

In the FILE EXPORT dialogue, Figure 9, PCB ARCHIVE in the drop-down list next to FORMAT and click the BROWSE button to select a location and file name for the exported file. The OK button will now become active which when clicked will write a CADSTAR ASCII format .CPA file that can be imported into Pulsonix.


Figure 9 CADSTAR | Export to File


Importing the file into Pulsonix

There are two methods in Pulsonix to import a CADSTAR ASCII PCB file: the File, Open menu; and the Data Transfer Wizard.

Method 1: Using File, Open

From the menu bar in Pulsonix select File and Open as in Figure 10.

Figure 10 Pulsonix File Open Menu

Select the Cadstar ASCII PCB file .CPA as shown in Figure 11.

Figure 11 Pulsonix File Open Dialogue

Pulsonix will recognise the file as CADSTAR ASCII and open the dialogue window shown in Figure 12. Enter a name for the Pulsonix PCB file next to Design and select a technology file if appropriate.


Figure 12 Pulsonix Cadstar PCB Design File Open

If you select the “Use Layer Mapping” option than the dialogue shown in Figure 13 will open where you can select which layers in your Pulsonix technology file will be mapped to layers in the Cadstar file. The mapping can be saved for future use by the SAVE MAPPING button, and different mapping files can be opened using the BROWSE button.

Figure 13 Pulsonix Cadstar Layer Mapping

After you press okay the Cadstar .CPA file will be converted to a Pulsonix .PCB file using the name you entered, and will open automatically in Pulsonix.


Method 2: Using Data Transfer Wizard

The second method is to use the Data Transfer Wizard which can be started by selecting File and Data Transfer from the Pulsonix menu bar as shown in Figure 14.

Figure 14 Pulsonix Data Transfer

The Data Transfer Wizard opens the dialogue shown in Figure 15 which goes through the steps needed to convert the file to Pulsonix.

Figure 15 Data Transfer Wizard 1

After clicking NEXT select Design from the list of types of data, shown in Figure 16 and click NEXT.



Select Cadstar as the data format needed to the transferred, Figure 17, and click NEXT.


In the next dialogue, shown Figure 18, click BROWSE to select the Cadstar ASCII .CPA file next to SOURCE, then click BROWSE to select the destination folder and Pulsonix PCB file name next to Target.


Select a technology file, if appropriate and select “Use Layer Mapping” to match up layers in the Cadstar file to layers in the Pulsonix technology file that is going to be used.


If you select the “Use Layer Mapping” option than the dialogue shown in Figure 19 will open where you can select which layers in your Pulsonix technology file will be mapped to layers in the Cadstar file. The mapping can be saved for future use by the SAVE MAPPING button, and different mapping files can be opened using the BROWSE button.


Figure 19 Pulsonix Cadstar Layer Mapping

After pressing next you can select a schematic diagram also to be imported if you have one (Figure 20).



The next dialogue, Figure 21, shows a summery of the data to be transferred. After you press FINISH Pulsonix will convert the file, but will not open it automatically. You will have to use FILE and OPEN from the Pulsonix menu bar to do this.


A successfully imported design can be seen in Figure 22.

Figure 22 Imported Cadstar Design in Pulsonix

Documents

Using the UPLOAD Program to update CADSTAR DOS files to CADSTAR Windows files