Frequently Asked Questions.txt

This FAQ list is built from user enquires on PCB Synergy over the last few years.
Some of the more recent questions refer to new file readers (PADS, Kicad and Eagle) not in the current release.

Q1: How do I generate a feeder file from a schematic. 
A1: This functionality is switched off in PCB Synergy.
You can't generate an SMT file directly, but there is an indirect method. Set the PIK option to Omit Header lines. Generate a PIK (this is done automatically on the first screen) by hitting the Process
Button. Then import that PIK back into PCB Synergy by selecting it in the Browse button Dialog. Now select your SMT machine, Hit generate. The file XYR's will all be set to zero.

Q2: Some formats can't generate a Panel with multiple boards.
A2: This especially applies to early Juki/Zevatech boards. The Juki/Zevatech code was developed from early DOS Flex code which didn't do this. This functionality was in another program (EPU) which then modified your generated file.
If any user wants this functionality and uses DOS EPU and Flex , send me an e-mail and I will attempt to include it.

Q3: How do I move feeders in PCB Synergy?
A3: This functionality is not quite completed, at this stage. A work around is to generate a file and save it from the feeder list using the Save CSV button after you have named a temporary output file.
Edit the order of the lines in Excel or an equivalent program or a text editor. Re-import your file using the Open CSV button.(Close Excel before you reload as it locks all open files. Hit the Save Feeders button.

Q4: I have just done a costing file and it has all NA's in the file.
A4: You must import a library file that has the same footprint names as your imported file (well they must be similar)( say 0805wide on your board, 0805 in your library). Now have a
component say 0805 resistor, cost 1 (units are not spelled out but are just integers), value 10k, in your library and PCB Synergy will do its best to map this to your Cost file, when you hit the 
Update Feeders + Costs button on the Library tab. N.A. means Not Available (ie no data present, not that the value should be zero or blank which could mean zero).

Q5: Ok now half my components are priced but the other half are still NA's.
A5: You need to add these components to your Library CSV. A tool to help you do this is the Save CSV button on the Feeder tab. You can get especially tricky to update your library with only the not available components
by selecting the Show only NA Checkbox on the Options tab when you generate a file. Then hit the save CSV on the Feeder list tab. Edit your library in excel and cut and paste in the new list to your existing library.
Go on the Internet or to your local supplier and add in the costs. Reimport the library file, being careful to close Excel beforehand due to its file locking.

Q6: The PCB Viewer doesn't quite look right for my PCB. 
A6: The functionality in the PCB Viewer is just to give you an idea of what the file looks like. The data that is extracted to calculate the centre-points, the footprint, comment and designator and the board outline are
essential to the proper calculation for the SMT files. These are the things that are worked on first when developing new file readers. The Drawing of the Pads for the PCB Viewer comes a distant second.

Q7: My Eagle file doesn't get the Comments or Footprints right. 
A7: The Eagle binary is an extremely tricky file format to read. To my knowledge PCB Synergy is the only product to date that has tried 
to read it. As time went by, the field widths for the Comment and Footprint names has changed. This has necessitated a kludgy change in the binary. I have successfully got one of these variations to 
read but the second still eludes me. However the XYR's will still be Ok.

Q8: Ok, but I still want my files to look right.
A8: Another solution to the Eagle reading problem. Is to use one of the many SMT ULP's that come from the CADSoft EAGLE site to generate some centre-points for PCB Synergy. PCB Synergy can now read a CSV with centre-points in them.

Q9: My Kicad file won't read and crashes PCB Synergy.
A9: The Kicad ASCII specification has a dodgy addition called the PcbPlotParams. This line can be an almost infinite number of characters long. The Borland compiler that  PCB Synergy is written in has a fault when reading
single characters on the input file so I just can't easily skip this line. The easy solution, is just delete this line and re-read the file.

Q10: My PADS ASCII file wont read and crashes the program.
A10: PADS is an especially hard file to write a reader for. It has no termination for it's various sections. When you have set up PCB Synergy to read a PADS file. Exit the program and Open it again to save all your settings
to the registry. Then pray hard, maybe it will read! If not try reading it into Altium Designer or PADS and export an AD file, or a PIK or equivalent SMT out file.

Q11: Why use PCB Synergy.
A11: Entering data into SMT machines by hand processing is a time wasting exercise. It is error prone (humans are not perfect, computers are!). It violates basic Q.C. methodologies. Any manufacturing
process that needs to be repeatable is best handled by a machine (in this case PCB Synergy on a Windows PC). Read one of the many books on QC (Not on ISO 9000, that is all about paperwork to polish over manufacturing 
cracks). PCB Synergy was developed by an engineer to be a simple manufacturing tool. 

Q12: Why the weird interface!
A12: PCB Synergy was developed to minimise human interaction in the Circuit board to SMT manufacturing process. Too many options that alter the basic file generation process mean that the process isn't QC it is human
generated data that may have no relationship to the made board. It is made deliberately difficult to alter board XYR's (they should be right in the CAD file, other wise the CAD file was crap, and what is it doing in a 
manufactured product). Other products have boards you can alter and check etc (you are better off with data that is right form the get go). That is why there is BigPad centreing.

Q13: Who is the target market for PCB Synergy.
A13: Basically there are two. Small company's with an old SMT machine that is probably a DOS interface, custom controller etc. that probably cost less than 3000 dollars. That is why there are many of these older 
machines in PCB Synergy. Secondly large company's that already have many lines and a serious software investment like Technomatix UniCAM, who need one of the many conversions that PCB Synergy has that they may not have in their existing software at this point in time.

Q14: Why the weird interface 2!
Q14: I have probably used in excess of 10,000 programs in my career to date. Most of them I would download (or once copy onto floppy disk in the days of bulletin boards) and use for about 5 minutes and promptly forget.
 ie. a lot of tasks are simple, you use the tool, get onto the next task. In this cycle you don't want a tool that will take a long time to learn to use ( like weeks ala AutoCAD, Altium Designer etc). It needs to be simple,
 with a minimum of controls, does just what you want. The internals to PCB Synergy are rocket science, so that the use of the tool is Quick. For instance automatic component to component recognition. 
This means feeder generation is accurate and doesn't need to be altered, like with other programs. Lists are sorted in telephone book style, so 1,2,3,10,20,10k,LM312,LM319 ( to you programmers out there this is neither integer or string sorting).
The interface is designed so it doesn't need to change to suit the latest programming fashion. Then everything moves and the program needs to be pointlessly re-learnt.

Q15: What's the log file about?
A15: The log file, which is currently only available OnScreen, gives you a quick insight into the file generation process. It tells you if say the SMT is still in development or is considered bug free.
If there are any reading errors in the input file. This is currently only implemented for Kicad and PADS files. The Protel format is pretty robust and can have its data in almost any order so, there is very little 
to flag. The Eagle binary reader needs more work in error generation, but being a binary there is little to go wrong, that can be flagged by an error at a line number.
It tells you the number of components and the number of feeders generated for a board. It picks up if a designator has been reused (this indicates a faulty file that should be fixed/checked before it is used.
It prints out the component value list.
It prints out a shortened board file, to give you an idea that you do have the right SMT machine file selected.

Q16: Not all the output files are stated for my Panasonic machine.
A16: Some of the Panasonic machines had 4 generated files, The POS and SET files appear on the files tab, but all 4 files are generated.

Q17: Are you planning to add ? import file to PCB Synergy?
Q17: Import formats take a lot of work to get working( in the order of 1 man month per format), so to make my life easier do you know of a parser that may have been written that reads the format that has source we 
can use (ie. nothing that compels us to disclose our source, nothing that violates a commercial copyright). Some Open source is ok, others not so. Public domain code is okay. Some authors have been happy to allow
me to use old parser code for board conversion, others not so. Is it an old PCB program and commercially dead, there is no point writing a parser that is only used once! Current version commercial high volume sellers 
like OrCad, Cadstar are on the list to be written! All file generators to date have been written blind from example files.

Q18: Can you add ? SMT export format to PCB Synergy?
A18: Export formats for simple ASCII can take as little as a day to write, so they are good candidates to be added to PCB Synergy. Binaries like Juki 2000 series take about a week to perfect, so I prefer them to be 
higher sales volume machines. Almost every Juki format is different and so has to be written from scratch, some however like 2010,2020 are only 1 byte different. 

Q19: I love your software and I have a machine that your software generates, but you can't read CAD package X?
A19: Skinning a Cat. There are often many ways. Convert your program to Altium Designer, It has a large number of competitive import formats to try and gobble up its competitors. They are mostly excellent with many options,
for settings etc. Check their website. Find yourself an Eagle ULP to import, some of the me-to PCB packages like Diptrace have a ULP on there site, then get a ULP to get to Protel and import the resulting file into PCB Synergy. 
Remember PCB Synergy works on all Altium/Protel files from Autotrax to current versions. Check my website for a short list of alternatives, Check the Edaboard Board for converters. Many company's have written CAD file converters to bring
old files forward to a new CAD package, they are often free or minimal charge on their websites.

Q20: Why doesn't PCB Synergy read Gerber files in like other packages.
A20: I will probably regret saying this, but this seems to be the industry norm for file import, followed by hand correction to work out the pad to component to designator links. It is just an exceedingly bad practice that violates
 any pretence of a Q.C. process! If ISO9000 wasn't a joke that has become a paperwork nightmare, that wallpapers over the cracks in QC. But was followed seriously like Deming was meant to have educated us. This practice would be simply banned. 
It is far better to take a PCB file and read the data from the file direct. That is what PCBSynergy aims to do. This might seem hard but it is necessary for good QC the other alternative is Export of centre-points. To this end PCB Synergy
now has added PCB CSV reading which will generalise the file reading to open any file that is a PCB SMT component file. Lots of clever reading stuff in it!!

Q21: What are the CSV and BOM files on the file tab for.
A21: Their function is basically to provide Stock Control/Accounting overview for the board making process. ie How many components and thus reel sizes and number of IC's for a board run. Stock control. Do we need to order in more reels, or particular
IC's to build this run of X boards. The Show NA (Not available in stock) Option takes the library file and generates a Buy list. If you have costed your components in the library file, it will tell you the total spend. This beats the paper method any day! PCB Synergy is worth its use for this function alone for a small company
without an MRP (Materials resource planning) database.

Q22: What is the mounting price about?
A22: The mounting price can be used to calculate a contract price for your board assembly, for both user/contract assembler. It gives an accurate unit price for a board based on integer units, This means if you pay 0.2 cents per assembled component out
of China for a board, you can work out the number of components per board and multiply by total boards to arrive at an assembly cost by dividing the total by 5.

Q23: I cant generate a file. The Onscreen log says "cannot open <filename> is it open in Excel?"
Q23: Excel has a particularly irritating design flaw. It locks a file from the time it is opened to the time it is closed in Excel or Excel is closed. Most other modern applications only lock the file when reading or writing to the file.
So Excel doesn't play well in the Sandpit!

Q24: How do you view the generated files?
A24: I use Ultraedit to view files while adding features or checking generated files. Other Open Source text editors like Notepad++, PSPad are equally suitable. 
For instance I can generate a file and have Ultraedit open. I then make a settings change, regenerate the file by pressing the Process button, Ultraedit then gives me the option of reopening the altered file without having to open it from scratch.
When I am happy then I can take my accounting lists and load up a box of reels ready for manufacturing, or download the file to the machine.  

Q25: The Debug Checkbox what is it on the Options tab for?
A25: This is a new Checkbox which turns on Input Test file checking. The Kicad and Eagle files can generate a file which in the Kicad case is basically very similar to the input file which can be then diff compared to check for parsing errors.
Similarly the Eagle reader generates an XML version of the file which can be checked against a file which has been feed though Eagle 6.2 or later, unfortunately Eagle alters the order within a component so you have to check carefully for differences.
These options were used during the development of these file readers and may be of only passing interest. Bad files that are within the design parameters will normally throw an error message into the Onscreen log.

Q26: Bigpad centreing isn't working in Kicad?
A26: For the initial release all centre points are the Kicad generated ones. When the Pad analysis stuff is finished, this will be corrected!

Q27: Bigpad centreing isn't working in Eagle?
A27: For the initial release all centre points are the Eagle generated ones. When the Pad analysis stuff is finished, this will be corrected!
 
Q28: What is the Extended Designator Checkbox on the Options tab for?
A28: This option only works on later model machines that have plenty of width in the component entry field for the board. It concatenates the Feeder Value and the Footprint to the Designator to name a board component.

Q29: What is the Value and Footprint in the Feeder Name Checkbox for?
A29: Again this is only for later model machines that have enough width in the feeder name to allow this concatenation for Naming of the Feeder. ( This helps make component identification easier when you are setting up the feeders).

Q30: What is the Display Component ID for in the Protel PIK file on the Options tab?
A30: This option alters the basic PIK output file that was originally used for checking the validity of the Protel file. This extra column is for when PCB Synergy can't generate a specific file for a particular machine along with the Feeder ID the PIK can be then feed into Excel
and a file can then be handcrafted. Which will then feed into the original manufacturers conversion program.

Q31: What else can you use the PIK file for?
A31: The PIK file can be used to re-feed your output file back through PCB Synergy. To for instance do a particular component removal in a spreadsheet. Saving an intermediate result for a particular board file. To verify your XYR's when trying a new file conversion strategy into PCB Synergy.
Say for instance you have a PCAD file and you read it into Altuim designer to generate an AD file , read it into PCB Synergy and save the generated PIK. Then try a second strategy and use small developers program you found on the web that went via Kicad or Eagle or to Protel 2.8
If the two generated Pik's are cross checked via UltraCompare and the data is within 1/10 of a mm your new method is good.

Q32: What is the Designator Sort Box on the Options tab for?
A32: This Box gives a crude but effective way of sorting the components before they are allocated to the feeders! It groups components by type, say R for Resistor goes first, they are then sorted in value lowest to highest. Next letter along L for inductor and so forth. Using the standard way of 
assigning letters to components that is used in Electronic Circuit Design.

Q33: Why a Process Button?
A33: In manufacturing incoming stock is processed into components, that are then assembled, and a product is manufactured. In PCB Synergy's case an incoming CAD file is mixed with a series of settings to then generate an SMT file and a series of other files to assist the PCB manufacturing process.

Q34: When I load up a new version, I get an error message with ComboBox2 error?
A34: There is a subtle flaw in PCBSynergy when it reads the registry from a version that was written by a different version. This flaw is fixed in 1.0.0.11. It just passes it by and continues to work with no harm done.
In earlier versions a hand deletion of the registry using RegEdit (Hit the Start button, Click the run Option in All programs, type in RegEdit, hit return) Then go down to the HKEY_CURRENT_USER > Software > PCBSynergy Hit the delete key.
A new Entry is generated when you Exit PCBSynergy. This Entry basically holds information for all the Checkboxes, Editboxes, File Settings, Window sizing etc. So losing it just means these values must be re-entered.

Q35: My XY's seem a little bit out (say 1mm), what's happening?
A35: When you set up an SMT machine you need good data! What do I mean? The Cad file must have a consistently designed bottom left hand corner. Since most CAD files can have multiple bottom left hand corners, like a board outline corner or Keep out layer corner or a registration mark. Make sure these are
one and the same thing. Also because most machines are set up to feed left to right the board or panel length must be accurate to then allow the machine to use this value. Also the width must be accurate as well as the Gaps (formerly Pitch) between boards (the Maths hasn't changed inside PCBSynergy, only 
the labels). If all is good the machine should easily locate the board fiducial ( whether it uses a laser beam or a camera ) and give accurate placement!

Q36: Why should I use your package and not XYZ from ABC corporation.
A36: A number of reasons. Its price competitive. It is often better than some of the software that is actually supplied with machines. And I have seen quite a few! It is not a replacement for software like Techomatix, but then it does cost more than a late model high volume SMT machine.
If you are lucky enough to have deep pockets or work does I would thoroughly recommend it. But if you are like the rest of us, then PCBSynergy may well be for you. It is also a quick Stock Control calculator. 

Q37: Why is this important?
A37: Some machines have been in production for a very long time and the software is old and so are the controllers. PCB Synergy should happily coexist on some of these older machines. Even a Win3.1 if you have win32s loaded!
(It will happily run from win 95 to win7, as is uses old supported Win API calls, not just the latest Win7, no discontinued win3.1/3.0). 

Q38: What are the Stock Control functions?
A38: PCBSynergy wasn't just designed to program SMT machines. It had a second and third purpose. When working in my small Electronics business I found I took about 2 months to get a job out when having the work subcontracted. This was not just due to my youthful lack of experience, although that did
play a part. The main concern was that organising SMT Assembly is a PITA. So you need lists to work from that are not hand written. First generate a file using the Process button. This gives you a CSV for Excel with quantity's already calculated if you have the original board CAD file, and know how many boards you want to make.

Q39: Ok that's good, I know how many capacitors I need but I already have them in a box.
A39: Ok Do you have a Stock control system? No then there is a simple CSV spreadsheet example of how to list your components which you already own in a library. This file then can be read into PCBSynergy. You can then take your Board and your quantity and tick the Show Only NA (Not Available in Stock) Checkbox as well as Show Costs in CSV and BOM Checkbox. 
Hit the Process Button and the new CSV and BOM file will now contain your Buy list. So much easier than pen and paper, that is checked through a number of times and becomes unreadable ( that was my problem). And dare I say it easier than learning to drive some Database programs. Your lists can be fixed in the library file. Extra components can be added by
the Save CSV button on the Feeder list tab. Take the generated file and Cut and Paste into your Library file.

Q40: I don't own an SMT machine, what use is this program to me?
A40: You can also use it for Through Hole Assembly stock control, as well as organising yourself before you take your job to a Contract assembler! This will save you time and him headaches, from your disorganisation, which he will charge you for! 

Q41: Why should I use your package and not XYZ from ABC corporation(2).
A41: You can try it out first. Most SMT packages are not downloadable, and you must go to the supplier who then wants to get all your details and become your best friend. We only want you to try it out, and if you don't like it, don't worry. You can always download it next year when it will be improved a little bit! Mostly on the inside we dont 
aim for serious cosmetic changes!

Q42: Why should I use your package and not XYZ from ABC corporation(3).
A42: Ease of use, your normal office staff can work out how to use this package, it wasn't just designed for Techinicians, who spend all day on the line using a high end package which takes weeks of courses to learn!

Q41: I don't own an SMT machine, what use is this program to me?(2)
A41: Cost Optimising a product as you design it. Just drop the PCB file or the Schematic through PCB Synergy load up your library file look at the output in Notepad. Of course you need component pricing in your library but that is easily handled by generating a library straight from the board. And then adding in prices using Excel!

Q42: How does a PIK file or a CSV file get the XY size?
A42: With version 1.0.0.12 the X and Y size have been added as an edit box on the Origin Calculator window. Now this value will be displayed when it is read from a Cad file (previously it was added into the file but the user never saw it's value.
With the CSV or PIK file it can be written in this box for inclusion in the file. If PCB Synergy reads a new CSV or PIK this value isn't written over and it is used when you click on the Process or the Save Origin buttons. It is also written through
to the registry and will be read back to this edit box for reuse, when you reopen PCBSynergy. If your reading a new CAD file this value will be overwritten, if a PIK or CSV it will not be overwritten. This makes it easy to edit a PIK or CSV as you are altering a board file
for manufacture (say you may not have a particular component for the run, and you wish to make 10 boards and solder this component separately later).
However if you are doing a new CSV/PIK job then you must remember to change the size for your new board.

Q43: Fiducials. What about them?
A43: PCBSynergy reads fiducials from CAD files, they basically must be labelled FIDxx in the Designator field (ie FID1,FID2 ,FID10 etc) on either a PAD or a single PAD Component in your CAD file

Q44: How many fiducials are required in a file. 
A44: On most machines, a board must have at least 2 fiducials, on Juki machines this number is 3. 

Q45: What about fiducials on a Panel?
A45: Currently PCBSynergy does not handle Panel fiducials, only Board fiducials, if your machine requires this you will have to enter the data on the machine, or the manufacturers import package.

Q46: Sometimes your values are just a little different to the values of XY for such a file generation method?
A46: PCBSynergy is written in Borland C++ Builder, other packages are written in other compilers which often handle there rounding up differently, they handle their integers differently between file reading and generation etc.
So there are often very small differences in XY values. We handle our values as floating point until the point of file generation. Values then may be converted to whatever is used in the output file. Juki for instance use hex integers in all of there output files. Not all I might add with the same resolution or multipliers.
Other manufacturers use 4 byte floating point binary, 5.2f, 6.3f, 7.3f C ASCII etc. This makes it a little bit hit and miss for us to generate identical output numbers.

Q47: My file doesn't open in the PCB CSV reader.(1)
A47: Oh!! It should, I have just read in this users file that had no units anywhere in the test that gave the measurement units (mm, mils, inch), the coded default is mm
No Good when you have inchs, or mils.

Q48: My file doesn't open in the PCB CSV reader.(2)
A48: These are the built in Column headings.
Column headings:- Designator, Refdes, CompID, x,y, refx, refy, midx, midy, padx, pady, comment, pattern, component, feeder, locationx, locationy, rotation, angle, layer, TB
So a file might read in the Column heading:-
Designator, x(mm), y(mm), comment, pattern, rotation, layer
or in a file
RefDes, Pattern, Comment, Layer, LocationX(inch) ,LocationY(inch), Rotation
C1,1608,100nF,Top,2.920,6.730,180
C2,1608,10nF,Top,4.780,6.840,180
C4,805,18pF,Top,1.200,6.640,180
D10,3.5X2.8X1.9,Orange_LEDTop,5.600,6.910,0
U11,TO-220V,LM317,Top,12.320,6.880,0
U7,LLP10-50,TPS61200,Top,4.100,6.880,0

As long as all of the required data is in a file, the application should work, the layer or TB is optional and will default to top.
If the Column heading has a mm, mil or inch next to the X, LocationX or MidX then that will be the default for the data reading. The unit can also be next to the row value.
This will override the default mm.
Another example with mm next to the row values

Designator,Pattern,Comment,Mid X,Mid Y,Ref X,Ref Y,Pad X,Pad Y,TB,Rotation
R37,1608, 0.00 ,79.45mm,50.30mm,79.45mm,49.55mm,79.45mm,49.55mm,T,90.00
R18,2012,22.00m,96.20mm,59.31mm,95.20mm,59.31mm,95.20mm,59.31mm,T, 0.00
R44,2012,22.00m,93.59mm,22.32mm,94.59mm,22.32mm,94.59mm,22.32mm,T,180.00
D2,3.5X2.8X1.9,Orange_LED,39.80mm, 5.40mm,39.80mm, 5.40mm,39.80mm, 6.90mm,T,270.00
D4,3.5X2.8X1.9,Red_LED,35.40mm, 5.40mm,35.40mm, 5.40mm,35.40mm, 6.90mm,T,270.00
U2,TQFP80P1200X1200-44AL,ATMEGA324,43.80mm,57.40mm,43.80mm,57.40mm,47.80mm,63.00mm,T,270.00
U3,QFN-32,CC1020,66.43mm,54.96mm,66.43mm,54.96mm,63.98mm,56.71mm,T, 0.00

Q49: My file doesn't open in the PCB CSV reader.(3)
A49: A bug in the CSV reader, well more specifically the reading of a PIK equivalent file that is generated within the Test->Excel PCB CSV dropdown box on the Options Tab.
This file has a blank second line as is the Protel format specification. This necessitates a removal of the line to successfully read this file in. This should have been picked up in testing!!

Q50: Is the Column order critical in the PCB CSV reader?
A50: No it is not, A lot of effort went in to making the CSV reader as generic as possible in its reading of PCB files. Column order was high on the list, as well as testing on a variety
of PCB CSV's from major Commercial and Open Source PCB packages.

Q51: I am running Win7-64 bit, where is the registry key?
A51: On Win 7 64 bit the PCBSynergy Registry keys are located in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\PCBSynergy, not HKEY_LOCAL_USER\Software\PCBSynergy as is the case with
Windows XP.

Q52: The Rotation is not working in PCBCSV Reader?
A52: A late breaking bug just found in the rewrite of the PCBCSV reader. A clash of names between the Designator column and  R for Rotation has caused a minor bug (OK major bug if you use the PCBCSV reader)
The reading of rotation was basically always wrong in the Tescon example, it may have also been wrong in all other generated files.
This was not picked up on testing but was picked up when adding the Tescon file writer to PCBSynergy. There will be a release to deal with this issue. Yet to be announced!( Now fixed in Version 1.0.0.14)

Q53: My Juki file crashes the Juki 760 SMT machine?
A53: A bug has been discovered in PCBSynergy where the generated SMT file is incorrect if the "Include all components" option is selected from the Select Component Type to Process Dropdown list
The logic is that the actual file uses the Number of Components and Number of Feeders from the Selection and then the list is trimmed when the files are generated , now it has the wrong numbers
in the generated binary file. This bug is to be fixed in an upcoming release( for the moment there is a warning in the Onscreen Log file in ver 1.0.0.14 ), 
to currently resolve this problem, just select the correct Option for the file you are generating. ie Top layer, Bottom mirrored etc.

Q54: What is new in version 1.0.0.14?
A54: Version 1.0.0.14 beta is a not for general release bug filled version with a bunch of new CAD formats. PADS, KiCAD, Eagle binary, gedaPCB, all not completed a new input CAD file icon display,
a manufacturers file icon display, a fixed component rotation bug in the PCBCSV reader, some extra file generations in the Test file list, for the Tescon, TM240A/220A, and Versatronics SMT machines

Q55: What are refx, refy, padx, pady for?
A55: These are values used by Altium in their PIK file format. In the current releases to date (Version 1.0.0.14) they are never used for SMT file generation. In a future release where I hope to add Throughhole machinery to PCBSynergy
these values will be useful.

Q56: My machine (Tescon Quad and others) doesn't support a footprint field in the SMT input file?
A56: PCBSynergy needs a Comment and Footprint field to generate its SMT output files as a result of the way it was designed. 
So you may have a PCBCSV file with the column headings: RefDes, Value, MidX, MidY, Rot
This file will not read, it needs an extra field labelled Footprint/Pattern to read even though it will be discarded in the final SMT file.

Q57: What is the new Component List for(Version 1.0.0.15)?
A57: This extra dialog screen has a list of the components generated by PCB Synergy. It is not editable. Inline with my stance on QC. Get it right in the CAD
file. This list is basically a list of the centre-points of the PCB of those components which are being placed. The XYR's should not need to be altered. 
If a component needs to be rotated because it is rotated on the tape, this is best done in the feeder list.
   
Q58: How do I use PCBSynergy to do a multiple machine Board Setup?
A58: PCBSynergy was never really intended for this use, but there is a way. Generate a PIK or a CSV (The Excel PCB CSV Option under Test, on the Options Tab) file with all your options correctly set.
Now Edit this under your Spreadsheet Excel/OpenOffice.  Save your Split files out as CSV, making sure that the second line is not blank. Now re-import to PCBSynergy in-turn generating files for each separate machine. Making sure details
like PCB Board Size (Origin Calculator Tab) are correct. You should now be ready to go!           

Q59: It would be good to be able to copy all of the component pick positions and component data from *.P5A files previously setup on the machine instead of having to setup component data and pick positions every time a different PCB  (with same components)  is used.
That's why I enquired about EPU software that can be setup files 'off line' on a PC. I do not know anything about this EPU software, but it would be good if feeder/pick position and component data could be copied from existing *.P5A files.
I am not very familiar with PCBSynergy software. If I am missing something that may help save time in machine setup, please advise.   
A59: It is possible to extract the component data from the P5A file using the Juki program Flexprog. However it doesn't extract the feeder positions separately. I have avoided writing input file readers for the various formats that PCBSynergy generates, as I am well past 80 formats with data for another 20 yet to be added. Writing a reader is a much more difficult task (than a writer) and would require time I just do not have. Also some formats like the KP620 are particularly terse with only 14 characters to describe the feeder/component field.
EPU is an old Juki 16bit DOS program that is dongle protected.

The one way you can get what you may want without extracting a P5A file is to keep a list of feeders from your file using a CSV exported list on the feeder tab (Save CSV button). After having set up a file name in the file Text field.There is no Automagic method for sorting and reusing this list so generate one from the old file and one from your new file and reuse the unused feeder locations for minimum feeder movement, in the new file. Do this setup in a text editor or a spread sheet, and then import the new CSV feeder list into the feeder tab using the Open CSV button and save it too your 
new P5A (or any other machine output format) using the Save Feeders button.                   

Q60: My particularly large Juki KP620 file doesn't seem to load on my machine.
A60: A late breaking bug has been found in the Juki KP620 file when the number of feeders/components exceeds ? amount.
The same bug is also in the Zevatech PM570file. The fix will be in the upcoming 1.0.0.16 release.

Q61: The Save Feeder Option doesn't work in 1.0.0.15 (and for several earlier versions).
A61: This is a bug that slipped in by removing a call. It is fixed for the 1.0.0.16 release.

Q62: Can you add TWS Quadra to PCBSynergy!
A62: This format is being added for the forth coming release 1.0.0.16, but is proving a bit difficult, the component QFP file seems correct, but there well may be a few issues with the feeder QFF file
                                        
Q63: There seem to be faults in the Juki 2040 and 2060 files in version 1.0.0.15
A63: The alignment of panelisation with the file was screwed up, but has been corrected for version 1.0.0.16. This bug crept in sometime after the initial release in 1.0.0.9        

Q64: There seem to be faults in the Juki 2070 and 2080 files in version 1.0.0.15
A64: There is a bug in these formats but I have yet to work out what it is, suffice to say the files do not read on the machines , hopefully fixed for version 1.0.0.16   

Q65: How do I do footprint correction in your new file importers, either Kicad, Eagle or PADS.
A65: Just added in Version 1.0.0.11 are file readers for Eagle Binary, PADS asci, and Kicad ascii formats. 
None of these formats have footprint correction at this point in time. (1.0.0.15)
This problem can be over come by taking the PIK or PCBCSV output and hand editing the file in Excel ( or your favorite spreadsheet or text editor). 
Then re-importing the corrected file. You will need to add board dimensions in the Origin Calculator tab, if you use this approach.      

Q66: Your Bottom Mirrored Option doesn't work.
A66: Ok Now it does in version 1.0.0.16, The Component Layer Options section of code has been rewritten for this version.

Q67: Your Gencad file doesn't have a DEVICES field as per the specification.
A67: This is fixed in version 1.0.0.16 

Q68: I want to interface PCBSynergy to my Program/Database. How can I do it? Will you have a command line version?
A68: It is probably too far along for me to write a command line version of PCBSynergy. Certainly when I first conceived the idea of this program, that thought was in my
head. i.e. a simple program that can be simply controlled. But I made the decision to go with a GUI program, as I had spent too many years running command line progams to ever go back to using one.
There is however another way around the issue for those of you who would like to use the Automagic file generation in PCBSynergy without having to write a program for your SMT machine and interface it into your Database/
manufacturing software. Use the registry entry for PCBsynergy and manipulate it from your database/program.

Q69: How do I do that?
A69: Set and use PCBSynergy for the file/s you want to use and generate. Then note the registry settings and save this to a reg file.
Now get your program to reproduce the setting changes you need in the PCBSynergy registry entry
fire up PCBSynergy and hit Process, and Quit. Registry setting is standard in Delphi and C++ Builder, It is a common function on any Windows platform compiler.

Q70: Bottom mirroring doesn't work in the PCBViewer!
A70: Your quite right it doesn't, I haven't had time to write the code to do a flip of the pads in the display file. With the addition of Cadstar (CPA,CSA and PAF ) GenCAD CAD and OrCAD MIN,
I will probably not have time this year to update your Board viewer, if at all!

Q71: Its irritating how the File Browse Dialog always jumps back to where the program was opened at startup!
A71: As of version 1.0.0.16 this has been fixed. 

Q72: It's confusing how your Designators are sorted in a truely random fashion!
A72: As of version 1.0.0.16 this has been fixed so that designators are sorted in Telephone book style. 
Example D1,D2,D7,D9, D11 etc as it is in all other PCBSynergy functions. This problem was due to a piece of code over 10 years old written  near the start of the coding.
A misunderstanding of C++ operator overloading made it impossible to fix, 
until I realized a < operator wasn't actually a less than, but the sort operator that is used to sort the Component list to make it ready to generate a feeder list.

Q73: How can the warning message "This file is suitable for running on an SMT machine - Success" make any sense when you are dealing with a Schematic?
A73: Your quite right, it doesn't. In version 1.0.0.16 the warning message has been updated to take care of an SMT  file if it is generated from a Schematic.

Q74: Whats the story with Cadstar?
A74: Three Cadstar readers have been introduced with version 1.0.0.16. They are CPA (The current ASCII archive format for PCB's, CSA The current Schematic ASCII Archive format, and PAF a Slightly older PCB ASCII Archive format.
They basicallly extract their Comment, Designator, Pattern and XYR fields but other data like FIDS, Board Outline for board size have yet to be worked out.
If you have any files in these formats I would be interested in some cutdown file examples (say with tracks and Polygons removed so I can work on making these formats more robust.
If you would like any of the other formats and have some examples I will try to add them as well!

Q75: I am using Altium Designer and the PCB size isn't being read from the CAD file. The board size is 264.16mm x 205.5mm(from altium/reports/board information) and does this have to input into PCBSynergy origin calculator to show up or get extracted.
A75: Entering data in the Options->PCBSizeXY-Memo fields is a good workaround when data can't be found in the CAD file, whichever CAD,PCBCSV,PIK file you use.
Altium Designer now uses relative offsets, which if the board outline doesn't work, may mean an offset calculation will have to be done in a spreadsheet.
Telling me about the problem gives me a chance to fix the problem file reading error in PCBSynergy, which helps other users. 
CAD vendors have a habit of updating their formats from time to time which can break file reading.

Q76: Any plans for OrCAD file reading?( An old Question revisted)
A76: Now with release 1.0.0.16 OrCAD MIN file reading has been added!

Q77: Whats that ?
A77: OrCAD MIN is the ASCII version of the MAX format. 
It was planned to have the MAX file reading added but the effort at understanding it, is currently perceved to be not worth it, in light of the hassle to get Eagle binary working!

Q78: The OpenCSV Button doesn't work on the Feeder List tab?
A78: At some time, the call to this function was crossed out, at which version I don't know! It has been fixed for version 1.0.0.16 

Q79: Where do you get your FAQ questions ?
A79: The Questions are asked in various forums that I answer, like  <https://ca.groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/zevatech> and private emails.
If you kind of recognize some of the Questions , I take considerable writers license in rephrasing to cutdown length and improve clarity for this list.
Otherwise some of these questions would read far more like a thread and be too long winded for an F.A.Q.! 

Q80: VisualPlace PCBCSV files won't read into PCBSynergy. I thought you implied that any PCBCSV file would read?
A80: As of version 1.0.0.0.16 VisualPlace PCBCSV files will read!

Q81: What was the problem?
A81: Visualplace used a forgotten (Well on my part) Microsoft convention of having Comment lines at the start of the PCBCSV file.
The Comments use the # delimiter at the start of each line. If a line is found with a unit of measurement say inch,mm,mils it is taken to mean
that it can be used through the rest of the file. An example 

# Created by VisualPlace version 2.0.5140 at Fri Oct 31 16:46:17 2014
# Report origin: (0.0/0.0) = lower left corner of PCB
# Units: inch
"Designator","Value","X","Y","Rotation","Side","Package"

"C8","100.00n","3.8252","3.1000","270.0","Top","1206"
"C9","100.00n","4.5551","3.2650","180.0","Top","1206"

Q82: Your PIK outputs can be messed up with certain combinations of output settings in the PIK control box on the Options tab!
A82: This code has been reviewed and fixed for version 1.0.0.16

A83: What does Error in $layerContents Line 19352 Unexpected input: etc mean (in PCAD)
A83: With all the new ASCII file readers CadStar, PCAD, OrCAD, Kicad to develop the code I used an error detection method of writing the readers.
Basiclly I looked for lines that had the relevant data I needed, and copied it into a series of Lists. 
Each line would be identified by its Keyword was either useful and fully decoded and used 
or it setup another line that might have useful stuff in it.Any line not used was thrown away.
So all these Unexpected Inputs were the ones that were not used , or more specifically were not found in my example files. 
It usually doesn't indicate a total failure in file reading (or the generated file), just a minor glitch which can be coded around later.

Q84: Whats are the lines in the Onscreen Log when reading the new file readers.
A84: This is the decoded line data being printed to the screen, it is also used to create each data element that make up the lists.
Which are then processed to create the Components list.

Q85: I am a contract manufacturer and I like to generate my SMT programs from Gerber.
A85: Say 100 hail Mary's and all is not forgiven.
Or to paraphrase Deming "In God we trust; all others must extract data, not make it up!" 
Or try VisualPlace!

Q86: That's pretty steep penance!
A86: But it is a Pretty Big Sin! Deming taught us that human generated data is not a QC process(It is error prone and costly).
But there is a way around this sin. VisualPlace does Gerber verification and now has an interface to PCBSynergy! For CAD files not
in our repertoire, VisualPlace seems like a reasonable alternative. It can be used to verify placement from your centrepoint extracted PCBCSV,
before it is feed into PCBSynergy. If you don't know who Deming is , say another 100! and look up Wikipedia!(W. Edwards Deming)

Q87: Why don't you do BOM correction like all the other SMT machine software?(like my package).(Really old question; 10 years ago John?)
A87: For SMT file generation we basically only need Component/Value and Footprint to come up with a name that is recognizable and unique on the feeder!
This should be the case on the PCB and the Schematic, after all an Engineer has got to be able to understand the circuit not read a PartNo (well this applies to RLC's)
Part Numbers as feeder names are not a good idea, as what happens when you buy your capacitors or resistors from a different supplier with a different numbering system!
Maybe in future I will add this for the production Lists in an updated BOM Listing output. I kind of assume that people already do this with their Library files!
But I haven't come up with an Excel CSV/XLS formatted file for this function. Maybe in a later release. 

Q88: Why don't you do web based components ordering like Eagle?
A88: We live in a world of everchanging Web stuff. If I sat down and learnt Javascript/ Html, PHP and 6 other Acronym languages, I could probably get this to work, But and this is a Big BUTT.
It probably wouldn't be working six months later. CSV was chosen as the interface to this program precisely because it is universal and doesn't change!

Q89: Why do you write this software?
A89: That is a very big question! There is no short answer. So here is the long one!
Electronics is in every new and many old revitailized products in this industrial age we live in (Some call this the Post-Industrial age, others the Electronic Age).
It is the biggest business that has been gobling up other business for the last hundred years.
So the Opportunitys are endless!
Western manufacturing is being overrun by cheap Chinese manufacturing of high quality goods.
How do we turn this around? 
Hope for a political solution, this won't happen while we have the best political system that money can buy!
Take our fate in our own hands and come up with our own products that out compete in the Marketplace.
Now how do you do that, go to the bank and take out a $1M loan to build a new factory. Your bank manager will laugh , so will your accountant!
Using outdated , (read cheap SMT equipment) to get your business running and making money. Since this is not an easy path. 
Software like PCBSynergy is here to make it easier. 
Before you know you have an income stream that can be used to update to newer more modern equipment and you can avoid that loan. Big Loans are best avoided!
You also have customers that give feedback that gets you to a place with a better product which will sell better in higher volumes.
Maybe at this time you move to China to take advantage of the low Tax regime that no one in the Western media ever mentions as the one competitive
advantage, lest the idea takes off in the West! see Wikipedia Taxation_in_China note especially the bottom table! This alone tells us we should immigrate!


Q90: Why do you write this software (2)?
A90: Electronics manufacturing is a PITA business, software is a lot easier, everything is on the screen in front of you and your customers are all on the Web!
How do you compete with that as an electronics engineer , when it would be just easier to get a high paying IT job!
Electronics sales are a lot like software sales . But the product doesn't need to be as updated as regularly, thats the bad bit. But and this is the good bit, you cannot do
everything in your life with software(you know Facebook, Ebay,et al). You eventually need real products that do stuff!
The downside to manufacturing is organising, especially with electronics as many parts need to be brought together to make the product.
PCBSynergy aims to do this by making this part easy for a small enterprise/one man show(Ok so you do need software to organise(its great strength).

Q91: My Altium file doesn't read quite correctly!
A91: PCBSynergy needs a Keepout Layer border to generate the board size parameters and do the centrepoint correction in the Altium PCBDOC reader.
What you need to do is Enter Altium Designer and read in your file
  * Goto Menu
  * Design->Board Shape->Create Primitives from Board shape
  * then select Layer->Keepout
  * Tick Checkbox->Route Tool Outline
This creates the Keepout Layer that PCBSynergy needs to generate a board outline which gives the board size and does the centrepoint correction.

Q92: The ATMEL.PCB file you supply with PCBSynergy doesn't read correctly as a Protel 2.8 file which it is!
A92: Got me there. I have just reviewed the Protel 2.8 reader code and it does need a board origin which is not in the distributed file. 
That is to work out the bottom left hand corner. With version 1.0.0.16 the Protel 2.8 reader can read both the board origin and the outline to use either or both parameters.
This makes the Viewer more stable and so it should read better with this file and others.

Q93: When I open a  PCB I get the Protel Icon, even when I read a PCAD file
A93: PCAD icons have yet to be added to the manufacturers_jpeg.res file. (Fixed in Ver 1.0.0.16)
Also the icon displayed is a function of the selection from the Browse Dialog, it doesn't actually take into account the actual file opened.
This could be worked on in a future release.


Q94: Your Eagle format still doesn't work properly!??
A94: Correct. More files have been tested and more variations in the format found.
Some special Eagle format testing software has to be written.
A workaround which is quite good is the eagle2ad.ULP on the Google summer of code, also the export-protelpcb.ulp 
The generated files work very well with PCBSynergy

Q95: I have just noticed that a file I thought was a protel PCB (by its extension and board Icon), was actually an Altium PCBDOC file, buit it still processed?
A95: Yes as a result of the file reading process, The first thing that PCBSynergy does is work out what a file is, it does this by reading a few markers in the file and noting the extension.
It doesn't absolutely depend on the extension. The reasoning is that if we read a file with the wrong extension and the inside might not be a CAD file at all (or one of the wrong type) The file reader may well tie itself in knots and crash the program.
There is always a small risk that as time goes by the original CAD developers change the operation of the format which may result in small gotcha's, not necessaily bugs but enough to 
miss a board outline, an origin, a fiducial, or create a board offset, for no logical reason! 

Q96: I tried out the Weather Station example that comes with Altium Designer, it had different centrepoints to your PCBSynergy?
A96: I just checked out this example file thinking that their may have been a coding bug that this file triggered.
There was no bug, but there is a development in the way that Altium uses their Origin Mark. In this file there was a Mechanical Layer and a Keepout Layer,
the reference point was set at the Mechanical Layer corner (the external edge of the theoretical(virtual?) plastic box). Since in the Protel 2.8 reader 
the Origin is what gets corrected to, the values were out by 2mm. There was an error in the Log file but it appears half way through the log (when this is read in the file) 
before the component centrepoint extraction occurs. When the Origin is reset in AD the values are correct (well the same as the Onscreen values in AD)
This re-affirms that it is very important to CHECK the log file!!

Q97:I have a faulty zevatech PM-570 Laser version 2.55 and a Juki KP-620 version 1.78 (looks just like a PM-570L ) and I am trying to load program's from the 570 on a floppy disk to the 620 but it does not work.  Any ideas?

A97:The *.p5A from the Juki is a different format than the one on the Zevatech. (Yes any unexplainable use of extensions which I believe Juki/Zevatech have never repeated on any other machines! )
You will have to run the program back through Flexprog to get the ascii. And then run it through the Flexprog version that talks to the Juki. Failing that PCBSynergy can do the ascii to *.p5a for either machine but it cannot read the raw *.P5A as an input!

Q98:I'm using a YM84(CSM84) machine.
I really like most aspects of this program and spent a few hours trying to fit into it's workflow, but it has one blocker for me. It is to do with the feeder file.
 out, there is no way to import an existing  feeder file.  I think I'm probably like most small manufacturers. I don't set up the machine to do a thousand board run. My runs are 25 to 100 panels at a time.  
As a consequence, I try to use a set of "common components" and a fixed feeder layout. That way I don't need to spend time swapping feeders and feeder locations each time  I change a board. I' feeders up so the most common components, 100nF, 560R,etc are adjacent to the PCB location in the machine to reduce travel time. As the components are used less frequently they are placed further from this location.
Then there are some special components in special feeders that can only be at a specific feeder number, they can't be changed without a lot of work.
 my machine are various widths so not all feeder locations are available. 8mm feeders can be adjacent, but 16mm feeders and up  take up multiple slots. 
 
 I need to be able to manually position my feeders. Sure, have an option to automatically generate the feeder locations as is being done now, but provide a mechanism to import an existing feeder file. Without this function it takes me more time to change the feeders around and play with their settings than it does to create my board files doing it the way I currently do
 
A98:OK, I did a few more experiments on the code that I sent to you and Jon.

Here goes, Switch off Blank Comment field means not fitted,
Switch off Omit Not Fitted Components.

Generate an intermediate PCBCSV file
   by selecting Test in Manufacturer DropdownList
   and selecting Excel PCB CSV *.CSV in the Model Tab

Generate this file then go into your favorite Text Editor and add however many Blank Lines you need in
your file.

Like this
Designator,Pattern,Mid X,Mid Y,Ref X,Ref Y,Pad X,Pad Y,TB,Rotation,Comment
R10C,R0603,213.68mm,122.38mm,213.68mm,122.38mm,213.68mm,121.63mm,B,270.00, 0.00  RESSMD
R10B,R0603,128.68mm,122.38mm,128.68mm,122.38mm,128.68mm,121.63mm,B,270.00, 0.00  RESSMD
R10A,R0603,43.68mm,122.38mm,43.68mm,122.38mm,43.68mm,121.63mm,B,270.00, 0.00  RESSMD
ZZ1,FredFP,00.00mm,00.00mm,00.00mm,00.00mm,00.00mm,00.00mm,T, 0.00,FredTest
ZZ2,Fred2FP,00.00mm,00.00mm,00.00mm,00.00mm,00.00mm,00.00mm,T, 0.00,FredT2est
ZZ3,Fred3FP,00.00mm,00.00mm,00.00mm,00.00mm,00.00mm,00.00mm,T, 0.00,Fred3Test

Note the use of FredTest for 3 extra Fake components 
Any name will do except Blank (this gets processed internally to do feeder and component removal.)
If you need 20 extra blank feeders , add 20 extra fake components with different fake Comment and footprint fields.

Remove any dodgy Fiducial stuff at the end  (this also needs to be fixed)

Now use this file as your new Input file by either changing what is written in the input CAD file or reselecting with the Browse button.

Change your Output file selection to your normal SMT machine by reselecting the Manufacturer and Model DropDownList's.

Make sure all your other selection criteria are correct on the Options Tab.
Hit Process on either the Options or Files Tab.

Select the FeederList tab that will now be populated with your new Feeder List.

Now do the SaveCSV and Open your text Editor on the Feeder file,
Move the blank lines to the locations you require and move any other feeder lines to the order that you require.

Save this to the filename you had before (in the Text editor)
Now go back to PCBSynergy and hit the OpenCSV button and then the SaveFeeders button.

All should work OK now?
Q99: Same as above.
A99: Here is a copy of a new version 1.0.016c Beta that exports the feeder list with a feeder number added.
All you have to do to swap feeders around with this version is edit the feeder no to a new feeder number and it is swapped around

For example
Fdr.,No.,Comment,Pattern,Rotation,"Designator List"
1,15," 0.00  RESSMD",R0603,0," R10C R10B R10A R40A R40B R40C R13C R13B R13A R14C R14B R14A R48A R48B R48C"
2,3," 1.00m RESSMD ±1%","R4527 (Celvin Mod Paste)",0," R17A R17B R17C"
3,12,"510.00m RESSMD ±1%",R0805,0," R102A R102B R102C R103A R103B R103C R105A R105B R105C R106A R106B R106C"
4,9," 1.00  RESSMD ±1%",R0603,0," R18A R18B R18C R79A R79B R79C R19A R19B R19C"
5,3,"24.90  RESSMD ±1%",R0603,0," R108C R108B R108A"


Feeders 4,3,2,1 swapped
Fdr.,No.,Comment,Pattern,Rotation,"Designator List"
4,15," 0.00  RESSMD",R0603,0," R10C R10B R10A R40A R40B R40C R13C R13B R13A R14C R14B R14A R48A R48B R48C"
1,3," 1.00m RESSMD ±1%","R4527 (Celvin Mod Paste)",0," R17A R17B R17C"
2,12,"510.00m RESSMD ±1%",R0805,0," R102A R102B R102C R103A R103B R103C R105A R105B R105C R106A R106B R106C"
3,9," 1.00  RESSMD ±1%",R0603,0," R18A R18B R18C R79A R79B R79C R19A R19B R19C"
5,3,"24.90  RESSMD ±1%",R0603,0," R108C R108B R108A"

If you botch up the Designator list, it should make no difference ?
The Comment and Pattern should remain or they will not be matched. Although I haven't checked this.
More work will have to be done to check operation for other formats. 
Also adding extra feeders after the existing feeder total will probably not work.

A98/2:OK, I did a few more experiments on the code.
I have added a Fixed Feeder Tab to PCBSynergy which can import an existing feeder List and copy the same components to the existing Feeder List,
by pushing a Load Fixed Feeders button.
The SaveCSV button will export a CSV with the Feeder No. added. To help generate fixed feeder Lists. 
It also features editing of both the existing Feeder List and the imported Fixed Feeder List.
Now its limits are that it copies over the existing Feeder file and uses the Library matching function built into PCBSynergy.
It adds Feeder rotation to the Feeder List(as opposed to the component rotation on the board.)
I believe all users will love this new functionality!

Q99: How does the new Fixed Feeders work?
A99: OK, this will take a bit of explaining.
First an extra tab has been added that has 2 Grids in it. The top grid is just like the grid on the feeders list with the same controls underneath,
so the Grid can be saved to a CSV file or reloaded from a CSV file. The grid is loaded automatically when the Process buttons are pushed, or other
buttons with the ticks on them are pushed on other tabs.i.e.(Update feeders and costs on the Library tab, Save Feeders on the Feeder List, Save Origin on the
Origin tab). With this saved file again like the Feeder List you can make a new Library file or a Fixed Feeders file.
It is important to leave the Column heads the same as these are used to match the data, when a new Library or Fixed feeder file is generated.
The Designator List is unnecessary and is not acted on even if it is kept in your new file.
Now having saved a file out you can create a Fixed Feeders file by changing the Feeder Number that is allocated in PCBSynergy to one of your choosing. 
Delete the Designator column and data from your file and you are ready to use your file.


Fixed Feeder file Ex:
Feeder,"No. Used",Comment,Pattern,Rotation,"Designator List"
1,1,33,R0805,0," R8"
2,1,39,R0805,0," R7"
3,1,100,R0805,0," R5"
4,3,560,R0805,0," R2 R4 R6"
5,7," 1.00k",1225,0," RP1 RP2 RP4 RP6 RP7 RP8 RP9"
6,2," 1.20k",R0805,0," R1 R36"
7,2," 4.70k",R0805,0," R3 R32"
8,2,10.00k,1225,0," RP3 RP5"
9,4,470.00n,C0805,0," C2 C3 C4 C5"
10,1,"100.00u 16V",16SS101MVC6,0," C1"

New Fixed Feeder file Ex:
Feeder,"No. Used",Comment,Pattern,Rotation
15,1,100,0805,0
24,2,4.70k,0805,0
80,2,1.00k,1225,0
82,2,10.00k,1225,0
27,4,470.00n,0805,0
21,1,RED,LED-0805,0
22,10,GREEN,LED-0805,0
101,1,ATMEGA8L,SO-20,90
104,1,ULN2003L,L16,90

Note that if a Feeder is not mentioned in the Fixed feeder list after you have hit the "Add Fixed Feeders" button its feeder location
will remain the same in the top grid. You can then edit either grid to clean up your feeder allocation. I would recommend always keeping things in order,
as it is very easy to mis-allocate a feeder and produce several hundred boards with components swapped around leading to an enormous amount of rework!
When you are finished hit the "Save Feeders button" to permanently update your SMT Board files.Save your Feeder List from the "Save Feeders" button to now have
your Feeder allocation worksheet. Having costs switched on can be useful for your workers so they do not treat your $30 microprocessor like a 1 cent resistor, as they can read this in
the sheet!(This was one of my problems once,not only expensive, but only enough bought for the run).
If you completely stuff up your Feeder file you can start again by hitting the Reload feeders button or returning to the Options or File tab and hitting Process again.
It is worthwhile, reviewing the whole of the Onscreen log file to check for any errors or warnings like misaligned board origins or no Keepout layers, Multiple reuse of Designators.
If the board Draws well in the PCBViewer it is likely to be a good file(this only works for Altium Designer/Protel at the moment)
Missing Fiducials etc.

Q100: Can you add a head or a type in my Feeder file.
A100: This option has been added to SMT machine Options on the Options Tab. However
even though it can be set in the new Fixed Feeders Tab , only a few SMT machines (Yamaha) can accept this data. as most machine data was reverse engineered
without considering this. All formats are going to be need to be reviewed and more reverse engineering done to make this option fully functional.
These 2 fields add data on Feeder type ie tape, stick, tray etc, and which head is to pick up the component. For high speed multi-head machines this is often
done on the machine. and is not always the same depending on feeder. The current defaults are head 1 and tape, which is hard coded into the SMT output files. 
If this is important to you, tell me which machine you use and I will put it to the top of the list for reverse engineering.

Q101: How do you know what the component rotation is on the feeder?
A101: Experience! but that is not a very helpful answer if you don't have a lot. There is a very well set out explanation in the Visualplace manual.
Here:-  http://www.compuphase.com/visualplace/visualplace_en.htm (it's in appendix B in the manual).

Q102: Some of the TH pads on my board don't display in the PCB Viewer?
A102: A just discovered update (OK it is 10 years old), change in the Padstack means that when the newer format was used on a Pad the data wasn't read into the pads that are drawn in te PCB Viewer.
This had no impact for SMT components. So didn't alter any of the generated component list.

Q103: Circular Arcs in the component outlines didn't diplay on my board in the PCB Viewer?
A103: OK, this design oversight is also fixed for version 1.0.0.16e

Q104: Could you add Feeder reading for the Juki KE750 file , so we can use the Feeder information from a previous board.
A104: This new feeder reading from a KE750 G3C file is added under the Browse button on the Fixed Feeders tab.

Q105. I am trying to get an Eagle file into our software. The WeatherChannelAscii.CSV Example didn't appear to have component locations  in it. So far I hav had no luck
writing a CSV ULP file to export to PCBSynergy! 
A105: It is easy enough to generate an example PCB CSV format file, take either of the supplied Altium/Protel files that come with PCBSynergy,
the Atmel JTAG board Atmel28.PCB  or the larger example sample_PROTEL98.zip on the Webpage and Select Options on the Options Tab, Test on the Manufacturers Dropdown List,
and then Excel PCB CSV on the Model List , and then hit process this will then give you a correct CSV to follow, which you can then generate from another application.
For example modifying one of the Eagle CSV/BOM generators on the Eagle ULP Tab on their Webpage. Some new news, I have just almost finished writing an Eagle XML importer,
to add to the next version of PCBSynergy. 
So this will resolve a lot of Eagle issues hopefully. There are still some small bugs in the viewer but hopefully none of this impacts in the generated Component List from which the rest of the
BOM and SMT Output Options follow.

Q106: Can I print the new PCBViewer Screen ?
A106: There is no currently active print function to print out the new PCB View, but there is an old sneaky Windows function to draw a Windows screen dump.
Ctrl and Alt and Shift and Print Screen/Break keys in combination while adding the Print Screen last will get you a Screen Capture of an application.
Then go to Microsoft Paint or other Paint Application like say GIMP, Paintshop, or CorelDraw. Select new Screen. 
Click in it and then Ctrl-V, then save the file to the title of your choice.

Q107: Your VIOS 1.22 file doesn't read on my newly aquired Yamaa YV100 machine?
A107: Well Spotted! There is a bug in the whitespace in the feeder section of the file( Fixed in 1.0.17.1)
VIOS is very precious about whitespace!

Q107: The Yamaha YV series system has a concept of ‘static components’.
You can setup to 500 different ‘static’ components.  
This contains all the info about where a feeder is, what vacumn pressures, any offsets, pick times etc etc
One of the attributes in Feeder definitions is   “fixcmp”  its  on line 28  no 4.   Its an integer between 0 and 500.
If PCBSynergy could read a field in the PNP data called ‘fixcmp’ and use that to populate that attribute it would be very very useful.

A107:This feature has been added to Ver 1.0.17.1
It is switched on by selecting the Type&Head Checkbox on the Options tab. 
You need to have loaded the Static.txt to the grid or a CSV reflecting its Feeder settings
Only a few of the Feeder parameters are displayed in the grid, as the number of parameters run into the hundreds.
They are best set on the machine.
Then click the Add Fixed Feeders Button for this to work. 

Q108:Could you add a MRU (Most Recently Used File) DropDown List to the CAD file reading,
 the previous file function only goes back once, and that is not enough!
A108: A Most Recently Used file feature added to CAD Input file using a ComboBox//DropDown List
is in PCBSynergy in version 1.0.17.2 

Q109 How does it work?
A109: The CAD file input box has had added to it a little square with a down arrow.
Click on it and it will pop up a list of previous used files. If you have the Autogenerate on Browse selected it will change all output files.
Otherwise only the file you have selected. This MRU list is written to the Registry at Software\PCBSynergy\MRU.
So it will be recalled between startups of PCBSynergy! Ok the Autogenerate doesn't work and neccesitates an upgrade to a later compiler 
( I can't easily code around the combobox issue! in C++ Builder v4.0)

Q110: What can go wrong?
A110: An implication of having this list (or not for that matter) is you can still bump(overwrite) a CAD file if you are using a
SMT machine that for instance has the extension *.PCB when you are using a CAD file with this extension for example Protel and a Samsung CP40/CP45/SM series
or CADStar *.PCB or Altium Designer which uses PCBDOC but saves previous formats to *.PCB You can have a similar problem with GenCAD *.CAD and Mydata series machines! 
There is still the existing overwite by adding ~2 to a SMT machine filename but it only works for the file immediately in the current file edit boxes, not for anything previously saved!

Q111: How do I delete this list?
A111: At the moment the only method is deletion in the registry by using Regedit!The list can extend to 20 files(programmatic limit!)

Q112: I loaded my Protel99SE file in ascii format in PCBSynergy and selected the Juki KE2080 format.
It didn't work!
A112: It turns out that you are the first user of this format. It has been in the code since Release 1.0.0.11 As it turns out this format hadn't been completed and so could never work.
It did however work with the Atmel example board, and so I never picked up this flaw in PCBSynergy! This format has been redone in Ver 1.0.17.4 (This format is the same in the 2070 machine)

Q113: Could you add Samsung SM471 format to PCBSynergy?
A113: I have started work on this format, but some of its behaviour eludes me. It is a binary format, but some fields seem to act in a wierd way ie varying in size more like a database or an ascii format.
Any user who has more information could they please contact me?

Q114: My PCBCSV file doesn't read?
A:114 Interesting problem, It turns out that there is a bug in the PCBSynergy CSV reader in that it can only process CRLF terminated files for CSV's
You are on Linux , so the generated file was UNIX terminated ie 0x0A so the CSV reader tripped up. PCBSynergy now handles Linux files in ver 1.0.17.5

Q115: Can you add the Marantz 22XDL-350 to PCBSynergy?
A115: This machine has been added to the Manufacturers->Test , Model->Marantz 22XDL-350 dropdown List
The format is similar to the panasonic formats.

Q116: Can you add the newer Kicad_pcb CAD format to PCBSynergy
A117: This format is currently being worked on and should be in ver 1.0.17.5

Q117: What is the *.TST file in PCBSynergy?
A117: The TST file is used during parser(file reader) development to see that all the the
components have been read from the CAD file under development. It has no use in SMT manufacture, but
if you suspect a bug in file reading you can have a quick look to see that all values have read correctly.
The PCBCSV file performs the same funtion, but I can view the TST in a text editor while working on a parser.

Q118: I get 2 different footprints and thus 2 feeders for my 100nF 0603 capacitor. Whats wrong?
A118: I noticed in your Kicad kicad_pcb file that you had used 0603 for your module name and 100nF for its value. This is good. For your other modules(components) you had used 0603dj.fp which worked its way into the output Pattern(Footprint)
PCBSynergys Automagic matching works on the Comment(Value) field of a components description and doesn't do anything to its Pattern(Footprint).A quick fix would be to take your kicad_pcb file and alter all the 0603dj.fp references(words) to 0603,
the same applys to other wierdly named Pattern(Footprints). This quick fix only works in an ascii format pcb like Kicad.

Q119: But this is not QC!
A119: All engineering is basically not QC(or PC or IS) for you who know their acronyms and some Marxist history! The hassle of having a full specification and work practice for engineering for every specific instance that a decision is made in the manufacturing 
process would guarantee a return to the stone age (or the paper/bureacracy age) where no work would ever get done. Note the decline in Western civilisation as we move in an era where bureacracy /lawyerism dominates every thing
a modern company does. Then note the rise of Chinese manufacturing which has a necessary habit of ignoring rules imposed
by the Chinese Bureacracy of the last 69 years (post 1948) A tendency some might note goes all the way back to the age of Confucious.
Getting to your point about QC. It is better to have a Board and a Schematic that correctly reflects what goes into the SMT Line/Machines and not one that is altered by a Line Tech (like my ugly little hack). Fix the change in the board file and resubmit to manufacturing!

Q120: Could you add a new Checkbox to remove the reference pads in the New Kicad_pcb format?
A120: The Kicad format doesn't have a seperate "Free Pad" as does Altium/Protel, so every item on the board is a Module (or a Component to non Kicad users).
Since it makes no sense to place a Pad this Checkbox has been added to remove these pseudo Components. This allows the PCBViewer to still display them if the checkBox is unchecked.
But if you are ready to generate an SMT file this Box will need to be checked which removes these REF** components from processing and viewing

Q121: Your new Testpoint removal feature isn't working on my file!
A121: The Testpoint/REF removal functions only work when the Pad/Component Designator is marked TP or REF,
which is standard Engineering practice, your files used P* (that is P followed by a number). P is the standard for a connector( or S). 

Q122: Some of the pads when I convert from Kicad BRD to kicad_pcb (Old to New) format don't display the same?
A122: It seems that the new format treats multilayer SMT component pads a little differently. A pad that would have been Multilayer and either TH or not connected through the board now ends up
as seperate top and bottom pads . So visually what was previously grey (MULTILAYER) is now Blue or Red (TOP or BOTTOM), (this depends on the drawing order). This would require some post processing which I am too lazy to do!

Q123: Your OrCAD MIN file reader doesn't work?
A123: This is being rewritten to be more resilient, the graphics should work in the new verion 1.0.17.9

Q124:The multilayer pads in my Gencad 1.4 file are not displaying!
A124: This bug is fixed in version 1.0.17.6 It doesn't impact on the component centre for SMT pads.

Q125: After converting, the message says: “Writing Zevatech 570 file in development…” should it just say something like “Zevatech 570 file written” ?
A125: That may be a good idea. Since all of PCBSynergys file outputs are generated by reverse engineering, there is always the possibility that not every t is crossed.
This is to remind people to use this software with caution and if a bug is spotted email a copy to me and I will fix it!

Q126: Do you have any instructions for using the “fixed feeders” feature?
A126: There is a webpage for using Fixed Feeders:- http://www.members.iinet.net.au/~sarason/Fixed.html

Q127: Your PCAD readers PCBViewer isn't right?
A127: I just checked the PCAD reader and it needs a little more work, not all the centres are correct, so just convert to Altium Designer or Protel using either product or export to a PCBCSV using PCAD
This work wil be completed for Version 1.0.17.7

Q128: My PCBCSV file doesn't read, can you help?
A128: Your PCBCSV file did not contain column headings, I have added a set and it now reads
This example fixed:

"Designator","Comment","Pattern","Mid X(mm)","Mid Y(mm)","Rotation"
Q4,310-03807,310-00454,365.76,4.309,90
R5,221-01233,RES0603,119.634,3.048,90
R13,221-04946,RESC1206(3216),267.843,4.318,270
R20,221-04946,RESC1206(3216),391.795,4.318,90

Q129: Your Mydata file is a bit wrong in it's headings
A129: The MyData TpSys 2.7 format has been updated a little.

Q130: I have a MyData ??? which runs Tpsys 2.6.5 Can you update the Tpsys 2.7 BRD to work with my machine.
A130: I have added a Tpsys 2.6.5 item to the Mydata dropdown list. Its files are PCB for the PCB locations and *.CMP for the feeder lists
The 'Extended Designator Name' now alters the F9 line and the 'Value and Footprint in the Feeder Name' now alters the C02 line. The CO1 etc is now C01 ie a zero not a letter of the alphabet.
These fixes have been added back into the Tpsys 2.7 BRD as well. 

Q131: Your TWS Quadra format doesn't work
A131: The TWS Quadra format is updated for 1.0.17.6 The Feeder file *.QFF was faulty, more work may need to be done and Feeder reading added to the Fixed Feeder Files reading function,

Q132; PCBSynergy won't start it has a charmhigh.jpg resource not found error?
A132: To celebrate the addition of Charmhigh SMT machines being added to PCBSynergy a new manufacturers_jpeg.res has been made that 
has the new Charmhigh logo in it. So you need this new file in the installation. Once that is the case you can happily run older versions of PCBSynergy as you so 
choose, as the jpeg resource file is backwards compatible. Also a new Charmhigh and Neoden items have been added to the manufacturers list. 
The new 1.0.17.6 is a bit more beta than average as it has modifications to the "Advanced Component Reader" that might cause trouble
for other output formats, for the fix that the changes were made for.
 
Q133: I use Tango for my PCB designs, can you add it to PCBSynergy?
A133: Tango PCB has been added to PCBSynergy version 1.0.17.7  It also has a new tango.jpg resource added  to the
manufacturers resource file, so like the charmhigh example in Q132, you need to use the latest manufacturers resource file added in  1.0.17.7

Q134: Your Cadstar CPA format doesn't work correctly for my board.
A134: The CadStar CPA format reader has been updated with quite a few corrections.
The board outline takes account of Arcs in its design. ie the Arc centrepoints dont move the outline which is the mathematically correct way
of doing things. The top SMT laying seems to be working well, the bottom may need more work. Component orientation seems correct, 
when checked against an Altium converted file and against the CadStar Design Viewer. 

Q135: Your program doesn't do Arcs in the Altium Designer board outline.
A135: It does now in Version 1.0.17.8. The outline on the KeepOut layer has been updated to draw Arcs (you know all this new fangled pretty stuff
where boards are no longer rectangular and products have aerodynamic shapes). Now it correctly deals with Cutouts and this doesnt interact with the rectangular
board size calculation. This work will need to be extended to other CAD readers and hasn't been done as of this release.  

Q136: Your PIK format doesn't work when I have whitespace in the Comment or Footprint fields.
A136: Yes you are right the PCBCSV export has all items in the PCB quoted with ". The PIK format doesn't. So as of release Version 1.017.8
If a Comment or a Footprint contains whitespace then a set of quotes will surround only those items that have whitespace as per the CSV specification.

Q137: Can you add Fiducial display to the program, I know you generate them, but sometimes it is hard to tell if
PCBSynergy has found them or we need to change our labelling in the CAD file or you haven't included them in SMT file output.
A137: Fiducials have been added to the Origin Calculator screen. If PCBSynergy fails to find them in the CAD file it will have a bunch of zeros in the 3 Fiduicials 
that are displayed. If more then 3 are found, then it is the first three that are displayed are used in the generated SMT files. Also warnings are added
for when more than 3 fiducials are on the board. 

Q138: