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Help me convert allegro .alg file to Altium .pcbdoc

abtAmit

Hi everyone,

I recently came across the SK-AM62P-LP Evaluation board on TI.com. TI included the design files, and I thought analyzing them would be a great way to expand my knowledge of PCB design.

The project seems to have been designed using Allegro, and the provided file has an .alg extension. Since I don't have the software to open or convert this, could someone who has Altium Designer do me a huge favor?

I've attached the file. If anyone is kind enough to convert it into a .PcbDoc format and attach it in a reply, I would really appreciate it. Thanks in advance for the help!"

5873.PROC164E2_BRD.zip

  • .alg is not the native Allegro PCB format, it is an intermediate format used for transferring or migrating designs between Allegro and other PCB software.

    Altium should be the software to convert this. Normally PCB software companies don't supply exporters to support their competition. It is up to your favourite software of choice to rely on their import capabilities for other formats. 

    Have you even tried the Altium import wizard? What problems did it have importing the .alg file?

  • in reply to wolfgangfriedrich

    I don't have altium licence. So i can't convert it. 

    I tried to get 15days Free trial but i haven't got any licence from Altium. 

  • in reply to abtAmit

    I am taking a guess here, as I don't understand your workflow: you want to use the free Altium viewer. 

    There are other options:

    1) Use the .brd file from the TI project zip file, Allegro has a free viewer too.

    2) Install KiCAD 10, it has a very capable Allegro importer and view the file in KiCAD. It is free and does not need a license. 

    3) Use the Gerber/ODB++ files to analyze the board with one of a the free Gerber/ODB viewers. There are too many to list them all. 

  • in reply to wolfgangfriedrich

    i am using easyeda, my plan is to get the .pcbdoc file and import it in EasyEDA.  
    i will try KiCAD as you suggested.
    which PCB design software do you use?

  • Hi,

    It's unclear what problem you're trying to solve. If it's to learn a CAD tool, then importing from one format to another is one of the worst ways (CAD tools will use basic primitives and won't pick the best way to convert shapes and holes from one system to another, whereas someone designing the footprints will pick more suitable features in their CAD system).

    If it's to learn about PCB features and not the CAD tool itself, then you can learn a lot from visual inspection of existing PCBs; for instance, pick any PC motherboard and look at it.

  • in reply to shabaz
    shabaz said:
    you can learn a lot from visual inspection of existing PCBs; for instance, pick any PC motherboard and look at it.

    i dont think i could visually inspect all 12 or more layer on the physical  PC motherboard.
    i am using easyeda, my plan is to get the .pcbdoc file and import it in EasyEDA.  


  • in reply to abtAmit

    Are we supposed to guess your goal? Guessing from your response you've implied the goal is not to learn a CAD tool, but possibly to learn *something* at a level that you are unable to do from visual inspection.

    By importing from one format to another (and in your case across three formats it seems), you will almost certainly lose any layer attributes, distances between planes, probably even the link between the PCB and schematic (KiCad only imports the PCB as far as I can see) so you've straight away lost detail.

    You need a goal before a plan.

  • in reply to shabaz

    i simple words.
    i am currently using EasyEDA for pcb designing.
    now i want to check the pcb layout of the SK-AM62P-LP.
    but the problem is i cannot import it directly in easyeda, thats why i thought if someone could convert that alg to pcbdoc file i could import and inspect it.