ODB++ Inside

OBD++ has been a standard manufacturing output now for quite a while and if the fabricator accepts it can help simplify the output files generated into a single compressed zip file. Mentor provide the ODB++ inside export FOC all you need to do is register. This used to be owned by Valor until Mentor bought them a few years ago.

Cadence and many other software companies have generated a new IPC2581 output format which is a single xml file. This can be created by 16.6 releases. There is a www.ipc2581.com website that has lots of information. Going forward many companies would like this format to be the new standard that finally replaces good old fashioned gerber data.  

I attended the same presentation.  I'm in the process of attempting to output ODB++ for our board assembly house.  I believe the plugin/tool is working with my PCB Designer 16.5 but I'll have to experiment with it and get feedback from the assembly house.

ODB++ has been around for many years, but there are still a lot of manufacturers that don't know/use this format.  Also, there is some concern regarding the fact that Mentor owns the rights to the ODB++ format (boosting interest in other truly 'open' formats like IPC-2581 ("Offspring"), but practically it hasn't caused any issues yet.

I don't think Cadence can migrate any farther towards supporting ODB++ than the existing method (send users to Valor to obtain the ODB++ Inside plugin/tool).  I don't see how Cadence can do anything else given the Mentor/Valor's proprietary rights to ODB++.

 For what its worth..... I have been using the ODB++ Inside output option for the last year for both fabrication and assembly.  It works flawlessly and streamlines output file generation dramatically.  Wraps "everything" all up into one .tgz file.  All of our fabricators and assemblers of choice except the format. 

Does anyone know of a good resource for understanding the contents of an ODB++ package?  For example, what is the folder "forms" or "wheels" supposed to contain?  I don't really understand where things like the BOM or additional drawings should be in the structure.

I contacted our assembly house with a sample ODB++ package.  They said it looked great except for an incomplete BOM (not showing part numbers).

Is there a good way to edit the ODB++ representation of the BOM?  It doesn't seem to be using the BOM I created in OrCAD Capture.  I didn't see any BOM options for the ODB++ Inside tool...