IPC netlist generation?

[reagle]

Has anybody figured out how to export IPC netlists from Altium? Board house would use that to do Electric Test.
The only way it appears doable is by generating Gerbers, then going through Camtastic and extracting netlist from there. Then somehow all layers get merged into a single netlist. Any pointers how this could be done from job output configuration ?

[Rufus]

Has anybody figured out how to export IPC netlists from Altium?

You mean IPC-D-356(A)? Don't know why they call it netlist because it is way more than that. For Altium it is an option for test point report format.

Bare board testing is rather complex. I doubt Altium IPC-D-356 generation is extensively used so probably not tested that well. I wouldn't initially have a great deal of confidence in it. My understanding is board houses will generally generate their own test programs from the gerbers because it it less hassle that hoping to get a usable 'netlist' from their customers.

[reagle]

It didn't occur to me to look under Test Points. Thanks!

[Rufus]

It didn't occur to me to look under Test Points. Thanks!

Like I said I don't know why it is called a netlist.

Bare board testing involves minimizing the number of points tested (to minimize the number of nails in a bed or probe moves). That means only probing for continuity at the ends of physical connections and stubs off them, also not probing for shorts on nets which can't physically be shorted (like with 3 tracks in a line you can't get a short between the outer two without a short to the middle one). I haven't looked in detail at IPC-D-356 so I don't know if it just provides raw information for something to interpret or if it is more like a test program  saying probe these points for open and these points for shorts.

It really is more about test points than nets.

If it is more like a test program I would be a little dubious about giving it to a supplier. Delivering boards without faults is their problem. I wouldn't want to make it partially my problem by making the program which tests for faults my problem.

[zofz]

I also have missed that my old Protel generates IPC356. Thanks Rufus!
Now I can test my gerber viewer with it.
But, I need IPC356B format for testing. Does anyone have an example I could use for internal testing?
The best would be together with Gerber set.
(version A and version B of the IPC356 differs significantly)
http://youtu.be/8ndKOHh0sX8