[SOLVED] Exporting .dxf file from CST (Problem in unit)

Hi all,

I plan to export .dxf file from CST into ADS layout.
The unit I used in designing CST is mm but after i import the .dxf file in ads. The unit becomes mil.
So, how can I maintain the unit in mm from CST to ADS?
Anyone can help on this?

Thanks.

Which version of ADS are you using? If it is ADS 2011.01 or later simply make sure that you are performing the import into a library that is configured with a technology that uses mm as the layout units and not the default mils. It is best to creat this library prior to performing the import. Changing the units after you import the DXF data is not easy and may break any designs that already exist in that library.

Most DXF data has only numbers, without the unit specified in the file. In this case we have to KNOW how to interpret the numbers, and that is the typical error source: data was exported in one unit, and the import interprets the numbers as another unit, so that the resulting layout is too large (mm data interpreted as mils) or too small (mils data interpreted as mm) . Only a few DXF files do have the unit specified in the file.

RealAEL said:

If it is ADS 2011.01 or later simply make sure that you are performing the import into a library that is configured with a technology that uses mm as the layout units and not the default mils.

Click to expand...

Technically correct, but often the choice of library unit depends on the user's preferences also.

If we accept minor rounding issues, an alternative way is to choose the DXF unit in the "Options" dialog during import (button "Options"). Then, we can import mm data into a mils library, and the dimensions will be converted. The only disadvantage are minor rounding issues.

Thanks RealAEL and volker@muehlhaus.

I managed to solve my problem by changing the unit in the "more options" button.