EPD and GerbARX for use with AutoCAD Installation Guide

EPD Guides:

 

Unit Seat Installation Guide

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Please Note: All CAD Design Software ships UNLICENSED.
You must obtain a license in order to use or evaluate the product.
You must first install the software and run once to obtain a license.
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Read the Full System Requirements here: >>Requirements<<

STEP 1. DOWNLOAD AND INSTALL

  • Double pick the EXE file received from CDS.

 

  • The software image will decompress and temporarily install the needed components on your C: drive. This may take a few moments.

 

  • Once the image has decompressed, the Welcome dialog box appears

    • Pick Next to continue.

 

  • Next, the License Agreement dialog box appears.

    • After reading and you agree with the software agreement, pick YES.

 

  • Pick either Unit or Network

    • UNIT - Go to next step Customer Information options:

    • Network - Fill out edit box with the port and server name provided by Administrator.

      • If you do not know this information, you can leave at 27000@server and edit later in the Control Panel>Advanced Settings.

    • Pick Next.

 

  • Customer Information about the user. In most cases, the setup program will use information already contained for the current Windows User.

    • Pick Next to continue.

 

  • Setup program will now look for AutoCAD to use as the Host Program for EPD.  If only 1 version is installed, a message will appear to indicate which host program will be used.

    • If only one install of either AutoCAD, a message will display ‘EPD will be installed with “<host application>”.

    • If multiple versions, select the host from the list and pick Next.

 

  • PROFILE: a new profile will be created for EPD using default settings.

    • In AutoCAD- Select <<UnNamed Profile>> or <<Vanilla>>  to create a new EPD profile using base settings.

    • If you have your own profile with settings you want to use with EPD, you may select that profile.

    • See section below to manually add supports paths if this step fails.

    • When the installation is finished, there will be a new Profile named EPD.

    • Pick Next.

       

  • The Default installation directory is C:\CAD Design Software

    • Recommend using this install path because if installed in Program Files the software will not be able to update itself.

    • Pick Next to continue.

 

  • The Setup type available are:

    • Complete is recommended - This will install all components. The program files, the help files and the sample files.

    • Custom -Allows the user to select or deselect the sample files and the help files to be installed. The program files may not be deselected.

      • Pick a radio button for a setup type (Recommend “Complete”). 

      • Pick the Next button to continue.

 

  • Ready to Install - Pick the Install button to proceed or pick the Back button to return to previous settings. Picking Cancel will exit all the pre-setup and exit.

 

  • When installation finishes, select the view Read Me file check box and pick Finish.  

 

Documentation / Help:

  • Each software product comes with a CHM help file located in the \Help\ directory of the installed product. This Help file may be opened and viewed at anytime.
     

  • The EPD software product comes with a Getting Started CHM file located in the \Help\ directory that includes details about First Time Use.
     

  • Each software product will create links to these and other documents in the Windows Start>All programs>CAD Design Software menu.
     

  • To use CAD Design Software Help within the software, run the command in question by picking it from the Pull-Down menu or typing in the command name on the Command line and pressing ENTER.
     

  • Then, while in the command, press the Function 1 key (F1) and HELP will open then jump to the command in question.
     

  • The main help may be accessed from the CAD DESIGN SOFTWARE>HELP DOCUMENTATION pull-down menu or type "EPDHELP" and ENTER.

STEP 2. LICENSE THE SOFTWARE

  • After installation, run the software from Windows Start menu>CAD Design Software or use the desktop icon.

  • Upon initial start, the “Software Not Licensed” dialog box will appear. This will automatically populate with the computers’ hardware information that CDS will need to properly code a license.

    • For more information about the Software Not Licensed dialog box, see our website: License Box

    • Fill out ALL the contact fields and pick the Submit button.

    • Exit the software for now until your license is sent.

  • After CDS sends the license, copy the enclosed license file to your \product\ACAD\ folder, and then rename it to CDS.pwd.

  • Start the software and the "Read Technology File" Dialog box may appear (depending on software product)

  • Pick Open EPD Without a TCH File or select a Technology file to load into the drawing settings.

  • The software is now ready to use!

Keep your software updated:

  • We highly recommend that you run Live Web Update. This will bring your software up-to date to the latest build.

Un-Installing CAD Design Software

  • Use the Windows Control Panel>Add/Remove Programs.

  • Pick the Remove radio button and then pick Next to continue.

  • NOTE: The Instillation directory may not be removed completely if there were files altered or files have been added to the original directory.

Network Installation Guide 

-See the License Support - Network License Page for Full Details-

For information installing the Client Software, see the Unit Seat install

4 Steps to follow:

Step 1. Download FlexLM Tools

  • Obtain the FlexLM software Pick here

  • After Download, copy the ZIP file to the selected Server that will be the FlexLM server.

  • Open the ZIP file and pick the Extract button. Select the root of the boot drive (C:\) and pick Extract.

  • The zip file will create a new directory named “CDSflexLM” on the root of the C:\ drive.

  • Browse to the CDSflexLM directory and inspect the contents:

 

Step 2. Gather Server Information

  • In the CDSflexLM directory, double pick lmtools.exe and the lmtools dialog box appears.

  • Pick the System Settings tab to view the Host’s identification information.

  • The following information is required when submitting to CAD Design Software:

  • Computer/Hostname - This will be the computer’s Network name needed for license creation from CDS.

  • Ethernet Address - FFFFFFFFFFFF - a 12 digit hexadecimal number. This is the NIC (Network Interface Card) serial number commonly known as the MAC address. This number is required for license creation from CDS.

  • Pick the Save HOSTID Info to a File button and the Save As dialog box appears.

  • In the File Name edit box, type “system.txt” and pick Save.

  • The text file will be saved into the \CDSFlexLM directory.

  • E-mail the system.txt information along with All Company Information to authcodes@cad-design.com to receive the license file.

  • You can close the LMTools dialog box when done.

  • CAD Design Software will verify the information and create a license file.

 

Step 3. Reading In License File and Configure

Notice: When CDS sends a Networked-type license, it will always be sent with a default Port of 27000 on the SERVER line. You may edit this value in the PWD license to an open port to avoid any conflicts with other FlexLM services that may already be using port 27000, Suggest a unique port like 27030 or 270134, etc.

  • After receiving the NEW license file from CAD Design Software, place the license file in the C:\CDSFlexLM folder that was created and rename it to cds.pwd (if desired).

  • In the CDSflexLM directory, double pick the LMTools.exe file and the LMTOOLS dialog box appears:

  • Pick the Configure Using Services radio button and then pick the Configure Services tab:


  • In the Service Name box, type (start over-typing existing text that is present)

    • Suggest using the service name: CAD DESIGN SOFTWARE.

  • Paths to set: 

    • C:\CDSFlexLM\lmgrd.exe - License Manager

    • C:\CDSFlexLM\CDS.PWD - License File

    • C:\CDSFlexLM\CDSFlexLM.log - Log file

  • Using the Browse button, set the Paths for the lmgrd.exe, the license file (CDS.PWD) and the Log file to the \CDSFlexLM directory as shown above. When pointing to the CDS.PWD, list the Files of Type to All (*.*) to see it because it will look for a *.lic file extension.

  • Select the Use Services check box

  • Select the Start Server at Power Up check box

  • When the settings have been made, pick the Save Service button and then pick Yes to save the new service

  • Pick the Start/Stop/Reread tab:

 

  • Pick the Start Server button. 

  • The Server will indicate Server Starting. 

  • Pick the Server Status tab and then pick the Perform Status Enquiry button. Scroll down to the line Vendor daemon status (on server) If running: CDS: UP

 

Step 4. Set Client Variable

  1. Navigate to Windows Start>Settings>Control Panel and pick Advanced System Settings

  2. Pick the Advanced Tab, then pick the Environment Variables button. In the System variables area, pick the New button and the New System Variable dialog box appears:

  3. In the Variable Name edit box, type CDS_LICENSE_FILE. This is important that you use this variable. In the Variable Value edit box, type the port@hostid information and pick OK. The variable is now set. Pick OK on the remaining dialog boxes.

  4. See more info on Environment Variables here

  5. NOTE: If the license server is also a workstation that will be using CAD Design Software, the same Environment Variable must be set on it as well.


   Upgrading

  • After receiving a link to download, double pick the EXE.

  • Software will be installed in a new directory.

  • This will NOT upgrade previous version installations.

  • Follow the prompts or refer to the Installation guide on our website for detailed install instructions.

  • Once the software installation has completed, you must have a new CDS.PWD license file.

  • Once you have a new license file, run the software from the Start menu in the CAD Design Software program group.

  • Any previous version will still be accessible by running from the Start menu.

  • You may point the new install of EPD using the Technology command to your existing Library files or copy them (See Library Files below).

  • Any previous versions can be uninstalled to free up hard drive space or can remain installed.

  • Customers using the network version will have to use the same procedure except the license will need to be re-read on the license server (See Licensing below).

           
Library Files

  • These files are in a default location of

    • \EPD\HYB\, \EPD\PCB\, \EPD\SCH\, \EPD\ASY\Data, \EPD\Fab\Data

  • We always recommend that when using EPD components, you save them as a different name and not overwrite existing EPD data files.

  • Typically, custom design library files would not be saved in any of these directories.

  • New folders or sub-folders would be created (either in EPD, on a network drive or other location of the computer).

  • Browse these directories if you are not sure and check the date stamps on the files.

\HYB The default folders that come with EPD’s installation are the following:

\CUSTOM

\DATA

\SLIDES

\STACKED

\PCB The default folders that come with EPD’s installation are the following:

\DATA

\SLIDES

\TECH

\SCH  The default folders that come with EPD’s installation are the following:

\BASIC

\CUSTOM

\GATES

The SCH.DAT and LIB.DB files should be copied from the \SCH directory.

\ASY The default folders that come with EPD’s installation are the following:

\Data

\FAB The default folders that come with EPD’s installation are the following:

\Data

 

Manually Path EPD or GerbARX (add startup supports paths)

The Issue: During the installation process, the user will be prompted to select an AutoCAD profile to install. During this step, the user would select either <<Vanilla>> or <<Unnamed Profile>>. Then our install EXE would create the new profile and add 2 new entries to the “Start Up Path” in AutoCAD (See To Fix steps and graphic below).

TO FIX: The user will need to set the startup paths manually to the \ACAD and \ACDA64 folders located in the “C:\CAD Design Software\EPD 8.X” install folder.

 

AutoCAD Platform

 

1.      Open EPD+AutoCAD using the desktop icon

2.      Run the Options commands to open the Options dialog (or from Tools pull-down menu, pick Options)

3.      In the Files tab, pick the Support File Search Path to expand.

4.      Pick the Add button and then pick the Browse button and select C:\CAD Design Software\EPD 8.X\ACAD

5.      Now pick the new path (to select) and then pick the Move Up button until path is at top of startup list (see graphic below).

6.      Now repeat and Add and Browse to C:\CAD Design Software\EPD 8.X\Acad64, and Move up so \ACAD64 is now the first path and \ACAD is second (see graphic below).

a.      Note: These folders contain our executables or ARX files that load the EPD environment for a 64 bit computer (32 bit does not need the \ACAD64).

7.      Pick Apply and OK buttons.

8.      Exit EPD/AutoCAD.

9.      Run the EPD 8.X desktop icon again and should load.


 

 

 

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Not only does CDS provide feature-rich Electronic Design Automation (EDA) layout solutions, we also consult with clients to create custom circuit design solutions to smooth out their specific development flows. Over the past 18 years, CDS has worked with customers to develop many custom software solutions. We pride ourselves in adapting the software to the customers' needs, and not asking the customer to adapt their flow to the software’s functions. CDS also writes customer data that links to Epoxy Dispense, Die Placement and All Types of Wire Bonding Machines.

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