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Variants & Features

CircuitCAM v7.6 is available in the following variants with increasing functionality:

  1. CircuitCAM Viewer
  2. CircuitCAM Basic
  3. CircuitCAM Laser
  4. CircuitCAM Stencil
  5. CircuitCAM LaserPlus

The higher level variants contain all the functionality of the lower level variants

CircuitCAM Viewer

The free viewer comes with import and viewing capabilities for the CircuitCAM native CAM and LMD formats and the most common formats used for PCBs.  It is also possible to measure, however there are no editing, export and saving capabilities. Main purpose of the free viewer is to inspect the content of files in CAM and other PCB formats.

CircuitCAM Basic

Target are all basic CAM operations for milling and drilling, including multi-tool copper removal (Insulate) and more. This includes:

  • import and export of all typically needed formats
  • edit operations to create and modify layout geometry and tool-paths
  • data preparation for raw material and fiducials and alignment holes.
  • up to 4 tool insulation milling in defined rubout area
  • contour routing

CircuitCAM Laser

Complete functionality for all milling and drilling operations as well as Laser machining for cutting, structuring and exposure.

  • freely configurable geometry engine for all kinds of tool-path generation, easily customizable for your specific needs, either by yourself, our sales representatives or directly by LKSoft
  • Laser exposure for Lasers with variable aperture size
  • Laser scanner support,
    • by splitting the layout area in smaller scanner areas
    • by special acceleration and de-acceleration paths for equal energy distribution
  • Methods to avoid double Laser structuring at the same places to avoid burn ins
  • Pannel and Step & Repeat
  • Customizable template files
  • more import and export formats
  • Enhanced interactive graphics editing capabilities

CircuitCAM Stencil

The Stencil-variant has all capabilities of the Laser variant plus the following:

  • working with Sub-layout instances
  • Laser cutting for SMD Stencils with special lead-in and lead-out handling
  • GMC, the geometric manipulation center for systematic modification of pad shapes
  • design rule checks for pads
  • design Rule Checks for SMD Stencils according to IEC 7525A
  • creating and editing of a hierarchy of layouts, using layout instances
  • managing libraries of layout instances
  • managing specific libraries of layout instances for electronic package types and footprints
  • package recognition

With the Viewer-, Basic- and Laser-variant it is only possible to work with one layout per CAM file  - the main layout. A layout is the place that combines geometry and layer information. A main characteristic of the Stencil variant is the ability to work with a hierarchy of layouts; typically sub-layouts that can be combined to bigger layouts using layout instances. So the same sub-layout can be included several times in a higher level layout.

Variant Comparison

Category Feature Viewer Basic Laser Stencil LaserPlus
CAM file            
  Open
  Save  
Import            
  Gerber
  GerberX (see below on Cutouts)
  Excellon/Sieb&Meyer
  LMD
  HP-GL
  DXF
  Barco DPF  
  ODB++  
Export            
  G-Code  
  Gerber  
  GerberX  
  Excellon  
  LMD  
  HP-GL  
  HP-GL with Pen Width  
  DXF  
  Barco DPF  
  PostScript  
  List of Sub-Layout Instances      
Special            
  DataMatrix  
  PCB-DRC  
  Stencil DRC      
Editing            
  Editing of Primitives and Flashes  
  Multi level Undo/Redo  
  CSG (Set Operations)    
  Polygon with Cutouts (also for Import)    
  Convert to Flash & Comparison    
  Draw to Flash    
  Denest Flash    
  Create Outline    
  Step&Repeat    
  Create Bounding Shape    
  Shape Manipulations    
  Sub-Layout instances      
  Geometry Manipulations Center (GMC)      
Tool Path            
  Insulation Milling  
  Contour Routing  
  Base Material & Fixture  
  Tool compensation  
  Swap & Sequence  
  Sorting / path optimization  
  NC Mode  
  Configurable Toolpath Engine (Universal / Laser / Milling / Drilling)    
  Laser Fill    
  Laser Insulate    
  Scanner Fields    
  SMT Stencil calculation      
  SMT Stencil Frame Generator      
  Striping & Stripping        
Library            
  Create Package      
  Create Footprint      
  Package Recognition      
  GMC Exchange      
  Apply Footprints      
  Import Library