GenCAD text export, the usual format for Compal, Quanta, Wistron and Dell / HP / Lenovo laptop boards.

What is a .cad file?

GenCAD is an open, plain-text interchange format describing components, pads, nets and the board outline. Because it is standard, almost every boardview program reads it.

Some .cad files are instead BoardView R format saved with a .cad extension; modern viewers detect the difference automatically.

How to open a .cad file

  • OpenBoardView
  • FlexBV
  • BoardViewer

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