Convert .PCB (Protel) to .MAX (Orcad Layout)

Question

I need to convert a .PCB file created in Protel to a .MAX (Orcad Layout) file.

I tried importing by using Layout Plus, File->Import->Protel PCB, but I got an error. Here is what the .LOG file contains:

Tue Feb 14 18:26:30 Loaded file C:\ORCAD\ORCAD_10.3\TOOLS\LAYOUT_PLUS\DATA\PROTEL.TCH 
Tue Feb 14 18:26:31  This not a Protel PCB file (3)
Tue Feb 14 18:26:31 Line #1 --> ¡PCB FILE 9 VERSION 2.70
Tue Feb 14 18:26:31  This not a Protel PCB file (1)
Tue Feb 14 18:26:31 Line #1 --> ¡PCB FILE 9 VERSION 2.70
Tue Feb 14 18:26:32 Saved as file G:\205_UC.max

I used:
Protel version: 2.7.1,
Orcad Layout Plus: 10.3.0

Answer 1

The default file extension for Protel PCBs has always been .PCB as far as I know. PROTEL.TCH appears to be a "technology template" file used to set design rules for boards created with Protel (found here)

EDIT

It looks like I misinterpreted what you were doing. As Leon & Kevin have said, Protel files can be saved in binary or ASCII formats. Unfortunately, Protel used the .PCB file extension for both formats. The latest pre-Altium Protel files I have are from Protel 3 which look like this inside :-

PCB FILE 6 VERSION 2.80 for the ASCII format, and PCB 3.0 Binary File for the binary format (the first byte is 13 hex).

So it looks like you have an ASCII file, but maybe your import utility expects the file to be in binary format.

Answer 2

The imported file needs to have been saved as an ASCII file, as a rule, when converting between formats.