EFA CAMverse › IPC-D-356 viewer
Format guide · IPC-D-356Received a test netlist for a board? EFA CAMverse opens IPC-D-356(A) natively – no cloud upload – and shows test points colour-coded by access side, plus the netlist with highlight. As one of the very few viewers that read it at all.
IPC-D-356 – the electrical reference of the bare board.
IPC-D-356 (and the extended IPC-D-356A) is an ASCII format that describes the electrical reference netlist of a bare PCB with test points: per net the associated pads and vias with coordinates, access side (top/bottom) and drill/pad details – structured via record codes such as 317 and 327.
It is published by IPC. The format hands netlist and test-point coordinates to the bare-board tester (bed-of-nails or flying probe) – the fabricator uses it to verify the finished, still unpopulated board against the design: for opens and shorts.
Download for free and install – a native Windows application (10/11, 64-bit), free to use as a viewer.
Open the file (.ipc, .356, .d356) directly – the format is detected from the content. The .ipc extension is shared with IPC-2581; EFA CAMverse tells both apart automatically.
Review test points by access side, highlight nets in the netlist pane, measure positions – and open the matching layout next to it if needed.
All test points at their coordinates – colour-coded by access side (top/bottom), evaluated from the 317/327 records.
The reference netlist in the netlist pane – double-click to zoom to a net, bidirectional highlight between list and image.
See at a glance which test points are reachable from top, bottom or both sides – important for fixture and flying-probe planning.
Open the test netlist next to the Gerber or ODB++ data of the same project – review the electrical reference and the layout in the same tool.
Measure distances and test-point positions precisely.
A native Windows application – no cloud, no upload. Your test data stays on your machine.
Open next to the layoutEFA CAMverse opens different formats of the same project in one interface – the IPC-D-356 netlist next to the Gerber or ODB++ data. Review the electrical reference and the layout together, without switching programs. Why one tool →
Export the netlistThe netlist can be exported as CSV – for test planning, comparison and documentation in spreadsheets or your own tools. All features →
What IPC-D-356 is notNeither an image nor a full-model format: it contains no layer graphics like Gerber and no complete product model like ODB++ or IPC-2581 – only test points, nets and access sides. It complements the manufacturing data, it does not replace it. Editions: IPC-D-356, today's usual 356A and the successor 356B.
The .ipc extension trapThe .ipc extension is also used for IPC-2581 files – two completely different formats with the same extension. EFA CAMverse detects the content automatically: it first checks for IPC-2581 XML, then for IPC-D-356. To the IPC-2581 guide →
And when the next customer delivers something else: EFA CAMverse also opens eight more PCB/CAM formats – in the same tool, with the same way of working.
EFA CAMverse is free to use as a viewer – unlock advanced features whenever you need them. Native on Windows, your data stays local.
EFA CAMverse 2026 · free viewer · Windows 10/11 · 64-bit
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