PCBReader

Import and update Gerber files

Since R2021b

Description

Use the PCBReader object to create a printed circuit board (PCB) reader to import Gerber files and to facilitate the creation of a PCB model. A Gerber file is a set of manufacturing files used to describe a PCB. A Gerber file uses an ASCII vector format to describe 2-D binary images.

Creation

You can create a PCBReader object using the following methods:

• gerberRead — Create a PCBReader object with the specified Gerber and drill files.

• The PCBReader function described here.

Syntax

B = PCBReader(S)

B = PCBReader(Name=Value)

Description

B = PCBReader(S) creates a PCBReader object that imports multilayer PCB design files described in S.

Note

• To translate the center of an imported symmetrical or asymmetrical polygon to [0,0], please use one of the following MATLAB^® functions: boundingbox and centroid. See examples, Translate Center of Imported Symmetrical Polygon to [0,0] and Translate Center of Imported Asymmetrical Polygon to [0,0].

• The PCBReader object reads RS-274X Gerber files. It does not support RS-274D Gerber files.

B = PCBReader(Name=Value) sets Properties using name-value arguments. Name is the property name and Value is the corresponding value. You can specify several name-value pair arguments in any order as Name1,Value1,...,NameN,ValueN. Properties not specified retain their default values. For example, B = PCBReader('StackUp',S,'Drillfile','ant.txt') imports the layer and drill files into the PCBReader.

Input Arguments

S — PCB stackup definition

stackUp object

PCB stackup definition, specified as a stackUp object.

Example: S = stackUp; B = PCBReader(S)

Example: B = PCBReader('StackUp',S)

Properties

StackUp — PCB stackup definition

stackUp object

PCB stackup definition, specified as a stackUp object.

Example: S = stackUp; B.StackUp = S;

Example: B = PCBReader('StackUp',S)

DrillFile — Name of Excellon drill file

[ ] (default) | character vector | string scalar

Name of Excellon drill file, specified as a character vector or string scalar. You can specify either a DRL or a TXT file.

Example: B.DrillFile = 'ant.drl'

NumPointsOnCurves — Discretization points on curved segments

50 (default) | positive scalar

Discretization points on curved segments, specified as a positive scalar.

Example: B.NumPointsOnCurves = 80

Examples

Import Gerber Files Using Stackup Definition

Create a PCB stack up definition object using default properties.

S = stackUp;

Set the thickness of the dielectric Air in layer 1 to 0.1 mm.

S.Layer1.Thickness = 0.1e-3;

Import a top layer Gerber file to layer 2.

S.Layer2 = 'interdigital_Capacitor.gtl';

Create a PCBReader object using the stackUp object, S.

p = PCBReader('StackUp',S);

To update the Gerber file, convert the PCBReader object to a pcbComponent object.

pcbcapacitor = pcbComponent(p);
pcbcapacitor.FeedDiameter = 0.001

pcbcapacitor = 
  pcbComponent with properties:

              Name: 'interdigital_Capacitor'
          Revision: 'v1.0'
        BoardShape: [1×1 antenna.Rectangle]
    BoardThickness: 0.0061
            Layers: {[1×1 dielectric]  [1×1 antenna.Polygon]  [1×1 dielectric]  [1×1 dielectric]}
        FeedFormat: 'FeedLocations'
     FeedLocations: [0 0 2]
      FeedDiameter: 1.0000e-03
      ViaLocations: []
       ViaDiameter: []
      FeedViaModel: 'square'
         Conductor: [1×1 metal]
              Tilt: 0
          TiltAxis: [0 0 1]
              Load: [1×1 lumpedElement]
        SolverType: 'MoM'
        IsShielded: 0

View the PCB component in the Gerber file.

show(pcbcapacitor)

Translate Center of Imported Symmetrical Polygon to [0,0]

This example will show how to translate the symmetrical polygon imported from the Gerber file to the respective co-ordinates.

Create a PCB stackup and import rectangular patch on it.

S = stackUp;
S.Layer2 = 'PatchRectangular.gtl';
S.Layer3 = dielectric('Teflon');

Use a PCB Reader to read the polygon shape from the stackup.

p1 = PCBReader ('StackUp',S);
figure; show(p1.shapes);

Translate the shape with center (0,0) using the centriod function from MATLAB.

s = p1.shapes

s = 
  Polygon with properties:

        Name: 'mypolygon'
    Vertices: [4×3 double]

polygon = s;
[x,y] = centroid(polygon);
translate(polygon,[-x, -y, 0]);

Translate Center of Imported Asymmetrical Polygon to [0,0]

This example shows how to translate the asymmetrical polygon imported from the Gerber file to the respective co-ordinates.

Create a PCB stackup and import rectangular patch on it.

S = stackUp;
S.Layer2 = 'RightAngleBend.gtl';
S.Layer3 = dielectric('Teflon');

Use a PCB Reader to read the polygon shape from the stackup.

p1 = PCBReader ('StackUp',S);
figure; show(p1.shapes);

Translate the shape's bottom left corner to (0,0). Use the boundingbox function from MATLAB to convert the shape to polyshape and find the upper and lower bounds of the shape.

s = p1.shapes

s = 
  Polygon with properties:

        Name: 'mypolygon'
    Vertices: [6×3 double]

ver = s.Vertices(:,1:2);
polygon = polyshape(ver);
[xlim, ylim] = boundingbox(polygon);
translate(s,[-xlim(1), -ylim(1), 0]);

Version History

Introduced in R2021b