gerberRead

R2026b

Create PCBReader object with specified Gerber and drill files

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Syntax

P = gerberRead(T)
P = gerberRead([],B)
P = gerberRead(T,B)
P = gerberRead(T,B,D)
P = gerberRead({M1,...,MN})
P = gerberRead({M1,...,MN},{D1,[fromLayer1,toLayer1];...;DN,[fromLayerN,toLayerN]})

Description

P = gerberRead(T) creates a PCBReader object with the top layer Gerber file specified in T.

Note

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

example

P = gerberRead([],B) creates a PCBReader object with the bottom layer Gerber file specified in B.

example

P = gerberRead(T,B) creates a PCBReader object with the specified top and bottom layer Gerber files.

example

P = gerberRead(T,B,D) creates a PCBReader object with the specified top and bottom layer Gerber files and the drill file specified in D.

P = gerberRead({M1,...,MN}) creates a PCBReader object with N metal layers. Each M value specifies a Gerber file for a metal layer with layers ordered based on their position in the cell array.

P = gerberRead({M1,...,MN},{D1,[fromLayer1,toLayer1];...;DN,[fromLayerN,toLayerN]}) creates a PCBReader object with metal layers and drill files. Each D value specifies a drill file (.drl or.txt). [fromLayer, toLayer] defines the connection between the layers. This syntax supports specifying connections between multiple vias and layers.

Examples

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Open Live Script

Use the gerberRead function to import a top layer Gerber file.

P = gerberRead("antenna_design_file.gtl");

Extract the metal layer from the file using the shapes function.

s = shapes(P);

View the top metal layer.

show(s)

Figure contains an axes object. The axes object with xlabel x (mm), ylabel y (mm) contains 2 objects of type patch. These objects represent PEC, mypolygon.

Open Live Script

Import a bottom layer Gerber file to layer 4 of the stack.

P = gerberRead([],"UWBVivaldi.gbl");
P.StackUp
ans = 
  stackUp with properties:

    NumMetalLayers: 2
         NumLayers: 5
            Layer1: [1×1 dielectric]
            Layer2: []
            Layer3: [1×1 dielectric]
            Layer4: "UWBVivaldi.gbl"
            Layer5: [1×1 dielectric]
Open Live Script

Use the gerberRead function to import top and bottom layer Gerber files. 

P = gerberRead("antenna_design_file.gtl","antenna_design_file.gbl");

Display the stack.

P.StackUp
ans = 
  stackUp with properties:

    NumMetalLayers: 2
         NumLayers: 5
            Layer1: [1×1 dielectric]
            Layer2: "antenna_design_file.gtl"
            Layer3: [1×1 dielectric]
            Layer4: "antenna_design_file.gbl"
            Layer5: [1×1 dielectric]

Modify the third layer in the stack, which is the dielectric layer between the top and bottom metal layers.

S = P.StackUp;
S.Layer3 = dielectric(Name="FR4", EpsilonR=4.4, Thickness=0.8e-3);
P.StackUp = S;

Create the antenna model by calling the pcbStack object on the PCB reader.

pb2 = pcbStack(P);
figure
show(pb2)

Figure contains an axes object. The axes object with title pcbStack antenna element, xlabel x (mm), ylabel y (mm) contains 8 objects of type patch, surface. These objects represent PEC, feed, FR4.

Open Live Script

Import the design of a multilayer PCB antenna using Gerber and drill files.

g = gerberRead({'TopLayer.gtl','InnerCopperLayer.g2l','BottomLayer.gbl'},{'drillFile.txt',[2,3]})
g = 
  PCBReader with properties:

              StackUp: [1×1 stackUp]
            DrillFile: {'drillFile.txt'}
      DrillLayerPairs: [2 6]
    NumPointsOnCurves: 50

View the information related to each layer.

g.StackUp
ans = 
  stackUp with properties:

    NumMetalLayers: 3
         NumLayers: 7
            Layer1: [1×1 dielectric]
            Layer2: 'TopLayer.gtl'
            Layer3: [1×1 dielectric]
            Layer4: 'InnerCopperLayer.g2l'
            Layer5: [1×1 dielectric]
            Layer6: 'BottomLayer.gbl'
            Layer7: [1×1 dielectric]

Create an antenna from imported Gerber files using the pcbStack object.

p = pcbStack(g)
p = 
  pcbStack with properties:

              Name: 'TopLayer'
          Revision: 'v1.0'
        BoardShape: [1×1 antenna.Rectangle]
    BoardThickness: 0.0121
            Layers: {[1×1 dielectric]  [1×1 antenna.Polygon]  [1×1 dielectric]  [1×1 antenna.Polygon]  [1×1 dielectric]  [1×1 antenna.Polygon]  [1×1 dielectric]}
        FeedFormat: 'FeedLocations'
     FeedLocations: [0 0 2]
      FeedDiameter: 0.0100
      ViaLocations: [-0.0060 0.0071 2 6]
       ViaDiameter: 1.0000e-03
      FeedViaModel: 'square'
       FeedVoltage: 1
         FeedPhase: 0
         Conductor: [1×1 metal]
              Tilt: 0
          TiltAxis: [1 0 0]
              Load: [1×1 lumpedElement]
        SolverType: 'MoM'

Change the feed diameter, set the feed location, and visualize the PCB antenna.

p.FeedDiameter = 0.5e-3;
p.FeedLocations = [-5e-3 5e-3 2]
p = 
  pcbStack with properties:

              Name: 'TopLayer'
          Revision: 'v1.0'
        BoardShape: [1×1 antenna.Rectangle]
    BoardThickness: 0.0121
            Layers: {[1×1 dielectric]  [1×1 antenna.Polygon]  [1×1 dielectric]  [1×1 antenna.Polygon]  [1×1 dielectric]  [1×1 antenna.Polygon]  [1×1 dielectric]}
        FeedFormat: 'FeedLocations'
     FeedLocations: [-0.0050 0.0050 2]
      FeedDiameter: 5.0000e-04
      ViaLocations: [-0.0060 0.0071 2 6]
       ViaDiameter: 1.0000e-03
      FeedViaModel: 'square'
       FeedVoltage: 1
         FeedPhase: 0
         Conductor: [1×1 metal]
              Tilt: 0
          TiltAxis: [1 0 0]
              Load: [1×1 lumpedElement]
        SolverType: 'MoM'


figure
show(p)
title("PCB Antenna")

Figure contains an axes object. The axes object with title PCB Antenna, xlabel x (mm), ylabel y (mm) contains 13 objects of type patch, surface. These objects represent PEC, feed, FR4.

Open Live Script

Read Gerber files and create a PCB design object. Extract and modify the stack-up by assigning a TMM4 dielectric, then update the PCB design.

g = gerberRead({"TopLayer.gtl","BottomLayer.gbl"});
s = g.StackUp;
s.Layer5 = dielectric('TMM4');
g.StackUp = s;

Convert the design to a PCB antenna using the pcbStack object.

p = pcbStack(g);

Visualize the PCB antenna.

figure
show(p)
title("Stacked Dielectric PCB Antenna")

Figure contains an axes object. The axes object with title Stacked Dielectric PCB Antenna, xlabel x (mm), ylabel y (mm) contains 9 objects of type patch, surface. These objects represent PEC, feed, TMM4, FR4.

Input Arguments

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Top layer Gerber file, specified as a character vector or string scalar. The file must be saved with a .gtl extension.

Example: gerberRead("Filetop.gtl");

Bottom layer Gerber file, specified as a character vector or string scalar. The file must be saved with a .gbl extension.

Example: gerberRead([],"FileBottom.gbl");

Drill file, specified as a character vector or string scalar. You can specify either a DRL or a TXT file.

Example: gerberRead("Filetop.gtl","FileBottom.gbl","FileDrill.txt");

Gerber files for metal layers, specified as a cell array.

Example: {"Layer1.gbr","Layer2.gbr","Layer3.gbr"}

Data Types: cell

Drill files and associated connections between layers, specified as a cell array. Each [fromLayer,toLayer] pair specifies the metal layers the drill connects, using metal-layer indices.

Example: {"through_hole.drl",[1,6];...;"blind_via.drl",[2,3]}

Data Types: cell

Output Arguments

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Read Gerber and drill files, returned as a PCBReader object.

Limitations

Limitations of the gerberRead function while reading a .gtl or .gbl file are:

CommandDescriptionComments
TFFile AttributesCommand is ignored and no error is thrown
TAAperture AttributesCommand is ignored and no error is thrown
TOObject AttributesCommand is ignored and no error is thrown
TDDelete AttributesCommand is ignored and no error is thrown

Cut-ins are not supported.

Version History

Introduced in R2020b

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See Also

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