gerberWrite

R2026b

Generate Gerber files

collapse all in page

Syntax

gerberWrite(designobject)
gerberWrite(designobject,rfconnector)
gerberWrite(designobject,writer)
gerberWrite(designobject,writer,rfconnector)
[a,g] = gerberWrite(designobject,writer,rfconnector)

Description

gerberWrite(designobject) creates a Gerber file from PCB specification files, such as PCBWriter object or pcbStack object.

Note

To create associated files, run any of the analysis functions such as show, impedance, pattern etc. on the antenna before running the gerberWrite function.

gerberWrite(designobject,rfconnector) creates Gerber file using specified RF connector.

gerberWrite(designobject,writer) creates a Gerber file using specified PCB writer services.

gerberWrite(designobject,writer,rfconnector) creates a Gerber file using specified PCB writer and connector services.

[a,g] = gerberWrite(designobject,writer,rfconnector) creates a Gerber file using specified PCB writer and connector services.

Note

You can only use output arguments if the designobject is a pcbStack object.

example

Examples

collapse all

Open Live Script

Create a patch antenna with FR4 as a dielectric material using pcbStack object.

p = pcbStack;
d = dielectric("FR4");
d.Thickness = p.BoardThickness;
p.Layers = {p.Layers{1},d,p.Layers{2}};
p.FeedLocations(3:4) = [1 3];
show(p)

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.

Use a Cinch SMA for feeding the antenna. Use the Mayhew Labs PCB viewer as the 3-D viewer. Change the file name of the Mayhew Writer services to antenna_design_file.

C = PCBConnectors.SMA_Cinch;
W = PCBServices.MayhewWriter;
W.Filename = 'antenna_design_file';

Generate the Gerber-format files.

[A,g] = gerberWrite(p,W,C)
A = 
  PCBWriter with properties:

                        Design: [1×1 struct]
                        Writer: [1×1 PCBServices.MayhewWriter]
                     Connector: [1×1 PCBConnectors.SMA_Cinch]
           UseDefaultConnector: 0
    ComponentBoundaryLineWidth: 8
         ComponentNameFontSize: []
            DesignInfoFontSize: []
                          Font: 'Arial'
                     PCBMargin: 5.0000e-04
                    Soldermask: 'both'
                   Solderpaste: 1
               EnableSignature: 1
          EnableConnectorLabel: 1

   See info for details

g = 
'/tmp/Bdoc26b_3351752_1297500/tp13aea7fd/antenna-ex85477975/antenna_design_file'
Open Live Script

Create a coplanar inverted-F antenna.

fco = invertedFcoplanar(Height=14e-3,GroundPlaneLength=100e-3,...
    GroundPlaneWidth=100e-3);

Use this antenna to create a PCB stack object.

p = pcbStack(fco);
figure
show(p)

Figure contains an axes object. The axes object with title pcbStack antenna element, xlabel x (mm), ylabel y (mm) contains 3 objects of type patch, surface. These objects represent PEC, feed.

Use the GerbLookWriter to generate the Gerber files for the PCB.

s = PCBServices.GerbLookWriter;

Create an antenna design file using PCBWriter.

PW = PCBWriter(p,s);

Use the gerberWrite method to create Gerber files from the antenna design files.

gerberWrite(PW)
Generated File: 'C:\Users\user\OneDrive - MathWorks\Documents\MATLAB\ExampleManager\user.Bdoc.DocWork0\antenna-ex14839356\untitled.zip'
'(name is available in system cut-buffer)

13 files in PCB stack
   Size Lines File
     1k    64 untitled.gtl (Copper,L1,Top,Signal)
   239b    19 untitled.gts (Soldermask,Top)
   369b    29 untitled.gbs (Soldermask,Bot)
   285b    18 untitled.gbl (Copper,L2,Bot)
   308b    27 untitled.gtp (Paste,Top)
   215b    19 untitled.gbp (Paste,Bot)
   103b     6 untitled.txt (ExcellonPlated,1,2)
   207k 10349 untitled.gto (Legend,Top)
   118k  6204 untitled.gbo (Legend,Bot)
     1k    38 untitled.gpi (PhotoplotterInfo,Info)
     1k    36 untitled.dri (DrillStationInfo,Info)
   239b    17 untitled.ipc (IPCD356A,Info)
              untitled.gml (Profile,NP)

The location of the folder and the GerbLook viewer website opens automatically.

To view the board, drag and drop the files.

Top view of the inverted-F antenna PCB

Open Live Script

Design a patch antenna.

p = design(patchMicrostrip,3.5e9);
p.Width = p.Length;
p.Substrate = dielectric("FR4");

Create a stack representation of the patch antenna.

pb = pcbStack(p);
pb.FeedLocations = [pb.FeedLocations;-.007 0 1 3;0 .007 1 3;0 -.007 1 3];

Pick a connector for the feed locations.

C = SMA_Cinchcustom1;

Pick a manufacturing service.

Wr = PCBServices.GerbLookWriter;

Generate Gerber files.

A = PCBWriter(pb,Wr,C);
gerberWrite(A)
Generated File: 'C:\Users\user\OneDrive - MathWorks\Documents\MATLAB\ExampleManager\user.Bdoc.DocWork1\antenna-ex70748514\untitled.zip'
'(name is available in system cut-buffer)

12 files in PCB stack
   Size Lines File
   126b    10 untitled.gtl (Copper,L1,Top,Signal)
     2k   182 untitled.gbl (Copper,L2,Bot,Signal)
              untitled.gts (Soldermask,Top)
   509b    37 untitled.gbs (Soldermask,Bot)
   132b     8 untitled.txt (ExcellonPlated,1,2)
     1k    98 untitled.gbp (Paste,Bot)
   139k  7250 untitled.gbo (Legend,Bot)
   181k  9132 untitled.gto (Legend,Top)
     2k    54 untitled.gpi (PhotoplotterInfo,Info)
     1k    36 untitled.dri (DrillStationInfo,Info)
     2k    37 untitled.ipc (IPCD356A,Info)
              untitled.gml (Profile,NP)

This is the bottom view of the PCB rendered by the GerbLook online viewer.

Bottom view of the PCB

Open Live Script

Create a probe-fed microstrip patch antenna with four ports.

p = design(patchMicrostrip(Substrate=dielectric("FR4")),3.5e9);
p.Width = p.Length;
pb = pcbStack(p);
pb.FeedLocations = [pb.FeedLocations;-0.007 0 1 3;0 0.007 1 3;0 -0.007 1 3];
figure
show(pb)

Figure contains an axes object. The axes object with title pcbStack antenna element, xlabel x (mm), ylabel y (mm) contains 25 objects of type patch, surface. These objects represent PEC, feed, FR4.

Pick a manufacturing service.

Wr = PCBServices.GerbLookWriter;
Wr.Filename = 'Microstrip antenna-4ports';

Pick a connector for the feed locations.

C = SMA_Cinchcustom1;

Create a Gerber file and generate it.

A = PCBWriter(pb,Wr,C);
A.Soldermask = 'neither';
gerberWrite(A)
Generated File: 'C:\Users\user\OneDrive - MathWorks\Documents\MATLAB\ExampleManager\user.Bdoc.DocWork0\antenna-ex91275737\MicrostripAntenna_4ports.zip'
'(name is available in system cut-buffer)

11 files in PCB stack
   Size Lines File
   126b    10 MicrostripAntenna_4ports.gtl (Copper,L1,Top,Signal)
     2k   182 MicrostripAntenna_4ports.gbl (Copper,L2,Bot,Signal)
   148b     8 MicrostripAntenna_4ports.txt (ExcellonPlated,1,2)
     1k    98 MicrostripAntenna_4ports.gbp (Paste,Bot)
   139k  7250 MicrostripAntenna_4ports.gbo (Legend,Bot)
   186k  9342 MicrostripAntenna_4ports.gto (Legend,Top)
     3k    54 MicrostripAntenna_4ports.gpi (PhotoplotterInfo,Info)
     1k    36 MicrostripAntenna_4ports.dri (DrillStationInfo,Info)
     2k    37 MicrostripAntenna_4ports.ipc (IPCD356A,Info)
              MicrostripAntenna_4ports.gml (Profile,NP)
    97b     9 MicrostripAntenna_4ports.gts (Soldermask,Top)

This is the bottom view of the PCB rendered by the online GerbLook viewer.

Bottom view of the 4-port PCB

Open Live Script

Generate Gerber files with no connectors.

Create a microstrip antenna with FR4 dielectric substrate.

p = patchMicrostrip(Substrate=dielectric("FR4"));
show(p)

Figure contains an axes object. The axes object with title patchMicrostrip antenna element, xlabel x (mm), ylabel y (mm) contains 6 objects of type patch, surface. These objects represent PEC, feed, FR4.

Create a PCB stack of this antenna.

pb = pcbStack(p);

Create an antenna design file using PCBWriter object.

s = PCBServices.GerbLookWriter;
s.Filename = 'patchM';
PW = PCBWriter(pb,s);

Set the default connector to false and write the antenna to a Gerber file.

PW.UseDefaultConnector = 0;
gerberWrite(PW)
Generated File: 'C:\Users\user\OneDrive - MathWorks\Documents\MATLAB\ExampleManager\user.Bdoc.DocWork0\antenna-ex33160284\patchM.zip'
'(name is available in system cut-buffer)

10 files in PCB stack
   Size Lines File
   126b    10 patchM.gtl (Copper,L1,Top,Signal)
   126b    10 patchM.gbl (Copper,L2,Bot,Signal)
    98b     9 patchM.gts (Soldermask,Top)
    98b     9 patchM.gbs (Soldermask,Bot)
   186k  9260 patchM.gto (Legend,Top)
     1k    34 patchM.gpi (PhotoplotterInfo,Info)
     1k    35 patchM.dri (DrillStationInfo,Info)
   237b    17 patchM.ipc (IPCD356A,Info)
    70k  3934 patchM.gbo (Legend,Bot)
              patchM.gml (Profile,NP)

Input Arguments

collapse all

Antenna design geometry file, specified as a pcbStack object or PCBWriter object.

Example: p1 = pcbStack creates a PCB stack object.p1 gerberWrite(p1) creates a Gerber file using p1.

Example: p1 = pcbStack creates a PCB stack object.p1 a = PCBWriter(p1), creates a PCBWriter object, a. gerberWrite(a), creates a Gerber file using a.

RF connector type, specified as a PCBConnector object.

Example: c = PCBConnectors.SMA_Cinch;gerberWrite(p1,c) uses SMA_Cinch RF connector at the feedpoint.

PCB service, specified as a PCBServices object.

Example: s =PCBServices.OSHParkWriter;gerberWrite(p1,s) uses OSHPARK service to create the Gerber files and view the PCB design.

Output Arguments

collapse all

Note

You can only use output arguments if the designobject is a pcbStack object.

PCBWriter object that generated the Gerber files, returned as an object.

Path to generated Gerber files folder, returned as character vector.

Version History

Introduced in R2017b

See Also

|