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gerberWrite

Generate Gerber files

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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 some kind of antenna analysis functions such as show, pattern

etc. 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.

example

[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.

Examples

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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: [1x1 struct]
                        Writer: [1x1 PCBServices.MayhewWriter]
                     Connector: [1x1 PCBConnectors.SMA_Cinch]
           UseDefaultConnector: 0
    ComponentBoundaryLineWidth: 8
         ComponentNameFontSize: []
            DesignInfoFontSize: []
                          Font: 'Arial'
                     PCBMargin: 5.0000e-04
                    Soldermask: 'both'
                   Solderpaste: 1

   See info for details

g = 
'/tmp/Bdoc23a_2213998_1468360/tp6f9b3be8/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 in creating a pcbStack object.

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

              Name: 'Coplanar Inverted-F'
          Revision: 'v1.0'
        BoardShape: [1×1 antenna.Rectangle]
    BoardThickness: 0.0013
            Layers: {[1×1 antenna.Polygon]}
     FeedLocations: [0 0.0500 1]
      FeedDiameter: 5.0000e-04
      ViaLocations: []
       ViaDiameter: []
      FeedViaModel: 'strip'
       FeedVoltage: 1
         FeedPhase: 0
              Tilt: 0
          TiltAxis: [1 0 0]
              Load: [1×1 lumpedElement]


figure
show(p)

Use an SMA_Cinch as an RF connector and Mayhew Writer as a 3-D viewer.

c = PCBConnectors.SMA_Cinch
c = 
  SMA_Cinch with properties:

                    Type: 'SMA'
                     Mfg: 'Cinch'
                    Part: '142-0711-202'
              Annotation: 'SMA'
               Impedance: 50
               Datasheet: 'https://belfuse.com/resources/Johnson/drawings/dr-142-0711-202.pdf'
                Purchase: 'https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/cinch-connectivity-solutions-johnson/142-0711-202/J10154TR-ND/3587681'
               TotalSize: [0.0071 0.0071]
           GroundPadSize: [0.0024 0.0024]
       SignalPadDiameter: 0.0017
         PinHoleDiameter: 0.0013
           IsolationRing: 0.0041
    VerticalGroundStrips: 1

   Cinch 142-0711-202 (Example Purchase)


s = PCBServices.MayhewWriter
s = 
  MayhewWriter with properties:

               BoardProfileFile: 'legend'
          BoardProfileLineWidth: 1
                 CoordPrecision: [2 6]
                     CoordUnits: 'in'
              CreateArchiveFile: 0
                 DefaultViaDiam: 3.0000e-04
             DrawArcsUsingLines: 1
                 ExtensionLevel: 1
                       Filename: 'untitled'
                          Files: {}
         IncludeRootFolderInZip: 0
                   PostWriteFcn: @(obj)sendTo(obj)
    SameExtensionForGerberFiles: 0
                    UseExcellon: 1

Create an antenna design file using PCBWriter .

PW = PCBWriter(p,s,c)
PW = 
  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

   See info for details

Use the gerberWrite method to create gerber files from the antenna design files. The files generated are then send to the Mayhew writer manufacturing service.

gerberWrite(PW)

By default, the folder containing the gerber files is called "untitled" and is located in your MATLAB folder. Running this example automatically opens up the Mayhew Labs PCB manufacturing service in your internet browser.

Drag and drop all your files from the "untitled" folder.

Click Done to view your 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.MayhewWriter;

Create a Gerber file and generate it.

A = PCBWriter(pb,Wr,C);
gerberWrite(A) 
Warning: No metal specified for 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;-.007 0 1 3;0 .007 1 3;0 -.007 1 3];
figure
show(pb)

Pick a manufacturing service.

Wr = PCBServices.MayhewWriter;
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)

Open Live Script

Generate Gerber files with no connectors.

Create a microstrip antenna with FR4 dielectric substrate.

p = patchMicrostrip('Substrate',dielectric('FR4'));
show(p)

Create a PCB stack of this antenna.

pb = pcbStack(p);

Create an antenna design file using PCBWriter object.

s = PCBServices.MayhewWriter;
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)

Input Arguments

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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.MayhewWriter;gerberWrite(p1,s) uses Mayhew Labs PCB service to create and view the PCB design.

Output Arguments

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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

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