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GerbTool 15.1 User Guide - Photo Data & JD Photo

1. M 102 113 115 UNMASK te Motte ee 198 Drill Mask commande 198 Drill Properties Commande 113 Drill Separate Commande 198 elle nmi ertet uie S 131 converting to draws oerien n O 209 converting to mill paths sseeeeee 211 COPYING zii tee terae ED ater nada 103 deleting sonens cnt ade E PATE 102 106 explodlig EE 118 MITO iii eat 109 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual drill slots con t MOVING EE 102 105 lte eru 26 102 EI ln em 109 tools edd ente ete d ee dete etes 102 Drill To Mill commande 211 drill tool list exporting efie E ee RES 92 dreien Te pL 80 dll tools neto aa 10 Cererem E 10 143 CHANGING poem n 113 115 delata aia 10 143 COILING E 10 143 in custom apertures cooocoococccnccccccconononcnnnnnnnnnnnrnnnnnnnno 215 use epo iiie e xdi uin 149 drilled circles converting to draws seeee 209 converting to milled circles A 211 COPYING ess TE 103 eleng ico nte ee micro ern ista 102 106 EXPIOCING pe 118 MITO BEE 109 MOVING ut eec Len ees e AL 102 105 Dropertles eee cecececeeeececceececeeeeeeeeeneeeeeeeeteeeeees 26 102 LE Hl D 109 tools sinere A T e Ed 102 Drilled commande 131 drilled text adding nee dd 133 COPYING emp 103 e NEE 102 106 erp M 106 Elle RE 118 ul teil Dee 109 MOVING EE 102 105 e sje ai c rm 26 102 POUALING Ree 109 tools 5e ette et t e eno ec est e toten 102 Drilled Text commande 133 DSN file Arel Te it 72 OPIO Gi s
2. sssseee 15 marking resistors ssssssssssss 15 202 el ln DEE 170 GDOFt zie ete Re uk Le ida 150 OWN odiada 15 viewing properties ssssssseem 26 Embedded Passives command 150 200 Enable Prompts button ooooocoocccccccccccccocnnononccnnnnncnnnnnnnos 31 environment Statement 222 Error EN 18 GEIER pee ED 18 analysis eei tee ed e te enne aded 18 ibn EE 18 elle ul EE 18 ESCK6y 5i a RING ean 3 40 Etch Compensation commande 203 Exit commarid pisar tere ticae teda fs 98 214 Explode Commande 118 Explode Customs Commande 111 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual GXDOFU i ee ere teen GA fur n a ER 42 aperture lists dada eene ts 57 90 Barco DPR Ruina aid edere hose e Eug 92 IL ine ue ee tdt 96 Composites us Lote awed ates aee sv ee 60 RE E 93 ODE Aere A enee Age KEE eds 89 Ger TOOK Vue relever eee eee 94 HPG EE 94 SE 93 IPC RA 92 IPC D 350 ridad ee ve etre oe EO 92 IPC Dz356 1 see te terree bee ee oe d et 92 NC UE 90 NG tool lists is iin i t ee rei end 92 VE 188 ODB d dauerte redeat ut eo 94 ODB t X ctt ad 94 OMS PIM adio eerie itor I RR s 93 PostScript o eo a 95 Export commande 89 Extents commande 173 external net 65 166 188 higkilightling E 13 F Fabrication commande 160 fabrication note balloon deleting sedesy iena aR EE E R E AR e 161 edn E 161 feed rate et ete tette tie ede 113 143 elle CIE 67 Fl MENU ch ee EE 71 Tillgt o ene
3. 2 ee E tert pd s 64 iSreopicnnacc 65 ltr EE 67 Working with Embedded Passives cinereae nio recede EEA A KREA AAKA 69 CREALING SLONCIS ei e 70 GERBTOOL COMMAND REFERENCE a eeeeeeeeeeeeee inesse s nnnm nhanh ania tasas asas nsns snas ss sa nunnan nnmnnn nnana sss masas m ssa sm nns nnn 71 FM iaa aaa 71 FIG NG Aeddi ii 71 gia Cll PERO er te ee ete ee tr er et rn err tee 71 A A ee ea ees ns ees eee a 72 EISE LLL ULL 72 File Saved a eet t et ecd tatam edd c tto 73 RIESEN 73 RI 73 Elle EXPOTE EE 89 File Page EE 96 STEI le EE 97 File Print Preview m M 98 File Print S tup i224 dace i ia e i i ia 98 RI e DEE 98 HE A 98 MRU File List 2 2223cact 98 File LEE 98 Edit un LEE 99 sailed M 99 Edit R do been A tun eati vcre e E ters ims 100 Ed et tete nita deeg Eege ciet Lie fest E 100 Edit Copy Selection To Clipboard feces ei rd pete s tee te api nde t ha ue lp ade ate 101 Edit Paste Clipboard WEE 102 Edit Itefi eti teta nette iet uentus tete celi tei dts ripa Le Ee 102 Ed AY dd 103 Edit Move taria 105 snc 106 Edit 6xtz eg tenete a Ee 106 esa EIE 1
4. Vertical specifies that the new dimension will measure the vertical distance between two features Text Spacing Specifies the distance to be used when spacing baseline type dimensions Height The character height of the text to be added Width The character width of the text to be added Rotation The angle in degrees of each line of text where 0 is horizontal and 90 is vertical Slant The angle of the individual characters in the added text This can be used to create italics and other special effects Line Spacing The spacing between lines of text The value used is a percentage of the actual character height 1 0 will produce spacing the same height as the characters 0 5 one half etc Char Spacing The inter character spacing of the text to be added 1 0 will produce spacing the same height as the characters 0 5 one half etc Location Left Over specifies that dimension text is to appear to the left of the dimension if this is a vertical dimension or over the dimension if this is a horizontal dimension Middle specifies that dimension text is to appear in the middle of the dimension the default setting Right Under specifies that dimension text is to appear to the right of the dimension if this is a vertical dimension or over the dimension if this is a horizontal dimension 155 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual The Left Over Middle and Right Under settings may be overridden if dimension text and or ar
5. Visibility Visibility for individual layers layer sets and composites is controlled by clicking in the check box next to the desired layer number A check mark indicates visibility in which state a layer can be edited no check mark indicates the layer is not visible and cannot be edited To turn all layers on or off right click in the Color Bar and select either All On or All Off When you select All Off all layers except the active layer are turned off Setting the Active layer Double clicking on a layer number makes the layer active You can also right click on the desired layer in the Color Bar and select Set Active from the shortcut menu The active layer appears on top of the other layers in the workspace this does not change the actual layer order The active layer can also be set using the Layer Bar Color Selector I F TF FT yyy You can control the color of flashes and draws for each of your layers To change one of the BE EEE colors click on it The Color Selector appears and you can select your desired color from the available selection To change the color choice at a particular location in the Color Selector right click on the desired color This opens the standard Windows color selector that allows BE HI EHE EB EH NH you to define a color To dismiss the Color Selector without choosing a color press the Esc key 33 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual If you have a specific set of layer colors yo
6. sss 174 orthogonal SNAP emm 174 OUTING VIEW si x nei iet ta cd e e an 121 Overlay Commande 121 ek ee sore von aet a ede tet ride 113 196 P Pad Removal commande 195 pads converting draws to flashes 206 207 EE EE 195 244 pads con t CA 195 SNAPPING E 112 stacked TEE 195 PADS ASCII commande 85 88 Page Setup Commande 96 Pan commas entere reote d eres 120 216 panelization ie citet us 67 182 185 Panelize commande 182 panels flattenirig ipee edere 185 image Dropertles eee cececeeeeeeeeeeeeceeeeeeesecseceeeeeeeeeees 26 ele EE 182 ue EE 67 Paste Clipboard commande 102 paste mask creatina eie nion n eig 191 O ted eege re db Ee ERE UU EE 18 OPUMIZING BEE 192 Paste Mask commande 191 paste stencils enhancing Shapes oooooocccccncoccccconancncnnnancncnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn 204 EELU E stt ier re Den bu itu 70 Path Properties Commande 113 PCB file ul ee ne EE 71 83 Merging et 72 ill ee BEE 143 pin holes cire AeA e tede e dote e eee 162 pin ue CEET 166 PINNING holes ET 182 pin point ELTON cece cece ce eeeeeeeeceeeeeeeeeeneeeeeeeseeeeseeees 18 plating Meets ee Artes te pie rt 113 198 plunge DOMME teet tengas Sech 196 e VE Un e DT 113 116 Point To Point commande 171 Polarity ont e eer e 47 122 142 e Us Une born D OS 102 112 converting mixed to positive ee eeeeeeeeeeeeeees 211 Polarity Commande 112 Polygon commande 128 polygons c teet tto e eege c
7. 4 Select other items to change or press the Esc key to exit the function Related topics Edit NC Drill Properties Edit NC Path Properties Zeg De Tab Toolbar Button ZZ If you need to change a mill tab that you have added to a mill path make sure the new mill tab is defined in the Setup Break Tabs function then use the EditINC Change Break Tab command If you wish to change all occurrences of a particular break tab you can simply redefine the break tab in the Setup Break Tabs function When you change a tab s definition there all occurrences of that tab in your database are changed to reflect the new definition To change a break tab 1 Select the EditINC Change Break Tab command You are prompted to select the break tab to change 115 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual 2 Click on the break tab you wish to change Tip If you are zoomed in fairly close on the tab you may note the point of selection is fairly limited On a normal break tab or stitched tab click on an end point of the mill path On a crown or crown stitched break tab click where the mill path bends to create the legs O r If you wish to change multiple break tabs to the same tab click on the Window or Window Xing mode in the Selection Filter and create a selection window around the tabs you wish to change All the selected tabs are highlighted 3 A shortcut menu is attached to your cursor with the names of the defined break tabs Click on th
8. A list of all your embedded passives appears in the Valid Embedded Passives list in the Navigator by reference designator You can view information about each embedded passive and perform a variety of tasks See the Embedded Passives topic for details If you have flashes that are marked as resistors but do not belong to a valid embedded passive the termination bars fell outside your defined tolerance They are listed in the Invalid Embedded Passives list in the Navigator and you will need to manually construct the embedded passive using either the Construct Embedded Passive command in the Navigator s right click menu or the Tools Embedded Passives Build Embedded Passive command Select the Analysis DRC MRC command and run the Embedded Passive checks on your data This ensures that your data are properly aligned sized etc If you are using etched subtractive technology to create your embedded passives use the Tools Embedded Passives Etch Compensation command to factor in any necessary manufacturing tolerances You may now export your data in your desired file format If you use the File Save command to save the data as a GerbTool gtd database file all of your embedded passive intelligence will be saved as well 69 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Creating Stencils This tutorial explains how to enhance the paste stencil openings over the pads for improved solder paste application To create stencils 1 Open or impor
9. File Edit View Add Setup Documentation Analysis Query Options Macro Tools User Help To view a menu position your cursor on the Menu bar and click on it with the left mouse button This presents lists of commands that you can execute by clicking on them individually Terminating a Command You may terminate a command or at least one level of a multi step command by pressing the Esc key on your keyboard You may also right click and choose Cancel from the right click shortcut menu If you would like to terminate a command using the right mouse button you can disable the right click shortcut menu See the Options Configure command Selecting another command from the Menu bar will also terminate any active command Hotkeys however will not terminate an active command File menu The File menu is used for working with files and printing New Ctri N a gt Open Ctri 0 Close Merge fe Save Ctri S Save As Import d Export gt Page Setup amp Print Print Preview Print Setup Save Log Ext File New Toolbar Button DI Equivalent Hotkey Ctrl N The New command clears the current workspace and allows you to create or open a new design File Open Da Toolbar Button 5 Equivalent Hotkey Ctrl 0 This command allows you to open an existing GerbTool gtd or den file design database Use one of the File Import commands to open databases in other formats such as Gerber This command can also
10. Layout Image Files All the images listed in this box will be included in the panel The settings apply to the image you have selected in the list they change dynamically for the selected image To add an image to the panel click the Insert button and browse for the desired gtd file To remove an image from the panel select it in the Image list and click the Delete button Tip When changing any of the amounts for the below options press the Enter key after you type in an amount Image Layout These selections define the spacing and number of images on the panel If you choose Minimum Spacing you define the minimum amount of X and Y spacing between the images measured from their borders GerbTool then automatically calculates how many images can be on the panel If you choose Exact Spacing the images are spaced exactly the amount you specify If the resulting layout is not centered on the panel you can have GerbTool center the images but maintain the border to border spacing by selecting Center Images Within Margins Number Of Copies calculates the image to image spacing based upon the number of images you specify in the X and Y directions Manual Placement allows you to specify the number of images you want in the panel and then move and rotate the images as desired 183 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual To move an image right click on it and select the Move command from the shortcut menu In the Image Location dialog box sele
11. 104 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Edit Move S Toolbar Button You may use the Move command to move a single item a window or groups of items If you wish to move items in an NC object such as a mill path segment use the Edit NC Explode command first to explode the object into its individual base elements In the case of a mill path it is converted into several mill paths one for each segment When you are finished you can then use the EditINC Combine Paths command to rejoin the segments To move a single item 1 Select the Edit Move command 2 In the Selection Filter select Item mode as well as the type of item that you wish to select 3 Click on the item you wish to move in the workspace If more than one item exists at that location the Choose Selection dialog box appears where you may select the desired item 4 An outline of the item is attached to your cursor Move your cursor to the new desired location and click to place it or You can select exact coordinates for your placement in the XY Bar 5 Select another item to move or press the Esc key to end the function To move a windowed selection of items 1 Select the Edit Move command 2 In the Selection Filter select Window mode if you wish to move items that fall entirely within your designated selection window Select Window Xing mode if you want to move any item that crosses into your designated selection Window Also choose the type of item that you wish
12. 3 When you are finished modifying the dimension properties click OK The dimension is immediately updated in the workspace 4 Click on another dimension to modify or press the Esc key to exit the function Related topics Documentation Drawing Dimensioning Delete Dimension Documentation Drawing Dimensioning Properties This command allows you to specify what text will appear immediately after a reported distance in the dimension text The text is normally used to indicate the units for the reported distance Note that these are global settings that will automatically affect all dimensions in the design To define dimension properties 1 Select the Documentation Drawing Dimensioning Properties command The Dimension Properties dialog box appears with the following options Number Decimal Digits Select the number of digits to appear after the decimal point in all measurements If Units Are Imperial If Imperial units are used text appearing here will be appended to all dimension text The default value is for inches If Units Are Metric If metric units are used text appearing here will be appended to all dimension text The default value is mm 2 When you are finished click OK If there are dimensions in the workspace the text is immediately updated Related topics Documentation Drawing Dimensioning Add Dimension Documentation Drawing Dimensioning Add Line Toolbar Button 2 The Add Line command allows you
13. 33 ACUVE TOO EE 6 AD commande 47 add le nU CH 57 137 Le 125 127 CIV M 128 blind buried layer seis 143 ele EE 126 COR pDOSITGS vied sets eer EVE TR teas 13 142 construction LINES esses 157 custom apertures orcos 9 dmenslons nnn 155 ele VE 125 Arill CEET 130 elle ii ada 131 drill tools its te bnc cn need oet T enin 143 drilled ere TE 131 drilled text ene ht ricis eie rna oe etn 133 fabrication note balloons eese 160 Ashes ninia aaa diia 125 ayer SOUS x iio nad 142 aye outra io 136 layers to composites ooooooccococococccocccocononnononcnnnno 13 142 Mill PANS uicit itt oet tei rens 131 196 MIN TOONS siii dia 143 milled circles eiie t cun 132 133 NC TOOS EE 143 operator messages 134 Optional SlOPS m 135 polygons een 128 rectangles ssssssseeeeeenm e 126 redline ALLOWS ooocccccccncccnonccnncnnncnnonocnnrnnoncnonnnnzronnanon 152 redline Ines 153 redline sketches ce eeeecccccececeeeeeeeeeeeeseeaeeeseeeeeeees 153 redline text 150 151 Ieardrops nennen 194 user data 102 Vertices oooconnccnccncncoconccnnononononnnonnnononanonocnnrnnonanos 107 126 Add Arrow Commande 152 235 Add Balloon Text commande 151 Add commande 107 124 Add Dimension Commande 155 Add Hole Chart commande 158 Add Line commande 153 157 Add Wu 125 Add Note Balloon Commande 160 Add Text commande 150 Add To command etae teet te datu 100 Ee e E 92 Advanced commande
14. GerbTool 15 1 User Manual 2 By default all visible layers are scanned To specify different layers to scan click the browse button next to the Layers box and select the desired layers from the Select Layers dialog box 3 Select By Window if you wish to calculate the copper area of a specific region that you define with a window Otherwise all data will be scanned on the selected layers 4 Select Use Drill Information if you wish to have drill information used in the copper area calculation If you do then you must also specify the NC layer that contains the drill data you wish to use and the thickness of the board 5 Click the OK button The copper area is calculated and a report is displayed in a text editor The report header provides file date and time information You are given the units of measure and the body of the report is broken down on a layer by layer basis The total copper area is given at the end of the report You can save or print the report as needed Related topics Options Units Precision 168 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Query menu The Query menu commands provide information about the loaded database eh kem Q Eis Net up User Data E Embedded Passive Highlight Measure d jr Extents Query Item Toolbar Button a Equivalent Hotkey Q The Query Item command displays information about individual items within the database using the Selection Filter as an aid in select
15. GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Analysis menu The Analysis menu allows you to perform Design Rules Checking Manufacturing Rules Checking and Design For Fabrication analysis to insure that your design can be manufactured without error 28 DRC MRC Netlist Compare Layer Compare Find Duplicates Cu Copper Area Analysis DRC MRC Toolbar Button The DRC MRC analysis function verifies that your design meets the design manufacturing and fabrication rules that you specify Each pass defines a set of layers and the design rules that apply to them You may setup as many passes as required and execute them all sequentially when you click the Run button This feature allows precise control of the rules that are applied to your design You may also save load rule sets to external files to create templates that can be used on similar designs As an aid to those who are analyzing embedded passives files with embedded passive design rules used by major companies are provided in the RuleSets folder amp Warning In order to perform this analysis all layers must be tagged with a type See Setup Layers if your layers are not tagged If you want to perform any of the DRC or NLC checks you must have a valid netlist Use the Tools Netlist Generate command if you do not have an existing netlist To perform the NLC check you must also import the netlist you wish to compare against the netlist you generated in GerbTool Aft
16. If the fixed opening violates the minimum oversize specified you will be asked if the fix should be applied 16 Click OK to run the optimizer Regardless of whether you have the system fix any errors they are all logged in the Navigator where you can view them print reports and fix unfix the errors The following possible errors are reported Missing Electrical Pad There is no pad on the electrical layer corresponding to an opening on the mask layer To fix this the mask opening is deleted Missing Mask Opening There is no opening on the mask layer corresponding to a pad on the electrical layer To fix this a mask opening is added Misalignment Error The opening on the mask layer and its corresponding pad are misaligned by a value greater than the Location Alignment value you specified To fix this the mask opening is moved to the same location as the pad 190 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Mask Opening Minimum Oversize Error The mask opening is not oversized by at least the minimum oversize specified To fix this the mask opening is enlarged to the minimum oversize amount Mask Opening Spacing Error Two mask openings violate the minimum distance between mask openings This might create mask slivers To fix this the openings are shaved or reduced as specified by you Mask Opening To Trace Error The mask opening is too close to a trace and violates the minimum mask to trace distance specified The trace might be exposed in th
17. If you want to process only data within a selection window select the Window option If you want to process the extents of the layers do not select this option Click the OK button If you did not select the window option the layers are processed O r If you selected the Window option create a selection window around the desired data The selected data are processed Related topics Analysis DRC MRC Tools Pad Removal This command allows you to remove isolated and stacked redundant pads Tools Pad Removal lsolated eo Toolbar Button X Selecting this command will remove any unused pads from your inner layers To remove isolated pads 1 2 N OO o Make sure your layers are properly tagged in the Layer Table Only layers tagged as Inner will be processed If you wish to process more than one inner layer turn on the layers you wish to process and turn off the inner layers you do not wish to process Select one of the Tools Convert Drawn Pads commands to convert all drawn pads to flashes Select the Tools Pad Removal Isolated command The Isolate Pad Removal dialog box appears In the Layer box select the layer to remove isolated pads from Select 0 to process all visible inner layers In the D code box select the D code that is used for the pads you wish to process Select 0 to process all pads If you wish to only process a select window of pads select the Window option Otherwise the en
18. Setup Layer Sets View Edit command To create blind buried layer sets 1 Create or load the layers that contain the blind buried vias 2 Select the Setup Layer Sets Blind Buried command The Layer Set Setup For Blind Buried Vias dialog box appears 3 The Layer Set List shows existing blind buried layer sets and the layers contained within them Click the New Layer Set button 4 Type a name for your layer set in the New Layer Set Name dialog box and click OK The layer set appears in the Layer Set List 5 To add a layer to the layer set click and drag them from the Layer List to the layer set name in the Layer Set List If you need to remove a layer from a set click and drag the layer from the set back to the Layer List Click the Delete Layer Set button to delete an existing layer set This button does not delete any data or remove any data layers Only the association to other layers is removed 6 When you are finished click the OK button Setup Layer Sets MCM LTCC Stackup While the layer table can be an arbitrary ordering of layers when you extract a netlist for MicroChip Modules or Low Temperature Co fired Ceramic boards you need to tell the system what the exact stackup of layers is This function allows you to specify the sequence of electrical and insulating layers To define MCM LTCC stackup 1 Select the Setup Layer Sets MCM LTCC Stackup command The system looks at all conductive NC or insulator layers and autom
19. The Log screen which records your actions can be saved as a txt file by selecting the Save Log command You can also right click anywhere in the Log screen and select Save Log from the shortcut menu MRU File List This is a list of the most recently used design files To reload one of these designs simply select it from the menu File Exit Equivalent Hotkey Ctrl ALT Q quit immediately without file save confirmation This command closes the GerbTool application If you only wish to close the current database and continue to work on a different database with GerbTool use the File Close command To exit GerbTool 1 Select the File Exit command 2 If the current design file has not been saved you are asked whether you wish to save it now If you do not save it any changes you made since you last saved the file will be discarded 98 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Edit menu The Edit menu presents you with commands that modify one or more database items x Undo U Ca Redo Shift U Select Copy selection to Clipboard Paste Clipboard Item e 2 Copy Move Delete Tex Vertex gt Clip Join Rotate Miror NG kx A Scale D Code Align Layers Snap pads g Fr Origin NC m Purge Edit Undo Toolbar Button cl Equivalent Hotkey U undo last edit or Ctrl U undo all edits The Undo command reverses changes you have made to the currently loaded
20. This page is used to assign 274 D Gerber files to aperture lists Drag each Gerber file onto the desired aperture list If only one aperture list is present all Gerber files are automatically assigned to it Then click the Next button If you are not importing any 274 D files Page 3 is skipped 6 Page 4 presents the final list of files that are to be imported The files are imported to layers in the order they are listed If you wish to reorder the files so that your layers are in the proper order click and drag each file to the desired position 74 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual If you wish to prevent warning messages from being displayed when importing files select Suppress Import Warning Messages A log file will still be created but you will not be prompted whether to view it 7 When you are satisfied with your selections and ordering click the Finish button Your files are imported and any pertinent information or warning messages are displayed in the Log screen You can save the log by right clicking on the Log screen and selecting the Save Log command from the shortcut menu A Tip Polygon Voids in 274 X files are supported but are not recognized as standalone entities Voids are only relative to the closed and filled polygon that contains them If you query a polygon void Query ltem command the information returned is for the polygon itself Polygon voids also cannot be modified added or deleted Related topics Using Fi
21. This report provides details about each embedded passive that has been built in the current database You can click on any of the column headings to sort the list by that value This command functions the same as the Tools Embedded Passives Report command Reference Designator The unique identifier for each embedded passive Layer The passive layer that the embedded passive resistor resides on X Location and Y Location The X Y coordinates of the center of the resistor Resistance The resistance value in Ohms Save Click this button to save the report to a text file Print Click this button to print the report to the default Windows printer Documentation Redline The functions in the Redline menu are used to add comments and other information that needs to be stored separately from normal layer information Every layer may have its own associated redline information attached to it Documentation Redline Add Text Toolbar Button The Add Text command allows you to insert text into the currently selected layer s redline information Redline information is virtual it is associated with a particular layer so its visibility is determined by whether the associated layer is visible but it does not exist on a layer To add redline text 1 Make the layer that you want the text associated with the active layer 2 Select the Documentation Redline Properties command and specify the properties of redline information for th
22. Tip Netlist information is displayed in the Navigator To save processing time when you generate a netlist the Nets list in the Navigator is not populated until you first attempt to access it When you save your database to a gtd file the netlist information is saved with it You can use the Tools Netlist Save command to save the netlist as a simple ASCII file export the netlist as an IPC D 356 A file or export within Gerber files To export a netlist within Gerber files select the Netlist option in the Gerber Export Data Format dialog box GerbTool uses the G04 command to embed the netlist within the Gerber files This will cause the Gerber file to increase slightly in size It is recommended you do not include a netlist when submitting your files to be plotted due to their increased size and the possibility that the photoplotter may not properly recognize the G04 command Related topics Comparing Netlists Tutorial Tools Netlist Save This command will generate an ASCII netlist file consisting of pad X Y coordinates One netlist is created for all viewed layers If you wish to export the netlist as an IPC D 356 A file use the File Export IPC D 356 command To save a netlist 1 Use the Tools Netlist Generate command to create a netlist 2 Select the Tools Netlist Save command The Netlist Save dialog box appears 3 In the Filename box specify a name for your file By default the file is saved in GerbTool s Samples folder Click t
23. Toggle OptionsiGrid Snap D ncrementcurentD code ton t FieSae o CtrlsF Edit configuration flags H Undolastedt G ToggeViwjord CiU jUndoaledts 7 H ToggeViewHighigus Y Toggle View Compostes LC ncrementacivelayer Ese End current function CtrlsL Decrement active layer Enter Enter coordinate at cursor location Shift L SetupiLayerSetsViewEdt Home Snapcursortoitemcenter Macro Run Ctrl Home Snap cursor to item center amp show Absolute Coordinates box Ctrl M Options Units Precision PgUp X ncrease cursor bounding box Toggle active layer display Decrease cursor bounding box positive negative Ctrl N File New ESAY Scroll left right up and down GerbTool also offers competitive product hotkey support If you wish to apply GerbTool functions to the equivalent hotkey used in one of the competitive products listed you can change the setting using the Options Configure command Only the competitive product hotkeys listed below are supported GerbTool Function Hotkey CAM350 Hotkey ViewMaster Hotkey Bring layer 1 10 to the top 1 9 0 ONO SetuplApertures ShiftA A F8 Snap cursor to center of item Home MN A Zoom in at current cursor position E Shift D i N et active D code by number Vewondg O y Turn layers on bynumber 0 all L uery Measure Point To Point S S S ive D Q y Toggle y
24. USE n E GerbTool Function Hotkey Edit Move Toggle active layer display positive negative N File New Toggle orthogonal snap 0 45 90 FilelOpen Zoom to previous position File Print Query Item Q Edit Align Layers View Redraw R Edit Rotate Options Grid Snap S Edit Select New Group File Save View Overlay ranscode current item Edit Undo U Edit Redo Shift U Edit Select Clear oom by Window default left mouse button Edit Select New Group Window mode Edit Mirror Group mode Setup Layers Y Toggle all layers on A Toggle all layers off except active Ctrl A Help F1 File Import Gerber File Import Import Wizard Exit program without prompt Ctrl Alt Q Setup NC Tools Shift T View Zoom In GerbTool 15 1 User Manual CAM350 Hotkey ViewMaster Hotkey N Qn Oo one p pm Q E R S 1 m t N IE Ui Noe ici W Jhit Home F1 S None mF None JAlt F Noe hifteFS R0 pp VewZoomOu L Pgb Make next layer actveisbe l Week View extents ofall on layers Ctr R Home Home Pan to cursor location PJ as one Edjpete ene pe Increase snap box size PgUp bake Moe Decrease snap box size PgDn ban Wo Pan up N Pan down V To change the default mouse functions use the Function Key Mouse Button tab in the Options Configure command Because the F10 key is reserved by
25. You can then specify the exact number of copies you want on the panel then move and rotate them individually to optimize board space To change the placement right click on the image you want to move and a shortcut menu appears You can Move Rotate or Delete images at will 67 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Adding Panel Elements Adding Panel Elements functions the same as panelizing multiple images 1 Each element such as a coupon title block or fiducial must be individually saved as a gtd file When creating the element you should tag it with the layer type it will appear on only electrical layers are included in a panel 2 Under the Image tab of the Advanced Panelization dialog box you can then browse for whatever elements you would like to include in the panel The file that appears in the Image list establishes which image you are working with at the moment and you simply select a different image to define its panel properties 3 As you add new images to the panel use the Layer Mapping function to define which panel layer you want the element to appear on You must then use the Manual Placement option under the Layout tab to place the item on the panel You can then specify the number of copies of the element you want on the panel then move and rotate them individually to place them To change the placement right click on the image you want to move and a shortcut menu appears You can Move Rotate or Delete images at wil
26. amount to the radius of inset corners or leave those corners right angles 9 Click OK to save your stencil shape 10 Repeat steps 2 through 7 for any additional shapes you want to define You can also use the Edit and Delete buttons to modify or remove shape definitions respectively 11 When you are finished click the OK button to close the dialog box The shape definitions are stored in a global table that will be available for future use After you have defined your stencil shapes you can use the Tools Stencils Manual Conversion command to assign those shapes to paste openings associated with pad pairs and subsequently convert those openings You can also save those assignments to a file for future use by the Tools Stencils Automatic Conversion command Related topics Creating Stencils Tools Stencils Manual Conversion After you have assigned your desired stencil shapes to different paste openings associated with pad pairs the system will remember the stencil shapes and assignments for future jobs Those future jobs can be run using the Tools Stencils Automatic Conversion command To assign shapes to pads and convert them 1 Use the Tools Stencils Setup Shapes command to define your desired opening shapes 2 Make the paste mask layer that contains the shapes you wish to convert the active layer To make the process easier it is also recommended that you turn off the visibility of any other unnecessary layers 3 Select
27. and any venting pattern can be adjusted automatically If you save your panel as a gtd file and then change any aspect of your original design in the original gtd file you started with the next time you open your panel file you will be warned that your data has changed You should then use the Advanced Panelization dialog box to verify that the layout and spacing rules are still applicable to your modified design and that the layer sets are still correct Panelizing Multiple Images 1 If you are including multiple designs on the same panel you first need to save each design as a gtd file See Preparing Your Data above 2 Under the Image tab of the Advanced Panelization dialog box browse for as many images as you would like to include in the panel The file that appears in the Image list establishes which image you are working with at the moment and you simply select a different image to define its panel properties 3 You do not need to worry about the layer order in the original gtd files The first file you bring into the panel establishes an initial panel layer structure As you add new images to the panel you can then use the Layer Mapping function to match each image layer to the appropriate panel layer and create new panel layers as necessary So you can make sure that all image layer types on each panel layer match 4 When laying out multiple images on a panel you must use the Manual Placement option under the Layout tab
28. and is given some default properties A preview of the tab appears to the right of the list This preview changes as you define your tab so that you can achieve accurate results 4 Click the plus button next to the tab name to display its properties 5 There are five types of break tabs and the properties displayed depend upon the type By default the tab you added is a simple Break To change the type click on Break to display a list Following are descriptions of the different types of tabs and the parameters for each 146 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Break When you create a simple Break you define the Size which is the distance between the narrowest points of the two mill path ends You also specify the Side which is the side of the path left or right that the board is on relative to the direction the router is traveling Size Stitched Break A Stitched Break includes small perforation holes between the ends of the mill path The Side is the side of the path left or right that the board is on relative to the direction the router is traveling The Side also determines the border that the perforation holes are placed relative to The borders are the edges that would have been created if the router had continued to cut the material The perforations are placed on the border closest to the board The Calculated Size of the break the distance between the narrowest points of the two mill path ends is determined by t
29. case An ACR file contains two types of statements The first type of statement describes the environment such as the expected file extension metric mode number of header lines to skip etc The second type of statement is the actual rule statement Rules are the statements that will be used to match incoming aperture list entries to a corresponding GerbTool aperture shape The following is a description of each environment statement and the expected parameters if any NAME Syntax NAME converter name Parameters converter name The name of the ACR file should be a single word Description This statement will place the parameter in the header of the resulting aperture or tool list Example The following example sets the name of the converter to Allegro NAME Allegro VERSION Syntax VERSION version number Parameters version number The version number of the ACR file The version number should be a single decimal number Description This statement will place the parameter in the header of the resulting aperture or tool list Example The following example sets the version number of the converter to 6 VERSION 6 HEADER Syntax HEADER lines to skip Parameters Lines to skip The number of lines to skip in the header of the aperture tool list Description If this line is present the number of lines specified will be skipped from the header of the aperture tool list file you are attempting to co
30. interpolated circle or with multiple line segments depending on the settings of the Options Arcs 360 command Use circular interpolation with care as not all photo plotters support circular interpolation Segmented arcs use the chord angle specified using the Options Configure command Tip To add an arc to a Mill path use the Add Mill Path command To add an arc 1 After you select the active layer and the D code in the Layer Bar select the Add Arc Ctr command 2 Click on the center point of the arc A circle representing the radius of the arc is attached to the cursor 3 Click on the point defining the radius and starting point then click on the end point 4 Repeat steps 2 and 3 to create another arc You may select a different layer and D code to create the arc if desired Press the Esc key to exit the function Add Arc 3 Pt Toolbar Button gt The arc is drawn on the active layer using the current D code The arc is created as either a 360 interpolated circle or with multiple line segments depending on the settings of the Options Arcs 360 command Use circular interpolation with care as not all photo plotters support circular interpolation Segmented arcs use the chord angle specified using the Options Configure command Tip To add an arc to a Mill path use the Add Mill Path command To add an arc 1 Select the active layer and the D code tool in the Layer Bar 2 Select the Add Arc 3 Pt command 3 Define an arc by
31. or double click on the composite name 3 Click on the checkbox to select the composite you wish to convert to a layer and click OK 4 Click the arrow next to the Destination Layer box to select the layer on which you want to place the data from the converted composite The Select Layers dialog box appears with a list of all the empty layers in your design 5 Select a layer and click OK 6 Click OK in the Composite To Layer dialog box and the composite layers are converted None of the original composite information or layers are deleted If you wish to delete the composite select the Setup Composite command If you wish to delete the original layers as well select the Setup Layers command You can also use the Navigator to perform the layer conversion and deletion Tools Convert Mill To Drill This command converts milled objects to drilled objects Any type of milled circle is converted to a drilled circle Mill paths are converted to drill hits by changing straight segments to slots and arc segments to a series of drill hits approximating those generated for a drilled circle Tip This command is also available from the right click shortcut menu when you right click on the appropriate data items Converting Mills to Drills 1 Select the Tools Convert Mill To Drill command You are prompted to select the mill data to convert 2 Using the Selection Filter select one or more milled items to convert 3 You are asked to con
32. segments 10 In Excellon machine controllers there is a Tool Diameter Page where information about a tool may be recorded When the tool size in a tool definition is processed the information if any from the Tool Diameter Page is loaded and the location of the tool size in the definition string affects the tool settings The Override Tool Diameter Page option controls where the system puts the tool size field in the tool definitions If you select this option the tool size is put immediately after the tool number so any settings from the Tool Diameter Page will be overridden by those specified on the tool definition line If this option is not selected the tool size is the last entry in the tool definition line so any settings in the Tool Diameter Page will override those in the tool definition Note that settings in the Tool Diameter Page are optional they override or are overridden only if they exist 11 Tools are normally exported using the tool number defined in the NC Tool Table and in the defined Export Order If you select the Renumber Tools Starting With Tool option the tools are exported in the Export Order but the first tool number is changed to the number you specify here Subsequent tools are renumbered in sequence accordingly Select the Export Unused Tools option if you wish to export all tools regardless of if they have been used 12 Select the Export Unused Tools option if you wish to export all tools regardless of if
33. select above becomes the default for the Edit Origin command 4 Click OK and you are prompted to select a point to define the new origin 5 Select the new point and press the Esc key to exit the function Edit NC The NC commands are used to modify or delete the NC Drill and Mill data in your design Edit NC Drill Properties This command allows you to change the tool assigned to one or more drill hits and whether the hits are plated or unplated To change drill properties 1 Select the Edit NC Drill Properties command 2 Using the Selection Filter select one or more drill hits you wish to change The Drill Properties dialog box appears 3 Change the drill properties as desired and click OK A Tip A tool must have a Plated status of Both in the NC Tool table in order for you to change the Plated status here 4 You can select additional drill hits to change or press the Esc key to exit the function Related topics Edit NC Change Tools Edit NC Path Properties Toolbar Button ol This command allows you to change the tool assigned to one or more mill paths as well as apply compensation to a path Most NC tool characteristics are defined in the NC Tool Table This command allows you to change the feed rate and plated status on an item by item basis To change a mill path s properties 1 Select the Edit NC Path Properties command 113 2 3 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Using the Selection Filter s
34. width height angle Butterfly But width angle Butterflies are created in a square shape by default Diamond Di width height angle Donut Do outer inner Donuts are created in a round shape by default Ellipse E width height angle Hexagon H width 0 angle The height is automatically calculated for you as equilateral hexagons are created by default The 0 is used as a placeholder if you need to specify an angle Moir M outer ring diameter 0 angle A simple moir with two rings is created The cross hair lines are calculated using the outer ring diameter multiplied by 1 4 The 0 is used as a placeholder if you need to specify an angle Oblong Ob width height angle Octagon oc width 0 angle The height is automatically calculated for you as equilateral hexagons are created by default The 0 is used as a placeholder if you need to specify an angle Rectangle Re width height angle A rectangle with square corners is created by default Round Ro diameter Squares width 0 angle The 0 is used as a placeholder if you need to specify an angle Thermal Th outer diameter inner diameter angle A round 4 spoke thermal is created by default The air gap is calculated as outer diameter inner diameter 2 0 Triangle Tr width height angle Shape Tabs These tabs represent aperture shapes Each has its own set of parameters Bullet Enter a horizontal Width and vertical
35. will be considered possible acid traps Tip Because the acid trap analysis looks for areas that are not fully enclosed it is recommended that you run the resist sliver analysis in conjunction with this for a thorough check of your design Copper Slivers Copper Slivers are areas of copper that are so narrow that they will likely flake off This command detects those potential slivers on the selected conductive layers in your design Any areas of copper that are less than the Size you specify will be considered possible copper slivers Resist Slivers Similar to acid traps resist slivers are small areas of resistive material that have a surface area too small to adhere to the board and can therefore flake or peel off Where acid traps are open at one end resist slivers can be fully surrounded by copper Depending on your process the resist slivers test will often find items that are also considered acid traps or pin holes The Resist Slivers analysis may be more applicable to those using a plate up photo resist process instead of an etch back process Resist areas less than the value you specify are considered resist slivers 164 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Top Mask Slivers amp Bot Mask Slivers Solder mask slivers are areas where the resist is so narrow that they will likely flake off float and redeposit themselves in an area that might be soldered later Any resist areas that are less than the Size you specify will be considered possible
36. 182 i o 32 align drill AS occ ia adi diia 112 VC 112 A a RE R 112 Align Layers command sse 112 All Fit commande 120 All command sssnnseneeeneeeeeeenrrenseeerrnnrrnrnnesrernnnnnneeeee nn 216 LEE 18 analysis TC 18 finding seem 64 162 IDAepr E 18 highlighting in workspace oooononccccnnoccccccononcccnonancccnnna 18 PINO dius 18 GDOFIS deret etd A 18 searching TO M 18 MIOWINO cono did ed 18 Analysis MENU iria 162 analysis PASS iii 18 162 FOPONS POP en 18 viewing Ipformaiton 18 ANALYSIS TUN iia ai 18 162 A Em 18 A keedindpetei eee 18 V PONTS irasi 18 viewing Ipformaiton 18 aperture list 2o 90 EC i aaa 47 57 219 A TA 73 TT VIGWING ET 137 Aperture List commande 77 90 aperture maCTO ener 47 aperture 6 8 47 57 AQUINO o ccocccccccccccnananonononnncnnnnnnnononnnnnnnnnnnannnnnnnno 8 57 137 CUSTOM RR 137 deleng 8 57 137 editing 8 57 137 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual exporting keen adver Luder cete dd ee dee e Lead d 57 Importing aede ee tede ee th ted 57 loading from library fles eee eeeeeeeeeeteeeeeeeaes 137 elt Le BE 137 USC report eco et ete eee e dd 149 Apertures Commande 137 149 Apply External Net Names command 65 188 Atc Blue RE 127 Are Cth command cot clesie ana ad eda 127 arcs OGING MET 125 127 circular interpolation seeesessss 47 174 converting segments fo 208 con
37. 9 custom apertures should be specified in the Aperture List box Default Extensions The default filename extensions used for the indicated file types are listed here These settings affect the various Save and Open dialog boxes More than one extension may be entered The first extension within each list is used as the primary extension and will be appended to any file names that are entered into Save dialog boxes without an extension User Menu This tab displays the current User menu configuration and allows you to make changes as desired The Menu Label column presents a list of the currently enabled User menu commands by the name that appears in the menu The Command Macro column is the actual name of the macro or GerbTool command that belongs to each menu label To add a command 1 If the command you wish to add is a new macro you must first create the macro and save it in the Macros folder Then select the Macro Load command to load your macro file You may then select the Options Configure command and click on the User Menu tab 2 Type a name for your new menu item in the Label text box A character prefixed with the amp character will be considered the menu item hotkey 3 Select your desired function from the Command list This can be either a macro or an existing GerbTool menu command If you want to select a macro that does not appear in the list it has probably not been loaded Click the Cancel button to exit the Config
38. A solid pentagon with a 10 outside dimension 274 X also has the ability to define custom apertures such as Targets and Donuts AM Aperture Macro parameters are used define multiple shapes that are combined into a single aperture They are then used in the same way as standard apertures SAM lt aperture macro name gt lt primitive gt lt modifier 1 gt lt modifier 2 gt lt gt lt primitive gt lt modifiers gt The aperture macro name is the name to be used in the AD parameter Each primitive has an assigned number as well as various modifiers Modifiers may be absolute values or may be variables to be supplied by the AD parameter as described below If an absolute value is entered instead of a variable then the variable numbers are shifted right For example if an absolute number is used for the first variable then the next variable becomes 1 Primitive Number Modifier Variables 1 1 Circle 0 exposure off 2 exposure on reverse current exposure state S 3 4 2 or 20 1 Line vector 0 exposure off A line whose end points are rectangular Ge exposure on reverse current exposure state 3 4 5 6 7 Rotation in degrees counterclockwise clockwise 51 Primitive Number 21 Line center A centered rectangle GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Modifier Variables 1 0 exposure off F exposure on reverse current exposure state S 3 4 22 Line
39. Data Tab 3 Layer Sets The Data tab provides information about your layers apertures NC tools nets gt Embedded Passives composites layer sets embedded passive devices and Analysis runs The E Analysis information is displayed in a tree format displaying database elements in an expandable collapsible hierarchy To expand an area of the tree click on the plus box icon next to the desired database element The branches of the MF Data Commands information hierarchy are shown and the plus box becomes a minus box icon 6 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual To compress or hide the information click on the minus box The information hierarchy for that database element is hidden If there is no Plus symbol next to a topic in the tree that type of element does not exist in your design or has been defined but is not used You can edit and delete database elements by right clicking on the various headings and the branches that are associated with each This not only provides you with shortcuts to functions available in the main menu but also some functions unique to the Navigator Layers To see a list of layers click on the plus box next to the Layers heading The Layers area expands to show all the layers in the design with their corresponding number and name To view information about Layer 1 click on the Plus symbol next to L1 The layer name and type is shown The layer type is also indicated by an icon next to the l
40. EIERE EE 170 Query Embedded Passive cor ea tuted ep re Bebe eech 170 Elle lei e TEE 171 QUery MGASUNC zinc moreretur A ute eu M eT n esL 171 QUE EXTONIS eegen E EA E E E geaes cava seeaaucedeadeeteget AT E A E ege 173 ISO ea X URL D 174 Options GridiSndp sc A tence erm merit Et LLLA ii tu meri ted ue desse tct ted ie ea cde re eod rra 174 Options Ortho Eine Snap tte EE EE Et DU UD EATON eui cates a erm de cms 174 OptionslArcs 201 x 174 Options Units Precision sitio Gliese Tre baae erede dee eria eder ce dac ida e n ie eR crue dade ide e ri aab ie c v a 174 Options Configure E 174 Options Customize Toolbar enceinte idee dat added dg 179 Options Import Settings enesenn ever inii ended etd re rede ceri eria e usb ceci d rede de e ibd be ce a 180 lepus 181 lues E 181 Macro LOad Es 181 Macro DewvelopGt 5 etel rara 181 Macro BR6ecord 2 pn cepe e ed e e HR AL d e e e e eH eee ep aig nade la eH ehe ed ep Lebe e 181 TOO MENU ta tee a a a a o Gi ee 182 Tools Panelize a eee ene che e 182 Tools INetlist sii ode oett siete hee tien he b 187 IUENnIMUICID 189 I esL icamUVED OM 191 dee El 1110 195 ITT 193 Tools Teardrops 200 ETSI 194 aere Elei e ET 194 Tools Pad Removal m E SP 195 A a a a iaa i aari a A
41. Gerber file item 2 is the second etc Polarity The polarity of the polyline either positive Dark or negative Clear Net The net number that the item belongs to if any ot SI Tool The tool number for the slot Tool Size The size of the tool used for the slot Plated Yes means the slot is plated No means it is unplated From The X Y location where the slot begins To The X Y location where the slot ends Length The length of the slot Area The total square area of the slot Layer The layer the item is on Layer Type The type of layer the item is on SeqNo The item s order in the Gerber database Item 1 is the first item listed in the Gerber file item 2 is the second etc NC Group The NC Group number that the slot belongs to Export Order The slot s order number in the drill sequence If a value of 1 is shown then the order is not set NC optimization has not been run Net The net number that the item belongs to if any Operator Message Indicates if an operator message is displayed to the machine operator before or after the slot is made Optional Stop Indicates if the machine is stopped before or after the slot is made Text If the text is created with a font other than GerbTool Stroke the font is noted in the Type field Dcode The D code used to create the text 30 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Shape The shape of the D code used Size The size of the D code used Location The
42. Height for the bullet Note that you can rotate this aperture by entering an Angle value Butterfly Select whether you wish the butterfly to have Round or Square ends and define the horizontal Width of the butterfly Note that you can rotate this aperture by entering an Angle value 138 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Custom To assign a custom aperture to a D code select the custom aperture from the Custom Aperture Name list If you wish to create or modify a custom aperture use the Custom Ap button Note that you can rotate this aperture by entering an Angle value Diamond Enter a horizontal Width and vertical Height for the diamond Note that you can rotate this aperture by entering an Angle value Donut Select the Shape of your donut and define its Outer diameter and Inner hole diameter Note that you can rotate this aperture by entering an Angle value Ellipse Define the horizontal Width and the vertical Height of the ellipse Note that you can rotate this aperture by entering an Angle value Hexagon Define the horizontal Width and the vertical Height of the hexagon Enter a Corner Size as illustrated below or click the Equilateral button to automatically create an equilateral hexagon Note that you can rotate this aperture by entering an Angle value Corner Size Moir Specify the number of rings in the Count box the Width of each ring and the Gap or space in between Then define the Width and Length of the c
43. Hotkey CTRL G You can control the grid in the Custom Aperture Editor workspace with this command To change the grid settings 1 Select the Options Grid command The Grid dialog box appears 2 To make your mouse cursor snap to the grid select the Snap option 3 Select the Display option to make the grid visible in the workspace 4 The Size value controls the distance between points on the grid By default the value is Metric If you would like the value to be in inches see the Options Metric command 5 When you are finished click the OK button Options Metric By default the Custom Aperture Editor units of measure are Metric If you would like to change the units of measure to Inches unselect the Metric command The units of measure are always displayed in the right side of the Status Bar at the bottom of the window 218 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual File Format Technical Reference Aperture List Files Aperture lists are stored as simple ASCII files Each line defines one D code and there are eleven fields in each line of the file that describe the D code s properties Exporting an Aperture List is only required if you are exporting your database as 274 D Gerber data GerbTool supports several intrinsic apertures While the support of these apertures is reflected in the Aperture List file as described below it is highly recommended that you instead export your data in the 274 X or ODB file format as not all 274 D equipment
44. I with the associated image layers underneath each of them Any image layers that have not been associated with a panel layer appear in the Unmapped Image Layers list They must be mapped in order to be included in the panel To map a layer click on it in the Unmapped list and drag it to the appropriate panel layer By default the panel layers are listed in the same order as the first design loaded into the panel The layer types are indicated but layer names will be empty If you wish to assign the layer names from the image to the panel layers click the Copy Mapped Layer Names button It is recommended that you assign layer names to the panel layers if you perform Venting amp Thieving or add Robber Bars The layer names are used in creating layer sets Warning If you change the layer definition add a layer change a layer type etc of an image after creating a panel you must use the Layer Mapping dialog box to map the new modified layer to the appropriate panel layer It will not be done for you automatically When you define the layer mapping if any NC data exists in the images you are also required to map tool definitions to your template s tool table If you are not working with a template or did not define a tool table in your template the first image you load into the template will define the tool table If you load additional images into the table you must then map their tools based upon the definitions from the first image
45. Layer Sets EN NC Tools GN Break Tabs Ez Documentation M2 Analysis E r Query Ez Options EME Macro z B Tools ma Macros Comm 2 Select the Add Branch command An empty branch with a system assigned name appears You can now click and drag commands macros to this branch If desired you can also add sub branches by right clicking on a branch and selecting the Add Branch command To rename branches 1 Right click on the desired branch name A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Rename command An edit box appears around the name 3 Type in the desired name and press the Enter key To delete branches 1 Right click on the desired branch A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Delete command The branch and any command macro shortcuts within it is deleted O r 23 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual 1 Click on the desired branch 2 Press the Delete key The branch and any command macro shortcuts within it is deleted To add menu commands to the My Commands list 1 Click on the plus box next to the System Commands heading A list of all menus is provided 2 Click on the plus box next to the desired menu and sub menu if necessary until you see the command you wish to put in the My Commands list 3 Click on the command and hold down the mouse button 4 Drag the cursor to the desired location in the My Commands area and release the button The command now appears in the list The command m
46. Navigator to Create a Composite If the layers you wish to add to the composite do not already exist right click on the Layers heading in the Navigator A shortcut menu appears Select the Add Layer command and a dialog box prompts you to enter the new layer s name The new layer appears in the list It is automatically given the type Other and its visibility is turned off 1 In the Navigator right click on the Composites heading A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Add Composites command A new composite with a system default name appears in the Composites list 3 Click on a layer in the Layers list 4 While still holding down your mouse button move the cursor to the desired composite and release the button i e drag and drop the layer into the composite Note that if a layer already resides in a composite it cannot also be added to another composite To remove a layer from a composite right click on the desired layer and a shortcut menu appears Select the Remove command and the layer is removed from the composite This does not delete the actual layer in the database it just removes the layer from the composite To delete layers see the Layers area of the Navigator Converting a Set of Gerber 274 D Files into a Composite File 1 Select the File Import Import Wizard command to import the 274 D files 2 Select the Setup Composites command The Composite Setup dialog box appears 3 The Composite List shows any currently lo
47. Right click on the desired composite in the list A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Remove command and the composite is immediately deleted This does not delete the actual layers in the database just the composite information To delete layers see the Layers area of the Navigator O r 13 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual 1 To delete an empty composite click on the desired composite in the list 2 Press the Delete key and the empty composite is immediately deleted A Tip If you delete a composite layer set the layers will remain tagged as Composite You will need to tag your layers with a new layer type To add a layer to a composite 1 Click on a layer in the Layers list 2 While still holding down your mouse button move the cursor to the desired composite and release the button i e drag and drop the layer into the composite Note that if a layer already resides in a composite it cannot also be added to another composite To remove a layer from a composite 1 Click on the plus box next to the desired composite A list of layers in the composite appears 2 Right click on the desired layer and a shortcut menu appears 3 Select the Remove command and the layer is removed from the composite This does not delete the actual layer in the database it just removes the layer from the composite To delete layers see the Layers area of the Navigator To convert a composite to a single layer This function converts the com
48. Select the desired macro from the Macro Name list and click OK The macro is executed immediately or 3 To run a macro from the Navigator click on the Commands tab 4 Click on the plus box next to the Macros heading to view the list of available macros 5 Double click on the desired macro to run it Macro Load Select the Macro Load command to allow any macros present in a specified mac file to be available for running in GerbTool using the Macro Run command A Tip To automatically load a macro file at startup see the Options Configure command Macro Developer Selecting this menu command opens the GerbTool Macro Developer Macro Record Select the Record command to record a macro by manually performing the steps in GerbTool To record a macro 1 Select the Macro Record command The GerbTool Macro Developer is opened in recording mode the window is minimized but may be expanded so that you can view your progress Perform the desired steps in your macro in GerbTool All your steps are noted in the Macro Developer pane that displays the current macro To stop recording a macro select the Macro Record command again The Macro Developer remains open so that you can view and modify your macro as desired Give your macro a unique name MacroName is used by default just type over this text This name is used to identify your macro when you load and run it Save your macro to a file 181 GerbT
49. Setup Layers command or the Navigator make sure that each layer is tagged with the correct layer type Layer types are very important in the panelization process Non electrical layers such as drawing layers will not be included in the finished panel 3 Remove any extraneous data on your electrical layers that are outside the perimeter of the board such as title blocks targets crop marks etc 4 If necessary create a mill path around your image and optimize your NC tooling 5 Complete any other data preparation and analysis that is necessary prior to sending your job to manufacturing 6 Save your data as a gtd file Creating a New Panel 1 Prepare the images you wish to panelize as instructed above 2 Select the File New command to start with an empty database 3 Select the Tools Panelize Advanced command and define the various elements of your panel 4 When you click OK in the Advanced Panelization dialog box your finished panel appears in the workspace 5 Save this database as a gtd file or export it in whatever format you require The panel is created with step and repeat codes so you cannot edit the individual virtual images You can however change the placement of the virtual images within the panel We recommend if you wish to modify the image placement the panel that you select the Tools Panelize Advanced command again and modify the panel there That will prevent a violation of any spacing rules you set up
50. The net points are displayed in four ways for easy reference NY Top Layer Net Point ZA Bottom Layer Net Point d Inner Layer Net Point Thru hole Net Point 9 Select the Analysis Netlist Compare command 10 After performing the analysis discrepancies are automatically displayed in the Navigator which you may use to view the errors in the workspace and print reports 11 Double click on the error in the Navigator to view it in the workspace The GerbTool internal net in question highlighted and zoomed to fit the screen The external net points are shown in a unique color for each net amp Tip The external net point graphic colors are arbitrary If necessary you can change the highlight draw and flash colors for the layers you are looking at for better contrast and easier visibility 65 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual In the below example a Net Short was detected The blue net point symbols represent one external net Net X and the green net point symbols represent another Net Y Note that one of Net Y s points lies on the same GerbTool net as Net X A trace was mis routed If the error is an open or a short you can find the location of the error more quickly by right clicking on the error in the Navigator and selecting the Pin Point Error command The system then places a bounding box around the area where the open or short is located You can now change the data as necessary Once you have done so you sh
51. To close a file 1 Select the File Close command 2 If you have any changes that have not been saved you are asked whether you wish to save your changes to a gtd file If you do not save it any changes you made since you last saved the file will be discarded After you make your selection the workspace is cleared and the Event Log is displayed After closing a file if you wish to create a new database you must select the File New command Otherwise use File Open or one of the Import commands to open an existing database File Merge Selecting this command allows another complete GerbTool gtd or dsn file or CAM350 pcb or cam file to be merged layer by layer into the currently loaded design The layers will be ordered exactly as they are in each design so it is important that the layer types of each design match If you want the layers to remain separate you must first open one of the designs and move the layers so that the two designs do not have any common layer numbers Or instead of using the Merge function you can export one of the databases as Gerber if is not already in that format then use File Import Import Wizard to load the Gerber layers Gerber files are always imported to empty layers To merge databases 1 Use File Open or a File Import command to load one design 2 Select the File Merge command The Merge Design dialog box appears 3 Select the gtd or dsn file you wish to merge in Or If you wish to m
52. To expand an area of the tree click on the plus box next to the desired database element The branches of the information hierarchy are shown and the plus box becomes a minus box To compress or hide the information click on the minus box If there is no Plus symbol next to a topic in the tree that area contains no information The state of the Commands Tab remains the same regardless of what database is loaded My Commands If you frequently use certain commands or macros you can place shortcuts to the commands macros in the My Commands area The My Commands list may be sorted by clicking and dragging the commands macros up or down in the list The My Commands area can help speed up your processes and provide an organized list of steps that must be taken for your jobs Tip Adding deleting or renaming a command or macro in the My Commands list has no affect on the command or macro itself You are only modifying the shortcuts to these functions To rename the My Commands list 1 Right click on the My Commands heading A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Rename command An edit box appears around the heading 3 Type in the desired name and press the Enter key To add branches to the My Commands area 1 Right click on the My Commands heading A shortcut menu appears Data ma My Commands ma System Commands P File RI Edit TS View e ES Add CR Setup EN Layers GN Apertures GN Composites 26
53. Toolbar Button The Query Measure Point To Point command provides measurements between two points that you select To measure between two points 1 Zoom or pan to the area you wish to measure in the workspace 2 Select the Query Measure Point To Point command You are prompted to select the base point 3 Click on the point in the workspace you want to measure from A line is attached to the cursor Or If you want to select exact coordinates as your base point click the Abs button in the XY bar and specify the coordinates 4 Move the cursor to one or more points you want to measure to The actual distance between the edges of the items in X and Y as well as true length is displayed in the Status Bar 5 To select a new base point to measure from repeat steps 3 and 4 Or If you are finished press the Esc key twice 171 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Query Measure Edge To Edge lu Toolbar Button 2 The Query Measure Edge To Edge command measures the minimum distance between the two items from their closest edges To measure between the edges of two items 1 Zoom or pan to the items you wish to measure between in the workspace To aid in your selection turn off any layers that you do not need to be visible Select the Query Measure Edge To Edge command You are prompted to select the first item A bounding box is added to the cursor Anything that falls within this bounding box is a potential selection Yo
54. View Navigator to display it unselect the command to hide the Navigator View Toolbars Each button within the toolbar represents a shortcut method of launching a menu command When you click on a button in the toolbar the command associated with that button is executed An example of a toolbar with commonly used functions such as File New and File Save appears below Dag 8 2 er jeje For an explanation of each toolbar see Toolbar Button Reference All toolbars and control bars may be moved to a location you prefer by clicking your mouse on the bar and dragging the bar to a new location They may be docked to an edge of the GerbTool window or may float in a small window You can control which toolbars appear in the window with the View Toolbars command You can change which button appears in each toolbar by using the Options Customize Toolbar command To control which toolbars appear 1 Select the View Toolbars command The Visible Toolbars dialog box appears with a list of all available toolbars 2 Place a check next to each toolbar you wish to view or remove the check for those you wish to hide by clicking on your desired selection Click the All On button to view all toolbars 3 When you are finished click the OK button Related topics View Restore Toolbars View Restore Toolbars The Restore Toolbars command returns the toolbars Navigator Selection Filter Layer Bar and ltem Properties Display to the program default
55. a aa a a i a i 196 Tools Embedded Passives 2 ctetu Latii aiii e iia heeded dd a edd ad 200 TOOIS LAYEr Spread R 203 deene ET 204 Hsec 206 E un TEE 212 CUSTOM APERTURE EDIT OR i eege trei el da 213 Main OT 213 File Tool Bala acia a 213 View TOO BI 213 Coordinate BEE 213 Graphics Tool Bastida cinerea aed ei en eles eege EES 213 Status Display EE 213 CUSTOM APERTURE EDITOR COMMAND REFERENCE ccccssccssseeeseeeeeeseeesceeseseeeeeeeeeeseaeseneeeeneeeeseaeeesnaesenseeeeeneeneas 214 SIE 214 Eile EXit TEE 214 Ed lee e ON 214 uero EE eee 214 luem 214 Edit Delete s tiic2i EE 215 Edit Change Drill te EE 215 ViewlWindOow 5 nile A Ait intel ee ein dela aia Ath uimrotun dein lads 215 MEW Zo0M Mit ia 216 VIEW ZOOM OUL 2 unen peior ad da 216 VIE etl 216 VII 216 EE 217 MIOW Sketches un E tane eee een EE dee EE ada dae 217 View ogba aaea A A d merda cendo te HR RE endi RR 217 View Status Bar zm io fou sur PE IMG Led esee 217 View VIew Bar ettet tt teo e tier et title tute Eerad 217 e e lee EE 217 Add s iif rte ti tert cte oder t ee rs cti ni sonder east risus e etu ote eMe do cL cte rodeo iei ed 217 CHUCKY eebe LM LEES 218 Options Grid to etn pectet n eti e bee a n eie eret ni rs dece De et ton tet 218 EI e e 218 FILE FORMAT TECHNICAL REFERENCGE 2
56. above steps A checkmark now appears next to the Show Unused command Select the command to remove the checkmark and hide the unused tools Nets The number of nets in your design are noted next to the Net heading in parentheses To see a list of all nets in your design click on the plus box next to the Nets heading The Nets area expands to show all nets by number Tip To save processing time when you generate a netlist the Nets list in the Navigator is not populated until you first attempt to access it To generate a netlist 1 Right click on the Nets heading and a shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Generate command The Netlist Generation dialog box appears 3 Select the desired options and click OK to generate the netlist After the netlist is generated all nets are listed under the Nets heading To clear an existing netlist 1 Right click on the Nets heading and a shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Clear Existing Netlist command You are asked to confirm if you want to clear the netlist doing so can not be undone by selecting the Undo command afterwards To query net information Double click on a net name The Query Net dialog box appears with detailed information about the selected net To highlight a net in the workspace Right click on a net name and select Highlight from the shortcut menu To view highlight end points in a net 1 Click on the plus box next to the desired net name A detailed list appea
57. all your ODB database files and click OK The netlist is imported 3 After you import the netlist a new External Net layer is created Viewed by itself this layer appears to contain no data However this layer contains the external netlist information and links the external net points to the appropriate top inner bottom layer net test points To view the points turn on the associated top bottom and inner layers and the external net layer The net points are displayed in four ways for easy reference NY Top Layer Net Point ZA Bottom Layer Net Point d Inner Layer Met Point X Thru hole Wet Point File Import Netlist ODB X As an aid to those who wish to compare a netlist created from Gerber data back to an ODB XML database netlist the File Import Netlist ODB X command imports only the netlist from an ODB XML database It is not necessary to use the File Import ODB X command to import the entire database export an IPC D 356 netlist discard the database load your Gerber data and import the IPC D 356 netlist If your goal is to perform a netlist comparison see the Comparing Netlists tutorial for complete instructions This topic will only cover the steps necessary for importing an ODB XML format netlist Importing an ODB X netlist 1 Select the File Import Netlist ODB X command The Import ODB X Netlist dialog box appears 2 Select the ODB XML format database file and click OK The netlist is import
58. and draw endpoints and or text that you specify The color of the dimension lines and text in the workspace depends upon the color you have set for flashes on your drawing layer To add a dimension 1 Make the layer that you want the dimensioning associated with the active layer The layer must be tagged as a Drawing layer see Setup Layers 2 Select the Documentation Drawing Dimensioning Properties command to define the properties of the dimension measurements 3 Select the Documentation Drawing Dimensioning Add Dimension command The Add Dimension dialog box appears with the following options Type Linear specifies that the dimension is of two specified items Continued specifies that the first dimension will be of two specified items and that any subsequently specified dimensions will be relative to the last point so that all of the dimensions will appear as connected Baseline specifies that the first selected item will specify the starting point for all subsequent dimensions Dimensions specified after the first one are automatically offset from the last dimension in the same direction as the dimension text see Text Spacing Ordinate specifies that dimensions will be created in the same manner as Continued only with no dimension lines between the extension lines and with the dimension text rotated 90 degrees Orientation Horizontal specifies that the new dimension will measure the horizontal distance between two features
59. aperture The Gerber To Custom dialog box appears 4 Specify a name for the custom aperture 5 Select the Replace Original Selection option if you want to automatically replace your selected data with the resulting custom aperture If you do not select this option the custom aperture will still be created but the original data will remain untouched 6 Click OK The items are immediately converted to a custom aperture and assigned to a D code Tip You may expand convert one or more instances of a custom aperture back into its equivalent layer data using the Edit D code Explode Customs command Tools Convert Raster To Vector This command converts existing raster filled polygons on the selected layers to vector filled polygons To convert raster polygons to vector polygons 1 This function only processes visible layers Turn on any layers you wish to process and turn off those you dont 2 Select the Tools Convert Raster To Vector command The Raster To Vector Polygon Conversion dialog box appears 3 Click the arrow button next to the Layer box to select which layer you want to process Select All Visible to process all visible layers 4 The Outset selections determine how the outer boundary of the vector polygon relates to the original raster polygon If you select Enable the raster polygon s outer edge becomes the centerline of the vector polygon s border If you select Disable the vector polygon border s outer edge follows
60. aperture or loaded the library file it appears in the Custom Aperture Name list Select the custom aperture from that list to use it as a D code 5 When you are finished click the Apply button Your aperture is now defined 6 If your D code requires an angle of rotation click on the Angle column for the D code and the Angle is immediately highlighted Type in the new value 7 To define an aperture s type SMT Thermal or ThruHole click on the Type column for the D code and select the desired type In Shape View 1 Right click on the desired aperture shape and select Add from the shortcut menu 57 In GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Or Click on the desired aperture shape and click the Add D Code button The next available D code number appears in the New D Code dialog box Accept the number or type in a different unused D code number Click OK and an undefined aperture appears in the list Define the parameters as necessary under the shape tab in the middle of the dialog box See the Setup Apertures command topic for a detailed explanation of each aperture type Note that a representation of your aperture appears in a preview on the right side of the dialog box Although it is not an exact representation of the size of the aperture it shows you how the aperture shape will appear Custom apertures are defined using the Custom Aperture Editor To create a new custom aperture click the Custom Ap button and sel
61. are automatically saved and will remain highlighted in the workspace To turn off the highlighting select the View Highlights command Related topics Edit Select New Group Edit Select Remove From Toolbar Button Use the Remove From command to selectively remove items from the current Select Group It does not delete or otherwise alter any data the item is only removed from the group and it is no longer highlighted in the workspace If you would like to remove all items from the Select Group use the Edit Select Clear command To remove items from the Select Group 1 Select the Edit Select Remove From command 2 Using the Selection Filter as necessary select the items you want to remove from the Select Group 3 When you are finished press the Esc key to exit the function Edit Select Invert Toolbar Button Use this command to invert the current Select Group That is all currently items in the Select Group are removed from the group and all other items in the database are selected If you are creating a select group from the majority of the items in your database you can quickly create the group by first selecting the items you do not want with the Edit Select New Group command and then inverting the group selection with this command Warning This command will select items from both visible and invisible layers Related topics Edit Select Remove From Edit Select Clear Toolbar Button
62. associated with a particular layer so its visibility is determined by whether the associated layer is visible but it does not exist on a layer To draw a redline sketch 1 Make the layer that you want the drawing associated with the active layer 2 Select the Documentation Redline Properties command and specify the properties of the line you want to use to create the sketch 3 Select the Documentation Redline Sketch command 4 Click and drag the cursor in the workspace to draw any desired shape 5 When you are finished press the Esc key mRelated topics Documentation Redline Add Line Documentation Redline Add Arrow 153 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Documentation Redline Delete x The delete command deletes selected redline information Toolbar Button To delete redline information 1 Select the Documentation Redline Delete command 2 Select an item to delete Use the Selection Filter as an aid in selecting items if necessary 3 When you select an item to delete you are asked to confirm your selection If you wish you can disable the confirmation message by clicking the Disable Prompts button in the Status Bar This causes each item to be deleted immediately after selection The button is a toggle so if you want to enable the confirmation messages again just click the Enable Prompts button 4 When you are finished deleting items press the Esc key Documentation Redline Properties Toolbar Bu
63. be used to import CAM350 pcb or cam file databases CAM350 files can also be imported with the File lImport CAM350 command 71 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual To open a GerbTool database 1 Select the FileJOpen command The Open dialog box appears 2 Select the gtd or dsn file you wish to open Or If you wish to open a CAM350 file click on the Files Of Type box and select the CAM350 Database option This will allow you to search for and select a pcb or cam file 3 Click the Open button to open the database in the workspace Notes regarding CAM350 files CAM350 v7 X databases can contain panelized data If your database contains a panel the panel itself the one up image and any symbols are saved as separate gtd files you are prompted to select a folder to contain the files You are then asked if you want to view the panel or the one up image file CAM350 DFM errors are added as Redline data on a separate layer Polygon Voids are supported but are not recognized as standalone entities Voids are only relative to the closed and filled polygon that contains them If you query a polygon void Query Item command the information returned is for the polygon itself Polygon voids also cannot be modified added or deleted File Close This command closes the current design file The Event Log can still be viewed after closing a file If you also wish to exit the GerbTool application use the File Exit command instead
64. bitmap the film box and display grid may appear on the output page You can disable this by setting the film box color to the background color using the Options Configure command and disabling the display of the grid using the G hotkey 63 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Performing DRC amp DFF Analyses The GerbTool Analysis functions are used to find any flaws in your design prior to manufacturing Using rules that you specify the system analyzes your design finds errors and determines the best fix for those errors You can then review the errors in the workspace print error reports fix the errors yourself or have the system fix the errors for you For maximum efficiency all your rules can be saved for use in future designs and each check can be run at the same time You can also perform a graphical netlist comparison using an IPC D 356 or 356A netlist that you import and the netlist extracted from your design in GerbTool Any discrepancies are displayed to you in a report and in the workspace and you can then modify your design data as necessary The Netlist Compare function is available to you both as a separate menu command and in the DRC MRC dialog box so that you can run the comparison at the same time as your other DRC MRC checks Prior to running the Analysis functions some data preparation is required The preliminary steps are included below and you can click on the hyperlinks for more details on each function Performin
65. box appears 21 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual 3 Select the desired folder and specify the report file name A text file containing error information for all your runs is created To generate a summary report file for an individual run 1 Right click on the desired run A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Report command A Save As dialog box appears 3 Select the desired folder and specify the report file name A text file containing error information for the run is created To print reports for all the errors in a run 1 Right click on the desired run A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Print All command The reports are sent to your default printer A full page report is created for each individual error It contains a picture of the data in question both zoomed in and a diagram showing where it is in the design area the date file name units of measure information about the error and the item that caused the error To generate a summary report file for all errors in a pass 1 Right click on the Analysis heading A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Report command A Save As dialog box appears 3 Select the desired folder and specify the report file name A text file containing information for all your errors is created To print reports for all the errors in a pass 1 Right click on the desired pass A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Print All command The reports are sent to your default printer A f
66. cause damage to a board without a pilot hole You can select an existing smaller tool to create the pilot hole Export Order Normally tools are output by tool number in the NC file which in turn controls the order in which drill hits or mill paths are created The Export Order definition allows you to export tools and their associated hits paths in a different order in the NC file This allows the fabricator to accommodate special tool carousel loading requirements Color You can display NC data in the workspace either by layer color or tool color you can control this with the Tools NC Display Settings command The Color parameter here defines the tool color Pattern You can associate an existing custom aperture with a tool If you import stepped amp repeated NC data the individual pattern is converted to a custom aperture which is then assigned to a tool You can also define the custom in the Setup Apertures or Tools Convert To Custom command or load it from a custom aperture library file This allows you to create a step and repeat pattern of NC data When a custom aperture is associated with a tool the data within the aperture definition are analyzed and the tools necessary for the data are added to the tool table if they do not already exist If there are conflicts with the tools needed in the custom aperture definition and those already existing in the table a mapping dialog box appears so that you can resolve the conflict Exp
67. centered horizontally and vertically between the termination bars An error is reported if the resistor shape is out of alignment by more than the specified tolerance Bar Overlap Checks that the resistor shape overlaps the two termination bars by the specified amount 165 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Bar Extension For additive passives this checks whether the termination bars extend beyond the resistor shape by the specified amount For subtractive passives this checks whether the resistor shape extends beyond the termination bar by the specified amount Bar Width Checks if the termination bars are at least as wide as the specified amount Minimum Size Checks that the active resistor area not including the overlap is at least the specified X Y size Maximum Size Checks that the active resistor area not including the overlap is no larger than the specified X Y size To Copper Checks the distance of the resistor shape against any adjacent copper If they are closer than the specified distance an error is reported To Drill Checks the distance of the resistor shape against any drills on the same net If they are closer than the specified distance an error is reported Properties These are the defined parameters for each check To change a property click on it and type in the value The property for each analysis type is explained above Layer s This column displays the layers used in each check selected in the Layer
68. clicking on its end points and then a point on its circumference Or 127 4 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual After entering the end points of an arc you may press the 9 key for an automatic 90 degree arc Repeat step 2 to create another arc You may select a different layer and D code to create the arc if desired Press the Esc key to exit the function Add Array Toolbar Button S Use this command to add a pattern of D codes to the active layer If the active layer is an NC layer the array contains drill hits using the currently selected tool To add an array 1 After you select the active layer and the D code tool in the Layer Bar select the Add Array command The Add Array dialog box appears 2 Define the spacing between items in the pattern and click OK 4 Click on the upper left corner of the rectangular area that will contain the array and then the lower right corner As you move the cursor to the second corner the current number of rows and columns along with the total number of items in the array is displayed in the Status Bar Repeat steps 2 and 3 to add another array with the same spacing or press the Esc key to end the function Add Polygon Toolbar Button This command is commonly used to create ground plane areas You can create a polygon either by drawing the outline of a new one or selecting an existing outline The interior of the polygon is filled using either a raster fill or vector fill
69. command does not automatically operate on the design currently loaded in the workspace Coupon placement venting and thieving pinning holes and title blocks are supported as long as those elements have been saved as individual gtd files The Advanced Panelization dialog box is designed to step you through the panelization process Each feature under each tab is defined below For detailed procedures on creating panels templates and other tasks see the Panelization Tutorial A Tip For best results when creating a new panel do not have a database open in the workspace You should only open a database first if it is a panel template or if you are modifying a pre existing panel Panel Panel Size Define the X and Y dimensions of your panel The default values are the film box size The currently selected units of measure are used Panel Origin E Select an origin for the panel This establishes the 0 0 point for the panel and all image data are placed in reference to it Tooling Origin Offset From Panel Origin If desired specify the X Y offset of the tooling origin from the panel origin This allows you to specify a separate origin for NC data all drill and mill coordinates reference this point 182 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Image You define the placement of each selected image in the Image and Layout tabs Image Files All the images listed in this box will be included in the panel The currently selected image is th
70. create a netlist 2 Select the Tools Teardrops command The Teardrops dialog box appears 3 In the Report File box specify the filename of a report file to log any errors By default the file is saved in the Samples folder Click the Browse button to search for a different folder 4 Select the Layer to process If 0 is entered all visible layers are processed 5 Only flashes that use the specified D codes will be processed To select specific D codes click the Arrow button and select the D Codes from the Select Apertures dialog box If All is specified all flashes are processed 6 In the Percent Of Host box specify the size of the Teardrop s tail on pads The length of the teardrop s tail is calculated as a percentage of the host pad diameter This value may be less than or greater than 100 7 In the Length Multiple box specify the length of the Teardrop s tail on T junctions This value is calculated as a percentage of the host trace width and may be fractional 8 In the Width Multiple box specify the width of the Teardrop s tail on T junctions This value is calculated as a percentage of the host trace width and may be fractional 9 A Teardrop will not be added if it violates either of the Minimum Spacing values Pad Trace is the minimum spacing that must be maintained between pads and adjacent traces and Trace Trace is the minimum spacing that must be maintained between adjacent traces 10 Select Window if you only wan
71. database Note that some functions cannot be undone the Undo command is only available when a function allows it If you plan to use the Undo command it must be enabled with the Options Configure command prior to making any edits Undo increases the amount of memory GerbTool requires If you do not require the undo capability you may disable it Disabling undo releases any memory currently associated with undo information and prevents further memory use To undo a change 1 Select the Edit Undo command The Undo dialog box appears with your last seven edits listed the most recent edit being listed first 2 In order to undo one change you must undo all subsequent changes e g if you add a draw then a flash and you wish to undo the draw you must undo the flash as well Select the change s you wish to undo in the dialog box 3 Click the Undo button The dialog box closes and the workspace is immediately updated Related topics Edit Redo 99 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Edit Redo Toolbar Button Equivalent Hotkey Shift U reverse last undo Where the Undo command reverses changes you have made to your database the Redo command reverses the Undo command Your database is returned to the state it was in prior to your selection of the Undo command If you plan to use the Undo amp Redo commands the Undo command must be enabled with the Options Configure command prior to making any edits Undo increases the amount of me
72. display s 123 Toolbars Commande 123 TOOLING OM uta a aii 182 eeler LEE 198 optimizilig s re eet ere ehe 199 tools ce eosdem 10 CHANGING ieiunio ee decern 102 113 115 ele Leere esee asd und 143 selection filter eterne 25 table sS 143 use TED en fre tette e et adt e 149 Tools command EE 115 o 182 Transcode Commande 111 247 TASA ii 121 triangle apertures sss 137 True Type font ater 129 tutorials changes in drill and mill functions 45 comparing netlists crait 65 copying to the Windows Clipboard 40 creating stencls ce raria aein 70 Gerber for beginners oooonccccnnnocccccnononoccnnnoncccnnnn cnn nano 47 panelizati m could ered Geh 67 performing DRC amp DFF apnahyses 64 Using BEE 42 working with apertures ssseeene 57 working with composites ooooonccccnnoniccnonoccccnanancnncnananos 60 working with embedded passives 69 U WAdO COMMANG EE 40 99 214 purging DU OT ond o tert tbt 118 EE DEE 100 Undo Status oe ER eg Ee eit tatit dide 31 units of meaeure oooccncnncnncccnonoconnnnoncnnnnnrnnnnnns 31 174 218 Units Precision Commande 174 Update Hole Chart commande 160 user data ele e in perte D p nM RID 102 adding to niet cota reo np b rS 12 assigning net pin data to 166 Une ul BEE 102 deletlng ntc rat o ier P Eater idis 102 QUE nadaa 170 IS Ile EE 102 U
73. drop layers from the Layer List into the appropriate set in the Layer Set List If you make a mistake layers can be dragged back into the Layer List or you can delete layer sets The actions you perform here have no effect upon the actual panel layers they are not deleted or reordered Add Robber Bar Select this option to add a robber bar to your layer set You must then define the appearance of the robber bar Width Of Robber Bar The width of the solid robber bar line Clearance From Panel Edge The distance of the outside edge of the robber bar from the panel edge Generate Robber Bars On These Edges Select the sides of the panel that you want to place the robber bar on Venting amp Thieving Layer Set Venting and thieving patterns are usually unique to a layer s type The layer sets used for venting and thieving are the same as those used for robber bars Pattern After you select the layer set you wish to work on click on the desired pattern type or select click on None to have no venting or thieving on the layer set You are presented with a preview of the pattern and the options for defining Dot Hatch and Star Burst patterns If you are defining a small dot or hatch pattern it is recommended that you select the Pattern Preview option as you make your changes Otherwise in the Panel Preview mode the pattern may be too small to view Tip As you define your patterns you may notice a delay before your changes appear in
74. explode your custom apertures into their individual elements by using the Edit D Code Explode Customs command This essentially removes all customs from your database Otherwise you can save your custom apertures to separate library files which contain their complete information When you re import a GerbTool aperture list that contains custom apertures they are defined as moires You will then have to use the Custom Ap button in the Aperture Setup dialog box to reload or define your custom apertures Use of 274 X will avoid these issues because the custom aperture definitions are contained within the 274 X data G codes Now that we understand how to identify the apertures that are used in the Gerber file we have to tell the photoplotter what to do with them G codes are used for this purpose G code Function G01 or Gl Linear Interpolation 1X scale G02 or G2 ockwise Circular Interpolation C Disable 360 Circular Interpolation single quadrant Enable 360 Circular Interpolation multi quadrant You will not see all of these G codes in a 274 D file They simply aren t required You will normally only see G01 and G54 Linear interpolation plots a straight line from the present position to the X Y coordinate specified by the data block The format of a G01 command is GO1X X coordinate gt Y lt Y coordinate D D code number gt Circular interpolation is used to create arcs and circles The G02 and G03 commands control s
75. file Clearances For all patterns you need to specify the clearance of the venting data from the panel edge and the other data that is on the panel Tools Panelize Flatten Executing this command immediately removes the step amp repeat codes from a panelized database and essentially creates a single design from a panel Tools Panelize Simple mmm Toolbar Button 222 The Simple Panelization is mainly used for creating simple assembly panels If you are creating panels for production tooling or more complex assembly panels use Advanced Panelization Some data preparation is necessary prior to panelization Using the Setup Layers command or the Navigator make sure that each layer is tagged with the correct layer type All visible layers will be included in the panel Turn off any layers that you do not wish to include in the finished panel such as drawing layers Although only visible layers will be copied all layers of the original image will remain aligned after panelization Remove any extraneous data on your electrical layers that are outside the perimeter of the board such as title blocks targets crop marks etc Complete any other data preparation and analysis that is necessary prior to sending your job to manufacturing The finished size of your panel is determined by the size of the film box To change the size of the film box select the Options Configure command click the Display tab and change the film bo
76. hide a layer set in the workspace 1 Right click on the desired layer set A shortcut menu appears with a checkmark next to the Visible command to indicate the layers are visible 2 Select the Visible command and the layers in the layer set are hidden from view in the workspace To make the layers visible select the Visible command again Embedded Passives When you tag a passive layer as Passive Add or Passive Sub it is immediately added to the Embedded Passives area of the Navigator When you have reverse engineered your embedded passive data you can view information about the embedded passives on those layers and highlight specific embedded passives in the workspace To view the detail list for a passive layer click on the plus box next to the desired passive layer The following items appear in the detail list in this order The conductive layer number and name The material constant for the layer in Ohms per square inch The Valid Embedded Passives list A valid embedded passive is a flash on the passive layer which has been defined as a resistor shape and has two termination bar flashes associated to it on the conductive layer The embedded passives are listed by reference designator If you click on the plus box next to the reference designator the embedded passive s coordinates and resistance value are displayed The Invalid Embedded Passives list This list contains flashes that have been marked as resistor
77. in its place 6 The Source DXF Layers list shows the layers within the DXF file that you can map to zero or more Destination Layers in GerbTool To map the layers click and drag the source layers onto the desired Destination Layers Multiple DXF layers can map to a single GerbTool layer Also a single DXF layer can map to multiple GerbTool layers Or Click the Map All To Current button to automatically map all DXF layers to the currently active layer This is required if no layer table exists in the DXF file Or Click the Map Sequentially button to display a dialog box that allows you to sequentially map DXF layers to GerbTool layers You first specify the initial destination layer and are given the option to exclude DXF layer 0 from the mapping Or Click the Map By Color option to have DXF file items mapped onto GerbTool layers based on color Items of color 1 red will appear on GerbTool layer 1 those of color 2 yellow appear on GerbTool layer 2 and so on The Clear Map button can be used if you want to remove all the mapping currently defined and start over 7 Specify the scale factor used during merging To keep your data the same size as is set in your DXF file keep the default scale factor of 1 8 Specify the Line Width in inches to use for zero width lines The default width is 0 01 inches Zero width closed polylines create filled polygons in GerbTool 9 Select the Place At Origin option if you wish to h
78. in the file Plating Select Plated if the NC data on the layer are plated Nonplated if the NC data are unplated or Both if you have a combination of plated and unplated data on the layer Your tools will be defined accordingly in the tool table Step and Repeat When stepping and repeating a pattern Excellon supports repeated placement of the pattern with a fixed offset by using the repeat Rn command in conjunction with the pattern offset command M02 This option is provided because of discrepancies between the Excellon documentation and the behavior of some machine controllers Selecting this option specifies that the result of n in the command RnMO2 would be the total number instances of the pattern per Excellon documentation So the result of R5M02 would be 5 instances of the pattern If not selected the command will produce n 1 instances of the pattern R5M02 would result in 6 instances of the pattern the original plus 5 Apply To This is the directory path and name of the file you are importing Format Sample This displays the text version of your file You cannot edit the contents of the file here this is only for your reference If you wish to save the current settings as the defaults for NC files whose format cannot be identified by GerbTool click the Set As Default button If an imported file can be identified the format settings will be set accordingly not to 79 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual the defa
79. instructions below eng the GerbTool Stroke Font From the Windows desktop select Start gt Run and execute the following command line from the Run dialog box On Windows Vista C ProgramData WISE Software Solutions GerbTool 15 1 Fonts F2G EXE stroke fnt On all other Windows operating systems C Documents and Settings All Users Application Data WISE Software Solutions GerbTool 15 1 Fonts F2G EXE stroke fnt This command line assumes that you installed GerbTool on the C drive If not alter the file path as necessary 2 This creates an individual Gerber file for each character in the font file and places all of them in the Fonts folder 3 Start GerbTool 4 Select the File Open command and open the fonts gtd file in the Fonts folder You will be warned that the file was created with an earlier version of GerbTool Just click the Yes button to load it 5 Each character is loaded as an individual layer The Film Box is set to a 7mil square which each character must remain within You may draw any shape you desire as long as you stay in or on the Film Box and you do not try to add flashes 6 When you are finished select the File Export Gerber command The Export Gerber dialog box appears 7 Keep the Fonts folder as the destination folder and leave all the gbr files selected with their default names Click the Data Format button and the Gerber Export Data Format dialog box appears 8 The G2F program which you will use to con
80. it will override the setting in the Tool Table Compensation A compensated mill path is offset from the centerline by the radius of the mill tool or the value set in the Compensation Index Table in the NC Tool Table If you wish to use compensation specify whether the path should be offset to the Right or Left relative to the direction that the mill tool travels O r If you selected a milled circle the Mill Circle Properties dialog box appears Change the circle properties as desired Tool The tool number to use for this circle Feed Rate The rate at which the mill tool travels through the material to create the circle in either inches per minute or mm per second depending upon your units of measure The default rate when this option is set at Default or 0 is the feed rate assigned in the NC Tool Table If you specify a different rate here then it will override the setting in the Tool Table Plated Whether the circle should be plated or unplated A tool must have a Plated status of Both in the NC Tool table in order for you to change it here Direction Select CW to have the circle routed in a clockwise direction or select CCW to have the circle routed in a counter clockwise direction 114 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Type Select Inside to have the circle routed on the inside of the specified radius or select Outside to have it routed on the outside of the specified radius 4 Click the OK button 5 You c
81. lower left A rectangle based on a lower left point 5 Y center point 6 Rotation in degrees counterclockwise clockwise 1 0 exposure off a exposure on reverse current exposure state 2 3 4 X lower left point 5 Y lower left point 6 Rotation in degrees counterclockwise clockwise 4 1 Outline 0 exposure off An open or closed shape defined by a rs exposure on series of X Y points up to 50 The first reverse current exposure state and last points are the same in a closed E ER 4 5 6 7 8 etc Third Y point continue as needed 9 or last number used Rotation in degrees counterclockwise clockwise 52 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Primitive Number Modifier Variables 5 1 Polygon 0 exposure off A closed shape with sides of equal 1 exposure on length It is defined by 3 to 10 vertices a 2 7 reverse current exposure state center point diameter and rotation 2 3 4 5 6 Rotation in degrees counterclockwise clockwise 6 1 A cross hair centered on concentric 2 3 4 Circle line thickness positive data 5 Gap between circles negative data 6 Number of circles 7 Cross hair thickness positive data 8 Cross hair length 9 Rotation in degrees counterclockwise clockwise 7 1 Thermal X center point A solid circle of positive data with a 2 smaller circle and cross ties of negative Y cen
82. menu A Format 2 tab appears The D codes that have already been recognized based on the Format 1 definitions are listed in gray text 11 Modify the column headers so that they are appropriate for the second type of formatting e g D code 11 s format and repeat the same steps as you did for Format 1 You can create as many Format types as necessary to convert your entire aperture list 12 When you are finished click the Save Converter button to save your ACR file in the Apconv folder The dialog box closes and your converter appears in the Format list of the Import Aperture List dialog box Related topics Gerber for Beginners Working with Apertures Aperture List Files Filellmport NC Drill Mill This command allows you to import an NC drill or mill file to a layer that you specify The format of the file will be automatically detected for you but you are given an opportunity to review and change any of the format settings prior to loading the file Importing PADS Drill Files PADS drill files do not include the drill tool definitions Instead a separate rep file containing the definitions is created If you are importing a drill file from a PADS CAD system complete the following steps before you import the file 1 Make sure that the following PADS ACR files are currently in the GerbTool ToolConv folder PadsMil acr PadsInch acr PadsDrillMM acr 2 Select the File Import NC Tool List command and import the rep file
83. method Warning If you plan to export your files in 274 D format use vector filling Raster filling is not supported in 274 D To create a polygon 1 2 Select the Add Polygon command The Add Polygon dialog box appears The polygon must be an enclosed area For the Polygon Border select Draw if you wish to draw the outline of the polygon Choose Select to select a pre existing closed polygon to fill The results of running the command will be placed onto the selected Destination Layer Selecting Same causes the polygon to be placed on the active layer Using the Same option allows you to add polygons on different layers by simply changing the active layer If you select a specific destination layer you must restart the Add Polygon function if you wish to add another polygon to a different layer The active layer is always the source layer for either the data to be selected created for the border or the data that are poured around flooded If the destination layer is the same as the source layer and the polygon border is selected the data making up the border will be deleted Select a Fill Method In Flood Fill mode any objects inside the polygon will be covered over In Pour Around mode the interior of the polygon is filled while maintaining the specified clearances around all objects inside the polygon Pour Around also recognizes polygon voids and will pour around them Draw Clearance specifies the distance the fill is t
84. number of repeats gt I lt X axis step J Y axis step Parameter Value Description the number of times the data will be repeated along the X axis the number of times the data will be repeated along the Y axis the distance between the X axis repeats the distance between the Y axis repeats Mirror Image The MI parameter is used to flip data on either the X or Y axis When turned on all the data that follows is mirrored until another MI command is used The AS parameter is used to correlate the X and Y axes with the output device s A and B axes SMI A lt 1 or 0 gt B lt 1 or 0 gt Parameter Value Description A lt 1 or 0 1 invert A axis data flip image on the B axis 0 disable B 1 or 0 1 7 invert B axis data flip image on the A axis 0 disable The following example inverts Y axis data flipping the image on the X axis SASAXBY SMIAOB1 Composites Basically a composite is a single layer and hence a single Gerber file which is made up of a set of positive dark and negative clear layers When you look at a composite file in ASCII format you will see two or more layers defined with LP LN and MO parameters defined for each They are primarily used to route traces on power planes For more information on composites see Working with Composites Gerber from Japan In recent years a version of Gerber that utilizes decimal points has emerged from Japan In versions we have seen in
85. occurrences of copper slivers Any areas of copper that are less than the Size you specify will be considered possible copper slivers Mask Sliver Count Reports the number of occurrences of mask slivers Any resist areas that are less than the Size you specify will be considered possible mask slivers DRC Design Rule Check Pad Pad The minimum spacing allowed between pads Pad Trace The minimum spacing allowed between pads and traces Trace Trace The minimum spacing allowed between traces Border The minimum spacing allowed between any item and the border Min Pad The minimum pad size allowed Min Trace The minimum trace size allowed Stubs A trace stub is any trace that touches a pad or trace on one end but does not on the opposite end Drill Drill The minimum spacing required between adjacent drill locations Drill Annulus The minimum annular ring required between conductive layers and drill layer Drill Copper The minimum space required between copper entities and drills Separate tolerances are available for plated through holes PTH and non plated through holes NPTH Pad Top Mask amp Pad Bot Mask The minimum annular ring required between top bottom side pads and the top bottom solder mask Only checks the size of existing openings not whether there is an opening missing for a pad Use the Missing Top Mask and Missing Bot Mask checks to find missing openings if desired Drill Top Mask amp Drill Bot Mask The minimum annul
86. of GerbTool is released new features dictate that new registry settings are provided in the installation so if you upgrade from one version to another the settings from the previous version are not maintained in the new version This command allows you to import all viable registry settings from a previous version of GerbTool so that you can make your toolbar positions and other settings track as closely as possible from one version to another To import settings from a previous installation 1 Select the Options Import Settings command The Import Settings dialog box appears It contains a list of previous GerbTool installations that it has detected 2 Select the version whose settings you wish to import and click OK You are asked to confirm that you wish to overwrite the current settings with the previous version If you decide later that you wish to change the toolbar positions back to the default settings of the current version use the View Restore Toolbars command That command only restores the toolbar settings no other registry settings are touched 180 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Macro menu The Macro menu provides access to the GerbTool macro files Run M Load Developer Record Macro Run Equivalent Hotkey M All macros loaded at program startup and through the Macro Load command are available for execution To run a macro 1 Select the Macro Run command The Run Macro dialog box appears 2
87. of that aperture on all visible layers are highlighted in the workspace To view unused apertures 1 Right click on the Apertures heading A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Show Unused command and all unused apertures immediately appear in the list To hide unused apertures right click on the Apertures heading A checkmark appears next to the Show Unused command Select the command to remove the checkmark and hide the unused apertures To delete an unused aperture 1 Make sure that unused apertures are displayed see above 2 Right click on the desired aperture in the list A shortcut menu appears 3 Select the Spreadsheet command and the Aperture Setup dialog box appears The dialog box scrolls to the aperture you selected 4 Right click on the aperture and select the Delete D code command from the shortcut menu 5 Click OK to close the dialog box To change an aperture s shape 1 Click on the plus box next to the desired aperture 2 In the aperture detail list the first item is the D code shape Right click on the shape and a shortcut menu appears 3 The current shape has a checkmark next to it Select the new shape from the menu To change an aperture s size 1 Click on the plus box next to the desired aperture 2 In the aperture detail list the second item is the D code size Right click on the size and a shortcut menu appears 3 Select the Edit command A box appears around the size indicating that it can
88. passive devices This allows you to then check the data for errors create reports etc Tools Embedded Passives Find The purpose of this function is to tell the system what conductive layer is paired with what embedded passive layer and have it automatically build the embedded passives from the information on those layers If you have multiple embedded passive layers you must repeat this function for all the embedded passive conductive layer pairs in your database Each of the three main options in this command converting the drawn resistor shapes to flashes marking them as resistor shapes and building the embedded passive can also be performed manually using the following commands respectively Tools Convert Drawn Pads 200 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Tools Embedded Passives Mark Resistor Flashes Tools Embedded Passives Build Embedded Passive To automatically find embedded passives 1 2 3 4 Use the Setup Layers command to organize and tag your layers Select one of the Tools Convert Drawn Pads commands and convert all drawn pads on your conductive layers to flashes If this is not done the system will not be able to properly build your embedded passives Select the Tools Embedded Passives Find command The Find Embedded Passives dialog box appears Select the Embedded Passive Layer and Conductive Layer pair you wish to work with Warning If you have already associated a conductive layer with the selected em
89. path either Item or Window Xing mode must be used If you select a milled circle because milled circles are predefined operations within a mill program it is converted to a mill path 4 You are asked to confirm your selection When you click Yes the arcs are converted 5 Select additional arcs to convert or press the Esc key to exit the function Tools Convert Segmented Arcs To Arcs Toolbar Button This command will convert arcs made up of line segments to circular interpolated true arcs Converting segments to arcs will help reduce the size of your database files To convert line segments to arcs 1 This command can process entire layers If you have several layers with segmented arcs that you wish to convert make those layers visible and turn off any layers you do not want to process 2 Select the Tools Convert Segmented Arcs To Arcs command The Segmented To Real Arcs dialog box appears 3 Specify the name and location of the report file to be generated by the command By default it is saved in GerbTool s Samples folder Click the Browse button to save to a different folder 4 n the Layer box select the layer that contains the arcs you wish to convert All or 0 processes all visible layers 5 Specify the minimum number of segments which must be within a valid segmented arc The higher this number the more accurate the system will be when selecting the arcs to process 6 Specify the Maximum Length a lin
90. so move all the ACR files you wish to use to a single folder 2 Type a different folder name in the Source Folder box or click the browse button to search for the folder 176 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual 3 The aperture converters will appear in the list where you can select or unselect them for use as desired To add additional ACR files If you have not already created the ACR file you wish to use create one using GerbTool s Aperture Converter Creator and save it in the folder that is specified in the Source Folder box Or If you already have an ACR file copy it into the folder specified by the Source Folder box To change the title of a converter 1 Click on the converter in the Description column 2 Click on it a second time An edit box appears around the name 3 Type in the new name and press Enter Paths Files Extensions This tab displays various program default values regarding paths files and extensions Startup Folder This field specifies the default file folder that the system should use for commands like File Open or File Save Click the Browse button to search for a folder Entering a folder path here does not take affect until the next time you start GerbTool Pre V9 Custom Apertures If you use legacy custom aperture files created before version 9 and want to specify a default directory to look for them specify the directory in the Default Folder box The aperture list file name for your pre version
91. specify the maximum Size of the pin holes to be detected areas which are less than this value will be considered pin holes SMD Pitch Checks the center to center spacing of adjacent SMD pads to determine if they are too close A pad must be identified as SMT in the Aperture List in order to be checked SMD Spacing Checks the edge to edge spacing of adjacent SMD pads to determine if they are too close A pad must be identified as SMT in the Aperture List in order to be checked Layer Registration Checks your drill layer against the top mask and any other conductive layers you select If two items are within the tolerance distance you specify they are considered to be at the same location The errors reported are those items that if you use the Edit Align Layers command or GerbTool s auto fix feature to align the layers based on them will result in 95 or more of the other items on the layer being correctly aligned as well NLC Netlist Compare Net Short Multiple external nets touch one internal net Net Open Multiple internal nets touch one external net No Copper No pad exists at the external net location No External No external net point exists at an internal net point Pad Size Difference The probe point pad size in the external net differs from the internal net pad size Tip The NLC analyses are the same as those performed by the Analysis Netlist Compare command Embedded Passive Alignment Checks that the resistor shape is
92. the Navigator Using the Navigator to Remove a Layer from a Composite 1 In the Navigator click on the plus box next to the desired composite A list of layers in the composite appears 2 Right click on the desired layer and a shortcut menu appears 62 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual 3 Select the Remove command and the layer is removed from the composite This does not delete the actual layer in the database it just removes the layer from the composite To delete layers see the Layers area of the Navigator onverund Flattening a Composite to a Single Layer Select the Tools Convert Composite To Layer command Select the source composite and the empty destination layer in the dialog box and click OK Or In the Navigator right click on the desired composite in the composite list and select the Convert To Layer command from the shortcut menu The composite is immediately converted and is placed on the first available empty layer Exporting a Composite 1 Select the File Export Gerber command 2 While selecting the desired settings in the Export Gerber dialog box click the Format button and change the Dialect selection to 274 X Plotting a composite layer on a printer is equally simple Just view your composite layers as described above and then use the File Print command The plotted image will appear on the page exactly as it does on the display Tip Since the image for printing is created in a high resolution off screen
93. the Tools Embedded Passives Find command If you have mask layers with your data you can automatically and more quickly identify drawn pads for conversion with the Tools Convert Drawn Pads Automatic command If you do not have any mask layers use the Tools Convert Drawn Pads Select Draws to convert your drawn pads to flashes Tools Convert Drawn Pads Select Draws Toolbar Button This function converts drawn pads to flashes based upon data that you select for conversion If you have mask layers with your data you can automatically and more quickly identify drawn pads for conversion with the Tools Convert Drawn Pads Automatic command To convert draws to flashes by manually selecting draws 1 Select the Tools Convert Drawn Pads Select Draws command 2 Make sure among your other Selection Filter settings that the Type is set only to Draw 3 Select one occurrence of the drawn pad that you wish to convert The Convert Drawn Pads dialog box appears The system locates all drawn pads identical to the one you selected The Calculate Pad Size area displays information on the selected pads to be converted 4 Select how you want the draws replaced Create True Size Shape Custom Apertures Select this option if you wish to have selected items converted to a single custom aperture with the same appearance 206 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Create Standard Apertures Select this option if you wish to have selected items conv
94. the Tools Stencils Manual Conversion command You are prompted to select your first pair of openings to convert 4 Select the upper left and lower right corners of a selection window around the desired pair of openings The Stencil Shapes Setup dialog box appears 5 Select the desired shape and click OK The system will create the association of that shape to the selected openings and scan the layer for other pairs of openings that match The match is determined by the size of the openings and pitch center to center spacing 6 A message box appears telling you how many matching pairs were found If you want to convert all of them now click Yes The openings are modified If you click No the openings will not be converted but the opening shape association you created is saved You can convert the openings later using the Tools Stencils Automatic Conversion command Tip If you want to maintain the existing data on your paste mask layer and put the enhanced shapes on an empty layer click No when you are prompted to convert the openings Use the Automatic Conversion command instead where you can specify a separate destination layer for the data 7 You are prompted to select another pair of openings Repeat steps 4 6 as desired Otherwise press the Esc key to exit the function Tools Stencils Automatic Conversion Automatic Conversion can be used if you have already defined stencil shapes using the Tools Stencils Setup Shapes co
95. the active NC tool is displayed If the Add Break Tab command is in use the currently active tab is displayed with an icon that indicates its type You can make a different tool or tab active by selecting it from this list The Navigator The Navigator provides a quick reference list of your database elements and another way of accessing GerbTool command functions Most of the Navigator functions such as changing layer names adding apertures and printing analysis reports are controlled with a right click shortcut menu ann 1 Test Copper You can dock the Navigator anywhere in the main GerbTool window by clicking on St L2 Test Passive the top of the Navigator bar and dragging it to another location You can toggle the e L3 Master Copper view of the Navigator on or off by selecting the View Navigator command You can Ge L4 Master Passive also close the Navigator by clicking on the X in the upper right corner You can DG L5 Text expand the size of the bar to the entire height of the workspace by clicking the up ke Apertures arrow then reduce its size by clicking the down arrow While it is docked in the Custom Apertures GerbTool window you can resize the height and width of the bar by moving your NC Tools cursor to one of its outer edges When the cursor changes to 4r click and hold the Nets 0 left mouse button while you drag the edge to the desired size E Extemal Nets 0 Composites
96. the raster polygon s outer edge as closely as possible the vector data cannot completely get into interior corners because it is being drawn 5 For the Border D code select the D code to use to draw the border of the polygon 6 There are four options for the Vector Fill Pattern None creates a polygon outline with no fill Solid creates a polygon with a solid fill The Fill Dcode is the D code that is used to create a solid polygon fill Horizontal specifies that horizontal fill lines are generated Inset specifies that the edge of the polygon is inset with the width of the Fill D code until the entire area is filled Hatched creates a hatched polygon fill pattern Select check the number of lines to use in the pattern then specify the D code to be used for each line Step Size values are used to specify the line to line spacing Angle values are used to specify the angle of the lines used Dotted creates a dotted polygon fill pattern Select the D code to use for the dots flashes and the spacing between the dots in each row the X Spacing and column the Y Spacing Specify whether the spacing should be measured from Center to Center or Edge to Edge To create a staggered pattern of dots select the Row Stagger option and decide which row should be offset To have them staggered like the below example the Row 2 offset should be half the value of the Y Spacing amount and the Row 1 offset should be zero 7 The Difference Detection o
97. the resistor shape beyond the ends of the termination bars EP TBar Width The termination bar is not wide enough To fix this the width of the termination bar is increased so that it meets the minimum specified width This can be done one of three ways Uniformly The width is extended equidistantly on the both sides of the termination bar You specify the minimum copper clearance that must be maintained when the fix is made Inside The width is extended only towards the resistor Outside The width is extended away from the resistor You specify the minimum copper clearance that must be maintained when the fix is made EP Minimum Size The active resistor area is too small No automatic fix is provided for this EP Maximum Size The active resistor area is too large No automatic fix is provided for this EP To Copper The resistor shape is too close to adjacent copper No automatic fix is provided for this EP To Drill The resistor shape is too close to drills on the same net No automatic fix is provided for this Or 1 To fix multiple errors press and hold down the Ctrl key and click on all the desired errors in the error list Release the Ctrl key when you are finished If you wish to fix several sequential errors in the list press and hold down the Shift key then select the first and last error in the group Release the Shift key when you are finished 2 Right click on the error list A shortcut menu appears Select t
98. they have been used 91 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual 13 The default compensation values in the Compensation Index Table are set at the tool s radius as that is assumed to be the machine s default Therefore if only default values are specified the Compensation Index table is not exported with the rest of the NC data However if you want to always export the Compensation Index Table because for example your machine does not default the compensation to the tool s radius select the Always Export Compensation Index Table option 14 When you are finished making your selections click the OK button to export your files Related topics Tools Convert Arcs To Segmented Arcs File Export NC Tool List This command allows you to export an NC tool list file in the GerbTool nct format This is useful if you want to create a standard tool list for use in future jobs as you can later use the Load button in the NC Tool Setup dialog box to open it To export an NC tool list 1 Select the File Export NC Tool List command The NC Tool Setup dialog box appears 2 In the Table list select the table you wish to export the data for 3 Click the Save button The NC Tool Table Files dialog box appears 4 Specify a name for the nct file and click Save File JExport I BARCO DPF This command exports your layers to Barco dpf files A separate file is created for each layer To export in the Barco DPF format 1 Select the File Export BARC
99. times are given along with the settings you specified prior to starting the run 3 Click the Close button when you are finished To view information about a pass 1 Right click on the desired pass in the list A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Properties command The Analysis Properties dialog box appears with the Pass tab selected The pass name drill layer number and the conductive layers you chose to analyze are indicated The Analysis Type list reflects the settings you selected prior to starting the run If you would like to view the run settings select the Run tab 3 Click the Close button when you are finished To view information about an error 1 Right click on the desired error in the list A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Properties command The Analysis Properties dialog box appears with the Error tab selected The error type and system assigned ID number are provided The Fix State tells you if the error can be automatically fixed by GerbTool The rule you specified prior to the run is indicated as well as the properties of the error that violated the rule Additional aperture layer coordinate and net information are also provided If you would like to view the run or pass settings click on the appropriate tab If you would like to view information about another error click on it in the error list you do not have to close the dialog box 18 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual A Tip If you want to keep t
100. to add a construction line to the currently selected drawing layer The color of the line in the workspace depends upon the color you have set for flashes on the layer To add a construction line 1 Make the layer that you want the dimensioning associated with the active layer The layer must be tagged as a Drawing layer see Setup Layers 157 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual 2 Select the Documentation Drawing Dimensioning Add Line command The Add Construction Line dialog box appears Specify the Type of construction line to draw A preview of the line appears in the Appearance box Specify the width of the construction line Click OK You are prompted to draw the line Click on the starting point of the line in the workspace The line is now attached to your cursor Move the cursor to the end point of the line and click to place it ON DOO PS CO You may add additional lines or press the Esc key to end the function imRelated topics Documentation Drawing Dimensioning Modify Line Documentation Drawing Dimensioning Delete Line Documentation Drawing Dimensioning Delete Line Toolbar Button Bul The Delete Line command allows you to delete a construction line To delete a dimension 1 Select the Documentation Drawing Dimensioning Delete Line command You are prompted to select a construction line to delete 2 Click on the line in the workspace It is immediately deleted 3 Select another line to delete or
101. to aid you in this If multiple items with more than one net is in the selection area a Choose Selection dialog box appears so that you can pick the correct item You may also search for nets by their GerbTool Net number or their User Data by selecting either the Net or User Data option and entering the desired value in the Search For box and clicking the Find button Net Information The information box underneath the Search For text box displays information about the last selected net The information includes the number of pads and traces on the net the length of the net and an approximation of its area Add User Data Once you have a net selected you may globally add a User Data value to all items in the selected net This provides an easy way of assigning meaningful net names to your nets 169 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Color By default nets are highlighted in white You may click on the Color square to select a new color for your next highlighted net The color of previous selections is not altered Clear Highlights Click this button to clear any data currently highlighted This does not change any information only the highlighting is cleared Zoom To Net Select this option if you wish to have queried nets displayed in their entirety on the screen 3 Query the nets using the desired controls in the dialog box When you are finished click the Close button or press the Esc key Related topics Comparing Netlists Tutori
102. to determine its placement relative to the other images Note that if you select a value that is too small the copies will overlap Auto Vent When this button is selected GerbTool will automatically apply venting to the panelized board GerbTool allows for simple venting pattern creation using D codes Vent To Image Spacing This value is the edge to edge distance between the panelized images and the venting pattern Pattern Spacing These values allow you to specify the spacing between the flashes in the venting pattern Destination This allows you to specify the layer that the venting pattern is placed on and the D code used to create the pattern The style of vent pattern is easily customized using custom apertures For example you could create a hatch or cross hatch pattern using a diagonal or cross shaped custom aperture Just be sure to set the height and width of the overall size of the custom aperture in the aperture list Preview Click this button to preview your panel in the workspace You can return to the dialog box after previewing and modify the panel definition The panel is not finished until you click the OK button Tools Netlist The Netlist commands allow you to create and save a netlist Tools Netlist Generate EN The Generate command processes all conductive layers and creates a netlist that becomes part of the internal database The netlist may then be used by other functions that require a netlist s
103. used to create the draw Shape The shape of the D code used Size The size of the D code used From The X Y location where the draw begins To The X Y location where the draw ends 26 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Length The length of the draw Area The total square area of the draw Layer The layer the item is on Layer Type The type of layer the item is on SeqNo The item s order in the Gerber database Item 1 is the first item listed in the Gerber file item 2 is the second etc Polarity The polarity of the item either positive or negative Net The net number that the item belongs to if any Drill Tool The tool number used for the drill hit Tool Size The size of the tool used for the drill hit Plated Yes means the hit is plated No means it is unplated Location The X Y location of the drill hit Area The total square area of the drill hit Layer The layer the item is on Layer Type The type of layer the item is on SeqNo The item s order in the Gerber database Item 1 is the first item listed in the Gerber file item 2 is the second etc NCGroup The NC Group number that the drill hit belongs to Export Order The drill hit s order number in the drill sequence If a value of 1 is shown then the order is not set NC optimization has not been run Net The net number that the item belongs to if any Operator Message Indicates whether an operator message is displayed
104. will be scanned at one time and more the tool can potentially deviate from a straight path in the Y direction Wander The wander sort is performed using a nearest neighbor method Results are produced quickly OD A WwW ND Advanced The advanced sort is performed using a simulated metal annealing method that produces excellent results when sufficient processing time is permitted The time required to produce significant reductions in tooling time is very much dependent on the settings found in the Advanced NC Optimization dialog box and the CPU speed of your computer For larger designs using aggressive advanced sort parameters optimizations can easily take hours to perform 199 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual The Advanced Sort Setup button opens the Advanced NC Optimization dialog box where you can set the Advanced Sort parameters In general the correct values to use for advanced optimization depend both on how good the original path was and how much time you wish to spend optimizing If the original data are in fairly good order you can use smaller values for the level duration and level change rate If the NC locations in the original data are at scattered locations larger values are recommended If at any time during your optimization you wish to stop the program you can press the cancel button to stop the optimization and save the best result so far You can use the scale to the optimization level The optimization values are dynami
105. you want to place the text and click to place it If the leader line endpoint appears within the note balloon then no leader line will be drawn 6 You can place copies of the note balloon in additional locations by clicking on them or press the Esc key to end the function Documentation Drawing Fabrication Delete Note Balloon x Toolbar Button A The Delete Note Balloon command allows you to delete a note balloon To delete a note balloon 1 Select the Documentation Drawing Fabrication Delete Note Balloon command You are prompted to select a note balloon to delete 2 Click on the desired note balloon in the workspace It is deleted immediately 3 Click on any additional note balloons you wish to delete or click the Esc key to end the function Documentation Drawing Fabrication Modify Note Balloon al Toolbar Button The Modify Note Balloon command allows you to change any property of a selected note balloon To edit a note balloon 1 Select the Documentation Drawing Fabrication Modify Note Balloon command You are prompted to select a note balloon to edit 2 Click on the desired note balloon The Modify Note Balloon dialog box appears See the Add Note Balloon command for a description of note balloon properties 3 When you have finished making your modifications click OK The balloon is immediately updated 4 Click on another note balloon to modify or press the Esc key to end the function 161
106. your data prior to performing the netlist comparison such as tagging your layers generating a netlist and importing the external netlist See the Netlist Comparison tutorial for details Analysis Checks Shorts Multiple external nets touch one internal net Opens Multiple internal nets touch one external net No Copper No pad exists at the external net location No External Net Point No external net point exists at an internal net point Pad Size Differences The probe point pad size in the external net differs from the internal net pad size Options to Apply Assign External Netnames To Database This option applies the IPC D 356 net name in place of the GerbTool Net ID number The net names will only be applied to those nets that do not contain errors 166 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Assign Net Pin Data To UserData Fields This option takes the net names and applies them to the User Data for each net so that you can maintain the net names This allows you to use GerbTool commands including the Query Item and Query Net commands to examine and manipulate the true reference designators pin numbers etc Add Test Point Pad Layers This creates layers with pads representing probe point data The information is graphical only and you must specify the empty layers that you wish to place the pads on These pads are based on the size and location of the probe points and will be placed on the specified layer Analysis Layer Compare The
107. 07 Edit Glipzs s iei ntt tet ueniet eant utet miii erect Tre eee E fete 108 Edit JM ee EE etiani tote tussis Eden 108 SR lie 109 Edit MItTOF rc er basia tinte tinte dide cosi ir asd cnt ea vs ct ted tien ede 109 EditlScale 5 emitte em nta kat ds ubertim i Rud pinea 110 Edit D Gode mrt eo ctt e a ea t rebels ctae cit Susie a e deed 110 Elte E e Le HE TEE 112 EditlSnap Pads mnt tn b eut tinta da aea en 112 Edit Orig a tet mmi ts nedum te O 113 Sp ul Le 113 Edit Ti 118 BATAILLE 119 VIeW WindoWw tet EE eer e deett ii eee E tee and tee Rs 119 VENZ OONN EE 120 View Zoom QUE E 120 VIeW PaE urne e tnr tte tdt e M d Ure eb mt tede ed Ms 120 View AIIE It ize ortu ER Dp RERO T UE RERUM n Mna 120 MI edet et tunt to ep t detto e urbt eode tente i UE debt ee rM 121 EMMER 121 VieWw Sketch citar IICA POR EUMD 121 E EEE ETE EE TE TE S A N ETE E E E A E E E E E EE 121 VIeW Grid EE 121 E ele 122 NIE ee 122 KINN Ale CENTER 122 View Glear Highlights rect oce teet te i ESA 122 Miew ilali lel c E a dela a E a 122 Miew Selectlons 1 cio Anal Mea Fre Pee A RH He dna a ene d ee 122 View Selection Filters ELE 122 MU IU MD 123 Miew Recall 2 ire p ied rette e ertt o eee de ore e eee nds bd ure be e Te ene e ee 123 MIGW PICVIOUS A de o e e ed 123 Miew Navigator actin ie eed i epe it De dete e A ce de ee Dee 123 MI Reel Pm 123 View Restore Toolbars ceret De ee a d He he Bed t dee e ANEN 123 View M
108. 15 1 User Manual 3 In the Output File box select a file name for your PostScript file By default the file is saved in GerbTool s Samples folder Use the browse button if you wish to save to a different folder or find a file to overwrite Or To send the output to a plotter specify output port e g LPT1 or COM2 instead of a file name 4 f you wish to increase or decrease the size of the plot select a Scale for the exported data A value of 1 0 plots at 100 0 5 at 50 etc If you want to automatically scale the plot to fit to your page the Media Size select the Fit To Page option 5 The Media Size is the size of the printable area of the printer s output media in whatever units of measure you have currently defined see the Options Units Precision command if you want to view or change the units of measure 6 If you wish to change the positioning of the output on the page change the Offset values The offset values are applied independent of the scale specified 7 Select one of the two Modes of output Sketch mode shows true width on all objects but they are outlined only This is the fastest method and allows you to check for overlapping features but does not show width on draws and some flashes like Donuts Fill mode shows true width and all objects are completely filled in as they would appear on a plot Fill mode may produce a larger output file 8 Select the Pads Only option if you want only flashed pads to be
109. 3 COMPANING 24 5 deside e ete 167 COMPOSIES a td asia 47 142 converting composites Io 211 CODDOTr ar68 2 aient HERR RARE 167 copying data E 7 deleting ttn Wen 7 136 elei le EE 7 136 LT GG StaCkup E 143 MOM stackup ariei eiiie eiia 143 measuring EE 173 MINO riada debet quet 109 MOVING BEE 7 W 7 47 136 Offsetting inte eL ere iae dete Pes 110 polarity eicere ge eren eb ias 47 registration cc cee tede erri 112 162 removing from composites sseeeeees 13 renumbering ssssseeeene eee 7 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual layers con t rotating ue ede Me ee bee tst 109 A naii oi ieii 110 Selection E EE 25 ijo 7 33 136 viewing redlines ssee 154 MEIIVEELC TEES 7 33 Layers Commande 136 library files uie ene hr ee rds 137 Line command icc tcr et n eres 217 linear interpolation sa i iat aaaeei 47 lines hel Uu Le ge EE 153 adding to custom apertures sssssussss 217 adding vertices fo 107 126 eelere ge 208 converting to polylines A 210 deleting segmente se cti entere dore 108 deleting vertices 107 JOUNING E 108 orthogonal snap 174 link tool ui nett LR citur b eoo dct 143 Load commande 181 log Cro EINE 98 A HI 124 LET GC StackUp ace mend iie 143 M MIN toten e bt tette m a ato oet libra 47 Macro Developer 181 Macro MenU caida e t aee 181 MACOS we seh cts le A eebe 23 24 lOAGING EE 181 FECOMdING BEE 181 PUNMING ssi tele ied ai
110. 5 1 User Manual When constructing rules to match apertures or tools there are special key words that you place in the rule that will cause GerbTool to assign the values contained in the desired fields to the corresponding GerbTool aperture list or tool table fields These keywords are as follows Keyword Meaning dcode Assign to D code xsize Assign to X size od Assign to X size Sysize Assign to Y size id Assign to Y size rot Assign to rotation skip Skip this field custom Use this field to make a custom aperture Sunits Used to determine the units of measure Stool Assign to tool number Splunge Assign to tool plunge rate retract Assign to tool retract rate feed Assign to tool feed rate rpm Assign to tool rotation speed Sdepthoffset Assign to tool depth offset maxhits Assign to maximum number of hits for a tool linktool Assign to replacement tool Sample Aperture List ACR file Aperture converter for Mentor NAME Mentor VERSION 2 0 EXTENSION rpt handle swapped X Y columns XTENSION mentor dll CUSTOM NO DEFAULT UNITS INCH HEADER 1 FORMAT ROUND skip circle skip xsize ysize rot false false dcode FORMAT THERMAL skip circle skip xsize ysize rot false true dcode FORMAT_RECT skip rectangle skip xsize ysize rot false false dcode FORMAT ROUND skip circle skip skip xsize ysize rot false false dcode FORMAT THERMAL skip circle
111. AME displays the layer name PROG displays the GerbTool program name SCALE displays the scale factor To display this border information make sure you select the Add Border option below Add Border Select Add Border to place a border around the plot with any specified Border Text appearing at the bottom Batch Mode Select Batch Mode to have each visible layer in a design is plotted separately on its own page s Color Grayscale Select Color Grayscale to produce a plot using the color or grayscale capabilities of the printer If it is not selected the output will be forced to black on a white background Fit To Page Select Fit To Page to scale the plot to fit the current page size Center Select Center to center the plot on the page when the plot fits entirely on one page Overlay Select Overlay to have overlapping areas of draws and flashes plotted in different colors This option is most useful when plotting multiple layers Print Background Select Print Background to have the background appear in the current workspace background color Otherwise the background will be white Sketch Select Sketch to plot everything in sketch mode If not selected items are plotted in their normal filled appearance Window Select Window to only print what is contained within a windowed area that you define at the time of printing Screen Select Screen print what is displayed in the current view window instead of the extents of the enti
112. ES 102 106 redline Information 154 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual delete con t E TEE 108 tokt idet seit esu sere ete tenete ta bee etre reda deu 102 106 user data ninh utu ee ced ute nels 102 de 107 Delete command 106 107 116 124 154 215 Delete Dimension Commande 157 Delete Hole Chart commande 159 Delete Line commande 158 Delete Note Balloon Commande 161 ele Du Te 33 depth offset eene y 143 design e LU 42 opening importing esiis riinan ene ir En ERAR 42 saving exporting seeeeee 42 Design for Fabrication aeaiia eiaa AS 162 Design Rule Check sseeee 162 el tel VE 3 Developer commande 181 DEE i xe nerd E 64 162 dialog boxes eet ee e e eee 38 diamond apertures ooococococccccccoconinnoncnncnnnnnannanoncnnnnnnnns 137 Dimensioning command sse 155 dimensions lee e S E 155 adding construction Ines 157 deleting nte o erae eh eed 157 deleting construction lines sessssssss 158 ln BE 157 editing construction lines s 158 ite 157 Disable Prompts button 31 Display Settings Commande 200 Documentation menu 149 donut aperture Seinien arae 47 137 dot pattern um Dee e e be e dde 182 Double Mill Path Commande 200 double stitched break Gab 146 double click in emen 37 DPF files EXPO totnm fet aede 92 IMPOMING x iret tnc eee 73 81 Draw Commande 125 Drawing Commande 154 Drawn Pads commande 206
113. For DRC MRC violations the database item is altered so that it no longer violates your DRC MRC rules For duplicate data the offending item is deleted For solder mask errors the following fixes are applied Missing Electrical Pad There is no pad on the electrical layer corresponding to an opening on the mask layer To fix this the mask opening is deleted Missing Mask Opening There is no opening on the mask layer corresponding to a pad on the electrical layer To fix this a mask opening is added Misalignment Error The opening on the mask layer and its corresponding pad are misaligned by a value greater than the Location Alignment value you specified To fix this the mask opening is moved to the same location as the pad Mask Opening Minimum Oversize Error The mask opening is not oversized by at least the minimum oversize specified To fix this the mask opening is enlarged to the minimum oversize amount Mask Opening Spacing Error Two mask openings violate the minimum distance between mask openings This might create mask slivers To fix this the openings are shaved or reduced as specified by you Mask Opening To Trace Error The mask opening is too close to a trace and violates the minimum mask to trace distance specified The trace might be exposed in the mask opening To fix this the openings are shaved or reduced as specified by you For paste mask errors the following fixes are applied Missing Electrical Pad There i
114. GerbTool VERSION 15 1 USER MANUAL 1989 2007 WISE Software Solutions Inc All rights reserved WISE Software Solutions Inc 2700 East Ninth Street Suite 100 Newberg OR 97132 This information is copyrighted all rights are reserved by WISE Software Solutions Inc This information may not in whole or in part be copied photocopied reproduced translated or reduced to any electronic medium or machine readable form without the prior written consent of WISE Software Solutions Inc GerbTool VisualCAM WISE Software and WISE Software Solutions are trademarks of WISE Software Solutions Inc DXF and AutoCAD are registered trademarks of Autodesk Inc CAM350 and FabFactory are trademarks of Downstream Technologies LLC DirectCAM PADS and PowerPCB are registered trademarks of Mentor Graphics ViewMaster is a trademark of PentaLogix LLC ODB is a trademark of Valor Computerized Systems FLEXIm is a registered trademark of Macrovision Corporation Microsoft Windows Windows 2000 and Windows XP are registered trademarks or trademarks of the Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries All other product and company names herein are the trademarks of their respective owners Table of Contents ABOUT GERBTOO Lui aaa 1 System REQUIEM ii toa 1 CONTACTING WISE SORTW ARE geed 2 zz DETUR TIE DU cad evan stud ened ex hee A A a tada E 2 Technical SUPP OM EE 2 MAIN GERBTOOL WIN DOW oce 3 Tie TEE 3 Men
115. If you are an experienced user you may be comfortable redrawing the screen only at your request using View Redraw Regardless of this setting you may always interrupt a redraw without affecting the current command by pressing the Esc key Tip The current Redraw status is shown in the Status Bar Color Bar Redraws Automatically When this option is selected if you change a draw or flash color on the Color Bar or turn a layer on or off the display in the workspace automatically updates If you do not want the display automatically redrawn unselect this option To override this option when you turn a layer on or off on a case by case basis press the Ctrl key when you click on a layer button in the Color Bar Background Color To change the workspace background color click this button Then select a new color from the Color Selector Function Key Mouse This tab displays the current function key mouse command assignments Mouse Buttons These options control which view function is assigned to each mouse button To change the function of a button select a new one from the appropriate dropdown list By default the right mouse button opens a shortcut menu so it is not assigned a function here If you wish to use the mouse button for a function other than the shortcut menu select your desired function from the list then click on the Hot Keys tab and unselect the Right Click Popup Menu option Tip If you disable the right click shortcu
116. If you choose a scale factor of 5 the sizes decreased to 03 To flatten a custom aperture Custom apertures are often made up of a combination of lines and circles and positive and negative data Some photoplotters have a problem handling the complexity of some custom apertures so converting the custom aperture to polygonal data helps in this situation 1 Right click on the desired custom aperture in the Custom Apertures area A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Flatten command and the custom aperture is immediately flattened The D code association and instances of the custom apertures within your design remain as they were but their internal structure becomes that of polygons e copy a custom aperture Right click on the desired custom aperture in the Custom Apertures area A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Copy command and a copy of the selected custom aperture now appears in the list The prefix Copy of is added to the name of the custom aperture you copied You can now edit and rename the new custom aperture To rename a custom aperture 1 Right click on the desired custom aperture in the Custom Apertures area A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Rename command and a box appears around the name 3 Type the new name and press the Enter key when you are finished To view unused custom apertures 1 Right click in the Custom Apertures heading A shortcut menu appears 2 If the Show Unused command has a check
117. If you would like more precise control over the area you wish to view use the View Window command To zoom in 1 Select the View Zoom In command You are prompted to click on a center point 2 Click on the point in the workspace that you wish to be the center point of your viewing window The size of the current viewing window is reduced by half View Zoom Out Toolbar Button amp Equivalent Hotkey O or minus key Use the Zoom Out command to quickly increase the size of the viewing window and see more of your design in the workspace To zoom out 1 Select the View Zoom Out command You are prompted to click on a center point 2 Click on the point in the workspace that you wish to be the center point of your viewing window The size of the current viewing window expands doubles in size View Pan Toolbar Button a Equivalent Hotkey P The Pan command moves the current viewing window to a new location which is centered on a point you specify This command does not change the size of the viewing window A Tip Use Ctrl P to toggle Autopan mode In this mode when you move your cursor at the edge of the workspace the workspace view automatically pans in that direction To pan your view 1 Select the View Pan command You are prompted to select a new center point for your view 2 Click on the new view window center point in the workspace Or Click the Abs button in the XY Bar and select the exact coordinates for t
118. If your boards typically fall within a certain size range and use the same data format specifying a minimum and maximum board size value and saving the settings as the default values can aid the import process in the future Because the file format is automatically detected it should not be necessary to change any of the other file format settings However if you need to make any changes you should click the Apply button to see those changes reflected in the thumbnail view of the file This allows you to verify the accuracy prior to actually importing the file into your database Dialect The format of the file to be imported Available options are Excellon Excellon 2 Sieb amp Meyer 1000 Sieb amp Meyer 3000 and Takeuchi M N The coordinate format For example a 2 3 format specifies two decimal digits before an implied decimal point and three following 12250 represents 12 250 if the coordinate format is 2 3 Mode Absolute mode is when all X Y coordinates are referenced to a common origin Incremental mode is when each X Y coordinate is a displacement from the previous coordinate Zero Suppression No zero suppression allows coordinates to have zeroes in front or back of integers Leading zero suppression shows zeroes only at the end of a number Trailing zero suppression shows zeroes only at the beginning of a number Units Select if the units of measure are in Inches or Metric Character Set Indicate the character text used
119. Layer Compare command compares the content of two layers and reports any differences found To compare two layers 1 Use the Edit Align Layers command to align the two layers you wish to compare 2 Select the Analysis Layer Compare command The Compare Layers dialog box appears 3 4 Specify the number of the layer to compare to in the Source Layer box If desired you can click the arrow button to Click the Add button view a list of your layers and select it from there Specify the layer to compare with the source layer in the Compare Layer box Again you can click the arrow button to view a layer list and select it from there If two items are outside the Tolerance distance you specify they are considered to be at different locations and are reported as errors differences In the Maximum Errors box select a maximum number of errors differences to be displayed This prevents the analysis from generating a huge report if you enter an incorrect tolerance Click OK To run another layer comparison on additional layers click the Add button and repeat steps 4 8 Add as many layer pairs to the list as desired using the same method If you need to change the parameters for a particular layer comparison select the desired layer pair from the list and click the Edit button To delete a layer comparison select the desired layer pair and click the Delete button The Empty button clears the entire list 10 W
120. O DPF command The Export Barco dialog box appears 2 In the Destination Folder specify the folder to save the dpf files in Use the Browse button to find the folder if necessary 3 The Filename column allows you to select the layers you wish to export as well as specify the filename you wish to use for each layer To unselect all layers click the Unselect All button To rename a file double click on the filename you wish to change and then enter the new name Each layer type is represented by an icon For an icon reference list see the Color Bar topic The Layer Name column displays the name of each layer The Layer column displays each layer s number 4 When you are finished click the OK button Your files are exported to the designated folder File Export IPC D 350 Use this command to export your design to an IPC D 350 file A single ipc file will maintain all your layer data in an intelligent format To export an IPC D 350 file 1 Select the File Export IPC D 350 command The Export IPC D 350 dialog box appears 2 Specify a file name and click the Save button Your database is now saved File Export IPC D 356 This command creates a single IPC D 356 or 356A format file with the netlist data for the currently loaded design according to your specifications n o apon an IPC D 356 netlist If your database does not already have a netlist use the Tools Netlist Generate command to create one 2 Select the File Expor
121. OK 4 The segment is attached to the cursor Move the cursor to the location where you wish to place the new vertex and click to place it 5 You may continue to add vertices to other line segments or press the Esc key to exit the function Related topics Add Vertex Edit Vertex Delete EN Toolbar Button This command allows you to delete a vertex anywhere on an existing line segment or mill path To delete a vertex 1 Select the Edit Vertex Delete command A To avoid the selection of more than one vertex use the PgDn key to decrease the size of the bounding box until it is a reasonable size for selecting the data in the workspace 2 Click on the vertex you wish to delete Any vertex that falls within the bounding box is a potential selection If more than one is selected a Choose Selection dialog box appears with a list of segments Click on the segment you wish to remove the vertex from it is highlighted in the display when you choose it from the list and click OK 3 You are asked to confirm the affected line segments Confirm the selection and the vertex is immediately deleted 4 You may continue to delete vertices or press the Esc key to exit the function Edit Vertexi Move ET Toolbar Button This command allows you to move an existing vertex amp Tip The current orthogonal line snap setting affects this function if the Ortho Line Snap is turned on To move a vertex 1 Select the Edit V
122. PC data for location 2 8750 3 7500 Layer 1 There is a pad on this layer that does not have any matching IPC information No Gerber data for location 1 5980 4 3800 ID 45 idx 43 There was an IPC D 356 record for this location but no Gerber data Gerber Net Re assignment GerbTool net 78 Locations 1 7980 0 8300 and 2 7980 4 2800 IPC nets 55 171 The IPC file has tried to associate the 2 nets 55 and 171 to the GerbTool net number 78 IPC Net Re assignment GerbTool nets 123 250 Locations 2 0980 1 0300 and 3 7980 4 3800 IPC net 78 The IPC file has tried to give the same net information 78 to the GerbTool nets 123 and 250 87 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual File Import NetlistiODB As an aid to those who wish to compare a netlist created from Gerber data back to an ODB database netlist the File Import Netlist ODB command imports only the netlist from an ODB database It is not necessary to use the File Import ODB command to import the entire database export an IPC D 356 netlist discard the database load your Gerber data and import the IPC D 356 netlist If your goal is to perform a netlist comparison see the Comparing Netlists tutorial for complete instructions This topic will only cover the steps necessary for importing an ODB netlist Importing an ODB netlist 1 Select the File Import Netlist ODB command The Browse For Folder dialog box appears 2 Pick the Job Folder that contains
123. Related topics Edit NC Combine Paths Edit NC Combine Paths This command allows you to select two or more separate mill paths and join them into one path It is essentially the opposite of the EditINC Explode command This function does not trim extend or otherwise alter the path segments If the paths do not touch they will not be extended to meet each other and any existing vertices will remain If you wish to combine two mill path segments into a single contiguous path extending the existing paths to meet each other if necessary use the Edit Join command Toj join mill paths Select the Edit NC Combine Paths command 2 Using the Selection Filter window around the paths you wish to join 3 The paths are highlighted and you are asked to confirm your selection If the paths that you combined used different tools compensation etc the combined path will automatically be changed to uniform properties If you wish to view or change the path properties select the Edit NC Path Properties command Edit Purge Use this command to compact the currently loaded database for more efficient use of memory Since GerbTool does not actually erase data from memory during edits memory may become fragmented and less efficient Therefore occasional purging may help GerbTool perform optimally A Warning Purging destroys any Undo information that currently exists Do not use this command unless you are sure you do not need to undo any pre
124. Rule ACR file is necessary to interpret the aperture list GerbTool provides a GUI driven ACR File creator that allows you interactively create an ACR file for any aperture list rather than creating it manually in a text editor There are a few things you will notice in the aperture list Aperture numbers are always listed sequentially although the D codes are not You will also notice that the D code numbers begin with 10 This is because D01 D02 and D03 are special D codes used to control the drawing and flashing of the apertures Only D codes 10 and higher are used for the aperture shapes D code Function Shutter open begin draw Shutter closed Flash D10 and higher Apertures When using GerbTool to view your 274 D Gerber files you must import both the Gerber files and the aperture list files You can subsequently use the Setup Apertures command to view and edit your aperture list if necessary If you do not import the aperture list files you will be warned that your apertures are undefined The GerbTool aperture table will contain the D code references from your Gerber file but you will have to assign the shapes and sizes 47 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Because 274 D does not have the notion of a custom aperture if you export an aperture list from GerbTool that contains custom apertures the custom apertures are listed but not completely defined only their size is indicated If you wish prior to exporting you can
125. S Options Grid Snap Options Arcs 360 1 Options Ortho Line Snap Me Options Units Precision GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Tool Buttons These buttons execute CAM and Analysis utilities M 31 Tools Panelize Advanced Tools Convert Arcs To Segmented Arcs 33i Tools Panalize Simple A Tools Convert Segmented Arcs To Arcs lt 7 AnalysisIDRC MRC Tools Layer Spread Y Tools Snoman ate Tools Netlist Generate amp Tools Teardrops Tools Convert Drawn Pads Select Draws Ne Tools Fix Silkscreen 31 Tools Convert To Custom Tools Pad Removal Isolated 5 Tools Convert Drawn Pads Automatic View Buttons These buttons manipulate your view of the data in the workspace Q view Window a View All Fit Q View Zoom In Q View Film Box amp View Zoom Out View Redraw e View Pan Layer Bar The Layer Bar displays the active layer on the left The graphic next to the layer number indicates there is data on the layer and what type it is You can make a different layer active by selecting it from this list L1 pri art J amp D27 Moire 0 3000 D On the right if the active layer is not an NC layer the active D code is displayed The graphic next to the D code number shows the shape of each aperture All custom apertures are signified by an irregular shape with a C in the middle the actual shape is not indicated You can make a different D code active by selecting it from this list If the active layer is an NC layer
126. Select Group you can use this function to first create a Select Group of the items you ultimately wish to exclude Then select the Edit Select Invert command to reverse the selection and create your desired Select Group To create a Select Group 1 Select the Edit Select New Group command If you already had a Select Group defined you are asked if you wish to clear the current group in favor of a new group Doing so does not delete or otherwise alter any data 2 Using the Selection Filter as necessary add any desired items to your Select Group 3 When you are finished adding items press the Esc key to exit the function Your selections are automatically saved and will remain highlighted in the workspace To turn off the highlighting select the View Highlights command If you later wish to add items to the Select Group use the Edit Select Add To command If you wish to remove items from the group use the Edit Select Remove From command Edit Select Add To Toolbar Button Use the Add To command to add additional items to the current Select Group If you do not already have a Select Group created this will create a new one To add to the current Select Group 1 Select the Edit Select Add To command 2 Using the Selection Filter as necessary add any desired items to your Select Group 100 A GerbTool 15 1 User Manual 3 When you are finished adding items press the Esc key to exit the function Your selections
127. The Clear command empties the current Select Group and removes highlighting of the Select Group items in the workspace It does not delete or otherwise alter any data the items are only removed from the group and are no longer highlighted in the workspace If you only wish to remove certain items from the Select Group use the Edit Select Remove From command When you select the command you are asked to confirm if you wish to clear the Select Group After you click the Yes button the group is immediately cleared Edit Copy Selection To Clipboard Equivalent Hotkey Ctrl l copy entire workspace to Windows Clipboard This command copies selected items to the Windows Clipboard allowing you to copy items from one database to another It also allows you to copy entire sections of a design from one area and paste them to another area of the same database The layer information is maintained even if you copy from multiple layers If you want to copy items from one layer to another use the Edit Copy command To copy all the data in a layer to another layer use the Layers list in the Navigator Tip The Copy Selection To Clipboard command itself does not allow you to copy select items into other applications You can copy the entire workspace to the Windows Clipboard using the Ctrl I hotkey however which allows you to paste into other applications To copy items using the Clipboard 1 Use the Edit Select New Group command to create a Select G
128. X netliSts esee 88 Offspring 2c ade E 83 PADS ASCII A ie ere E e eie co edere 85 PADS ASCII netlists oooooononnnnninnnnnnnnnnncccococccccnnnnns 88 Import commande 73 Import Settings Commande 180 Import Wizard eii rre eere dei 73 Import Wizard commande 73 incremental coordimates ooooooocccccccnccccccononcccnnnnnnnnnnnonoos 47 intrinsic apertures eee eee eee eeee eee eeeeeeeeeeeeeaeeeeeeeteeeees 137 Invert commande 101 IPC 2581 OXPOr N camita ide ae Ge ee 93 IMPOMING DEE 83 241 IPC 2581 Offspring command 83 93 IPC D 350 EXPOLIO enun 92 IPC D 350 commande 92 IPC D 356 commande 86 92 IPC D 356 A OXpOFLtlrig iiie bad te itid 92 IMI OFUMAG DEET 86 isolated E le ET 195 WASTE 162 Isolated commande 195 Item Commande 102 169 218 Item Propertes 26 J don command WE 108 L Layer Bar iind ceat eiae E atari 6 Layer Compare Commande 167 layer Sets diete Ld sigo KEEN 14 adding iiie ade n erate 14 142 blind buried vias sm 143 deleting ies tee ed etaed 14 142 editing terme eoe do e e nee Eee 14 142 MGOM ETQG ti et et etie dete eee 143 VIEWING EE 14 142 Layer Sets Commande 142 Layer Spread Commande 203 EVEN 7 33 ACUSA E 6 7 33 addit eren MA 7 136 adding to composites sseeeeeeee 13 adding to layer seis 142 let ln e scie tt 112 blind buried layer sets sseeenee 143 COlOr s treat ien ee 3
129. X Y location where the text begins Area The total square area of the text Layer The layer the item queried is on Layer Type The type of layer the item is on SeqNo The item s order in the Gerber database Item 1 is the first item listed in the Gerber file item 2 is the second etc Polarity The polarity of the text either positive Dark or negative Clear Net The net number that the item belongs to if any Status Bar The Status Bar at the bottom of the desktop provides specific command instructions and feedback During certain commands such as those where you are converting one type of data item to another an Enable Disable Prompts button appears on the left side Disabling Prompts will prevent confirmation message boxes from appearing after you select an item the data are converted immediately after selection Other useful information is also displayed on the right side of the status bar in the following order Database Modified Indicator MOD appears if you have made any modifications to the currently loaded database Current Folder The directory path of the currently loaded database is displayed Redraw Status Automatic redraws of the workspace can be turned off using the Options Configure command When you select the Minimize Redraws option you control when the workspace is refreshed by pressing the R hotkey Undo Status The Undo command allows you to reverse edits that you have j
130. X0 005000 G54D10 SRX1Y110 0J30 0 G1X55000Y32000D3 G1X55500Y31500D3 G1X55000Y32000D2 G54D11 G1X55000Y31500D1 G1X55500Y31500D1 M2 We are provided with a lot more information in this file than in 274 D Next we will discuss each of the parameters that precede the Aperture D code definitions and photoplotter instructions in the example as well as some other parameters you might see in a Gerber file Polarity 274 X has the concept of Polarity where 274 D does not In essence positive polarity refers to visible items Negative polarity refers to items that clear away or erase visible items on a plot this reveals the background color The LP Layer Polarity parameter specifies positive or negative polarity for all the data following it until another LP parameter is encountered D stands for Dark or positive polarity C stands for Clear or negative polarity In our example the parameter is LPD or positive polarity All items on a layer do not necessarily have to have the same polarity the LP parameter can be used on an item level Layer Name The LN parameter assigns a name to the layer whose information follows the parameter This name can be anything but it usually describes either the layer s place in the stack up such as Layer2 or what type of layer it is such as Border Format Statement This is the format information we were lacking in the 274 D file It describes zero suppression coordinate value
131. a Windows function the F10 hotkey from ViewMaster which opens the Layer Table cannot be emulated Related topics Mouse and Function key commands 36 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Mouse and Function Key Commands Mouse Functions The term click refers to the selection of an item command or control by placing the mouse cursor over it then pressing and releasing the left mouse button If you do not have a command function active you can use the left mouse button to create a View Window and zoom in on an area of your workspace To double click means to perform the above action but pressing and releasing the left mouse button twice in rapid succession The term right click refers to the selection of an item command or control by placing the mouse cursor over it then pressing and releasing the right mouse button Often as when you right click in the main workspace a shortcut menu appears allowing you to select a command by clicking on it Clicking the middle mouse button in the main GerbTool workspace is the equivalent of the View Zoom In command You can use the Options Configure command to change the default left right and middle mouse button assignments described above Function Keys GerbTool comes pre configured with the following function key assignments Key Assignment F1 Help F2 View Film Box F3 View Previous F4 View All F5 Setup Layers F6 Setup Apertures F7 Documentation Reports Apertures F8 Qu
132. a coordinate point or is idle i e no command has been selected With these commands you can move around snap to the center of a database item change what layers are viewed undo edits etc Interrupting Redraws and Highlights Any command that redraws the database or highlights a group of items can be sped up by canceling the drawing process By pressing the Esc key you can halt whatever is redrawing the display This does not effect the operation of the command only the redraw is effected Once you are comfortable with the operation of various functions you will find that this ability significantly speeds things up A Tip You can have the right mouse button end functions like the Esc key by disabling the Right Click Menu Undoing Edits The Undo command provides a high level of freedom when making database edits When Undo is enabled you may experiment with edits without fear of data loss Since undo is available as the U hotkey you may undo edits immediately without even having to exit the current command Undo works for all edits regardless of size and there is no limit to the number of edits you can undo Just remember to enable Undo with the Options Configure General command before making your edits Then use the Edit Undo command the toolbar button or the U hotkey to undo changes as desired Using the Selection Filter The Selection Filter is available during most Edit functions If you are working with a dense design the select
133. a layer to a composite click and drag the desired layer from the Layer List to the Composite List Note that if a layer already resides in a composite it cannot also be added to another composite 3 Click OK to close the dialog box Using the Navigator to Add a Layer to a Composite If the layer you wish to add to the composite does not already exist right click on the Layers heading in the Navigator A shortcut menu appears Select the Add Layer command and a dialog box prompts you to enter the new layer s name The new layer appears in the list It is automatically given the type Other and its visibility is turned off 1 In the Navigator click on the desired layer in the Layers list 2 While still holding down your mouse button move the cursor to the desired composite and release the button i e drag and drop the layer into the composite Note that if a layer already resides in a composite it cannot also be added to another composite Removing a Layer from a Composite 1 Select the Setup Composites command The Composite Setup dialog box appears 2 The Composite List shows any currently loaded composites and the layers contained within them To remove a layer from a composite click and drag the layer from the Composite List to the Layer List 3 Click OK to close the dialog box This does not delete the actual layer in the database it just removes the layer from the composite To delete layers use the Setup Layers command or
134. ab Tools NC Create Path From Use this command to convert existing drawn data to mill paths The existing data are not actually altered or deleted the resulting mill path is placed on an NC layer If you wish to manually draw a new mill path use the Add Mill Path command To convert drawn data to a mill path 1 Use the Setup Layers command to create an NC layer to place the mill path on if you don t already have one 2 Use the Setup NC Tools command to define your mill tools OOA Ww 9 Select the Tools NC Create Path From command The Create Mill Path From dialog box appears Select a Destination NC Layer to place the mill data In the Tool box specify the number of the tool that you wish to use to create the mill data Select Automatic Mode if you want to select a line segment and have the system locate all connected lines to form the entire mill path When using Automatic mode set the Max Outline Item Gap value to specify the maximum amount of space that can exist between items and still be considered part of the same outline Or Select Interactive Mode if you want to manually select multiple individual line segments that compose the mill path Or Select Manual Mode if you want to select only one line segment to convert to a mill path If you are starting with segmented arcs and want to create true mill arcs utilizing circular interpolation select the Convert Segmented Arcs To True Arcs comma
135. aced the end point of your line right click to end the command To create an arc 1 Select the Add Line command If you would like to change the width of the line enter the value in the Width Diameter text box in the Graphics Toolbar If you would like to place the line as negative data select the Negative option in the Graphics Toolbar Click on the location of the first end point of your arc Press the A key to switch the Add Line function to Add Arc Click on the second end point of your arc oa A WwW ND You can now either click on the third point on the circumference of the arc or press the 9 key to create a 90 degree arc 6 Right click to end the command 217 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Query Item This command provides you with information about the lines circles and arcs that comprise your custom aperture To query an item 1 Select Query ltem and you are prompted to select an item in your custom aperture 2 Click on any circle line or arc in your custom aperture The item is highlighted and the results of your query are displayed in the Status Bar at the bottom of the Editor window You are told what the item is its width or diameter whether it is positive or negative data and the coordinates of its end points If there are multiple objects at the same location you can continue to click on that location to cycle through the objects 3 When you are finished press the Esc key Options Grid Equivalent
136. ach have equivalent commands in the View menu Coordinate Display This toolbar shows the X and Y coordinates of your cursor in the workspace The Abs and Rel buttons allow you to change the coordinates to Absolute or Relative The buttons are available when you are in one of the Edit or Add function Graphics Tool Bar When you add a line or circle in the workspace you control the diameter of the circle or width of the line by entering a value in the Width Diameter text If your custom aperture contains drill information the current drill tool number is shown Drill tool assignment is not a requirement for creating a custom aperture unless you are creating a custom from drill layer data to create complex step and repeat patterns 0 is displayed if no drill tool information is present If you would like to place the items as negative data select the Negative option Status Display This toolbar provides prompts to aid you in whatever function you are using 213 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Custom Aperture Editor Command Reference File Save Toolbar Button il Equivalent Hotkey CTRL S The File Save command in the Custom Aperture Editor saves the custom aperture in the workspace and exits the Editor File Exit File Exit closes the Custom Aperture Editor and returns you to the Aperture Setup dialog box If you have made any edits to a custom aperture you are prompted to save your changes prior to exiting the Editor Edit U
137. acro still appears in the System Commands or Macros area You are simply creating a shortcut To add macros to the My Commands list 1 Click on the plus box next to the Macros heading A list of all macros is provided 2 Click on the desired macro and hold down the mouse button 3 Drag the cursor to the My Commands area and release the button The macro now appears in the list To execute a command macro Double click on the desired command macro It executes immediately To rename a command macro 1 Right click on the desired command or macro A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Rename command An edit box appears around the name 3 Type in the desired name and press the Enter key To delete a command macro 1 Right click on the desired command macro A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Delete command or 1 Click on the desired command macro 2 Press the Delete key System Commands The System Commands area provides another way to execute GerbTool menu commands To see a list of all the GerbTool menus click the plus box next to the System Commands heading The System Commands area expands to show all menus in the order they appear in the GerbTool main window You cannot rename commands or reorganize the lists To execute a command 1 Click on the plus box next to the desired menu heading A list of commands for that menu appears as they are listed in the actual menu in the GerbTool main window 2 Double click
138. act workspace Tools Mill Rout Display Offset Tools Mill Rout Display Sequence Tools Mill Rout Display Up Path Tools Mill Rout Display Colors 46 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Gerber for Beginners While it is not necessary to understand the syntax of a Gerber file in order to import and manipulate your data in GerbTool a basic understanding of Gerber is helpful in understanding the elements of your design This tutorial is intended to be a guide to understanding the fundamentals of Gerber and how it relates to your use of GerbTool If you would like a more thorough explanation of the Gerber 274 X format we recommend the Gerber RS 274X Format User s Guide by Barco Graphics N V That document was used as a primary information source for this tutorial When you import Gerber or any other data file into GerbTool GerbTool reads the information and stores it in its own internal database format When you manipulate the data you are not manipulating your original files You can save your data in a GerbTool gtd file which is a single file that contains all your data or you can export your files as Gerber or any of the supported file formats listed in the File Export menu Apertures and D codes Two types of Gerber data 274 D and 274 X can be used to create individual photoplotted layers of PCB artwork The original Gerber formats were designed for use by vector photoplotters These photoplotters selected individual aperture shapes from
139. aded composites and the layers contained within them Click the Create Composite button and a new composite with a system default name such as Composite 1 is created 4 To add a layer to a composite click and drag the desired layer from the Layer List to the Composite List To remove a layer from a composite drag the layer back to the layer list 5 To change layer polarity right click on a layer within a composite to select a different polarity A polarity of Dark means that the layer is to be displayed in the style a normal Gerber file is displayed Clear tells GerbTool to display the layer using the current background color This has the effect of erasing or clearing areas from an image that were previously drawn by a dark layer Negative layers should be set to clear Warning If you choose to export your composite file in a Gerber Format you must use 274 X Viewing a Composite Composite layers may be displayed WYSIWYG by simply pressing the V hotkey This nested command toggles composite viewing on off Composite viewing may also be controlled using the Setup Composites command 61 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Using the Navigator to View a Composite 1 In the Navigator right click on the desired composite A shortcut menu appears a checkmark next to the Visible command indicates if the layers are visible 2 If a checkmark does not appear select the Visible command and the layers in the composite are now visible in t
140. al Query User Data ao The Query User Data command highlights all items that contain a specific User Data value Toolbar Button To highlight items based on UserData values 1 Select the Query User Data command The Query User Data dialog box appears Search For Enter the desired User Data value to search for in this box The search text is not case sensitive For a successful match the search value can be located anywhere within an item s User Data value This means that a search value of DATA would match both DATA32 and MYDATA Color By default items are highlighted in white You may click on the Color square to select a new color for your next highlighted item The color of previous selections is not altered Clear Highlights Click this button to clear any data currently highlighted This does not change any information only the highlighting is cleared 2 After you have made your selections in the dialog box click the Find button to find and highlight all items that contains the value in the Search For box The information box underneath the Search For box displays information about the item being queried 3 When you are finished click the Close button or press the Esc key Query Embedded Passive Toolbar Button This command is used to view information about any embedded passive in the currently loaded design You can query an embedded passive either by clicking on it in the workspace or entering its reference
141. all the desired errors in the error list Release the Ctrl key when you are finished If you wish to highlight several sequential errors in the list press and hold down the Shift key then select the first and last error you wish to highlight Release the Shift key when you are finished 2 Right click on the error list A shortcut menu appears Select the Highlight command The workspace zooms to the extent of the items that are highlighted To turn off the highlighting of errors in the workspace When an error is not highlighted the light bulb next to it is off white 1 To turn off the highlighting for all errors right click on the analysis type A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Unhighlight All command The highlighting in the workspace is removed or To turn off the highlighting of a single error double click on the highlighted error in the list If you would prefer to use a single mouse click to remove highlighting right click on the Analysis heading A shortcut menu appears Select the Single Click Highlight command If you wish to return to double click highlighting select the Single Click Highlight command again to remove its checkmark The highlighting in the workspace is removed Or 1 To turn off the highlighting of multiple errors press and hold down the Ctrl key and click on all the desired errors in the error list Release the Ctrl key when you are finished If you wish to remove highlighting for several sequen
142. ally Terminating a Command You may terminate a command or at least one level of a multi step command by pressing the Esc key on your keyboard You may also right click and choose Cancel from the right click shortcut menu If you would like to terminate a command using the right mouse button you can disable the right click shortcut menu See the Options Configure command Selecting another command from the Menu bar will also terminate any active command Hotkeys however will not terminate an active command Toolbar Button Reference Each button within the toolbar represents a shortcut to a menu command When you click on a toolbar button the command associated with that button is invoked You can control which toolbars appear in the window with the View Toolbars command You can change which button appears in each toolbar by using the Options Customize Toolbar command GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Drawing Buttons These buttons are used for working with Drawing layers Documentation Drawing Dimensioning Add Dimension T Documentation Drawing Dimensioning Delete Dimension B Documentation Drawing Dimensioning Modify Dimension Documentation Drawing Dimensioning Add Line Documentation Drawing Dimensioning Delete Line Documentation Drawing Dimensioning Modify Line K l Documentation Drawing Drill Add Hole Chart Documentation Drawing Drill Delete Hole Chart E Documentation Drawing Drill Modify Hole Chart 4 Document
143. alog box except for the Rectangle corner style as indicated below Round Size Square Size Butterfly Size Shape Oblong Xsize Ysize Octagon Xsize Ysize Diamond Xsize Ysize Triangl Xsiz Ysiz Bullet Xsize Ysize Ellipse Xsize Ysize Custom Xsize Ysize Hexagon Xsiz Ysiz CornerSiz Donut Siz InnerSiz Shap Thermal Xsize Ysize AirGap AirGapEndStyle OuterShape InnerShape SpokeCount SpokeWidth SpokeAngle oire RingCount RingWidth RingGap LineWidth LineLength Rectangle Xsiz Ysiz CornerStyl CornerFlags CornerRadius CornerStyle 1 Square 2 Round 32 Chamfer CornerFlags the corners that the styles apply to is a composite value made from summing the following value is O if no flags are set 1 LowerLeft 2 UpperLeft 4 LowerRight 8 UpperRight All fields are separated by white space Lines that begin with are treated as comments Although the author and data comments are not required they are generally included as an aid for other users The header of a GerbTool aperture list may contain a format line preceded by 9o This line contains either IMPERIAL or METRIC followed by a version number If IMPERIAL is specified all sizes are in inches If METRIC is specified they are in millimeters If no format line is provided IMPERIAL is assumed The version number is for documentation purposes only 219 Following is an example of a GerbTool aperture list Format Version SIMPERIAL 13 0 Li Uni
144. already assigned to it type in the user data and click the Find button The UserData field allows you to attach text to each individual database item Any user data you associate with your design will automatically be saved when you save your database This allows you to pass on this data to other groups in your organization transparently User data can be used to associate reference designators pin numbers and net names with each pad thereby adding intelligence to your Gerber databases Besides being able to see UserData using the Query Item command Macros also have complete read write access to each UserData field Other than a 256 character limit there are no other restrictions on what text can be associated with a database item Undo Clicking the Undo button reverses the last change made with this command Redraw Clicking the Redraw button redraws the data in the workspace so you can see the effect of your changes Reset Clicking the Reset button causes the data in this form to be reset to its initial values removing any changes you may have specified A Tip Once the Apply button has been pressed the Reset button will only revert back to the last applied state it will not undo applied changes Use the Undo button to reverse any applied changes 3 When you are finished click the Close button Edit Copy Toolbar Button Ri You may use this command to copy single items windowed selections or a Select Group of items T
145. an aperture wheel exposed the aperture to film by opening and closing a shutter The Gerber file provided the instructions to the photoplotter telling it which shape to place and where to place it When an aperture was flashed the shutter merely opened and closed in a single location on the film When an aperture was drawn the shutter opened the aperture was moved across the film and then the shutter closed thus creating a line segment Thus a Gerber file is essentially an ASCII file with a series of commands instructing the photoplotter where to move when to open and close the shutter and which aperture to use In order for this to occur the photoplotter needs an aperture list to define the shapes or D codes used The aperture list cross references the aperture number with a D code of the desired shape and size Each aperture is assigned a number which represented its position on the wheel In the 274 D format the aperture list is a separate file Following is an example of an aperture list Aper Dcode Type Size X Size Y 1 10 Round 10 0 2 11 Round 5 0 3 12 Round 20 0 4 13 Round 12 0 5 14 Round 75 0 6 15 Round 50 0 7 16 Round 80 0 8 17 Round 100 0 9 18 Round 60 0 10 19 Square 60 60 EK 72 Target 200 0 12 73 Thermal 80 60 Aperture lists do not always appear as the above example Each CAD CAM system can use whichever format they desire Because of this when GerbTool imports an aperture list an Aperture Conversion
146. an select additional mill paths to change or press the Esc key to exit the function Related topics Edit NC Change Tools Edit NC Reverse Path Direction Edit NC Change The change commands are used to modify any operator messages NC tools or break tabs used in your design a LL Message 723p Hag Toolbar Button Use this command if you want to change the text in an operator message To change an operator message 1 Select the Edit NC Change Operator Message command You are prompted to click on the NC item that has the desired operator message associated with it 2 Click on the drill or mill item with the operator message The NC Operator Message dialog box appears 3 Edit the text as desired and click OK 4 You can select other operator messages to change or press the Esc key to exit the function Related topics Edit NC Delete Operator Message ee ma Toolbar Button E This command allows you to change NC tool assignments for existing database items You may select a single item or multiple items by window or entire layers To change tools 1 Select the EditINC Change Tools command You are prompted to select the NC item whose tool you wish to change 2 Using the Selection Filter select the NC item or items you wish to change tool assignments for The Change NC Tool dialog box appears 3 Select the New Tool that you wish to apply to all the selected data and click OK The tools are changed
147. and 4 Click on each flash that you want marked as a resistor shape Every flash that is tagged as a resistor on the passive layer is marked with an Ohms symbol Press the Esc key when you are finished Q Resistor Flash After marking your flashes as resistor shapes note that they now appear in the Navigator under Embedded Passives passive layer name gt Invalid Embedded Passives Use the Tools Embedded Passives Build Embedded Passive command to finish defining your embedded passives Tools Embedded Passives Build Embedded Passive The Tools Embedded Passives Find command allows you to have the system automatically identify the embedded passives in your design You can also manually identify each embedded passive using the Build Embedded Passive command A Tip This can also be done in the Navigator See the Embedded Passives topic To manually identify embedded passives 1 Use the Setup Layers command to organize and tag your layers 2 Select the Tools Embedded Passives Find command In the Find Embedded Passives dialog box select the Convert Drawn Resistor Shapes To Flashes and Identify Resistor Flashes options Do not select Build Embedded Passive Resistor Objects Or Select one of the Tools Convert Drawn Pads commands and convert the drawn resistor shapes on your passive layers to flashes Then select the Tools Embedded Passives Mark Resistor Flashes command and mark each resistor shape After marking your flashes as r
148. and 64 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Comparing Netlists Graphical netlist comparison allows you to visually compare your design data against the original netlist GerbTool performs the comparison automatically and all violations are stored internally like DRC MRC and DFF violations This means you can quickly scan through and fix connectivity issues As an aid to those who wish to compare a netlist created from Gerber data back to an ODB or PADS ASCII database netlist the File Import Netlist ODB and File lmport NetlistlI PADS ASCII commands import only the netlists from those databases It is not necessary to use the File Import ODB or Filellmport I PADS ASCII command to import the entire database export an IPC D 356 netlist discard the database load your Gerber data and import the IPC D 356 netlist Comparing Netlists 1 Use File Import Import Wizard to import your Gerber data or File Open to a previously created GerbTool gtd file A Tip If you are importing an ODB or PADS ASCII database for the purposes of verifying their netlists against the artwork not Gerber data you can automatically run a netlist comparison when importing those databases See the Filellmport ODB 4 4 and File Import PADS ASCII topics for details 2 Using the Setup Layers command or the Navigator make sure that each layer is tagged with the correct layer type This is required so that the system understands what each layer is 3 Remove any
149. and therefore flakes or peels off Where acid traps are open at one end resist slivers can be fully surrounded by copper retract point The location where the mill machine removes the tool after milling S short An unwanted connection between two or more nets Sketch mode Only the outline of items is displayed in the workspace Slot A drill tool is used to create a series of hits in a straight line to make a path that appears as though it was created by a mill tool SMD Surface Mount Device A component that mounts on only one side of a board SMD pads mount the component to the board without using through holes SMT Surface Mounting Technology solder bridge An unwanted connection between a pad and an adjacent trace or other conductive object It occurs when the opening for a pad on a mask layer is oversized too much and exposes the adjacent object The copper for the pad may get too close during fabrication causing the accidental connection starved thermal A thermal whose connection to the negative plane is constricted by adjacent data step amp repeat Gerber codes which allow single images to be arrayed in a panel without creating new copies of the original this helps reduce file sizes stick mode All drawn data are displayed in the workspace as a single line T tab Short breaks in the mill path that are used when you are milling completely around a board In order to keep the board from literally dropping ou
150. and wish to remove all previously identified resistor shapes select the Clear Previously Identified Flashes option 10 Select the Build Embedded Passive Resistor Objects option This matches the resistor shapes on the passive layer to their termination bars on the conductive layer The resistor shapes must touch or be within the specified Tolerance of the termination bars in order for them to be matched 11 Click the OK button If you selected the Layer option all your data are processed If you selected the Window option define the selection window in the workspace and the data are processed You can select additional data or press the Esc key to end the function Every flash that is tagged as a resistor on the passive layer is now marked with an Ohms symbol Q Resistor Flash Every embedded passive that has been built is highlighted with an outline Built Embedded Passive A list of all your embedded passives appears in the Valid Embedded Passives list in the Navigator by reference designator You can view information about each embedded passive and perform a variety of tasks See the Embedded Passives topic for details If you have flashes that are marked as resistors but do not belong to a valid embedded passive the termination bars fell outside your defined tolerance They are listed in the Invalid Embedded Passives list in the Navigator and you will need to manually construct the embedded passive using either the Cons
151. aperture definitions as necessary and click the Apply button 3 To change the angle of rotation right click on the existing angle underneath the D code number and a shortcut menu appears Select the Edit command and type in the new value 58 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual 4 To define an aperture s type SMT Thermal or ThruHole right click on the existing type and a shortcut menu appears Select the desired type Deleting an Aperture Only unused D codes can be deleted Tip The Compact button removes unused and redundant apertures within an aperture list Each layer then has its D codes remapped accordingly m D Code View Right click on the desired aperture in the Properties column 2 Select the Delete D code command from the shortcut menu The D code is immediately deleted In Shape View 1 To delete an individual D code expand the tree view for the desired aperture shape by double clicking on it Then double click on the desired D code size 2 Right click on the desired D code number 3 Select the Delete command from the shortcut menu The D code is immediately deleted or 4 To delete all D codes for a particular aperture definition for example all 4 mil Rounds expand the tree view for the desired aperture shape Right click on the desired D code size 5 Select the Delete command from the shortcut menu All the D codes listed under that size are deleted Exporting Aperture Lists The File Export Ape
152. apertures themselves Example The following example sets the creation of custom apertures to off CUSTOM NO EXTENSION Syntax EXTENSION extension Parameters extension The default aperture list extension Description The default file extension of the lists you will be converting with this rule file If the value is entered here you will not need to enter it when specifying the list for conversion Example The following example sets default aperture list extension of mya EXTENSION mya 223 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual DEBUG Syntax DEBUG mode Parameters mode A value of 0 1 or 2 Description Enables debugging information to be output into the converter log file If the value of 0 is used no debug information will be output If 1 is used GerbTool will output debug information while parsing the ACR file and if the value is set to 2 debug information will be output while converting the file itself This line is for advanced users only and should either not be included or be set to 0 for normal converter operation Example The following example sets the current debug mode to 2 DEBUG 2 XTENSION Syntax XTENSION dll filename Parameters d11 filename The name of a dl that you supply Description If present causes the converter to look for the specified dll file to help in converting the aperture lists Please contact WISE Software Technical Suppor
153. appears 4 The system has already run a series of checks to determine the format of your files The detected format is displayed in the Gerber Import Data Format dialog box If you make any changes click the Apply button to see those changes reflected in the thumbnail view of the file This allows you to verify the accuracy prior to actually importing the files Dialect Indicates the specific format of the Gerber file 274 D 274 X or FIRE9XXX In order for GerbTool to identify a file as 274 X the FS statement and at least one ADD statement must be present in the file If either statement is missing it will be identified as 274 D If you think a file is 274 X but is identified by GerbTool as 274 D open the file in a text editor to verify the format If the Format Statement is missing you can either manually add it to the file in the text editor or specify the settings in the Gerber Import Data Format dialog box The file should then import without further issues If the Aperture Definition statement is missing you can specify the format settings in the Gerber Import Data Format dialog box The file will import without any aperture definitions which you can add later if desired using the Setup Apertures command If you need further information regarding Gerber file formats see Gerber for Beginners M N This is the coordinate format For example a 2 3 format specifies two decimal digits before an implied decimal point and three foll
154. ar ring required between the drill layer and the top bottom solder mask Missing Top Mask amp Missing Bot Mask Checks for pads on the top bottom side conductive layer without openings on the top bottom solder mask Pad Top Silk amp Pad Bot Silk The minimum clearance required between top bottom side pads and the top bottom silkscreen layer You can use the Tools Fix SilkScreen command to remove silkscreen data from pads If you select a Mask Yes property then the silkscreen layer is instead compared to the corresponding solder mask layer Missing Drill Checks for pads that do not have a corresponding drill hit Coincident Drill Checks for drill hits that are in the same location but are different sizes Redundant Drill Checks for drill hits of the same size that are in the same location Mill Path Checks compensated mill pats for errors introduced by the compensation arcs that implode paths that cross over themselves and any break tabs that become invalid because the compensated path is now too short for the tab to fit DFF Design For Fabrication Acid Traps An acid trap is an area where etching solution accumulates but does not flow out during manufacturing This causes over etching which hurts yield This analysis detects potential acid traps in your design Any areas where acid is likely to accumulate that are smaller than the Size you specify and any items traces pads etc that form an Angle smaller than the one you specify
155. are appropriate for the second type of formatting e g tool 2 s format and repeat the same steps as you did for Format 1 You can create as many Format types as necessary to convert your entire tool list 5 When you are finished click the Save Converter button to save your converter file in the ToolConv folder The dialog box closes and your converter appears in the Format list of the Import Tool List dialog box File Import Barco DPF This command allows you to import one or more Barco DPF files ls import a DPF file If you want to import your file into a specific empty layer make that layer the active layer If the active layer is not empty a new layer following the active layer will be created for you and used As many layers as necessary will be created to import all of the files you specify 2 Select the File Import Barco DPF command An Import dialog box appears where you can select one or more dpf files to import 3 To select one file click on it To select more than one file hold down the Ctrl key while you click on each one 4 Click the Open button to import the files Filellmport I HPGL This command allows you to import an HPGL or HPGL 2 plot file into the currently active layer To import an HPGL file 1 Make the layer you wish to import the file to the active layer 2 Select the File Import HPGL command The Import HPGL dialog box appears oO Select the HPGL file you wish to import and click the O
156. arns you that the limit was reached This limit is provided in case you enter oversize and spacing parameters that are not appropriate for your design 7 Specify your Desired Oversize The generation process adds an opening of the appropriate shape on the mask layer at the same location as each pad on the corresponding electrical layer The openings are increased in size by the specified Desired Oversize amount and will not be larger than this In case the system cannot create a mask opening as big as the desired size specify a Minimum size for the opening 8 Specify the Mask Opening spacing which is the minimum spacing allowed between two openings on the mask layer 9 Specify a Mask To Trace spacing which is the minimum spacing allowed between a mask opening and traces on the corresponding electrical layer If the system cannot create an opening without violating these spacing amounts an error will be logged 10 Select the Detect Fine Pitch Pads option to have the system analyze rectangles oblongs ellipses bullets squares and customs for fine pitch conditions If three or more pads of the same shape size and angle lie in line with each other and are within the maximum Edge To Edge or Center To Center Spacing you specify they are considered a group Each group of fine pitch pads is processed as one element and a single opening is created around all of them 11 If you want pads that are less than a particular size excluded from the p
157. as been read in GerbTool can then convert the associated apertures in the aperture list into the proper shapes and sizes in the workspace so that your Gerber data are correctly displayed An ACR file is similarly used when importing a tool list It describes the format of the list so that GerbTool can add the correct tool information to the NC tool table and display your NC data correctly Regular Expression Syntax ACR files use a regular expression syntax to describe lines that are to be processed by the converter A regular expression is simply a way of describing a certain pattern of text in a well defined fashion What follows is a description of the regular expression syntax ACR files use We will first start out with the simplest types of patterns that are supported and then progress to the more advanced ones The simplest expression is the character A character in the rule file will match the corresponding character in the aperture list For example the rule D dcode will match the line D10 in an aperture list but not the line DCODE10 due to the extra characters CODE Some characters have special meaning in a rule These characters include 9 OL 1 It is unlikely that you will encounter any of these characters when creating an aperture converter of your own but if you do need to use one of them you can precede the character with a backslash V For instance the string D dcode matches D10 Quite often
158. aste mask layers are currently loaded and tagged 6 Normally when the shapes are assigned to paste openings the protrusions insets point to each other according to the orientation of the pad pair The Reverse Direction option will make the protrusions insets point away from each other 7 f you select to set sizes by Percentage you are defining the enhanced shapes that original paste openings will be converted to based upon the size of the original opening and what the size of any protrusion inset or corner radius will be relative to the finished size of the enhanced opening You are not defining the overall size of the finished paste opening The existing opening that you later associate the enhanced shape to will determine the size of the finished opening If you select to set sizes by Amount then you are defining an exact reduction or enlargement of the original opening using the current units of measure If you want the shape to be smaller than the original opening it is associated with the numbers used for the Increase Decrease Height and Width should be negative preceded by a If you want the shape to be larger than the associated original opening the number should be positive 204 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual 8 The elements of the shape you have to define depend upon the Shape Type you select and whether you are setting sizes by Amount or Percentage If a corner radius applies you can select to include the specified radius
159. ately renumbered Apertures To see a list of apertures click on the plus box next to the Apertures heading The Apertures area expands to show all the defined apertures in the design with their corresponding D code number and size The blue graphic next to each aperture shows you the general shape of the aperture If the aperture is a custom the name assigned to the custom appears in parentheses Custom apertures are also listed under the Custom Apertures heading All the aperture information may be modified using the Navigator To add an aperture 1 Right click on the Apertures heading A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Add New command and the New D code dialog box appears 3 By default the lowest available D code number appears in the text box Select an unused D code number and click OK By default the aperture is made a round thru hole and has no size The aperture will not appear in the Navigator until you use it or select the Show Unused command from the right click shortcut menu To make an aperture active 1 Right click on the desired aperture in the list A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Active command when an aperture is active a checkmark appears next to the Active command The aperture is now active To highlight all occurrences of an aperture 1 Right click on the desired aperture in the list A shortcut menu appears 8 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual 2 Select the Highlight command All occurrences
160. atically attempts to stack the layers The automatic ordering will be the first conductive layer found then the first NC insulator layer found then the next conductive layer and so on until no more NC insulator or conductive layers are found 2 To change the layer order click on the incorrect layer then select the correct layer from the drop down list If you need to clear your choices and start the ordering over again click the Clear button which then turns into the Reset button and click the Reset button The order is set to the system default 3 Click OK when you are finished Setup NC Tools Toolbar Button Equivalent Hotkey Shift T This command opens the NC Tool Table which allows you to edit the drill and mill tools used in your NC layers You can define tools in multiple tool tables which can be designated as a Drill table only drill tools are used Mill table only mill tools are used or Both drill and mill tools are combined on a single table To view change the units of measure Click the Units button The Configuration dialog box appears with the Units and Precision tab active Changing the units of measure here affects how measurements are represented to you To add a new tool Click the Add Tool button A new tool is created using the next available tool number Define your tool as needed see the definitions of the various tab options below To delete a tool 1 Click on the number of the to
161. ation Drawing DrilllUpdate Hole Chart t Documentation Drawing Fabrication Add Note Balloon Documentation Drawing Fabrication Delete Note Balloon E Documentation Drawing Fabrication Modify Note Balloon Drill Buttons These buttons are used for working with NC data 41 Add Drill 5 Add Optional Stop 1 Add Slot ener Edit NC Delete Optional Stop Add NC Circle Drilled Setup Break Tabs Add Drilled Text e 5 Add Mill Path Edit NC Path Properties TL Edit NC Reverse Path Direction EditlNC Explode 4 Edit Change NC Tools Add NC Circle Milled CCW Inside Add NC Circle Milled CCW Outside J Add NC Circle Milled CW Inside Add NC Cicle Milled CW Outside ms Add Operator Message ES Setup NC Tools nS Edit NC Delete Operator Message Documentation Reports NC Tools 1123 Edit NC Change Operator Message File Export NC Drill Mill Edit Buttons These buttons are used for working with graphics x Edit Undo Add Polygon 4 Edit Redo Edit Rotate Edit Copy Edit Mirror Gr lEdrl Move Edit Align Layers Edit Delete Edit Clip 0 Add Flash Edit Join Add Draw Edit Origin 0 Add Rectangle Edit Scale GerbTool 15 1 User Manual 0 Add Circle Add Arc Ctr gt Add Arc 3 Pt Add Array Edit Vertex Add amp Add Vertex A Edit Text Mainframe Buttons t Edit D Code Transcode Edit D Code Polarity Edit D Code Scale Q Edit D Cod
162. ave endcaps output for each draw in the DXF file 8 Select Round Pads As Circles to export round pads as unfilled circles Otherwise pads are exported as solid entities using arcs 9 If you have polygons select the way in which you want to output them Polyline outputs the polygons as with just an outline Hatch outputs the polygons with a solid raster fill Vector Fill outputs the polygons with a vector fill where you specify the width of the vector fill line in the Size box File Export GerbTool V8 GerbTool databases are not backwards compatible a version 14 0 gtd file cannot be opened in version 13 0 for example However any version of GerbTool can read the version 8 database format Therefore if you need to save a GerbTool database file that can be read by any previous version of GerbTool use this command If you do not require that your gtd file be read by an older version of GerbTool use the File Save command to save your database in the current gtd format That format can be read both by current and future versions of GerbTool a version 13 0 gtd file can be opened in version 14 0 for example It is also a self contained database it does not require any external Gerber Files as all the design data resides in the gtd file To export a version 8 database 1 Select the File Export Gerber command to export your design data If you export your data in the 274 D format you should also use the File Export Aperture List
163. ave the lower left corner of the DXF design placed at the origin 10 Select the Clear Merge Layer if you wish to empty all destination layers prior to receiving DXF information 11 If you select Create Apertures apertures for drawing lines are created when an equivalent aperture does not already exist in the currently loaded database if there is one The size of the new aperture is obtained from the DXF feature data If this option is not selected the next smaller existing aperture is used If a next smaller aperture does not exist then the smallest is used If you do not select this option no apertures already exist and no block mapping is performed see step 16 then all data are imported as zero width lines and assigned a round aperture of the size specified in the Line Width box 12 Select Fill Polygons to convert DXF polygons to raster filled polygons Otherwise the polygons will not be filled 82 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual A Warning If you plan to export your files in 274 D format do not select the Fill Polygons option Raster filling is not supported in 274 D 13 Select Metric to indicate that the coordinates in the DXF file are in millimeters Do not select this option if coordinates are in inches 14 For the Polylines To Draws options select All to have your polylines converted to draws select None to convert them to raster filled polygons or select If Width Less Than and specify a width limit polylines with smaller width
164. ayer number For a list of each layer type and their associated icon see the Color Bar topic All the layer information may be modified using the Navigator To change the draw or flash color used on a layer use the Color Bar or the Setup Layers command To add a layer 1 Right click on the Layers heading A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Add Layer command and the Add New Layer dialog box appears 3 Specify the new layer s Name and Type If it is an NC layer select the Tool Table that should be associated with it 4 Click OK The new layer appears in the list though its visibility is turned off To delete a layer 1 Right click on the desired layer in the list A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Delete command You are asked to confirm the deletion 3 Click the Yes button to delete the layer or 1 Click on the desired layer in the list 2 Press the Delete key 3 You are asked to confirm the deletion Click the Yes button to delete the layer To make a layer active Double click on the desired layer in the list The layer is made visible if it wasn t already and becomes the active layer Or 1 Right click on the desired layer in the list A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Active command when a layer is active a checkmark appears next to the Active command The layer is now active To make a layer visible 1 Right click on the desired layer in the list A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Visible comman
165. ayer Set or Blind Buried 3 A new layer set with a system assigned name is added to the layer set list You may now add layers to the layer sets see procedure below To add a layer to a standard or blind buried layer set 1 Click on a layer in the Navigator s Layers list 2 While still holding down your mouse button move the cursor to the desired layer set and release the button i e drag and drop the layer into the layer set To remove a layer from a standard or blind buried layer set 1 Click on the plus box next to the desired layer set 14 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual 2 Alist of the layers in the set appears Right click on the desired layer and a shortcut menu appears 3 Select the Remove command and the layer is removed from the set This does not delete the actual layer in the database it just removes the layer from the set To delete layers see the Layers area of the Navigator To add a new MCM LTCC layer set 1 Right click on the Layer Sets heading A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Add Layer Set MCM LTCC command The MCM LTCC Setup dialog box appears 3 The system looks at all conductive NC or insulator layers and automatically attempts to stack the layers The automatic ordering will be the first conductive layer found then the first NC insulator layer found then the next conductive layer and so on until no more NC insulator or conductive layers are found 4 To change the layer order click on the inc
166. bTool will then recalculate the size based upon those limits If your boards typically fall within a certain size range and use the same data format specifying a minimum and maximum board size value and saving the settings as the default values can aid the import process in the future Apply To All Applies the selected settings to all imported files Apply To This is the directory path and name of the Gerber file you are importing Set As Default Saves the current settings as the default settings for Gerber files whose format cannot be identified by GerbTool If an imported file can be identified by GerbTool the dialog box settings are set accordingly not to the default settings Use Default Applies the saved default settings to the imported files overriding the detected format If you use standard settings take note of the thumbnail view prior to completing the import process If a design is loaded with an incorrect format specified GerbTool will attempt to display it with unpredictable results If you inadvertently import a Gerber file incorrectly use the Undo command and re import 5 When you are finished click the OK button to import your files 76 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual mRelated topics Using Files ACR Files Aperture List Files File Import Aperture List 274 D Gerber data requires a separate aperture list be imported before the design files This command allows you to import an aperture list file If you i
167. be edited 4 Type in the new size and press the Enter key when you are finished To change an aperture s type 1 Click on the plus box next to the desired aperture 2 In the aperture detail list the third item is the aperture type Right click on the type and a shortcut menu appears 3 A checkmark appears next to the current type Select the new type from the list To add a flash in the workspace 1 Click on the desired aperture in the Navigator and hold down the mouse button 2 Drag the cursor to the desired location in the workspace and release the mouse button A new flash is added to the active layer using the aperture you selected Custom Apertures To see a list of custom apertures click on the plus box next to the Custom Apertures heading The Custom Apertures area expands to show all the custom apertures in the design by name To view a custom aperture s size and the D codes it s assigned to click on the plus box next to the desired aperture To add a custom aperture 1 Right click on the Custom Apertures heading A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Add New command and an undefined aperture with a system default name is added to the Custom Apertures list You can now edit and rename the new custom aperture Or 2 To add acustom aperture from an external library file select the Load From Lib command from the shortcut menu 3 Select the desired vlb or gtd library file and click OK 4 You are presented w
168. bedded passive layer you will be warned that the conductive layer is being changed and all previously defined embedded passives will be removed 5 6 In the Material Constant box specify the Ohms Per Square value of the material used in your resistors Select the Layer option to have all the data on the selected layers processed or select the Window option to only process data within a selection window Select the Convert Drawn Resistor Shapes To Flashes option This analyzes the drawn data on your passive layer determines which draws form a rectangular shape rectangles or squares and converts them to flashes Any drawn data that does not appear to form a rectangular shape is not converted To increase the system s ability to compensate for variances in drawn data you can specify a Tolerance value By doing so you relax the criteria for determining whether a shape is rectangular this compensates for things like slightly inconsistent edges due to the aperture shape used to draw the rectangle The larger the tolerance the more the drawn shape can stray from that of a true rectangle and still be converted Usually a value of 0 0005 inches is sufficient Select the Identify Resistor Flashes option to tag each rectangular and custom aperture flash on the embedded passive layer as a resistor shape This is automatically done if you select the Build Embedded Passive Resistor Objects option If you have previously run this function
169. ble and click OK The new table is added and is automatically assigned a type of Both to accept both Drill and Mill tools To change a tool table s name 1 Right click on the name of the desired tool table A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Rename Table command A box appears around the table name 3 Type the new name for the table and press the Enter key To change a tool table s type 1 Right click on the desired tool table A shortcut menu appears 2 Select Change Table Type and the desired table type the current type has a check mark next to it To add a tool 1 Right click on the name of the tool table where you wish to add the tool A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Add New Tool command and the New Tool dialog box appears 3 By default the lowest available tool number appears in the text box Change this to another unused tool number if desired 4 Click OK The tool is assigned default values for size type plating and legend which you can change in the Navigator To make a tool active 1 Right click on the desired tool in the list A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Active command when a tool is active a checkmark appears next to the Active command The tool is now active To change a tool s size 1 Click on the plus box next to the desired tool 2 In the tool detail list the first item is the tool size Right click on the size and a shortcut menu appears 3 Select the Edit command A bo
170. by their individual draws From The X Y location where the polygon border begins To The X Y location where the polygon border ends always the same as the beginning Closest Pt The closest vertex point to the coordinate selected when you queried the polygon Num Pts The number of points on the polygon border Area The square area of the entire polygon Layer The layer the polygon is on Layer Type The type of layer the polygon is on 29 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual SeqNo The item s order in the Gerber database Item 1 is the first item listed in the Gerber file item 2 is the second etc Polarity The polarity of the polygon either positive Dark or negative Clear Net The net number that the item belongs to if any Polyline Polylines are contiguous lines made of multiple draws Dcode The D code used to create the polyline Shape The shape of the D code used Size The size of the D code used From The X Y location where the polyline begins To The X Y location where the polyline ends Closest Pt The closest start end point of the draw within the polyline to the coordinate that you queried Num Pts The number of draw start end points within the polyline Length The length of the polyline Area The total square area of the polyline Layer The layer the polyline is on Layer Type The type of layer the polyline is on SeqNo The item s order in the Gerber database Item 1 is the first item listed in the
171. c ete 119 120 215 216 248
172. c key when you are finished Related topics Edit NC Change Break Tab Edit NC Delete Break Tab Edit NC Reverse Path Direction Toolbar Button A Use this command to reverse the direction a tool travels to create a mill path as shown by the arrows displayed in the mill paths After reversing a mill path s direction any compensation is automatically reapplied in the defined direction which is always in relation to the direction of the mill tool Related topics Edit NC Path Properties 117 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Edit NC Explode Toolbar Button This command explodes selected NC data into their base components Drilled items such as circles slots and text are converted to their individual drill hits Pattern drills are exploded into their component NC parts Mill paths are exploded into multiple mill paths with one segment line or arc per path Milled circles are similarly exploded into multiple mill paths with one segment per path A Tip If you right click on an NC item the explode function is included in the shortcut menu along with other editing functions This provides a quick way to explode individual items To explode NC data 1 Select the EditINC Explode command 2 Using the Selection Filter click on the NC data you wish to explode 3 The data are highlighted and you are asked to confirm your selection 4 Click the Yes button and the data are converted into their individual elements
173. cally updated below You can also select the Manual Override option to change the settings Starting Level determines how large of a change the optimization will make to the original tooling in one step Values larger than 100 will sometimes do a better overall optimization of the original tooling path but will cause the optimization to take a lot longer to finish Smaller values will cause the optimization to finish faster but will usually not do as good of an overall job of optimization Generally this value should be left at 100 Change Rate controls the number of steps the optimization will take starting from the Starting Level Larger values will improve the results of the optimization but the results will take longer to produce Likewise smaller values will take less time but produce longer tooling paths Extremely low values may even cause the resulting NC file to be longer than before optimization Values of between 0 60 and 0 95 are recommended to produce well optimized files Values greater than 0 999 are not allowed The default value is 0 75 Level Duration controls how much time the optimization will take at each of the steps entered in the change rate above Larger values will cause the optimization to try more possible paths at each step while smaller values will cause fewer paths to be tried Values of between 100 and 1000 are recommended for this variable The default value is 100 X Y Movement Speed Compensation is used to take
174. ce designator or use the First Next Previous or Last buttons to cycle through all the embedded passives in the workspace 6 Click on the Close button to end the function mRelated topics Documentation Reports Embedded Passives Query Highlight Toolbar Button The Query Highlight command highlights all occurrences of one or more specified database items on selected layers in the workspace A count of the number of occurrences also appears in the Status Bar To highlight items in the database 1 Select the Query Highlight command You are prompted to specify which items to highlight by changing the Selection Filter 2 In the Selection Filter select the Types of items to highlight and the Layers to look at If you want items that are created using only a specific D code or NC Tool right click on each of those categories and make your selections As you make your changes to the selection filter the items that meet your criteria are highlighted in the workspace and the exact number of occurrences is given in the Status Bar The selected items remain highlighted until you turn off the highlight with the View Highlights command press the H hotkey or you select another group of items with this command Related topics Query Item Query Measure The Measure command presents menu that allows you to measure distances in three different ways point to point edge to edge and center to center Query Measure Point To Point
175. chosen E de Types CR Tools These options allow you to select which kinds of items will be included Any type of item not Al checked will be excluded from selection El Polarity Y Dark Layers Wi Clear These options allow you to select which layers will be considered when choosing items D Codes These options allow you to specify items that are created using only a particular D code Tools These options allow you to specify drill or mill items that are created using a particular NC tool Polarity These options allow you to specify only items with a particular polarity 25 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Item Properties Display When you query an item in the database its information is shown in the Item Properties display The type of information displayed depends upon the item being queried The information for each item type is detailed Attribute Properties below Type Flash AT Dcode D84 You can close the display by clicking on the X in the upper right corner It cuum Rectangle will automatically appear again when a function requires it You can Size 0 0406x0 0206 expand the size of the bar to the entire height of the workspace by clicking Location 0 2925 2 8425 the up arrow then reduce its size by clicking the down arrow While it is Layer L2 Test Passive docked in the GerbTool window you can resize the height and width of Layer Type Passive Add the bar by moving your cursor to one of its outer edges When the
176. cing that must be maintained between adjacent pads If a violation is detected the system will reduce the size of the Snoman pad until the violation no longer exists or the Min Percent value has been reached 9 Select a Min Percent value When determining the largest Snoman pad to use for a given location the size of the Snoman pad is decreased until it meets the current spacing requirements or the Min Percent value is reached 10 Select a Max Percent value This controls the maximum size of the generated Snoman pad as a percentage of the host pad size 11 Select an Offset value This is the distance maintained between the center of the host pad and the edge of the Snoman pad being generated This value can be negative 12 When you are finished making your selections click the OK button 193 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual 13 If you selected the Window option you are prompted to create your selection window 14 The data are processed and any errors are logged to your report file as well as to the Analysis area of the Navigator Tools Teardrops beh Toolbar Button The Teardrop function creates a maximum material condition at the point of trace entry into a pad All pad locations that a Teardrop cannot be generated for are highlighted and their locations are noted in a report file To add teardrops 1 A netlist is required for the Teardrop function to work properly If one does not exist use the Tools Netlist Generate command to
177. click the Esc key to exit the function Documentation Drawing Dimensioning Modify Line Toolbar Button tg The Modify Line command allows you to change any property of a selected construction line To edit a construction line 1 Select the Documentation Drawing Dimensioning Modify Line command You are prompted to select the construction line to edit 2 Click on the line in the workspace The Modify Construction Line dialog box appears See the Add Line command for a description of construction line properties 3 When you are finished click OK The construction line is immediately updated 4 Click on another line to modify or press the Esc key to end the function Related topics Documentation Drawing Dimensioning Delete Line Documentation Drawing Drill The Drill command presents a menu of functions for creating drill hole charts Documentation Drawing Drill Add Hole Chart Toolbar Button 8 The Add Hole Chart command automatically creates a fabrication drill chart for the selected NC layer A drill chart contains a title block with the legends used to represent different kinds of drill hits the size of the drill whether they are plated or unplated and how many hits there are of each Drill locations are automatically marked using the appropriate legend symbol which is defined in the NC Tool Table Tip It is not necessary to make manual modifications to drill charts when drill information or units of measu
178. command to export the aperture data 2 Select the File Export GerbTool V8 command 3 Save the gtd file to the same folder as your Gerber files If you or someone else opens the gtd file all the related Gerber files and aperture lists if applicable must reside in the same folder as the gtd file File Export ODB This command exports uncompressed ODB database files To export an ODB database 1 Select the File Export ODB command A Browse For Folder dialog box appears 2 Pick the desired Job Folder to export your data to or click Make New Folder to create that new one 3 Click the OK button and the files are exported File Export ODB 3 This command exports ODB database files in the XML format To export an ODB X database 1 Select the FileJExport ODB X command The Export ODB X Design dialog box appears 2 Browse to the folder you wish to place the file in and specify a file name for it 3 Click the Save button and the file is exported File Export HPGL This command creates an HPGL plot file or prints to an HPGL printer There are two files within the GerbTool program directory that affect each HPGL plot The files hpgl ini and hpgl dei are prefixed and appended respectively to the actual plot output If you have any special requirements you may edit these files as needed export HPGL files Only visible layers will be exported Turn on the visibility of any layers you wish to include a
179. cr t cemere tee rtt 25 40 VU WIN Gs eegen ege eg eege 122 Selection Filter commande 122 Selections Commande 122 Send command nei itera dete recae ras 98 SON O nete deba nS REA e EN TIS 26 102 sequence number eene 102 Set Group Order commande 198 Setup MENU eer erdt Beene aioe 136 Setup Shapes Commande 204 Coi TEL PP TEES 162 166 Silber 82 246 Sllkecreen cece eee eeeececececeeeeeeceeaeeeeeeeeeseseeaeeeeeeteess 194 Simple commande 185 Sketch commande 121 153 217 VT 162 SIOU GCOMIMAN ET 131 slots addirig eT Let ges 131 deleting cesiones eiit ete ta EE d 102 106 D ILETOTIERG omitiendo 109 IMOVING ss cei 102 Properties citant 26 102 Welt Ir ne m 109 LOOMS woke b beasties 102 SMD pith e eoe pens 162 SMD spating oeer eesin eee itte 162 SM Tieni capulo edel eebe eeng 137 Snap Pads Commande 112 Snoman Commande 193 solder bridges ceteris eter eae metet ctun 162 solder mask e le BEE 189 eITO S ini ep enden Tett acm Dre dme 18 OPUMIZIND cita dra 190 Solder Mask Commande 189 square apertUres einer ada 137 Stacked commande 195 stacked pad remowval sss 195 Starburst pattern asror asaan ar er iaaa 182 Starved thermal irriak a e a 162 Status Bar commande 217 Stencil Shapes Commande 148 stencils GreatG DEE 70 enhancing shapes sssseen ee 204 Stencils Commande 204 step amp reneat ec
180. ct Draws command to convert your drawn pads to flashes 3 If you want any items in your database ignored during the mask generation process create a Select Group of those items 4 Select the Tools Solder Mask Optimize command The Optimize Solder Mask dialog box appears 5 Select whether to optimize the Top Mask Bottom Mask or both 6 In the Maximum Errors box specify the number of allowable errors If the optimizer reaches this error count limit it stops logging errors and warns you that the limit was reached This limit is provided in case you enter oversize and spacing parameters that are not appropriate for your design 7 Select your Desired and Minimum Oversizes The system looks at all openings on the mask layer at the same location as each pad on the corresponding electrical layer It makes sure there are no openings smaller than the Minimum size If an existing opening is larger than the Minimum size then it is not flagged as an error unless it violates the Minimum Spacing rule If there is a missing mask opening and you have GerbTool fix it the Desired size is used to create one If the system cannot create a mask opening as big as the Desired size it will create one no smaller than the Minimum 8 Specify the Mask Opening which is the minimum spacing allowed between two openings on the mask layer 9 Specify the Mask To Trace spacing which is the minimum spacing allowed between a mask opening and traces on the correspondin
181. ct the File Import NC Tool List command The Import NC Tools dialog box appears 2 Click the Browse button to search for the tool list file you wish to import 3 Select the tool list format from the Format list If no converter file exists you can either create your own using a text editor or GerbTool to create one interactively See Creating a Tool List Converter 4 You can either create a new tool table or have your tool definitions added to an existing tool table if you already have a database loaded Make your selection from the Destination list 5 Click the OK button to import the tool list You can view or edit your tool definitions in the NC Tool Table Creating a Tool List Converter GerbTool provides an interactive Conversion File Creator that allows you to quickly create a tool list converter file 1 In the Import NC Tools dialog box click the New Converter button The Create Tool List Converter dialog box appears The name of the tool list file being imported is at the top and your current tool definitions are displayed in the Format 1 tab 2 Your tool list appears in a spreadsheet and default column names are provided at the top These columns are not automatically matched to the tool list you must reorder and resize the columns to match the tool list contents To move a column header click it with your mouse and drag it to the correct location The column header width should exactly match the width of the tool li
182. ct the new coordinates of the insertion point To rotate an individual image right click on it and select the Rotate command from the shortcut menu In the Rotate Image dialog box select the number of degrees to rotate the image around its insertion point counter clockwise To delete an individual image right click on it and select the Delete command from the shortcut menu The image is immediately removed Image Rotation Rotates all the images around their insertion point counter clockwise Note that this selection will override any manual rotation of individual images performed with the right click shortcut menu Panel Edge To Image Spacing You can select Symmetrical and specify the Minimum Spacing that the image borders must maintain from all the panel edges or select Margin to define the offset from each individual edge Tip When the panel is finished and appears in the main workspace if you move the images the Minimum Spacing or Margin Spacing values will be reset based on the new placement of the images Robber Bars Layer Set Robber Bars are usually unique to a layer s type To quickly apply a specific robber bar to a group of layers you need to create layer sets To create a new layer set click the Define Layer Sets button The Panel Layer Set Setup dialog box appears Click the New Layer Set button to create a new layer set You are prompted for the name of the new set Create as many layer sets as necessary Drag and
183. cter text used in the file Special You may select Metric mode to indicate that your files are in metric format Otherwise the format will be Imperial inches Modal mode reduces the size of your files by removing all redundant draft codes and coordinates The Optimize Polarity option only applies to exporting 274 X data It minimizes the number of polarity changes in your Gerber files For example if Optimize Polarity is not selected you could have several contiguous LPD or LPC commands in your Gerbers these are commands that indicate dark or clear polarity Other systems may read these commands and produce unnecessarily complex composite layer structures instead of a single layer containing just one set of dark and clear data If Optimize Polarity is selected any contiguous LPD or LPC commands are combined into single LPD or LPC commands Select Comments to save G04 comments You can select to export User Data information if you inserted any in your database If a netlist exists in your database the Netlist option exports netlist information embedded within the Gerber files Extended Gerber These options only apply if you are exporting 274 X data Selecting the Short 274 X Macro Names option exports all 274 X macro names using a 7 character limit This setting is for compatibility with plotters that have limited support for the 274 X extended Gerber format Selecting the Include Unused Apertures and Macros option specifies that all ape
184. cursor SeqNo 8583 changes to dh click and hold the left mouse button while you drag the Polarity Dark edge to the desired size eer CTS E Each Item Type that can be queried is listed below with all the applicable Ohms 0 00 information that can be provided for it Arc CCW indicates the arc is created in a counter clockwise direction CW indicates a clockwise direction Dcode The D code used to create the arc Shape The shape of the D code used Size The size of the D code used From The X Y location where the arc begins To The X Y location where the arc ends Center The center point of the arc Length The length of the arc Area The total square area of the arc Layer The layer the item is on Layer Type The type of layer the item is on SeqNo The item s order in the Gerber database Item 1 is the first item listed in the Gerber file item 2 is the second etc Polarity The polarity of the item either positive or negative Net The net number that the item belongs to if any Block Instance Also known as panel images FilePath The name of the master source file for the panel image Copies The number of copies of the image in the panel Anchor The location of the anchor point for the image Location The X Y location of the anchor SeqNo The item s order in the Gerber database Item 1 is the first item listed in the Gerber file item 2 is the second etc Draw Dcode The D code
185. d Or If you chose an Interactive pivot point you must now select the pivot point You can do this by clicking on the point in the workspace or selecting exact coordinates in the XY Bar Your data are then altered 8 Select other data to rotate or press the Esc key to exit the function Related topics Edit Mirror Edit Mirror Toolbar Button a Use this command if you need to mirror flip a wndowed selection or Select Group of items either horizontally or vertically This command modifies your data If you have data that you just wish to view as if looking at it from behind use the View Backside command If you wish to mirror a Select Group you must first create one using the Edit Select New Group command To mirror data 1 Select the Edit Mirror command The Mirror dialog box appears 109 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual 2 The Pivot Point options allow you to select the axis point for mirroring the selected items If Center is chosen the center of the selected items is automatically calculated and used If Interactive is chosen you are prompted for this point 3 Select whether to have the items mirrored horizontally or vertically 4 f you want D codes mirrored as well select the Mirror D codes option This is useful if you have custom apertures with an irregular shape whose orientation to the other data must be maintained New D codes will be created as necessary If you do not select this option the D codes will not b
186. d when a layer is visible a checkmark appears next to the Visible command The layer is now visible To make a layer invisible select the command to remove the checkmark To view unused layers 1 Right click on the Layers heading A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Show Unused command and all unused layers immediately appear in the list To hide unused layers right click on the Layers heading A checkmark appears next to the Show Unused command Select the command to remove the checkmark and hide the unused layers To change a layer s name 1 Click on the plus box next to the desired layer 2 In the layer detail list the first item is the layer name Right click on the name and a shortcut menu appears 3 Select the Rename command A box appears around the name indicating that it can be edited 7 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual 4 Type in the new layer name and press the Enter key when you are finished To change a layer s type 1 Click on the plus box next to the desired layer 2 In the layer detail list the second item is the layer type Right click on the type and a shortcut menu appears The current layer type has a checkmark next to it 3 Select the new layer type from the menu If you change the type to an NC layer a tool table is automatically assigned to it Its name appears in the layer information in the Navigator If you want to change the assignment right click on the tool table name select the Change NC T
187. d allows you to draw line segments in the shape of a rectangle If you add a rectangle to an NC layer you create a rectangular mill path To draw a rectangle 1 In the Layer bar make the layer you wish to draw the rectangle on the active layer and select the D code or Tool you wish to use to create it 2 Select the Add Rectangle command You are prompted to choose the first point 3 Click on the location of the lower left corner of your rectangle The shape of the rectangle is now attached to your cursor 4 Click on the upper right corner of your rectangle to complete it 5 You may add additional rectangles or press the Esc key to exit the function Add Vertex Toolbar Button ER The Add Vertex command allows you to add a vertex anywhere on an existing line segment or mill path A Tip The current orthogonal line snap setting affects this function if the Ortho Line Snap is turned on To add a vertex 1 If you only wish to work with data on specific layers turn off any layers that you do not want to modify 2 Select the Add Vertex command A bounding box is attached to the cursor 3 Click on the point in the desired line segment where you wish to add a vertex When you select a line segment any segment that falls within the bounding box is a potential selection You can decrease the size of the bounding box using the PgDn key to avoid selection of more than one segment If more than one line segment falls within the boundi
188. d visibility Layer names are also presented for your reference and layer types are represented by the icon next to the layer number Following is a list of icons and the layer type they represent x Top Lyr F D Name e nner Y ann EX EB priart 7 Bottom Wl ees 2 BEN NS inti art 47 Plane v EB ond art sik Bottom vaa MA vc art Coen Top wl ee 5 int2 art e IV wer 6 sec art ES Mech Top AO7 skirt 3 Mask Bottom Y Us HEN sksec art Vii Paste Top wl Ce o EMEN ril ili Paste Bottom VIC 10 E E Outine CJ Border AMAN S NC Drill Mill Z Composite A Drawing Insulator t FEtch Subtractive Passive Jah Screen Additive Passive 7 External Netlist can only be set by GerbTool after importing a netlist 2 Other If a layer contains item level polarity the Draw and Flash colors contain a diamond shape as shown for layer 1 in the above illustration If you wish to change a layer name or type use the Layer table or Navigator You can close the Color Bar by clicking on the X in the upper right corner You can expand the size of the bar to the entire height of the workspace by clicking the up arrow then reduce its size by clicking the down arrow While it is docked in the GerbTool window you can resize the height and width of the bar by moving your cursor to one of its outer edges When the cursor changes to lr click and hold the left mouse button while you drag the edge to the desired size
189. ded Passive command 202 bulletzapertur s a tege ANA 137 butterfly apertures ssseee 137 C CAM file ul eg e Le s s sidere mob rh ee mtt 71 83 METIO EE 72 CAMB 50 ee Eeer itus eee pasion Pita 71 CAM350 commande 83 canceling commands ssssseee eee 3 CCW Inside commande 132 CCW Outside commande 132 Center To Center commande 172 en Tu te ts cnet emn 108 Change Commande 115 Change Drill Tools Commande 215 chord angle tte tette rte 208 Gircle c mmMmand us iiec eeepc dace 126 217 circles add 2 DEG 126 silo 131 in custom apertures sss 217 milled e ctia tt cit debis te eene deeg 132 133 tele s dre en on nu etu 26 circular interpolation 47 126 127 174 208 Clear commande 101 Clear Highlights commande 122 Clear Netlist commande 188 CICK EE 37 Clip command 5 thn Ye tmd 108 Clipboard AAA 40 101 102 Close Dutto Mma hs darted terr eere een tree i re e ea 3 Close commande 72 color layer eae tee ede Me ERE 33 Elle NEE 154 elei EE 143 Color Balbus diee et te A eee da 33 236 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual color aoee eene ne ns eeserrrnnnrresrernrnn renee 229 Color Gelechor nenene ent 33 CUSTOMIZING 2 253 feet reine ee hr 33 eelere E 229 Combine Paths commande 118 Commands tab et a aud 23 COMMENTS soi 21 255 tics 150 151 160 compare LY MEAS 18 NOS iii DE vere eco cp edere 65 84 85 COMPENSATION coccccnnnnnnnnnnn
190. designator in the Query Embedded Passive dialog box This command functions the same as the Tools Embedded Passives Query command To query by mouse 1 Select the Query Embedded Passive command The Query Embedded Passive dialog box appears Note that the Selection Filter alters so that you can only query the flashes that compose an embedded passive 2 Click on the embedded passive in the workspace that you wish to view information about It is highlighted in the workspace and its reference designator automatically appears in the Search For box The resistance value in Ohms as well as the X Y location of the center of the resistor are noted 3 Click on the next embedded passive you wish to query or use the First Next Previous or Last buttons to cycle through all the embedded passives in the workspace 4 Click on the Close button to end the function 170 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual E query by reference designator Select the Query Embedded Passive command The Query Embedded Passive dialog box appears 2 Enter the reference designator of the desired embedded passive in the Search For box 3 If you wish to have the workspace automatically zoom to the embedded passive select the Zoom To Embedded Passive option 4 Click the Find button The embedded passive is highlighted in the workspace The resistance value in Ohms as well as the X Y location of the center of the resistor are noted 5 You can enter another referen
191. dge Spacing options specify the edge to edge spacing between the resulting images In Manual Mode the Point To Point Spacing options specify the spacing from a point on one image to the same point on the next image 6 In the To Layer box select a layer to place the layer spread An empty layer is recommended 7 If you are in Manual Mode specify the number of Cols columns and Rows that you want in your layer spread 203 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual 8 Select the Row Major option if you want your images ordered across each row In a 4x3 layer spread the layers would be spread as illustrated below Layer 10 Layer 11 Layer 12 O r Select the Col Major option if you want your images ordered up each column In a 4x3 layer spread the layers would be spread as illustrated below Layer 12 Layer 11 Layer 10 9 Click the OK button The Layer Spread dialog box appears 10 Click on each layer that you want in the spread and click OK 11 The layout of your layer spread is displayed in the workspace and you are asked to confirm that the layout is correct If you click Yes the layer spread is created If you click No the function is aborted Tools Stencils These commands are used on a paste mask layer to enhance the openings over the pads for improved solder paste application This replaces the Home Plate Conversion function used in version 14 1 and earlier Once you have defined your desired stencil shapes using the Too
192. e contents You are provided with a preview before the files are loaded so that you can identify any discrepancies in the format settings If you d rather eliminate the guesswork with file formats use 274 X 274 X and Apertures The 274 X or Extended Gerber format has many advantages over 274 D One advantage is that a 274 X format file does not use a separate aperture list file like the previously discussed The aperture information is embedded in the Gerber file along with the photoplotter commands So we do not have to worry about converting aperture lists or having undefined apertures Standard apertures are identified with an AD command as follows ADD D code number gt lt type gt lt modifier gt X lt modifier gt Each parameter block begins and ends with a 96 and each modifier is separated by an X In order for GerbTool s Import Wizard to identify a file as 274 X at least one ADD statement must be present If your file does not have the statement you will have to manually identify the Data Format as 274 X in Page 2 of the Wizard The file will then import but no aperture information will be present in the data Type Modifier outside diameter gt X lt X axis hole dimension X Y axis hole dimension gt Circle To define a solid circle enter only the diameter Enter one dimension to add a round hole in the center two dimensions of equal value for a square hole Example ADD10C 10X0 025X0 025 A 05 circle w
193. e desired layer 3 Select the Documentation Redline Add Text command The Add Redlining Text dialog box appears with the following options Height The character height of the text to be added Width The character width of the text to be added Rotation The angle in degrees of each line of text where 0 is horizontal and 90 is vertical Slant The angle of the individual characters in the added text This can be used to produce italic text and other special effects Line Spacing The spacing between lines of text The value used is a percentage of the actual character height 1 0 will produce spacing the same height as the characters 0 5 one half etc Char Spacing The inter character spacing of the text to be added 1 0 will produce spacing the same height as the characters 0 5 one half etc 150 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Mirror Selecting this causes the text produced by this command to be mirrored and printed right to left so it can be placed on mirrored Gerber files Font You may select any font from the Font dropdown list This list contains all the TrueType fonts on your system and the special GerbTool Stroke font GerbTool Stroke is a simple font that does not use polygonal data or negative polarity The following is a list of important points to remember when using TrueType fonts TrueType fonts require the use of polygonal data and a combination of positive and negative polarity When exporting your data not
194. e 123 Record commande 181 Rectangle command sss 126 rectangles addirig ettet cati attivi 126 ler EE 137 red li a id Aa 31 245 Redline commande 150 redlimng xi o eR ERE ER EM 150 aITOWSS si e e e dalt 152 COlOISz um EE 154 D Godesz ife e S Lh o M I e Tg 154 deleting dedo ete PSP ER 154 lies tue e E E LC E 153 properties essen 154 SKetcli88 Zeg ose ie SE i hem 153 exis usu omui a IS EU e uice Mte tee tor 150 text iri balloon oreste ect 151 VIEWING ei eel nie eee etl e 154 Redo commande 100 redraw interrupting oooooccnnnocococcnnnccocnnonconcnncnncnnnnnnnos 40 Redraw commande 121 217 Redraw Status eee ee 31 r d nda t e EE ties 167 redundant pad removal 195 reference designators sssseeeeees 166 Rel putom 3 EE 32 relative coordinates eeese 32 Remove From Commande 101 Report commande 203 reports analysis x nen ie mE ed TEUER aida 18 apertures us iret RERO UR deat 149 D codes inihi nid eed 149 AREA WS a ico d eee e erede te Unde exe deus 149 embedded passives oooocococccccccccoconcononcnncnnccnannanonnnn 150 IEN 149 Klee eei Re ein Ads ee 149 Reports Commande 149 resist sllVers oet n ri de 162 resistors marking flashes as 200 202 Restore Toolbars commande 123 retract Tale a 143 Reverse Path Direction command 117 ufe n celo em 37 40 robber Dar eere eee d
195. e Explode Customs Edit Item Edit Select New Group 0 Edit Select Add To 0 Edit Select Remove From Edit Select Clear i Edit Select Invert These buttons are used for working with files and defining layers and apertures O File New gt File Open File Save amp File Print S Help About GerbTool Query Buttons Setup Layers Setup Composites 5 Setup Apertures 67 Documentation Reports Apertures These buttons give you quantitative information about specific database items 4 Query Item ste Query Net un Query User Data Query Embedded Passive amp Tools Embedded Passives Query 18 Query Highlight Redline Buttons fui Query Measure Point To Point dk K eo Query Measure Edge To Edge Query Measure Center To Center Ge Analysis Copper Area ir Query Extents These buttons are used for adding comments and other information which are stored separately from the layer design information 9 Documentation Redline View Redlining A Documentation Redline Add Text amp Documentation Redline Add Balloon Text Documentation Redline Add Arrow Settings Buttons Documentation Redline Add Line 2 Documentation Redline Sketch X Documentation Redline Delete A Documentation Redline Properties These buttons allow you to control display properties and other program settings View Sketch View Overlay View Composites A View Selection Filter HH View Grid
196. e Tools NC Optimize command The Optimize NC Layer dialog box appears Select the NC layer that you wish to optimize You can have the system initially sort the NC data by Tool Number or NC Group Order Number If sorted by Tool Number the system repeatedly scans the board looking at data created by one tool at a time e g tooling is first sorted for Tool 1 then sorted for Tool 2 etc If sorted by NC Group Order Number the system looks at data with the same group order number optimizes the tooling then looks at data with the next group number and optimizes it etc 6 Select how you would like the data optimized X Specifies that the NC layer is to be optimized by performing an X sort The quality of the X sort results are dependent on the sort data Results are produced very quickly If you select an X sort you must also specify a Swath Width which is the width of the system s scanning window when it looks at the data The larger the swath width the more NC data that will be scanned at one time and more the tool can potentially deviate from a straight path in the X direction Y Specifies that the NC layer is to be optimized by performing a Y sort The quality of the Y sort results are dependent on the sort data Results are produced very quickly If you select a Y sort you must also specify a Swath Width which is the width of the system s scanning window when it looks at the data The larger the swath width the more NC data that
197. e active image the selected settings apply to the image you have selected in the list To add an image to the panel click the Insert button and type in the full file path or browse for the desired gtd file After entering the file in the list press the Enter key to accept it To remove an image from the panel select it in the Image list and click the Delete button Change Anchor Point From Image Origin To X The anchor point establishes an insertion point for the images This setting is most important when you use Manual image placement or Image Rotation under the Layout tab By default the image origin 0 0 is used as the anchor point Select this option if you wish to select another location The selections use the appropriate location on the image s data extents border Border Specify whether the image s border should be obtained from the border layer as identified in the gtd file or the data extents If you use the border specify whether you want clearance measurements to be taken from the center or the edge of the border line If the gtd file does not have a border layer tagged the From Border Layer option cannot be selected Layer Mapping Each panel has a layer structure and layers from each image need to be placed on the proper panel layer It is usually done automatically for you if you have correctly tagged layers in your gtd files The Layer Mapping dialog box lists the panel layers in the Mapped Layers list next to the
198. e break tab you wish to change to The tab is immediately changed 4 You may change additional tabs if desired Press the Esc key when you are finished Related topics Edit NC Delete Break Tab Edit NC Move Break Tab Edit NC Change Mill Plunge Point This command allows you to change the location of your plunge point If you wish to change the length or angle of your plunge point use the Edit NC Path Properties command When you select this command the view of any compensation plunge line or overshoot that is applied to the mill path is turned off as you are modifying the base mill path To change a plunge point location 1 To view the locations of the vertices in your mill path more easily it is recommended that you select the View Sketch command 2 Select the EditINC Change Mill Plunge Point command 3 Select the path whose plunge point you wish to change 4 Click on the vertex where you wish to place the plunge point The plunge point is immediately relocated Tip If a vertex does not exist at the location you wish to place the plunge point use the Add Vertex command to create one 5 Press the Esc key to end the function At this point if you previously defined any length or angle to your plunge point the workspace is updated to reflect the definitions Edit NC Delete The Delete commands are used to remove NC data from your design Edit NC Delete Operator Message Use this command to delete an o
199. e color are merged together onto a single GerbTool layer This feature can be useful for viewing DXF files containing many colors or items which do not share the same color as the DXF layer in which they appear To import a DXF file 1 If you plan to use the Map by Color option make sure the Max Layers setting in the General Configuration Options is set high enough to allow for the number of colors expected otherwise all items of the colors that exceed the number of layers this will appear on the last highest numbered GerbTool layer Many drawings use only colors in the range of 1 through 9 however valid colors can be of any value in the range of 1 through 255 2 Select the File Import DXF command The Import DXF dialog box appears 3 Click the Browse button next to the Input File box to select the DXF file to import 4 The import function produces a report file which contains a summary of the DXF file Enter a name for the txt file in the Report File box By default the report is saved in the Samples folder Click the browse button to select a different folder 5 Click the Browse button next to the Font Directory box to specify the directory in which SHX font and shape files are to be found Standard SHX font files and SHX Unifont files are supported both for text and shape entities If text within the DXF file refers to a font that is not present on your system or the font file is of an unrecognized type a standard font will be used
200. e display of the film box change the color to the same as the background Zoom The Limit field controls how far you can zoom in on data in the workspace On certain combinations of screen resolution and file format the display of items at extreme magnification can appear distorted This setting allows you to prevent this from occurring 175 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual This End Cap field specifies when GerbTool should stop attempting to draw end caps on drawn lines If the thickness of a line in pixels is less than or equal to this parameter no end caps will be drawn Higher values provide decreased redraw times at minimum zoom levels This parameter only affects redraw speed and has no affect on your database Highlight Colors These buttons control the colors used when highlighting database items The default color for all highlighting is white To change a color for a particular type of highlighting click on it and select a new one from the Color Selector Cross Hair The X and Y fields provide control over the size of the cursor cross hairs Enter 0 in both fields for a full screen cursor Select Show Coordinates if you want the coordinates of your cursor location attached to the cursor Display Draws As Sticks Select this option if you wish to have lines drawn as sticks instead of outlines when sketch mode is on Minimize Redraws Selecting this option minimizes the amount of automatic redrawing that is done in the workspace
201. e edd een 24 181 Malta occas eec o e tacos 124 main window nnne 3 Manual Conversion command 205 Manufacturing Rule Check 162 Mark Resistor Flashes command 202 MASK EE Qe e EE eee 162 trix hits A eet es HU e ERE DT 143 Maximize button 3 MGM stackU p ete cans eti Fe RR Re Rena 143 MCM LTCC Stackup commande 143 MECOdES mirta eeh a 47 measure center to center cia a a iaaa Eiaa 172 Elle e 167 edge to edge EE 172 242 measure con t extents oen tah ene SE s 173 point to point ee 171 Measure Commande 171 MEMON ec cL 40 etira la e A E E E E T E E 118 Men TE 3 merge CAM UE 72 DSN KUTTEN 72 ER RAR 72 PCB UE 72 Merge command iiie docte there aiii 72 Metric Commande 218 mill files GE DEE 90 IMPOMING RE 73 78 Mill Path commande 131 mill paths adding d etie eater 131 196 converting draws to 103 196 209 converting to draws ee 103 converting to drills eir TO 211 converting to Gohvlmes A 209 eoe 103 deleting soie hoa ette te rc Ove 102 106 deleting segments ce eeeceeeeeteeeeeeteteeeeetneeeeeeaes 108 double routing een 200 exploding EE 118 eim 108 MIRONG iter eu cela eel 109 MOVING DEE 102 105 plurige polnt eae ree ne eoo tte eee ed ede 116 DrODertles iia RO 26 102 113 rectangle ee aere e ded 126 reversing direction 117 gaiteni aro M 109 tools fala e Ip Ee 102 113 115 dE 107 126 Mi
202. e first letter Text The letters numbers used in the text itself Orientation The orientation of the line of text Horizontal or Vertical Area The total square area of the text Layer The layer the text is on Layer Type The type of layer the text is on SeqNo The item s order in the Gerber database Item 1 is the first item listed in the Gerber file item 2 is the second etc NC Group The NC Group number that the text belongs to Export Order The text s order number in the drill sequence If a value of 1 is shown then the order is not set NC optimization has not been run Net The net number that the item belongs to if any Operator Message Indicates if an operator message is displayed to the machine operator before or after the text is made Optional Stop Indicates if the machine is stopped before or after the text is made Flash Dcode The D code used to create the flash Shape The shape of the D code used Size The size of the D code used Location The location of the item in X Y coordinates Area The total square area of the flash Layer The layer the item is on Layer Type The type of layer the item is on SeqNo The item s order in the Gerber database Item 1 is the first item listed in the Gerber file item 2 is the second etc Polarity The polarity of the item either positive or negative Net The net number that the item belongs to if any Embedded Passive If the item is part of an embedded pas
203. e information for each D code on its own line When you are finished click the Apply button under the text box Your aperture information has been added to the table and will appear in the Shape and D code views Editing an Aperture All your aperture definitions can be edited in either the D code or Shape views If you need to change a D code number you must delete the existing D code and then add a new one with the correct number Tip To revert back to the previously saved parameters at any time even after the changes have been applied click the Reset button 3 In D Code View Select the desired aperture by clicking on it in the Properties column The appropriate Shape tab in the middle of the dialog box is automatically brought into focus Change your aperture definitions as necessary To change the angle of rotation for a D code click on the Angle column for the D code and the Angle is immediately highlighted Type in the new value To change an aperture s type SMT Thermal or ThruHole click on the Type column for the D code and select the desired type When you are finished click the Apply button The definitions are updated in your aperture list Shape View 1 Expand the tree view by double clicking on the desired aperture s shape category and then on the desired D code number The appropriate Shape tab in the middle of the dialog box is automatically brought into focus 2 Change your
204. e location of their origin and set the GerbTool parameters accordingly 8 The Mode setting selects the style of plotter output Sketch mode is the fastest but does not show width on draws and some flashes such as Donuts Outline mode shows true width on all objects but they are outlined only Fill mode shows true width and all objects are completely filled in Fill mode is the slowest to plot and is extremely hard on plotter pens 9 If you wish to rotate the plot 90 degrees counter clockwise select the Rotate option 10 Enabling Interactive mode allows you to interactively position each layer on the output page 11 Select the Pads Only option if you want only flashed pads to be plotted 12 To output each visible layer to a separate output file select Batch Mode If the Output File box is empty the output filenames will be derived from each layers filename and the current output filename extension If the Output File box contains a name a number representing the layer number of each layer plotted will be appended to the name 13 To have a border drawn around the plot select the Add Border option The Border Pen option controls which pen is used for adding the border 14 Click the Setup Pens button The HPGL Pen Setup dialog box appears Here you can designate different plotter pens for draws and flashes on a per layer basis To change a pen assignment click on the desired layer in the Layers list In the boxes below change the pen infor
205. e mask opening To fix this the openings are shaved or reduced as specified by you Tools Paste Mask The Paste Mask commands are used for creating or optimizing paste mask layers They are driven by a comprehensive set of rules that are designed to give you optimal reduction across a wide variety of pad shapes and sizes Special support for fine pitch pads allows for independent X and Y reductions to eliminate paste build up between pads Tools Paste Mask Generate The Paste Mask Generator produces accurate and usable paste mask layers It uses the size of your conductive pads and an undersize amount that you define to create a paste mask layer with openings of an appropriate size To create a paste mask 1 Make sure you have tagged your layers 2 Use the Tools Convert Drawn Pads Select Draws command to convert your drawn pads to flashes 3 If you want any items in your database ignored during the mask generation process create a Select Group of those items 4 Select the Tools Paste Mask Generate command The Generate Paste Mask dialog box appears 5 Select whether to create a Top Mask Bottom Mask or both The system uses the Thru hole Drill Layer specified to identify the different types of pads in your design It will process any pad that is SMT If you do not have a thru hole drill layer then the system will use the Aperture Table Type information 6 In the Maximum Errors box specify the maximum number of allowable error
206. e mirrored with the data 5 Click the OK button when you are finished making your selections 6 Using the Selection Filter select the items you wish to mirror 7 After making your selection if you chose a Center axis point the data are immediately altered Or If you chose an Interactive axis point you must now select the axis point You can do this by clicking on the point in the workspace or selecting exact coordinates in the XY Bar Your data are then altered 8 Select other data to mirror or press the Esc key to exit the function Related topics Edit Rotate Edit Scale Toolbar Button eos O This command allows you to apply coordinate offsets or scaling to layers This command is used to compensate for shrinkage during manufacturing amp Warning This scaling makes no changes to the size of D codes To scale D codes use Edit D Code Scale This function starts at the 0 0 origin and applies the scaling from there If you wish to apply the scaling from a different start point such as the center of a panel to compensate for shrinkage use the Edit Origin command to change the location of the origin If you wish to scale or offset a Select Group of items you must first create one using the Edit Select New Group command To scale layers 1 Select the Edit Scale command The Scale And Or Offset Layers dialog box appears 2 Specify the Scale which is the scaling factor to apply to the coordinates of an item or la
207. e or modify is done so in accordance with the specifications of the selected dialect Display Up Path This displays the path of the retracted mill or drill tool as a thin line on the NC layer The T hotkey and 2 button also toggles the tool path view Tip After NC data are changed the workspace should be refreshed press the R hotkey or toggle the tool path view off and on again to update the displayed path Display NC Group Order Number When enabled displays the NC group sequence numbers as defined by the Tools NC Set Group Order command in the workspace Drill Display Settings You can select whether to have your drill data including individual hits slots drilled circles and drilled text displayed using the Tool color defined in the Setup NC Tools function or the Layer color defined by the flash color in the Color Bar or the Setup Layers function By default the drill hits are displayed as cross hairs You can change the size of the cross hairs by changing the X Y values in the Pixel Size box If you unselect the Display Cross hair At Each Drill Hit option the hits will appear as filled circles in the workspace their size determined by the diameter of the tool used to create them Show Mill Features These options control the display of mill information in the workspace Plunge Retract Displays the plunge and retract locations of the milling tool 178 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Direction Displays arrows poi
208. e segment can be for it to be considered part of an arc This prevents inclusion of traces as pieces of arcs 7 Short segments can be present at the beginning and end of segmented arcs The Short Seg Length option specifies the maximum size of any short segments that might be found This is necessary because short segments can cause the arc finding algorithm to fail to find valid arcs due to insufficient precision 8 In the Length Tolerance box specify the tolerance for variation of line segment lengths for segments inside a segmented arc not including the first and last segments short segments 9 In The Angle Tolerance box specify the maximum angle between a perpendicular line from the line segment and the line from the midpoint of the given line segment to the center of the arc for the purpose of determining whether the segment belongs to the arc 208 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual 10 If you select the Attach Short Segments To Lines option short segments will be attached to each other and longer segments for the purpose of eliminating these from the database 11 If you wish to return the dialog box settings to their system defaults click the Defaults button 12 Click the OK button when you are finished All the arcs on the specified layers that qualify for conversion are automatically converted into arcs Tip To check if an arc has been converted use the Query Item command A true arc will be identified as such in the Item P
209. e that by nature DXF does not support negative polarity and the 274 D file format does not support negative polarity or polygonal data QGerbTool modifies the layer setup by adding additional composite layers Any previously generated report files that specify layer numbers will be subsequently out of sync As TrueType fonts require the use of composites layers composite viewing must be enabled to view the text properly While running this command enables this mode automatically you may use the View Composites command to toggle this mode on and off Text File To load a file that contains text you wish to insert click the Load button and select the file This is useful if you have frequently used text Clicking the Save button saves the contents of the text window to the file named in the Text File box Text Entry Field This area is used to display the text that is to be added Text is entered into this field by either typing it in or loading it from a file using the Load button above 4 When you are finished defining your text click OK Your text is now attached to your cursor 5 Place the text by clicking on the desired location in the workspace 6 You can place copies of the text in additional locations by clicking on them or press the Esc key to end the function Related topics Documentation Redline Add Balloon Text Documentation Redline Add Arrow Documentation Redline Add Balloon Text el This command all
210. e when you use the File Import Aperture List command If no appropriate ACR file exists then you can interactively create your own A Ifyou do not import the Aperture List files you will be warned that your apertures are undefined The GerbTool aperture table will contain the D code references from your Gerber file but you will have to assign the shapes and sizes Regardless of the format of your database when you have opened or imported your design data all aperture information if any appears in the GerbTool aperture table and in the Navigator The following information will assist you in working in the aperture table that is accessed using the Setup Apertures command For a detailed explanation of the Aperture Setup dialog box see the Setup Apertures command topic amp The Apply button under the shape tabs in the Aperture Setup dialog box applies the currently defined values to the D code selected in the aperture list You can have the system automatically apply changes to selected D codes by clicking the down arrow button and selecting the Auto Apply setting For the sake of this tutorial we will use the Apply button in its default state and not use the Auto Apply function Adding an Aperture There are three methods for adding apertures to your aperture list represented by the three aperture list view tabs on the left side of the Aperture Setup dialog box The method you use depends upon what best suits your needs If you are cr
211. eating a Panel Template Many manufacturers have standard panel attributes that are used for several jobs You can create pre defined panel templates for use on multiple jobs to streamline the panel creation process There are several pre defined panel templates and elements provided in the GerbTool program directory in the Samples Template folder 1 Define a panel as described above with whatever attributes you wish size venting panel elements layer setup etc 2 f you have a standard tool table use the Setup NC Tools to define your shop s tooling If you do not define a tool table in your template the first image that you load into your template upon panelization will determine the tool table definitions 3 Save the template as a gtd file 4 To use the template in the future use the Advanced Panelization function and load the saved panel template image first 5 Add whatever images you want to step amp repeat and define their placement layer mapping etc in relationship to your panel template 6 When you define the layer mapping if any NC data exists in the images you are also required to map tool definitions to your template s tool table Again if you did not define a tool table in your template the first image you load into the template will define the tool table If you load additional images into the table you must then map their tools based upon the definitions from the first image 7 When you have com
212. eating apertures from scratch the D Code View or Shape View is recommended If you have a hardcopy aperture list that you simply need to enter the information from the Quick Add method is recommended In D Code View 1 Click the Add D Code button 2 The next available D code number appears in the New D Code dialog box Accept the number or type in a different unused D code number Click OK and an undefined aperture appears in the list A Tip You can also add multiple new D codes by using the following convention n n adds D codes using the numbers you specify 12 14 adds D codes 12 and 14 and n n adds a range of D codes 12 14 adds D codes 12 13 and 14 3 Select your desired aperture shape by clicking on one of the shape tabs in the middle of the dialog box 4 Define the parameters as necessary See the Setup Apertures command topic for a detailed explanation of each aperture type Note that a representation of your aperture appears in a preview on the right side of the dialog box Although it is not an exact representation of the size of the aperture it shows you how the aperture shape will appear Custom apertures are defined using the Custom Aperture Editor To create a new custom aperture click the Custom Ap button and select the New command from the menu To use a pre existing custom aperture from a library file click the Custom Ap button and select the Load From Lib command from the menu Once you have created the custom
213. ecceececeeeeeeeeeecseeeeeeeeesesesenaeees 47 67 removing from Danels sse 185 Stick e uti eee 121 stitched break Gab 146 stitched crown break ob 146 stop adding ence c eta e 135 deleting oit tos 116 System Commande 24 System requirements sssssesee ee 1 T tabs adding nina re nter te eae aA ots 134 CHANGING EE 115 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual tabs con t defining uiuere ete te bad be e Ee 146 deleting BE 117 MOVING dream teme itte Sinead ate 117 target apertures disce heros 137 ee tee 194 Teardrops Commande 194 tenung ee E 198 terminating Commande 3 text AGING WEE 129 eol 103 D 6odeS ii eae ie rr eere 102 111 deleting rete Le teret 102 106 drilled art E baec ode 133 ipo shies 106 penal e 227 o O 109 aUo 102 105 polarity o ette ctt oett Ee teri etas 102 112 properties ettet e EA dee lat edat 26 102 redlirie ii tem tte ci ciun ote e air ec eer diea 150 151 EI Il e ERR 109 er ao 111 Text command ccu aaa 106 129 thermal apertures cccccccccnnncncnnnncncncnconnnnnnnnononon 47 137 US DEE 67 182 thru hole apertures ooocoooccccccccccocononcconcnncnccnnanononnnnnnnns 137 ttlesDIOCKS sia cot tert ose 67 182 To Custom Commande 209 tool lists etre do 143 nde ME 92 Importing eene ERI RD 80 Toolbar command eed een 217 toolbars CUSTOMIZIN WEE 123 179 importing settings e 180 restoring
214. ect the New command from the menu To use a pre existing custom aperture from a library file click the Custom Ap button and select the Load From Lib command from the menu Once you have created the custom aperture or loaded the library file it appears in the Custom Aperture Name list Select the custom aperture from that list to use it as a D code When you are finished click the Apply button Your aperture is now defined If your D code requires an angle of rotation double click on the D code number to expand the tree view If an angle of rotation can be applied to the D code a 0 appears underneath the D code number Right click on the 0 and a shortcut menu appears Select the Edit command and type in the new value The aperture type also appears under the D code number To define an aperture s type SMT Thermal or ThruHole right click on the existing type SMT by default and a shortcut menu appears Select the desired type Quick Add The Quick Add function is used to create basic apertures You should view your individual D codes in the D code or Shape view to verify that they are correct and select the appropriate aperture type SMT Thermal or ThruHole Some apertures that can have complex definitions such as Thermals and Moires may need to be edited Custom apertures cannot be defined using the Quick Add command Type your aperture information in the specified format into the Quick Add text box Place th
215. ed 3 After you import the netlist a new External Net layer is created Viewed by itself this layer appears to contain no data However this layer contains the external netlist information and links the external net points to the appropriate top inner bottom layer net test points To view the points turn on the associated top bottom and inner layers and the external net layer The net points are displayed in four ways for easy reference NY Top Layer Net Point ZA Bottom Layer Net Point d Inner Layer Met Point X Thru hole Wet Point File lmport Netlist PADS ASCII As an aid to those who wish to compare a netlist created from Gerber data back to a PADS ASCII database netlist the File Import NetlistiPADS ASCII command imports only the netlist from a PADS ASCII database It is not necessary to 88 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual use the File Import PADS ASCII command to import the entire database export an IPC D 356 netlist discard the database load your Gerber data and import the IPC D 356 netlist If your goal is to perform a netlist comparison see the Comparing Netlists tutorial for complete instructions This topic will only cover the steps necessary for importing a PADS netlist Importing a PADS netlist 1 Select the File Import NetlistiPADS ASCII command The Import PADS ASCII Netlist dialog box appears 2 Select your asc file and click Open The netlist is imported 3 After you import the netlist a new External Net
216. ed properly Since Gerber files contain only numbers with no decimal point a number such as X12345 could mean 1 2345 inches 12 345 inches or 123 45 inches If any of your files came in too large or too small you need to start the import process again and select a more appropriate M N Format for your files fthe M N setting is correct but a file is still not correctly imported check to make sure the Zero Suppression setting is correct Zeros are added to numbers in a file to make sure they fit the required M N setting If a number is X01234 and you use 2 3 format but suppress leading zeros a 1 234 file will import as 12 34 fthere is an incorrect Coordinate Mode setting files usually read in as a long jagged line or sunburst Absolute coordinates are used when the locations refer to a common origin 0 0 Incremental coordinates are when each coordinate is a displacement from the previous Double check this setting for any errors Your data may be imported correctly but the layers are not aligned properly or the origin is set far away from the actual data extents This is often a problem in Gerber files exported from PADS PowerPCB which by default centers layers based on a page film format size with the origin is based on the lower left corner of the page You can fix this by disabling the default setting in PowerPCB Otherwise use the Edit Align Layers command to align the layers and Edit Origin to change the origin 43 Ge
217. eegen a ce eler Beebe eas ee 108 Un EE 203 film box viewing extents ssssssssssssss 121 Film Box commande 121 is A 200 Find Duplicates Commande 167 fine pitch Pads c cc cceeeeeeteteeetees 189 190 191 192 Fix SilkScreen commande 194 er E Tu Le BEE 125 ENEE 47 E eolia S DEE 125 converting draws to 206 207 converting drill hits fo 103 209 converting to custom apertures eee eeeeeeeenees 209 converting to drill hits sneeeeeee eneee 103 209 colore E 103 D360d68 ii ate ec tt fcn 102 111 delata et aaa AR EOD 102 106 marking as resistors esseseeeeceeeeeeeeeeeeeeees 200 202 Mister 109 MOVING EE 102 105 240 flashes con t polarity i et date dee a 102 112 properties cooooooccccccccccccconononcnncconcnncnnnnononncnncnnannnns 26 102 rotating s eeni ii aai i i aea aE 109 o PEE been E A Po e aeta da ieu 111 use report uite eee eee e ets 149 Flatten Commande 185 NOOG TM vr tica dado 128 Tonterias 227 format statement icr eet n cet oet ox 47 function Keys mL E t ERE RM 37 40 G galvanic venting oooocnnnnnccinnnococinnnononcno nono na nn r nano en 182 35360068 E 47 Generate Commande 187 189 191 GODO oeste anda 47 converting NC data 103 209 converting to NC data 103 209 e E e DEE 89 IMPOR cuca tdo anta 73 75 Gerber commande 75 89 Gerber To NC commande 209 Gerb Reen retten 65 166 GerbTool V8 Commande 94 GerbT
218. efinitions are then listed in the Matched Apertures list All recognized D codes are also colored red in the Aperture File view Continue defining the shapes until they are all listed A Any apertures that are not matched will not be defined After importing your 274 D files you will need to use the Setup Apertures command to define those apertures 7 When you are finished click the Save Converter button to save your ACR file in the Apconv folder The dialog box closes and your converter appears in the Format list of the Import Aperture List dialog box Mixed Format Definitions An aperture list that contains mixed definitions such as the one below that has only an X size for D code 10 and X and Y size for D code 11 and X Y and rotation value for D code 12 D10 ROUND 010 INCH D11 RECT 010 020 INCH D12 THERM 090 060 45 INCH If you have a similar case you can create multiple Format types to handle the information 8 Create the column definitions for the first type of format e g D code 10 s format as instructed above in steps 1 4 9 Right click on the Shape type e g ROUND and select the matching shape definition from the right click menu GerbTool immediately recognizes all other D codes with identical shapes turns the text for those D codes red and lists them in the Matched Apertures list Continue matching all shapes until you are finished 10 Right click on the Format 1 tab and select Add Format from the shortcut
219. ele VE 47 ele e Te EE 125 converting mill data to sense 209 238 draws con t converting to custom apertures 209 converting to flashes ooooococoncnnnnnacocccccccccnccncnns 206 207 converting to mill paths 103 196 209 converting to polvlmes sene 210 COPYING vicio c 103 D COdES eite eese ti de es 102 111 deletirig eorr reinen teet te dede eure ve 102 106 marking as resistors ssseeeeee 200 ul ue e 109 MOVING EE 102 105 polarity ptt ert Let neve als 102 112 properties ente ee ph dedere einer 26 102 el eem 109 SCAIING eege tace iata edle 111 USC TEPO acca eta ED Ai 149 Draws To Polylines Commande 210 DRG a eee eo 18 64 162 IAS 31 DRC MRC Commande 162 drill chart Elle O odes 158 defining drill legends oooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnanacnannns 10 143 deleting reete mri be ihe aa 159 MOV EE 159 leie Eu le Mt P 160 Drill command 52 2 ded e 130 158 drill files Ee e E Hb n td ries 90 I pOrtllig e eng A e E te baee Led 73 78 drill hits adding Lb pe ed prede 130 converting flashes jo 103 209 converting to flashes ooooooccccccnnnnnocococcccccccccnnnns 103 209 converting to mill paths seeeeeee 211 eon 103 en agaat 102 106 highlighting path 200 ll ne EQUI D LL 109 Moro 102 105 198 Propert ES En 102 113 EAEN AS MT 109 SNAPPING pads tOna tet rettet a 112 o
220. elect one or more mill paths you wish to change If you selected a standard mill path the Mill Path Properties dialog box appears Change the path properties as desired Tool The tool number to use for this path Plated Whether the path should be plated or unplated A tool must have a Plated status of Both in the NC Tool table in order for you to change it here Plunge If you have a plunge point that lies outside of the mill path this shows Angle and Length for the plunge line The plunge point is based on these settings and the starting point of the path The Angle is the deviation counter clockwise for positive angles clockwise for negative angles of the plunge line from the first segment of the mill path or the tangent at the starting point if the first segment is an arc The angle is limited to a range of 135 degrees Specify a value of 0 for both options if you want the plunge point to be on the mill path at the starting point 45 90 135 Mill Path w 45 90 135 Plunge Line Angle Overshoot Instructs the tool to cut the specified distance beyond the ends of the mill path before extraction Feed Rate The rate at which the mill tool travels through the material to create the paths in either inches per minute or mm per second depending upon your units of measure The default rate when this option is set at Default or 0 is the feed rate assigned in the NC Tool Table If you specify a different rate here then
221. en Outset is disabled the resulting polygon will only be as large as the center line of the source line segments Select the desired polygon If Outset enabled and you use a raster fill the fill will exactly follow the polygon s border except for the affects of smoothing if smoothing is selected If you use a vector fill the outer edge of the vector polygon s border will follow the outer edge of the selected border except in interior corners corners less than 180 degrees where it will vary from the outer edge if the D code used to draw the selected border is different from the D code used for the vector polygon s border If the selected border is drawn with D codes of different sizes there will be discrepancies between the vector polygon s border and the segments of the border drawn with larger D codes Add Text Toolbar Button Al The Add Text command provides the ability to insert text into the database Text may be rotated mirrored or slanted if desired The height and width of the text is also user specified as is the character and line spacing If you wish to change the text after you have added it use the Edit Text command To add text 1 Make the layer that you want the text associated with the active layer 2 Select the Add Text command If the active layer is an NC layer you are automatically switched to the Add Drilled Text command For other layers the Text dialog box appears with the following options Height The cha
222. ent Hotkey P The Pan command moves the current viewing window to a new location which is centered on a point you specify This command does not change the size of the viewing window A Tip Use Ctrl P to toggle Autopan mode In this mode when you move your cursor at the edge of the workspace the workspace view automatically pans in that direction To pan your view 1 Select the View Pan command You are prompted to select a new center point for your view 2 Click on the new view window center point in the workspace Or Click the Abs button in the XY Bar and select the exact coordinates for the center of your new view window Or Click the Rel button in the XY Bar and select coordinates that are relative to the current center point of the view window After you select the center point the display immediately pans to the new location Related topics View Window View All Toolbar Button amp The View All command adjusts the size of the viewing window to encompass the extremes of the custom aperture 216 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual View Redraw amp r Toolbar Button Equivalent Hotkey R The Redraw command refreshes the display in the workspace View Sketch Toolbar Button gt Equivalent Hotkey F This command toggles Sketch mode on off in the Custom Aperture Editor When sketch mode is enabled items are shown with an outline only View Toolbar This command toggles the display of the Custom Apert
223. er erect rep Bins 67 182 Rotate commande 109 round Aperture e 137 ai a 143 RO See RED eege E e 222 Ruri cotrimarid 1 nei nts ae euni ugue 181 S SAVE T uod ad AE dL e EE 42 aperture lists oto ete de ttes deed nba 90 Barco D BE iere ott er eee Seet 92 IER 96 custom apertures rn rntrtrrrtnrnenennt 214 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual save con t DAR r ER tes et 93 Gerber esa eet ete Pe dT E 89 GerbTool database files cocococommmmmmmoo 73 Gerb LOO V8 Aueren edie hal 94 ENEE UE 73 HPGe ita eibi 94 IP 2581 ue mE adm 93 IPC D 350 c et eee eiit 92 IPC D 356 A ner e eee bereit ee feud 92 Jee EE 98 NC files ccc Aste Meee ee ee a 90 NGC tooklists 55 i oreet tete e ee e Red 92 VE E CET 188 ODB A aaa a 94 DDR aai a dnd 94 OS PTI tcp 93 POSTS PE add 95 Save As commande 42 73 Save command 42 73 123 188 214 Save Log Commande 98 Scale le Lu EE 110 111 scaling custom apertures Zarea e a E aar 9 D COGES Trias TERRE 111 EP 110 Segment Delete command sss 108 Segmented Arcs To Arcs command 208 segments deleting 108 Select commande 100 Select Draws commande 206 select group re otn EE Eech 31 100 addingito ni ten p ense dite 100 changing items Im 102 A 101 EELUI EE 100 bioblgobtng a a aT 122 une WEE 101 removing items from 101 viewing items Im 102 Selection Filler cn
224. er performing the analysis GerbTool automatically displays the errors in the Navigator which you may use to view and automatically fix the errors If you want to run the analyses again after you have fixed the errors to verify no errors still exist you should first regenerate the netlist This is because any fixes will not be reflected in the netlist that you created before the initial analyses Run Name Each run can be assigned a descriptive name for easy reference in the future Each run that is performed is logged in the Navigator and uses the assigned Run Name If you do not assign a Run Name the run is identified by the time and date it is performed Highlight Layer If you would like to have all database items that are involved in analysis errors copied to a new layer select an empty layer as your Highlight Layer Select None if you do not want the data copied to another layer If you select a layer with data you will be warned before the analysis is run that the layer contains data and asked if you would like to delete the existing data This allows you to easily see all the errors at once and print them Passes Each run can contain one or more passes each with its own checks Each pass that is performed is logged in the Navigator under the appropriate run name You may Add Delete passes as needed using the buttons To change the name of an existing pass click on it to highlight the name and click a second time A cursor appear
225. er to center or edge spacing is very small usually less than 10 mils flash An instance of a D code at a single X Y location G Gerber A file format that contains a design s graphical data Each file contains a single layer grid Evenly spaced points that fill the workspace which are used as a visual aid for locating coordinates and measuring the distance between objects grid snap The cross hair cursor attached to the mouse cursor automatically jumps to the nearest grid point in the workspace H hole chart A hole chart is a legend that shows the symbol being used to represent a particular set of drill hits the size of the drill that is associated with those hits whether they are plated or unplated and how many hits there are of each drill hotkey A key on your keyboard that executes GerbTool functions Also referred to as a nested command hotkeys may be used when another command is active without interrupting the active command HPGL Hewlett Packard Graphic Language incremental coordinates Each X Y coordinate is a displacement from the previous coordinate isolated pads Pads that do not have a trace connected to them isolated thermal A thermal that is insolated from the rest of a negative plane due to over etching of surrounding items L layer set A standard layer set is a user defined group of layers whose visibility can be altered simultaneously Blind buried layer sets are used to define the relationship
226. erber Export Data Format dialog box appears with the following options Dialect This is the specific format of the Gerber file either RS274D RS274X or FIRE9XXX M N This is the coordinate format which specifies the decimal digits before and after the implied decimal point Therefore in a 2 4 format 122550 would represent 12 2550 During export the importance of the coordinate format is in the precision of your data The more trailing digits the N the more precise your data will be If you have a dense design you should use a higher number of trailing digits Terminator Indicate the desired block terminator EOB Usually this an asterisk If desired use W to indicate a carriage return ASCII 13 and n to indicate a line feed ASCII 10 Apply To These settings will be applied to all files that you select to export at this time Coordinate Mode Absolute mode is when all X Y coordinates are referenced to a common origin Incremental mode is when each X Y coordinate is a displacement from the previous coordinate 89 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Zero Suppression No zero suppression allows coordinates to have zeroes in front or back of integers Leading zero suppression shows zeroes only at the end of a number trailing zero suppression shows zeroes only at the beginning of a number G Commands Indicate whether G commands i e G01 should be included when exporting Gerber files Character Set Indicate the chara
227. erforation holes to the border If this number is negative the perforations will be created outside the mill path inside the board Exit Entry Length is the length of the legs Exit Entry Angle is the angle of the legs relative to the mill path in degrees This can be any value between 90 and 180 A negative value means that the legs cut into the board Exit Entry Negative Border Offset Lenath ative le 6 Add additional tabs as desired by repeating steps 2 5 A Tip The Delete Tab button is used to delete a break tab definition If you have added a break tab to a mill path you Will be asked if you want to delete all occurrences of the tab as well If you do not want to delete all occurrences of the tab you must first use the Edit NC Change Break Tab command to change the occurrences of the tab to a different one then you can delete the tab definition If you want to delete a break tab from a mill path but not delete the tab definition use the EditlNC Delete Break Tab command 7 When you are finished you can save your tab definitions to a tab file by clicking the Save Tabs button This is not required to save the definitions for the current database only if you wish to use them again on future databases 8 Click the OK button to exit the dialog box You may now add break tabs to your mill paths using the Add Break Tab command Setup Stencil Shapes See the Tools Stencils Setup Shapes command for a description
228. erge in a CAM350 file click on the Files Of Type box and select the CAM350 Database option This will allow you to search for and select a pcb or cam file 4 Click the Open button The origin of the file is attached to the cursor and you are prompted to select an insertion point in the workspace 5 Click where you want the merged design to be Or Click the Abs button in the XY Bar or press the C hotkey and specify the exact coordinates where the design should be placed e g 0 0 6 You are warned of any errors or layer type conflicts and your databases are merged 72 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual 7 Press the Esc key to exit the function Notes regarding CAM350 files CAM350 v7 X databases can contain panelized data If your database contains a panel the panel itself the one up image and any symbols are saved as separate gtd files you are prompted to select a folder to contain the files You are then asked if you want to view the panel or the one up image file CAM350 DFM errors are added as Redline data on a separate layer Polygon Voids are supported but are not recognized as standalone entities Voids are only relative to the closed and filled polygon that contains them If you query a polygon void Query Item command the information returned is for the polygon itself Polygon voids also cannot be modified added or deleted File Save Toolbar Button Hi Equivalent Hotkey Ctrl S Select this command
229. ers button to specify one or more layers that contain the drawn pads you wish to convert 5 Specify the Maximum Size in the X and Y dimensions that a group of draws may be and still be considered for conversion to a flash If a group of draws exceeds the maximum size they will not be converted 6 The Tolerance controls how close the replacement aperture must be in size to the original draws to be considered a valid replacement If no replacement is found then an error will be logged 7 Select the Replace Patterns Rotated 90 Degrees option if you wish to have items of the same shape which are rotated 90 degrees converted also 8 Select the Window Control Layer Data option if you want to convert only pads in a specific area This is useful for designs that have text blocks or other data outside the actual board area as excluding that extraneous data will speed up the process 9 Click the OK button If you did not select the Window Control Layer Data option the conversion process begins immediately If the option was selected you must select two points to define the area to be processed 207 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual 10 When the process is complete a message is displayed If you selected the Window Control Layer Data option you may select another area to process or press the Esc key to end the function If no appropriate replacement aperture is found to replace a drawn pad then an error is logged Automatic drawn pad conve
230. erted to one aperture of the specified shape and size Select the Shape and Size of the aperture you wish to use If an aperture of that size and shape already exists it is used Otherwise a new aperture is created If you also select the Replace Patterns Rotated 90 Degrees option see step 5 then up to 3 apertures may be created Specify D code Select this option if you wish to have the selected items converted to an existing aperture Specify the new D code number for the pad created by the conversion To view the Aperture Table where you can create or edit apertures as necessary click the Edit Apertures button 5 Select the Replace Patterns Rotated 90 Degrees option if you wish to have items of the same shape which are rotated 90 degrees converted also 6 Select the Use Net Connectivity option if you wish to only convert pads that are on the same net as the example pad that you selected 7 Select the Include Isolated Items option if you wish to have items that are not part of a net isolated pads checked for possible conversion 8 To increase the system s ability to recognize pads that are the same size and account for minor variances in drawn data you can specify a Tolerance value By doing so you relax the criteria for determining which pads are the same size pads whose sizes are within the tolerance value are determined to be the same Usually a value of 0 0005 inches is sufficient 9 After you make your selections and cl
231. ertex Move command 2 Click on the vertex you wish to move The affected line segments are highlighted and attached to the cursor 107 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual 3 Move the cursor to the new location and click to confirm the placement 4 You may continue to move vertices or press the Esc key to exit the function SO uaae Delete E Toolbar Button This command allows you to delete a line segment anywhere on an existing line or mill path To delete a line segment 1 Select the Edit Vertex Segment Delete command A To avoid the selection of more than one segment use the PgDn key to decrease the size of the bounding box until it is a reasonable size for selecting the data in the workspace 2 Click on the segment you wish to delete Any segment that falls within the bounding box is a potential selection If more than one is selected a Choose Selection dialog box appears with a list of affected lines paths Click on line path that contains the segment you wish delete it is highlighted in the display when you choose it from the list and click OK 3 The selected segment is highlighted and you are asked to confirm the deletion Confirm the selection and the segment is immediately deleted 4 You may continue to delete segments or press the Esc key to exit the function Edit Clip Toolbar Button The Clip command erases all data in a selection window Its main purpose is to allow you to selectively cut data from a draw
232. ery Highlight F9 Query ltem F10 Menu F11 Edit Select Add To F12 Edit Select Remove From You can change any of the default function key assignments listed above using the Options Configure command See Hotkeys for a list of keyboard shortcut keys 37 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Dialog Boxes Dialog boxes are used to enter information into GerbTool They may contain data entry fields selectable options color buttons help buttons scroll bars and exit buttons OK Cancel and Close Most GerbTool dialog boxes have a help button with a question mark located in the title bar To use this feature click the help button and then click on a control within the dialog box A popup window will appear with information specific to that control and dialog box File Selection The File Selection dialog box provides a convenient way of locating files so you do not have to remember them all There are two forms of the File Selection dialog box The first below allows you to select only one filename You select the desired file by clicking directly on a filename The chosen filename appears in the File Name field at the bottom of the dialog box ls d a Files of type Geto Too dstabase gtd den Cancel J La The second allows you to select multiple filenames by holding down the Ctrl key on your keyboard and clicking on each desired filename Each selection remains highlighted and appears in the File Name field An exam
233. esistor shapes note that they now appear in the Navigator under Embedded Passives lt passive layer name gt Invalid Embedded Passives 3 Select the Tools Embedded Passives Build Embedded Passive command You are prompted to select a resistor shape 4 Click on a resistor shape You are prompted to click on its associated termination bars 5 Click on each of the termination bars You are prompted to enter an embedded passive reference designator This is a unique alphanumeric name used to identify each embedded passive in the Navigator 202 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Every embedded passive that has been built is highlighted with an outline and appears in the Navigator under Embedded Passives passive layer name gt Embedded Passives Built Embedded Passive Tools Embedded Passives Etch Compensation In order to achieve the correct finished size for etched passives the manufacturer has to factor in tolerances for the etching process This function oversizes etched passives by a specified amount on the sides that are perpendicular to the termination bars To apply etch compensation to passives 1 This function only works on layers tagged as Passive Sub Use the Setup Layers command to make sure your layers are properly tagged 2 Use the Tools Embedded Passives Find command or Tools Embedded Passives Build Embedded Passive command to build your embedded passives 3 It is recommended but not required that you run the e
234. extraneous data on your electrical layers that are outside the perimeter of the board such as title blocks targets crop marks etc A Tip We recommend that any documentation for the board be done on a separate Drawing layer If you wish to keep the data placing it on a drawing layer assures it will not interfere with any processing such as netlist extraction 4 If you have any drawn pads in your database select one of the Tools Convert Drawn Pads commands to convert them to flashes 5 Use the Analysis DRC MRC command to make sure your layers are properly aligned If any layers are misaligned you can use the Edit Align Layers command to align them 6 Use the Tools Pad Removal Stacked command to remove any redundant pads 7 Select the Tools Netlist Generate command or use the Navigator shortcut command to extract a netlist from your data 8 Import your CAD system external netlist using the File Import Netlist IPC D 356 command File Import Netlist ODB command or File Import NetlistiPADS ASCII command depending upon where your golden netlist resides After you import the netlist a new External Net layer is created Viewed by itself this layer appears to contain no data However this layer contains the external netlist information and links the external net points to the appropriate top inner bottom layer net test points To view the points turn on the associated top bottom and inner layers and the external net layer
235. factor select the Scale command A dialog box appears with a list of defined custom apertures Select the custom aperture you wish to scale and click OK You are then prompted for a scale factor The X Size and Y Size values are multiplied by this number you cannot enter zero or negative numbers For example if you have a custom with an X and Y size of 06 a scale factor of 2 0 increases the sizes to 12 If you choose a scale factor of 5 the sizes decreased to 03 Flatten Custom apertures are often made up of a combination of lines and circles and positive and negative data Some photoplotters have a problem handling the complexity of some custom apertures so converting the custom aperture to polygonal data helps in this situation To convert a custom aperture to one or more polygons select the Flatten command In the Select Custom Apertures To Flatten dialog box select one or more custom apertures to flatten to select more than one press the Shift or Ctrl key when you click on the name of each custom aperture Click OK to flatten the selected custom apertures The D code association and instances of the custom apertures within your design remain as they were but their internal structure becomes that of polygons Load From Lib To load custom apertures from a library file select the Load From Lib command In the Open dialog box select the vib or gtd library file that contains the custom apertures you wish to load and click OK A
236. firm your selection When you click Yes the items are converted 4 Select additional mill data to convert or press the Esc key to exit the function Tools Convert Drill To Mill This function converts drilled objects to milled objects Drilled circles are converted to CCW Inside milled circles Drilled slots are converted to mill paths Tip This command is also available from the right click shortcut menu when you right click on the appropriate data items Converting Drills to Mills 1 Select the Tools Convert Drill to Mill command You are prompted to select the drill data to convert 2 Using the Selection Filter select one or more drilled items to convert 3 You are asked to confirm your selection When you click Yes the items are converted 4 Select additional drill data to convert or press the Esc key to exit the function 211 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual User menu The User menu contains user definable commands The purpose of the User menu is to allow you to make your favorite Macros and commands as accessible and easy to use as any other GerbTool command Between the User menu toolbars and programmable mouse function keys the commands you use the most are truly a keystroke or mouse click away There are some commands already provided for you in the menu For more information on how to set up your own commands see the User Menu tab in the Options Configure dialog box 212 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Cu
237. for pads that are connected by traces NPTH Non Plated Through Hole O open A break in a net origin An X Y point usually 0 0 used as the basis for the location coordinates of all the data in your design P panelize Placing multiple copies of a PCB on one panel for manufacturing This allows several boards to be manufactured at once reducing time and costs PCB Printed Circuit Board pilot hole A preliminary small hole that is drilled at the plunge point of a mill path or at the point of a larger drill hit It is used as a guide to aid the larger tool pin hole A void in an area of solid copper that can cause acid to pool and over etch the surrounding copper or cause resist flakes plunge point The location where the mill machine inserts the tool and begins milling point An X Y location in the workspace polarity Positive polarity refers to dark or visible database items Negative polarity refers to data which clears away erases visible database items so that the background color appears instead polyline A contiguous line made of multiple drawn lines PTH Plated Through Hole 232 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual R redline Information or comments about design data stored on a drawing layer separate from normal layer data relative coordinates X Y coordinates are given relative to a selected point resist sliver A small area of resistive material that has a surface area too small to adhere to the board
238. g Analyses 1 Import your data or open a previously created GerbTool gtd file 2 Using the Setup Layers command or the Navigator make sure that each layer is tagged with the correct layer type This is required so that the system understands what each layer is 3 Remove any extraneous data on your electrical layers that are outside the perimeter of the board such as title blocks targets crop marks etc A We recommend that any documentation for the board be done on a separate Drawing layer If you wish to keep the data placing it on a drawing layer assures it will not interfere with any processing such as netlist extraction 4 If you have any drawn pads in your database select one of the Tools Convert Drawn Pads commands to convert them to flashes If any layers are misaligned use the Edit Align Layers command to align them Use the Tools Pad Removal Stacked command to remove any redundant pads Extract a netlist from your data using the Tools Netlist Generate command co Y O Om If you plan to run the Netlist Compare NLC analysis import your CAD system external netlist using the File Import Netlist IPC D 356 command 9 Select the Analysis DRC MRC command and run your analysis 10 After performing the analysis GerbTool automatically displays the errors in the Navigator which you may use to view and automatically fix the errors Related topics Comparing Netlists Tutorial Analysis Find Duplicates comm
239. g electrical layer 10 Specify the Location alignment which is the maximum misalignment allowed between the location of the mask opening and the corresponding pad on the electrical layer 11 Select Detect Fine Pitch Pads to have the system analyze rectangles oblongs ellipses bullets squares and customs for fine pitch conditions If three or more pads of the same shape size and angle lie in line with each other and are within the maximum Edge To Edge or Center To Center Spacing you specify they are considered a group Each group of fine pitch pads is processed as one element and should have a single opening around them The optimizer will make sure this is the case 12 If you want pads that are less than a particular size excluded from the process select Ignore Pads On Electrical Layer Less Than and select a minimum pad size 13 If you have built a Select Group of items you want to ignore during solder mask optimization select Don t Check Items In Select Group 14 If your current mask layer openings were created using drawn data and you wish to convert the drawn data to flashes select the Convert Drawn Mask Layer option 15 Select Fix Errors By if you want the system to automatically fix mask errors You can have spacing errors fixed by shrinking the entire mask opening Resizing Opening or have the opening decreased Shaved on the offending side creating an irregular shape Other types of errors are fixed appropriately see below
240. g file click the Load button and select the desired text file The text appears in the text entry field below Or Enter a title for the hole chart in the text entry field If you want to save this text for use on another job click the Save button and specify a file name 6 Click OK An outline of the title block is attached to your cursor 7 Click on the location where you want to place the title block The drill legends are then automatically added to the drawing layer 8 Press the Esc key to exit the function Documentation Drawing Drill Delete Hole Chart Toolbar Button 8 This command allows you to delete a drill chart from a drawing layer To delete a hole chart 1 Select the Documentation Drawing Drill Delete Hole chart command You are prompted to select the chart to delete 2 Click on the title block of the desired drill chart The entire chart is deleted 3 Select another drill chart to delete or press the Esc key to exit the function Related topics Documentation Drawing Drill Modify Hole Chart Documentation Drawing Drill Modify Hole Chart Toolbar Button B This command allows you to change the title block for drill chart 159 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual To modify a hole chart 1 Select the Documentation Drawing Drill Modify Hole Chart command You are prompted to select the chart to modify 2 Click on the title block you wish to change The Modify Hole Chart dialog box appears See
241. ght to left so it can be placed on mirrored Gerber files Font You may select any font from the Font dropdown list This list contains all the TrueType fonts on your system and the special GerbTool Stroke font GerbTool Stroke is a simple font that does not use polygonal data or negative polarity The following is a list of important points to remember when using TrueType fonts TrueType fonts require the use of polygonal data and a combination of positive and negative polarity When exporting your data note that by nature DXF does not support negative polarity and the 274 D file format does not support negative polarity or polygonal data GerbTool modifies the layer setup by adding additional composite layers Any previously generated report files that specify layer numbers will be subsequently out of sync As TrueType fonts require the use of composites layers composite viewing must be enabled to view the text properly While running this command enables this mode automatically you may use the View Composites command to toggle this mode on and off Text File To load a file that contains text you wish to insert click the Load button and select the file This is useful if you have frequently used text Clicking the Save button saves the contents of the text window to the file named in the Text File box Text Entry Field This area is used to display the text that is to be added Text is entered into this field by either typi
242. hat are normally used as flashes They can be created or modified in the Custom Aperture Editor D D code Draft code Aperture shapes which are used to create your designs are referenced by D code numbers in Gerber data DFM Design For Manufacture dimensioning Displaying the distance between two items in the design using lines arrows and text Dimension information is placed on a drawing layer separate from normal layer data 230 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual draw Instances of a D code that occur sequentially from one X Y location to another to form a line segment drawing layer A layer used to add information that you do not wish to place on your design layers This includes redline information mechanical drawings and diagrams complete with intelligent drawing primitives which automatically update themselves DRC Design Rule Checking drill path The order in which the drill machine creates drill hits drill tool report Details which drill tools along with their definitions are being used on all drill layers DXF Data Exchange Format a file format introduced by AutoCAD E EBCDIC Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code EIA Electronics Industry Association endcap The DXF data format draws lines with square shapes To maintain a round end to a line a round shape is added to the line endpoints F film box A continuous line that represents the film size fine pitch pads A row group of pads whose cent
243. have built a Select Group of items you want to ignore during paste mask creation Cid select Don t Check Items In Select Group Fine Pitch Pad Undersizing A Tip The Fix Errors option is only available for the Optimizer The only error that can occur while generating a paste mask layer is if the undersize amount is too large for a pad which would mean that the opening size would effectively be less than zero An opening would not be created and a Missing Mask Opening error would be logged To fix this you must create the paste mask again decreasing the undersize amount or increasing the size of small pads to exclude whichever is appropriate in your case 12 After you have made your selections click OK to execute the function 191 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual mRelated topics Tools Stencils Tools Paste Mask Optimize This function analyzes your existing paste mask layers and determines if the mask openings abide by rules that you specify To optimize a paste mask 1 Make sure you have tagged your layers 2 Use the Tools Convert Drawn Pads Select Draws command to convert your drawn pads to flashes 3 If you want any items in your database ignored during the mask optimization process create a Select Group of those items 4 Select the Tools Paste Mask Optimize command The Optimize Paste Mask dialog box appears 5 Select whether to optimize the Top Mask Bottom Mask or both The system uses the Thru hole Drill Layer spec
244. he workspace To hide the layers select the Visible command again Editing a Composite Deleting a Composite 1 Select the Setup Composites command The Composite Setup dialog box appears 2 In the Composite List select the composite you wish to delete 3 Click the Delete Composite button This command does NOT delete any data or remove any data layers Only the association to other layers is removed To delete layers use the Setup Layers command or the Navigator Using the Navigator to Delete a Composite 1 In the Navigator right click on the desired composite in the list A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Remove command and the composite is immediately deleted This does not delete the actual layers in the database just the composite information To delete layers see the Layers area of the Navigator Or 1 To delete an empty composite click on the desired composite in the list 2 Press the DEL key and the empty composite is immediately deleted Tip If you delete a composite layer set the layers will remain tagged as Composite You will need to tag your layers with a new layer type Adding a Layer to a Composite If the layer you wish to add to the composite does not already exist select the Setup Layers command Find a new empty layer in the Layer Setup dialog box and assign it a name and an appropriate layer type 1 Select the Setup Composites command The Composite Setup dialog box appears 2 To add
245. he Esc key to exit the function To add a circle to an NC layer If you wish to add a circle to an NC layer you can also use one of the Add NC Circle commands which provide a quicker method of creating your desired circle type Otherwise follow the steps below 1 After selecting the active NC layer and tool in the Layer Bar select the Add Circle command 2 Click on the circle s center point 3 Move the cursor and click on a point on the radius The NC Circle dialog box appears 4 Select the circle type that is appropriate for the active NC tool If you are creating a milled circle select whether you want it milled in a Clockwise or Counter Clockwise direction and either Inside or Outside of the radius 5 If you do not want this dialog box to appear the next time you add an NC circle select the Display This Dialog Only If Shift Key Is Pressed option The circle definitions you make now will be repeated in the future and the dialog box will only appear if you press the Shift key when you select the Add Circle command 6 Click OK Warning If you select a circle type that does not reflect the current tool type you will be warned that the tool type will have to be changed Click OK in the message box to change the tool type or cancel to abort the entire function Add Arc Ctr Toolbar Button The arc is drawn on the active layer using the current D code in a counter clockwise direction The arc is created as either a 360
246. he Fix command For DRC MRC violations the database item is altered so that it no longer violates your DRC MRC rules For duplicate data the offending item is deleted The round X icon next to the error turns green If there are any errors in your selection group that cannot be fixed the Fix command will not be available in the shortcut menu Or 1 To fix all errors right click on the analysis type A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Fix All command For DRC MRC violations the database item is altered so that it no longer violates your DRC MRC rules For duplicate data the offending item is deleted The round X icon next to the error turns green The icons next to any errors that could not be automatically fixed remain red You can reverse a fix by right clicking on the error again and selecting the Unfix command from the shortcut menu The data are returned to their original state Warning If you save your database the fix memory buffer is cleared and you will no longer be able to unfix an error If you want to run the analyses again after you have fixed the errors to verify no errors still exist you should first regenerate the netlist This is because any fixes will not be reflected in the netlist that you created before the initial analyses Creating Reports To generate a summary report file for all runs 1 Right click on the Analysis heading A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Report command A Save As dialog
247. he Selection Filter select Window mode if you wish to copy items that fall entirely within your designated selection window Select Window Xing mode if you want to copy any item that crosses into your designated selection Window Also choose the type of item that you wish to select 3 In the workspace click on the lower left corner of the desired selection area The selection window is now attached to your cursor 4 Move your cursor and click on the upper right corner of the desired selection area The selected items are highlighted and you are prompted to select a copy from point 5 Click on an anchor point where the items will be attached in relation to your cursor An outline of the data being copied is attached to your cursor 6 Move your cursor to the desired location for the copy and click to place it Or You can select exact coordinates for your placement in the XY Bar Tip If you select data from more than one layer i e more than one layer is visible then the data will be copied into their respective source layers 7 If you wish to place additional copies of the same items in other locations select those locations Otherwise press the Esc key 8 You can now select other items to copy or press the Esc key to end the function To copy a Select Group 1 Create a Select Group using the Edit Select Add To command 2 Select the Edit Copy command 3 In the Selection Filter select Group mode All other types of f
248. he Tool Number and Size columns have been properly defined the system automatically recognizes the information in the list and confirms it in the Matched Tools list All recognized tools are also colored red in the 80 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Format list When you are finished click the Save Converter button to save your converter file in the ToolConv folder 7 The dialog box closes and your converter appears in the Format list of the Import Tool List dialog box Mixed Format Definitions A tool list that contains mixed definitions such as the one below that indicates when hole is plated but not when it is unplated PLATED Holesize 1 12 000000 MILS Holesize 2 79 000000 MILS PLATED Holesize 3 23 000000 MILS If you have a similar case you can create multiple Format types to handle the information 1 Create the column definitions for the first type of format e g Tool 1 and 3 s format as instructed above in steps 1 4 2 Once the Tool Number and Size columns have been properly defined the system automatically recognizes the information in the list and confirms it in the Matched Tools list All recognized tools are also colored red in the Format list 3 Right click on the Format 1 tab and select Add Format from the shortcut menu A Format 2 tab appears The tools that have already been recognized based on the Format 1 definitions are listed in gray text 4 Modify the column headers so that they
249. he browse button to save it to a different folder 4 Specify the M N format of the coordinates in the generated netlist file 5 Select the Metric option to export the coordinates in millimeters Otherwise it will be in inches 6 Select the Renumber Sequentially option to renumber the net numbers if necessary to make sure that they are output in order and with no gaps in the net numbers 7 Choose how to label the nets If your nets have User Data assigned to them you may choose to have your netlist labeled with the User Data instead of net numbers imRelated topics Sample GerbTool Netlist nl File Tools Netlist Clear Netlist The Clear Netlist command removes all netlist information from the currently loaded database After selecting the command you are asked to confirm that you wish to remove the netlist information This function cannot be reversed by the Undo command Tools Netlist Apply External Net Names After you have performed a Netlist Comparison and have corrected any errors you can use the Apply External Net Names command to apply the net names from the IPC D 356 A netlist to the GerbTool netlist information The most important purpose for this is that when you view the net information in the Navigator or query a net you will see the net name rather than the arbitrary GerbTool net number If you save your data as a gtd file the netlist information is saved as well so you will no longer need to refer to the exter
250. he center of your new view window Or Click the Rel button in the XY Bar and select coordinates that are relative to the current center point of the view window After you select the center point the display immediately pans to the new location Related topics View Window View All Fit Toolbar Button Equivalent Hotkey Ctrl R This command adjusts the size of the viewing window to encompass the extents of the currently displayed layer s 120 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual A Tip If the extents aren t correctly displayed data has been added to or deleted from the displayed layers since opening the database Use the Query Extents command to have the system recalculate the current extremes of the database View Film Box Toolbar Button aq The View Film Box command adjusts the size of the viewing window to display the extents of the Film Box To control the color of the film box select the Options Configure command and click the Display tab A Tip If you want to hide the film box from view change its color to the same color as the background of the workspace usually black To view all the items in your database use the View All Fit command View Redraw Toolbar Button oi Equivalent Hotkey R The Redraw command refreshes the display in the workspace View Sketch Toolbar Button 3 The View Sketch command toggles sketch mode on off When sketch mode is enabled items are shown with an outline only An option t
251. he following example will match the line JUNK D10 0 060 0 060 ROUND FORMAT ROUND skip D dcode xsize ysize ROUND 224 FORMAT Syntax Parameters Description Example GerbTool 15 1 User Manual UNITS FORMAT UNITS rule rule A rule for matching a line in the aperture list that specifies the format of the file A line matching this is used to determine the format of the aperture list This statement allows the aperture list itself to override a previous UNITS statement The following example will match the line FORMAT MM FORMAT UNITS skip Sunits FORMAT SPECIAL Syntax Parameters Description Example FORMAT plating Syntax Parameters Description Example FORMAT SPECIAL rule rule A rule for matching lines for use by an XTENSION dll Does not produce a GerbTool D code line It is used for special processing by an XTENSI ON specified dil The following example will match the line SQR D10 0 060 0 060 FORMAT SPECIAL SQR D dcode xsize Sysiz FORMAT_plating rule plating PTH indicates a plated tool NPTH indicates a non plated tool rule A rule for matching tools that are to be matched to plated or non plated tools If the rule matches a line in the tool list being converted that line will be converted into a plated or non plated tool The following example will match the line T1 PLATED 0 060 FORMAT PTH tool PLATED xsize 225 GerbTool 1
252. he items will be moved into their respective source layers 6 Press the Esc key to end the function 105 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual To move items to another layer 1 After having selected your items using one of the methods above and when they are attached to your cursor click on the Destination Layer button in the Status Bar The Move dialog box appears 2 Select the destination layer where you want to move the items to All the selected data regardless of their layer of origin will be moved to the selected destination layer 3 Move your cursor to the desired location for the move and click to place it or You can select exact coordinates for your placement in the XY Bar 4 Select other items to move or press the Esc key to end the function Related topics Tools NC Drill Separate Edit Delete Toolbar Button x Select this command when you wish to delete items from one or more visible layers If you wish to delete items from an NC object such as a mill path segment use the Edit NC Explode command first to explode the object into its individual base elements In the case of a mill path it is converted into several mill paths one for each segment You can then join the remaining segments back together with the Edit NC Combine Paths command You can also use the Edit Clip command to delete windowed sections from a draw or mill path To delete items 1 Select the Edit Delete command 2 Select an item or items t
253. he other parameters Number of Perforations is the number of perforation holes to create Perforation Size is diameter of the individual perforation holes Perforation Spacing is edge to edge distance between the holes themselves and from the mill path Border Offset is the distance from the outermost edge of the perforation holes to the border If this number is negative the perforations will be created outside the mill path inside the board Perforation Spacing Border Offset Double Stitched Break A Double Stitched Break is like a Stitched Break except there are perforations on both borders of the break The Side is the side of the path left or right that the board is on relative to the direction the router is traveling The Calculated Size of the break the distance between the narrowest points of the two mill path ends is determined by the other parameters Number of Perforations is the number of perforation holes to create Perforation Size is diameter of the individual perforation holes Perforation Spacing is edge to edge distance between the holes themselves and from the mill path Border Offset is the distance from the outermost edge of the perforation holes to each border If this number is negative the perforations will be created outside the mill path Perforation Spacing e d ke Negative Border Offset Crown Break A crown break creates angles in the mill path at the break The Side is the side of t
254. he path left or right that the board is on relative to the direction the router is traveling The Side also determines where the exit entry legs are located the legs are angled away from the board The Size is the distance between the narrowest points of the break The Exit Entry Length is the length of the legs The Exit Entry Angle is the angle of the legs relative to the mill path in degrees This can be any value between 90 and 180 A negative value means that the legs cut into the board Exit Entry Size Length 147 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Stitched Crown Break A Stitched Crown Break is a combination of a Stitched Break and a Crown Break it has both perforations and angled exit entry points The Side is the side of the path left or right that the board is on relative to the direction the router is traveling The Side also determines where the perforations and exit entry legs are located the perforations are placed on the border closest to the board and legs are angled away from the board The Calculated Size of the break the distance between the narrowest points of the exit entry points is determined by the other parameters Number of Perforations is the number of perforation holes to create Perforation Size is diameter of the individual perforation holes Perforation Spacing is edge to edge distance between the holes themselves and from the mill path Border Offset is the distance from the outermost edge of the p
255. heading A list of resistor shapes appears by system assigned number 2 Right click on the number The workspace immediately zooms to the desired resistor shape To zoom to a non embedded passive flash 1 Click on the plus box next to the Non Embedded Passive Flashes heading A list of flashes appears by coordinate 2 Right click on the desired coordinate The workspace immediately zooms to the desired flash Analysis When you run a DRC MRC analysis Netlist Comparison Layer Comparison and Duplicate Data analysis of your design or generate optimize a solder mask or paste mask layer the errors are logged in the Analysis heading For DRC MRC analyses and netlist comparisons each run that is performed is logged using the assigned Run Name If you do not assign a Run Name the run is identified by the time and date it is performed Each pass that is performed in the run is listed and is categorized by the type of analysis DRC DFF etc Duplicate Data runs are logged under Duplicate Data and Layer Comparisons are logged under Compare Layers with the layer numbers by default Solder and Paste mask errors are logged under the appropriate layer type Top Solder Mask Bot Solder Mask etc Viewing Analysis Settings amp Errors To view information about a run 1 Right click on the desired run A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Properties command The Analysis Properties dialog box appears The run name start and end
256. heck next to each that is displayed in the GerbTool window Click on the checkbox next to any toolbar to hide or display it as desired To create a new toolbar 1 Click the New button in the Toolbars Tab 2 After you assign a name to the toolbar it appears in the Toolbars list box The new toolbar also appears in the main window Or 3 In the Customize Toolbar tab the Categories list box shows the types of buttons available When you select a category the buttons are displayed in the Buttons area 4 Select a button by clicking on it 5 While still holding down the mouse button drag the button to an area outside of the dialog box A new toolbar is created with the chosen button and a system assigned name To rename a created toolbar 1 If you wish to change the name of a toolbar you have created select the desired toolbar from the Toolbars list Toolbars Tab It appears in the Toolbar Name text box below the list 2 Modify the name as desired The new name is confirmed when you click on another toolbar in the list or close the dialog box To delete a toolbar f you wish to delete any toolbar you have created select it in the Toolbars list and click the Delete button You cannot delete any of the default toolbars To modify toolbars While the Customize dialog box is open you can move buttons between toolbars in the main window by clicking on and dragging buttons from one toolbar to another Or To completely re
257. hen you are ready to run the analysis click the Run button 11 When the analysis is finished you are told how many differences if any were found The items are listed in the Analysis list of the Navigator under Compare Layers the layer numbers are also noted You may view the differences in the workspace and generate a report file using the Navigator Analysis Find Duplicates The Find Duplicates command finds all occurrences of duplicate data For an item to be considered a duplicate it must be at the exact same location on the same layer and have the same properties To scan for duplicate data 1 Select the Analysis Find Duplicates command The Find Duplicates dialog box appears 2 Click the arrow button to view a list of layers in your design 3 4 Click OK in the Find Duplicates dialog box The analysis is run and you are told how many duplicate items if any In the Select Layers dialog box select the layers you wish to check for duplicate data and click OK were found The items are listed in the Analysis list of the Navigator under Duplicate Items You may view the errors in the workspace and automatically fix them using the Navigator Analysis Copper Area Cu Toolbar Button Copper area analysis calculates the amount of copper used on a layer using a high resolution bitmap method To calculate copper area 1 Select the Analysis Copper Area command The Copper Area dialog box appears 167
258. hese comments will be added to the files preceded by a G04 1 Click on the number of the desired layer 2 Click the Comments button A text editor appears 3 Type your comments into the text field You can cut paste and delete text using the Edit menu 4 Select the File Save command in the text editor to save your comments Setup Apertures Toolbar Button Es Equivalent Hotkey Shift A This command allows you to edit the aperture list which appears on the left side of the dialog box You can view your aperture list in two ways and modify it according to your needs GerbTool supports 26 intrinsic aperture types with full support for ODB intrinsic apertures Following are detailed descriptions of each feature in the Aperture Setup dialog box For step by step instructions on creating and modifying apertures see the Working with Apertures tutorial Aperture List Views D Code View This tab presents a complete table of the apertures sorted by D code number The Properties column provides you with the size and simple graphical representation of the shape of the aperture The DCode column provides you with the D code number Apertures lists start with D10 as the number D1 D9 are reserved for photoplotter command codes and are not considered valid aperture numbers by GerbTool The Angle column indicates if the aperture has been rotated a positive number indicates counter clockwise rotation A negative number indicates clockwise
259. ically appear again when a function requires it You can v Slot expand the size of the bar to the entire height of the workspace by clicking the up arrow vi Block Instance then reduce its size by clicking the down arrow While it is docked in the GerbTool window v Drilled Circle you can resize the height and width of the bar by moving your cursor to one of its outer M Drilled Text edges When the cursor changes to ll click and hold the left mouse button while you drag w Mil Path the edge to the desired size wl Mill Circle Layers Mode wl An 1 priart These options define how items are selected The available modes depend upon the wi ee 2int1 art function you are in When you are in Item select mode a bounding box is added to the i 3ond art cursor Anything that falls within this bounding box is a potential selection You can War 4vec art increase the size of the box by pressing the PgUp hotkey or decrease the size for Y eo 5int2 art increased accuracy by pressing the PgDn hotkey If more than one item exists at the point Kl err 6secart you select the Choose Selection dialog box appears vi 7skprart In Window select mode everything that falls completely within your selection window is iv LU 8sksec art selected In Window Xing mode everything inside the selection window including lt 8 9 Drill anything that the window touches is selected v C 10 Outline In Layer select mode all selected types of data on all selected layers are
260. ick OK all occurrences of any matching drawn pads are located and you are asked to confirm whether to continue Tools Convert Drawn Pads Automatic Toolbar Button The automatic drawn pad conversion requires a past or solder mask layer with a corresponding top or bottom layer For example a Mask Top or Paste Top layer requires a Top layer to exist The mask layer must have data on it but it is not required that the mask data be flashed The openings on the mask layer are used to look for drawn pads to be converted to flashes If you do not have any mask layers use the Tools Convert Drawn Pads Select Draws to convert your drawn pads to flashes To automatically convert draws to flashes 1 Select the Tools Convert Drawn Pads Automatic command The Automatic Drawn Pad Conversion dialog box appears 2 The Control Layer is the layer number of the solder or paste mask layer that corresponds with the top or bottom layer that you wish to convert pads on Click the down arrow button to select the desired layer to prevent an incorrect layer from being specified you cannot type a number directly into the box 3 If the selected Control Layer is a paste mask layer the Paste Mask Expansion option allows you to enter a value buy which paste mask openings will be oversized Oversizing the openings may be required because often paste mask openings are smaller than the corresponding pads on the top bottom layer 4 Click the Select Lay
261. id 9 viewing outline of 217 Customize Toolbar command 179 CVG file OXPOMING dn a els aed dede 93 Importing rere e Hn n ee ERR 83 CW Inside commande 132 CW Outside commande 133 D REI le DEE 6 Database Modified Indicator 31 D Code Commande 110 DICOdOS taaan as 47 57 137 219 Elec ET 6 Ghiarigirig de r ege eebe ere ini 102 o ceo cte pt re e rete iban 109 Oase a pope TAE 47 112 redlinilgi EE 154 ez 109 en e WEE 111 selection TINGE cess i ciet mon EC te ieu so 25 transcoding reete teri UH Eier ds 111 use report eee bee Eee de 149 delete analysis UNS 2 rrt es d deb Ed 18 SEIT ES ges giereg race cites de rnt dees 57 137 Le 102 106 blind buried layer sets seeeee 143 break tabS asar das 117 A a etd 13 142 construction Ines 158 el Le EE 157 e r5 RR EE 102 106 E eed ere e EP Ee et ee PC Ced 159 drill bts o Sata ecce ea ie ee pe e det 102 106 drillslots n RR ee 102 106 ell Breu EE 143 drilled Reie TEE 102 106 drilleditext xA 102 106 fabrication note balloons sees 161 MANOS AAA O 102 106 isolated pads A aea ai aeea iaa i 195 layer Sets i dete cepe E 142 Leer Ae el ce 136 NR EE 143 mill d circles ee tenere pte 102 106 NETOS MEL 143 netlisti iii 12 188 operator messages inicion cece eect e 116 Optional Stops nido ti aint bn nnd rabia 116 efe eoe E
262. ied radius and have it cut in either a clockwise or counter clockwise direction Add NC Circle Milled CCW Inside Toolbar Button This command creates a milled circle that is routed on the inside of the radius you specify in a counter clockwise direction To create a milled circle 1 Select the desired NC layer and tool from the Layer Bar 2 Select the Add NC Circle Milled CCW Inside command Click on the circle s center point ABO Move the cursor and click on a point on the radius Wu Repeat steps 3 and 4 as desired to create additional circles You can also select different NC layers and tools to create those circles 6 Press the Esc key to exit the function Add NC Circle Milled CCW Outside Toolbar Button This command creates a milled circle that is routed on the outside of the radius you specify in a counter clockwise direction To create a milled circle 1 Select the desired NC layer and tool from the Layer Bar 2 Select the Add NC Circle Milled CCW Outside command Click on the circle s center point A O Move the cursor and click on a point on the radius Wu Repeat steps 3 and 4 as desired to create additional circles You can also select different NC layers and tools to create those circles 6 Press the Esc key to exit the function Add NC Circle Milled CW Inside Toolbar Button This command creates a milled circle that is routed on the inside
263. ies the layer setup by adding additional composite layers Any previously generated report files that specify layer numbers will be subsequently out of sync As TrueType fonts require the use of composites layers composite viewing must be enabled to view the text properly While running this command enables this mode automatically you may use the View Composites command to toggle this mode on and off Text File To load a file that contains text you wish to insert click the Load button and select the file This is useful if you have frequently used text Clicking the Save button saves the contents of the text window to the file named in the Text File box Text Entry Field This area is used to display the text that is to be added Text is entered into this field by either typing it in or loading it from a file using the Load button above When you are finished defining your text click OK Your text is now attached to your cursor Place the text by clicking on the desired location in the workspace You can place copies of the text in additional locations by clicking on them or press the Esc key to end the function Add Drill Toolbar Button e This command allows you to add a drill hit to the active NC layer To add a drill 1 Select the desired NC layer and tool from the Layer Bar 2 Select the Add Drill command You are prompted for a location at which to add the drill O 0 Click the mouse on the desired
264. iew Tabs i ee dien dedos iue ea FU RR B RR al es RR M IRSE ee 124 Add menus iet pu emt iesu eis ut 125 Adal Flash Anbau e MELLE DELE T e LUI CE x E e 125 Add Draw EE 125 hubiera 126 ele cm 126 Add Circle EE 126 ele e 127 ele e EE 127 AGG AI AY 2 EET 128 ee e e BEE 128 ele RR actitud bet v Ete M tune etae eee e a ne Lc re a euo dira 129 ele RIIT 130 ele EE EE 131 ele OR EE 131 el e L ere 131 Add Driled E EE 133 Add Break Tab TEE 134 Add OperatoriMessagge 5 Ire tenete ado da 134 Add Optional Stop EE 135 iiem E 136 Setup Bbay6rs EH 136 eene EE 137 oet p lComposltes uota tei A E tta Delle ahaa ees uinci lu n ce iive En ceste tile ee uda edes 142 Setup Eayet Sets 2 chen et uenia ra cd aee a gti pde e e E ai o i eid a ete 142 e e ege RT 143 Setup Break Tabs ttt mn red te retento drerit n et red mt det t tied 146 oet p Stencil Shiapes EE 148 Documentation fient i teo rm ertt t aate dale ie Et curet cerdo e tees urbt e ees 149 Documentation Reports co ir rte ad tee nte ita 149 Documentation Redline 2 ette tdt otc ation er coit tsm ene rated etta eem ea 150 DocurrentationIDrawilng intct i oer e a tates et cm tto ems coin ei eie ae citer a eere eO 154 Analysis EE 162 Analysis DREIMR O ar ER 162 Analysis Netlist Compare o nitent tte iet eir te aos 166 LE Elle IC 167 Analysis Eind ere 167 NEIE Copper Areal WEE 167 eI EMI 169 urine CE 169 Gur MN PEE 169
265. iew use the View Zoom Out command To create a view window 1 Click on the upper left corner of your desired view space A window is attached to the mouse cursor 2 Move the cursor and click on the lower right corner of your desired view space The workspace immediately zooms in on your selection Related topics View Zoom In View Pan 215 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual View Zoom In Toolbar Button amp Equivalent Hotkey or plus key Use the Zoom In command to quickly decrease the size of the viewing window and see a smaller area of your design in more detail in the workspace If you would like more precise control over the area you wish to view use the View Window command To zoom in 1 Select the View Zoom In command You are prompted to click on a center point 2 Click on the point in the workspace that you wish to be the center point of your viewing window The size of the current viewing window is reduced by half View Zoom Out Toolbar Button amp Equivalent Hotkey O or minus key Use the Zoom Out command to quickly increase the size of the viewing window and see more of your design in the workspace To zoom out 1 Select the View Zoom Out command You are prompted to click on a center point 2 Click on the point in the workspace that you wish to be the center point of your viewing window The size of the current viewing window expands doubles in size View Pan Toolbar Button a Equival
266. ified and you put the following into the text box This distance is Assuming the dimension is for features 10 apart and the Dimension Properties dialog box contains the default settings you would see the following resulting string This distance is 10 Click the Options button to specify other dimension line properties in the Dimension Options dialog box Arrow1 Type Arrow2 Type Specifies the type of arrows to use in the dimension Line Widths Extension specifies the distance to offset the dimension extension lines from the dimensioned features Dimension specifies the line thickness to use when drawing the dimension Text specifies the line thickness to use when drawing dimension text Arrows Inside Extension Lines When selected arrows are drawn within the extension lines the default case otherwise arrows appear outside of the extension lines Note that this setting may be overridden if the dimension text and or arrows cannot fit within the extension lines Box Around Text When selected a box will drawn around the dimension text otherwise no box will be drawn Click the OK buttons in the Dimension Options and Add Dimension dialog boxes Click on the two features to dimension and the point to place the dimension text If you wish to add a dimension to additional items repeat the previous step Otherwise press the Esc key to end the function If dimensioned items are moved such as by editing or scal
267. ified to identify the different types of pads in your design It will process any pad that is SMT If you do not have a thru hole drill layer then the system will use the Aperture Table Type information 6 In the Maximum Errors box specify the maximum number of allowable errors If the optimizer reaches this error count limit it stops logging errors and warns you that the limit was reached This limit is provided in case you enter an undersize amount that is not appropriate for your design 7 Specify your Desired Undersize The optimization process looks at all openings on the mask layer at the same location as each pad on the corresponding electrical layer It determines if the openings are undersized by at least the minimum Desired amount It will not report an error if the mask opening is undersized more than the minimum amount 8 If you select the Round Corners option for the openings define the corners either as a percentage of the shortest side of the aperture 1 to 50 percent or as an absolute value 9 The Location Alignment specifies the maximum misalignment allowed between the location of the mask opening and the corresponding pad on the electrical layer 10 Select the Detect Fine Pitch Pads option to have the system analyze pads for fine pitch conditions round pads are ignored If three or more pads of the same shape size and angle lie in line with each other and are within the maximum Edge To Edge or Center To Center Spaci
268. ight click shortcut menu See the Options Configure command Grid A grid can be displayed in the workspace by selecting the View Grid command The size of the grid as well as the units of measure used for your database can also be controlled using the Options Configure command View Tabs At the bottom of the Workspace are View Tabs The default tabs are Log and Main Log shows a record of all your actions since you opened or created a database and is cleared when you select the File New or FilelOpen command To save the log as a file right click in the Log screen and select Save Log from the shortcut menu or select the File Save Log command Main shows the graphical display of your database You can add additional tabs maintaining one view of your database in each so that you are not required to frequently zoom and pan your view You can perform edits such as copy data from one view to another You can also delete tabs which you have added Cursor The cursor or cross hair is used to select objects commands buttons etc in the workspace Moving your mouse moves the cursor accordingly There are several ways that you can modify the behavior of the cursor using hotkeys and the Options Configure command Each mouse button has a unique function which can be customized By default coordinates showing the current location of the cursor are attached to it You can turn off this display as well as change the size of the curso
269. ilable Design Data The Design Data tab contains the information that normally comes from a CAD system or the CAD system s NC file Following are descriptions of the data contained in each column Number This is the tool number The symbol next to the number indicates the type of tool it is Drill 1 mill Both Size The tool diameter The units of measure are defined by the Options Units Precision command 144 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Type The type of tool which controls whether a tool is used for drills mill paths or both The type of tool that can be defined depends upon the Type selected for the tool table A tool defined as Both is a tool that can create either drill or mill paths and can therefore be used in any tool table Usage Whether the tool is used to create plated non plated or both types of hits Qty The number of times the tool is used in the currently loaded database When viewing a tool table for a panel the Qty amount will be O for every tool That is because the panel images along with the tool mapping for the images are virtual The Qty can only be viewed if the panel is flattened Legend One or two alphanumeric characters that are used to designate the tool in a drill hole chart Mask Size The mask size is used by the Tools NC Drill Mask command to generate drill mask information for tenting non plated holes on primary NC layers Pilot Tool If a tool is particularly large it may
270. ile Name box enter a name for your netlist file By default the file is saved in GerbTool s Samples folder Use the Browse button to choose a different folder or file name 4 Enter the number of the NC layer that contains your through hole drill information this is the same NC layer that was used when the netlist was generated If no NC layer is available the system will look at the aperture table type field to determine whether a pad is SMT or not 5 Select Include Unconnected Pads Using N C Net Name to have all unconnected isolated pads output using the IPC defined net name N C Otherwise all unconnected pads will be ignored 6 Select Include Solder Mask Information to include data indicating solder mask usage If no solder mask is present then this option is not available If you have a solder mask but this option is not available your solder mask layer is not properly tagged in the layer table 7 Normally only top and bottom net locations are exported Select the Export Inner Layer data option to include inner layer net locations which is most often used if your design has blind and buried vias 8 The Export Conductor Data option exports the trace data for the top and bottom layers If you selected the Export Inner Layer Data option then the inner layer trace data are also included 9 IPC D 356A does not support raster fill polygons If you want polygon information maintained with your trace data select the Vector Fill Po
271. ile that you would like to appear in the Format list see Options Configure for information If no ACR file exists you can either create your own using a text editor or create one interactively in GerbTool You can also Edit an existing file by clicking the Edit Converter button See Creating an Aperture Converter 4 When you are finished making your selections click the OK button Your apertures are imported converted and are added to the Aperture Table where they can be viewed and edited Creating an Aperture Converter GerbTool provides an interactive ACR File Creator that allows you to quickly create an aperture converter file 1 In the Import Aperture List dialog box click the New Converter button The Create Aperture List Converter dialog box appears The name of the aperture list being imported appears at the top and your current aperture list is displayed in the Format 1 tab 2 Your aperture list appears in a spreadsheet and default column names are provided at the top These columns are not automatically matched to the aperture list you must reorder and resize the columns to match the aperture list contents To move a column header click it with your mouse and drag it to the correct location The column header width should exactly match the width of the aperture list columns Click on the left or right edge of the column header and drag it to the appropriate location If you wish to delete a column header right clic
272. ill D code until the entire area is filled Hatched creates a hatched polygon fill pattern Select check the number of lines to use in the pattern then specify the D code to be used for each line Step Size values are used to specify the line to line spacing Angle values are used to specify the angle of the lines used Dotted creates a dotted polygon fill pattern Select the D code to use for the dots flashes and the spacing between the dots in each row the X Spacing and column the Y Spacing Specify whether the spacing should be measured from Center to Center or Edge to Edge To create a staggered pattern of dots select the Row Stagger option and decide which row should be offset To have them staggered like the below example the Row 2 offset should be half the value of the Y Spacing amount and the Row 1 offset should be zero 6 When you are finished defining the polygon click OK 7 If you chose to draw the polygon click on the various points that make up the polygon To close the polygon enter a point at the location where you began the polygon or automatically close the polygon by pressing the End key O r If you chose to select the polygon border you are prompted to select a closed polygon to fill and the Enable Disable Outset button appears in the Status bar When Outset is enabled the resulting filled polygon will be as large as the source line segments including the entire width of the aperture used to draw it Wh
273. ilters are not applicable 4 Click on an anchor point where the items will be attached in relation to your cursor An outline of the data being copied is attached to your cursor 5 Move your cursor to the desired location for the copy and click to place it Or You can select exact coordinates for your placement in the XY Bar Tip If your Select Group contains items from more than one layer then the items will be copied into their respective source layers 6 If you wish to place additional copies of the same items in other locations select those locations Otherwise press the Esc key 7 Press the Esc key to end the function n copy items to another layer After having selected your items using one of the methods above and when they are attached to your cursor click on the Destination Layers button in the Status Bar The Copy Destination Layers dialog box appears 2 Select one or more destination layers where you want to copy to Copies of all the selected data regardless of their layer of origin will be merged into each selected destination layer 3 Move your cursor to the desired location for the copy and click to place it Or You can select exact coordinates for your placement in the XY Bar 4 f you wish to place additional copies of the same items in other locations click on those locations Otherwise press the Esc key 5 You can now select other items to copy or press the Esc key to end the function
274. images and from the film box If you want to perform manual panelization and specify the number of copies on the panel and the point to point placement of each image do not select this option If you select Auto Calculate the system executes the panelization process immediately after you click OK The images are centered in the film box If you choose to perform Manual Panelization you must window around the data you wish to panelize after clicking OK Manual panelization does not center the image into the film box Minimum Spacing Between Images In automatic mode these fields specify the edge to edge spacing between the resulting panels Minimum Spacing To Film Box These values are used when performing an automatic panelization They specify the minimum distance allowed between the edge of the panelized items and the film box Copies These fields allow you to specify the number of copies of the design you wish to place when in manual mode and the number of copies the system places in automatic mode 186 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual A Tip The number of copies in each direction must be at least one as the original image is included in the count If you wish a single row of boards for instance you would set the Y value to 1 Image Offsets Select the X Y offset for each copy This distance is the spacing from a point on one copy of the board to the same point on the next copy The amount is added to the X Y coordinates of each copy
275. increase the size of the box by pressing the PgUp hotkey or decrease the size for increased accuracy by pressing the PgDn hotkey Use the Selection Filter if necessary and click on the item you want to measure from If more than one item is at the selected location a Choose Selection dialog box appears where you can select your desired item Click on the item you want to measure to The actual distance between the center of the items in X and Y as well as true length is displayed in the Status Bar To measure between the first selected item and another item press the Esc key and select another item O r To measure between two different items press the Esc key twice watch the prompt in the Status Bar and click on the desired items Or If you are finished press the Esc key three times 172 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Query Extents Toolbar Button Ex Use the Query Extents command to view the data extents of all loaded layers In addition to displaying the extents information GerbTool also updates its internal data extent information This allows the View All Fit command to correctly center the data after you have made edits to the database Layer The list box displays the extents of all visible layers The Min column gives the X Y coordinates of the lower left most extents and the Max column gives the X Y coordinates of the upper right most extents True Size If True Size is selected the extents di
276. indow are highlighted and you are asked to confirm the deletion Edit Change Drill Tools This command is used to change the drill tool assigned to selected data Drill tool assignment is not a requirement for creating a custom aperture unless you are creating a custom from NC layer data to create complex step and repeat patterns To change drill tool assignments 1 Select the Edit Change Drill Tools command 2 Specify the tool number you are changing from the tool you are changing to and the size of the new tool 3 Click OK and select the item whose drill tool you wish to change 4 To change the information for one item click on it The item is highlighted and you are asked to confirm the change Or To change the drill tool for multiple items at once you must create a selection window Click on the desired upper left corner of the selection window While still holding down the mouse button move the cursor to the lower right corner and release All items in the window with the drill tool assignment you are changing from are highlighted You are asked to confirm the change 5 Right click to end the function View Window Toolbar Button S Use the View Window command when you want precise control over the view in the workspace Two points are required to define a rectangle that encompasses the area that is to become the new viewing window If you are currently zoomed in very close to the workspace and wish to expand your v
277. ing from one trace to another for each conductive layer Min Pad Mask Reports the minimum annular ring spacing from mask openings to their corresponding copper pad on the top and bottom layers Min Thermal Drill Reports the minimum annular ring from thermal reliefs to plated through hole drill hits Min PTH Pad Size Reports the size of the smallest pad that has been pierced by a plated through hole drill hit for each conductive layer Min Trace Width Reports the smallest trace width in the design Min SMT Pitch Reports the minimum center to center spacing of SMD pads A pad must be identified as SMT in the Aperture List in order to be checked Legend on PTH Count amp Legend on NPTH Count Reports the number of occurrences of the silkscreen legend touching pads on the top and bottom layers Missing Hole Count Reports the number of instances where a through hole pad on a conductive layer appears to be missing a drill hit Mill Path Length Reports the total linear distance each tool travels per NC layer Max PTH Registration This shows the greatest amount of misalignment of data on drill and conductive layers It reports the maximum spacing of plated through hole drills on an NC layer from their corresponding pads on a conductive layer Exposed Copper Count Reports the number of occurrences of traces exposed by adjacent mask openings 163 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Copper Sliver Count Reports the number of
278. ing operations you perform the dimensions will automatically be updated Dimensions automatically relocate dimension text and or the direction of arrows as needed in the event that there is insufficient room to fit these between the dimension extension lines This feature overrides text location and arrow direction settings that may have been specified in the Add Dimension dialog box Related topics Documentation Drawing Dimensioning Modify Dimension Documentation Drawing Dimensioning Delete Dimension 156 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Documentation Drawing Dimensioning Delete Dimension Toolbar Button E The Delete Dimension command allows you to delete a dimension To delete a dimension 1 Select the Documentation Drawing Dimensioning Delete Dimension command You are prompted to select a dimension to delete 2 Click on the dimension in the workspace It is immediately deleted 3 Select another dimension to delete or click the Esc key to exit the function Documentation Drawing Dimensioning Modify Dimension Toolbar Button t The Modify Dimension command allows you to change any property of a selected dimension To modify a dimension 1 Select the Documentation Drawing Dimensioning Modify Dimension command You are prompted to select the dimension to modify 2 Click on the dimension in the workspace The Modify Dimension dialog box appears See the Add Dimension command for a description of dimension properties
279. ing table the NC Tool Mapping dialog box appears 3 The system attempts to map tools with similar properties to each other this is also done by clicking the Map button The existing tool is shown first then the incoming mapped tool is linked to it underneath To change the assignment manually click on the mapped tool and drag it to a different existing tool You can then select the Overwrite Existing Tool Data Of Mapped Tools option if you wish to overwrite the existing tools with the mapped tools O r You can have the system automatically assign the tools by using one of the other three Automatic Tool Mapping Algorithms Click the Overwrite button if you wish to overwrite the existing tools with the mapped tools Click Ignore to ignore any incoming tools that are mapped to existing tools Click Add to map the incoming tools to new unused tool numbers 4 When you are satisfied with the tool assignments click OK Too add a new tool table Click the Add Table button An empty table appears with a default name Define your tool table and tools as needed see the definitions of the various tab options below To rename a tool table 1 Click the Rename Table button The Rename NC Tool Table dialog box appears 2 Change the name as desired and click OK To delete a tool table Click the Delete Table button You can only delete a table whose tools are not currently used in the database If any tools are used the button is unava
280. ing the desired type of item If more than one item exists in the location you select the Choose Selection dialog box appears As you click on items in the Choose Selection dialog box each selected item is highlighted and its attributes are displayed in the Item Properties box A Polygon Voids imported from CAM350 ODB or 274 X files are supported but are not recognized as standalone entities Voids are only relative to the closed and filled polygon that contain them If you query a polygon void the information returned is for the polygon itself Polygon voids also cannot be modified added or deleted imRelated topics Item Properties Display Query Net Toolbar Button The Query Net command allows you to highlight nets in a variety of colors You may select nets by pointing and clicking by net number or by its UserData The User Data query is especially useful after importing an IPC D 356 A netlist because the IPC net name and component pin information is saved as UserData after importing To highlight a net 1 Select the Query Net command If no netlist is present you are asked if you wish to create one Click the Yes button to automatically launch the Tools Netlist Generate command 2 The Query Net dialog box appears which controls how your nets are selected and highlighted Query By Mouse Or By default you may select a net at anytime by clicking anywhere on a line segment or flash The Selection Filter is available
281. ingle quadrant 90 interpolation which produces an arc The G75 command controls multi quadrant 360 interpolation which produces a circle The G74 command disables interpolation G lt nn gt X lt X coordinate gt Y lt Y coordinate gt I lt X distance gt J lt Y distance gt D lt D code number gt Parameter Description The G code number G02 G03 or G75 X lt X coordinate gt Y lt Y coordinate Defines the arc end point The starting point is the current tool position wherever the last command left it I lt X distance gt J lt Y distance Defines the incremental distance between the arc start point and the center measured parallel to the X and Y axes respectively The direction to the center is determined implicitly Used in a G75 command the X and Y distance can be signed to draw the circle in a positive direction to draw in a negative direction Polygon area fill using G36 provides a more efficient means of filling closed polygons than stroke fill Rather than specifying numerous G01 commands to fill an area the G36 command allows you to simply define a polygon by its closed outline G36 is followed by D01 commands which are considered edges of the polygon D02 closes and fills the polygon and G37 turns the command off 48 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual M codes M codes are used to identify the end of a file M code Function Program stop Optional stop End of program Example 274 D Files Followi
282. int of a 3 point arc you may press the 9 key for an automatic 90 degree arc To add a tangential arc where the start and center points of the arc are tangent to each other press the A key and then the T key Then select the end point to the arc 4 Press the Esc key to end the path 5 You may start a new path if desired on the same or different layer with the same or different tool Otherwise press the Esc key to end the function Note the following symbols are used to represent the plunge and extraction points Plunge Point Extraction Point mRelated topics Setup NC Tools Edit NC Path Properties Add NC Circle The NC Circle commands allow you to add circles to NC layers using either drill or mill tools Add NC SES Toolbar Button This command creates a circle on an NC layer using a drill tool To add a drilled circle 1 Select the desired NC layer and drill tool from the Layer Bar 2 Select the Add NC Circle Drilled command You are prompted to select the circle s center point 3 Click on the circle s center point 131 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual 4 Move the cursor and click on a point on the radius 5 Repeat steps 3 and 4 as desired to create additional circles You can also select different NC layers and tools to create those circles 6 Press the Esc key to exit the function Add NC Circle Milled You can add milled circles that are cut on either the inside or outside edge of the specif
283. into account the difference between the speed of the NC machine in the X or Y axis The default values are 1 for each meaning the tool travels the same speed in each direction If for example the tool on a particular machine travels twice as fast in the X direction than in the Y you can set the X value to 0 5 to take this into account when optimizing your files 7 After clicking OK in the Optimize NC Layer dialog box the data are optimized according to your selections Tools NC Double Mill Path Select the Double Mill Path command if you want the mill tool to rout the same path twice This can be used to clean any rough edges left behind from the first rout especially when routing flexible circuits To double rout a mill path 1 Select the Tools NC Double Mill Path command You are prompted to select the mill path to double rout 2 Using the Selection Filter to aid your selection click on the desired mill path Double routing is immediately applied to it with double arrow graphics appearing on the path where a normal path would have a single arrow graphic 3 Click on any additional mill paths that you want to double rout or press the Esc key to exit the function Tools NC Display Settings Toolbar Button Y This command serves as a shortcut to the Options Configure NC Settings dialog box Tools Embedded Passives The Embedded Passives commands are used to reverse engineer drawn and flashed data into intelligent embedded
284. ion filter helps you filter out the items that you do not want to select It also allows you to select multiple items and items on specific layers When you are not in a command that uses the Selection Filter the text in the Selection Filter is gray and you cannot select any options You also do not have the option of using the View Selection Filter command or the F hotkey when not in a function that uses the Selection Filter You can close the display at any time by clicking on the X in the upper right corner If you undock the Selection Filter from the GerbTool window while not in a function that uses it it will disappear It will automatically appear again when a function requires it Copying to the Windows Clipboard The Copy Selection To Clipboard command it is very effective for copying sections of a board as many layers as needed and pasting to a relative distance from the copy location within the same design When used with the Selection Filter it has the benefit of copying multiple items from multiple layers and copying them to relative locations on the same layer numbers in the same design or a new design Edit Copy puts every copied item on each destination layer so copying from several layers at a time puts everything onto one layer Programming Your Mouse and Function Keys GerbTool s easy to use Graphical User Interface GUI is further enhanced with the versatility of programmable mouse and function keys Using the Options Config
285. is 47 128 adding eei tot cott ERR OECD TT REGIAM 128 ALCO RUE 47 converting raster to vechot 210 COPYING E it noni bt 103 Decoder rana 102 111 deletind EE 102 106 A E 109 MOVING rni tote MM 102 105 ele LEER 102 112 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual polygons con t ASA O 26 102 rotating aie ta as 109 SCAIING 22 reete M E EE 111 VOIDS 2 33 dere Lato ete tiere ei e cb d oe betae aeta 169 polylines converting draws fo 210 converting mill data to 209 Dropertles E A E T TETT 26 positive polarity oooooocoooocncnnncnncococccccccncncnnoncononncnnnnnannnnos 47 PostScript EXPO EE 95 DEI cca e esc cores coat cesta Rete e Gees 95 PostScript Commande 95 efe LEES 128 PowerPCDB uin n bU get ie ds 85 preferences ecd ir pl eie endl 174 Previous Commande 123 Print Commande 97 Print Preview Commande 98 Print Setup Commande 98 PrQUINO BEE 97 A E A E edem tet ue 94 ayer e Le DEE 203 eene E 95 eI SE RE 98 SUD it RE 96 98 Process elle e EE EN Properties Commande 154 157 properties display ssssssseeneeenee 26 Purge command TEE 118 Q query custom aperture elements oooooooocococcccccccciccccnannnnnno 218 database items sss 169 embedded passiVES oooococococccicccccooccoononccnnnnnnnnnnnnnnno 170 MOS A A ce 169 VE O 170 Query command sss eem 203 Query menu uice pee epe fad Er aes 169 R raster Heide oL eee ae 128 Raster To Vector Commande 210 Recall command
286. isabling the Undo feature if it is not required Purging compacts GerbTool s internal database and allows more efficient use of memory 41 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Tutorials These tutorials help you perform various tasks with GerbTool They include step by step instructions and explanations of various concepts Using Files When you save a database using the GerbTool Save command all the design data are contained within the single file any original Gerber files remain untouched and are no longer needed The FileJOpen command is used for opening GerbTool database files Creating a New Design To create a new design select the FilelNew command This clears your workspace and allows you to begin a new and initially untitled design You may begin adding data manually or importing files into your design When you are ready to save your new design for the first time GerbTool will prompt you to choose a new filename for your design Opening Importing Any file that is not a GerbTool gtd database must be imported into GerbTool using an appropriate command The following list shows supported file formats and what command is used to import them You can find sample files in many of the below formats in the Samples folder of your GerbTool program folder The Import Wizard will recognize all of the importable files listed below If you are in doubt about a file s format the Import Wizard will tell you If you know you a
287. ites Layer Sets gt NC Tools Shift T ee Break Tabs Stencil Shapes Related topics The Navigator Setup Layers Toolbar Button Equivalent Hotkey Y The Setup Layers command displays the layer table You can add edit delete and control the visibility of any layer in your database from the layer table Any changes that you make here will be reflected in the Color Bar and the Navigator once you click OK to close the dialog box Tagging or identifying layers is necessary for many GerbTool utilities to function properly Before you analyze or make any changes to your data you should make sure that the Type setting for each layer is correct A Tip You can also edit your layers from the Navigator s Layers list Additional tasks such as setting the active layer and controlling polarity can also be performed there To add a layer 1 Click on the Name cell for an unused layer number 2 Type in a descriptive name for the layer This name can be changed at any time 3 Click on the Type cell for the layer and a shortcut menu appears 4 Select the type of data that the layer contains This is referred to as tagging the layer It is important to properly tag each layer as several GerbTool functions utilize the layer type for proper operation If the layer is an NC layer you are prompted to select the NC Tool Table to associate with the layer When a layer is empty it is considered unused The layer name a
288. ith a 025 square hole in the center R X axis dimension X Y axis dimension X X axis hole dimension X Y axis Rectangle Square hole dimension gt To define a solid aperture enter only the X axis and Y axis dimensions A square would have dimensions of equal value To add a hole in the center enter one additional dimension for a round hole two for a square rectangular hole Example ADD11R 0 10X0 05X0 04X0 02 A 10 X 05 rectangle with a 04 X 02 rectangular hole in the center X axis dimension X Y axis dimension X X axis hole dimension X Y axis hole dimension gt To define an oval that is elongated horizontally the X dimension is larger than the Y If the Y dimension is larger the oval is vertical Enter only the X and Y values for a solid aperture Enter one dimension to add a round hole in the center two dimensions of equal value for a square hole Example ADD120 0 05X0 10 A horizontal solid oval 50 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Modifier lt outside dimension gt X lt number of sides gt X lt degrees of rotation gt X lt X axis Regular Polygon hole dimension gt X lt Y axis hole dimension gt To define a solid polygon enter the outside dimension and number of sides The first point is located on the X axis and you can add a dimension rotate the image Enter one additional dimension to add a round hole in the center two dimensions of equal value for a square hole Example SADD13P 10X5
289. ith a list of custom apertures in that library file Select the desired custom aperture and click OK If a custom aperture of the same name already exists you are warned that the incoming custom aperture will be renamed GerbTool 15 1 User Manual 19 highlight all occurrences of a custom aperture Right click on the desired custom aperture in the list A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Highlight command All occurrences of that custom aperture on all visible layers are highlighted in the workspace Or 1 If a custom is assigned to more than one D code click on the plus box next to the desired aperture to view the D codes it s assigned to 2 Right click on the desired D code number and select Highlight from the shortcut menu All occurrences of that custom aperture D code on all visible layers are highlighted in the workspace To edit a custom aperture 1 Right click on the desired custom aperture in the Custom Apertures area A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Edit command and the Custom Aperture Editor appears Or 2 If you want to just increase or decrease the size of a custom aperture by applying a scale factor select the Scale command from the shortcut menu 3 You are prompted for a scale factor The X Size and Y Size values are multiplied by this number you cannot enter zero or negative numbers For example if you have a custom with an X and Y size of 06 a scale factor of 2 0 increases the sizes to 12
290. k OK The Custom Aperture Editor appears Copy If you want to create a new custom aperture based on an existing custom aperture select the Copy command A dialog box appears with a list of defined custom apertures A preview of the selected custom aperture appears on the right side Select the custom aperture you wish to copy and click OK You are asked to provide a new name for the copy Type in the name and click OK The new custom aperture is saved If you wish to modify it select the Edit command from the Custom Ap menu New To create a new custom aperture select the New command You are asked to assign a unique name to the custom aperture and click OK The Custom Aperture Editor appears Delete To delete an existing custom aperture select the Delete command A dialog box appears with a list of defined custom apertures A preview of the selected custom aperture appears on the right side Select the custom aperture you wish to delete and click the OK button The custom aperture is deleted Rename Select the Rename command to change the name of an existing custom aperture A dialog box appears with a list of defined custom apertures A preview of the selected custom aperture appears on the right side Double click on the custom aperture you wish to rename A cursor now appears at the end of the custom name Type in the new name as desired and click OK Scale To increase or decrease the size of a custom aperture using a scale
291. k on it and select Delete Column from the shortcut menu Note that once you delete a column it can always be added again later it appears as an Add command in the right click menu If you have a column of information in your aperture list that you wish to be ignored right click on the column header currently above it and select Add Skip Column from the shortcut menu A header titled Skip now appears above the contents If you find that you have an aperture list that contains mixed definitions where not all aperture types use the same column format see the Mixed Format Definitions section below for details on how to manage these types of lists 3 Specify the Delimiters used to separate the columns in your aperture list 4 Select the Units of measure for your aperture list 5 If you have any lines in the aperture file such as headers or comments specify in the Initial Lines To Ignore box how many lines at the beginning of the file should be ignored by the aperture converter Also specify in the 77 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Comment Text box the symbol that leads any comment lines that may be intermixed with your aperture information 6 Right click on the shape names in your aperture list and select the corresponding shape from the right click menu Note that Therm45 is a Thermal whose spokes are rotated 45 degrees GerbTool automatically recognizes all D codes with the exact same shape name The recognized aperture d
292. l Venting Thieving and Robber Bars Venting amp thieving and robber bars are each defined under their own respective tabs in the Advanced Panelization dialog box Please see the Advanced Panelization command topic for an explanation of the definitions Venting is normally applied to inner layers Inner layers usually have less copper area than outer layers because there are usually fewer traces etc Venting equalizes the amount of copper area on the inner layers so that the amount of plating material applied during manufacturing is not only the same amount but the same thickness Otherwise the inner layers become thicker than the outer layers because they have the same amount of plating material applied to a smaller area of copper Venting is also important during the lamination process Cross hatch and dot patterns help the preg material flow out while the layers are pressed together creating an even distribution of preg material and preventing bubbles from forming between the layers It is also helpful if the patterns on each layer are offset from each other so that the cross hatches or dots on the layers fit between each other when pressed together forming a snug fit Robber bars or galvanic vents are often added to top and bottom layers to balance the copper between them to prevent over etching Use Copper Area analysis to see if this is necessary for your design They can also be used as a grounding strip for plating Cr
293. layer is created Viewed by itself this layer appears to contain no data However this layer contains the external netlist information and links the external net points to the appropriate top inner bottom layer net test points To view the points turn on the associated top bottom and inner layers and the external net layer The net points are displayed in four ways for easy reference NY Top Layer Net Point ZA Bottom Layer Net Point d Inner Layer Net Point X Thru hole Wet Point File Export The Export commands are used for saving a database in various formats If you wish to save the database in the GerbTool gtd format use the File Save command instead File Export Gerber This command allows you to export one or more Gerber files from the current design To export Gerber files 1 Select the File Export Gerber command The Export Gerber dialog box appears 2 By default files are exported to the Samples folder If you would like your files exported to a different folder click the Browse button next to the Destination Folder box and find a different or new folder to export your files to 3 A summary of the Gerber file format that will be used in your exported file is indicated next to the Data Format button In this order it shows the dialect coordinate format coordinate mode units of measure and zero suppression If you want to change these or other format settings in your Gerber files click the Data Format button The G
294. le is saved in GerbTool s Samples folder Use the browse button if you wish to save to a different folder or find a file to overwrite 5 Specify the Resolution you wish to use for the bitmap in dots per inch DPI 6 Select the Black amp White if you wish to have the bitmap file created with only black and white colors Otherwise it will be output in color 7 f you select Black amp White specify the color of the background you wish to have used for the output bitmap file If you choose a black background your layer data will show as white If you choose a white background your layer data will show as black 8 When you have finished making your selections click the OK button Your file is exported File Page Setup This command allows you to configure each page printed by the Print command This does not affect the output for any of the Export functions such as HPGL or PostScript The Page Setup dialog box presents the following options 96 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Scale This is used to change the scale of the output A value of 1 0 plots at 100 0 5 at 50 etc Overlap If the resulting output will span more than one page pages will overlap by this amount This makes it easier to align the pages to produce one larger plot Border Text Specify the border text you wish to use by entering any of the following keywords TIME displays the time DATE displays the date DESIGN displays the gtd file name LAYERN
295. les ACR Files Aperture List Files File Import Gerber This command allows you to import one or more Gerber files into the first empty block of consecutive layers available the current database All files selected must be of the same file format If you have files of a different format you must repeat the use of this command for each type of file or use the Import Wizard A Tip Polygon Voids in 274 X files are supported but are not recognized as standalone entities Voids are only relative to the closed and filled polygon that contains them If you query a polygon void Query ltem command the information returned is for the polygon itself Polygon voids also cannot be modified added or deleted To import Gerber files 1 If the files being imported are in the 274 D format Use the File Import Aperture List command to import the Aperture list that goes with your Gerber files Gerber files in the extended formats like 274 X contain their own aperture information so no aperture list needs to be imported If you already have a database loaded incoming D codes with duplicate numbers are automatically remapped to new D codes as needed 2 Select the File lmport Gerber command An Import dialog box appears 3 Click the file you wish to import If you wish to select more than one press and hold down the Ctrl key and click on each file name Then click the Open button to confirm your selection The Gerber Import Data Format dialog box
296. letely random fashion potentially causing your tooling to take more time to complete To set the NC group order 1 Make sure that NC group order numbers are visible in the workspace Select the Tools NC Display Settings command In the Configuration dialog box select check the Display NC Group Order Number option Itis recommended that you turn off the visibility of all your non NC layers Select the Tools NC Set Group Order command The Set NC Group Order dialog box appears Select the NC Layer that you would like to work on By default all NC items are assigned the same sequence number 999 so they will be processed together This function allows you to specify items that you wish to be processed before or after the default setting There are several ways to specify the initial group number you would like to use Follow Initial Selection You select an item that you want all others to follow After selecting OK in the Order Drill Items dialog box you will be prompted for the hit that subsequently selected hits will follow For example if you select hit 999 as your initial selection the next hit you select will be 1000 a RO MN Make Initial Selection First The items you select will start with the next lowest unused number in the sequence and ascend from there The number you are starting with is in parentheses 198 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Make Initial Selection Last The items you select will start with the next highes
297. lick on an end point of the mill path On a crown or crown stitched break tab click where the mill path bends to create the legs O r If you wish to delete multiple break tabs click on the Window or Window Xing mode in the Selection Filter and create a selection window around the tabs you wish to delete They are all immediately removed 3 Delete additional tabs if desired Press the Esc key when you are finished imRelated topics Edit NC Move Break Tab Edit NC Change Break Tab Edit NC Move Break Tab Toolbar Button D Use the Move Break Tab command to move a tab to a different location in a mill path To move a break tab 1 Select the EditINC Move Break Tab command You are prompted to select the break tab 2 Click on the break tab you wish to move A box is attached to the cursor representing the width of the tab An anchor point is also attached to the mid point of the current location Tip If you are zoomed in fairly close on the tab you may note the point of selection is fairly limited On a normal break tab or stitched tab click on an end point of the mill path On a crown or crown stitched break tab click where the mill path bends to create the legs 3 Click on the mid point of the location you wish to move the tab to The tab is immediately moved You will not be allowed to move a tab to a location where there is insufficient space in the mill path 4 Move additional tabs if desired Press the Es
298. list of the custom apertures in the library file appears Select the custom aperture s you wish to load use the Ctrl or Shift key for multiple selections and click OK If there are any name conflicts GerbTool warns you and assigns a new name to the incoming custom aperture Save To Lib To save custom apertures to a library file select the Save To Lib command In the Save dialog box select an existing vlb library file if you wish to replace the file or type in a new library file name and click OK A list of custom apertures appears Select the custom aperture s you wish to save use the Ctrl or Shift key for multiple 141 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual selections and click OK Your library file is saved If you saved to an existing library file the customs are not merged into the file All original data within the chosen library file is cleared before saving Related topics Gerber for Beginners Setup Composites Toolbar Button This command allows you to create and modify composites Creating a composite does not create any layers it creates composite layer sets from existing layers A Warning If you plan to export your data in the 274 D or DXF format create composites or use clear polarity 274 D and DXF do not support polarity To create a composite 1 Create or load the layers that you wish to be part of the composite 2 Select the Setup Composites command The Composite Setup dialog box appears 3 The Composite lis
299. ll Path Tool The number of the mill tool used Tool Size The size of the tool used Plated Yes means the path is plated No means it is unplated Location The X Y location where the path begins Area The total square area of the draw Layer The layer the item queried is on Layer Type The type of layer the item is on SeqNo The item s order in the Gerber database Item 1 is the first item listed in the Gerber file item 2 is the second etc Compensation The side of the mill path as determined by its direction that compensation was applied to Feed Rate The feed rate of the mill tool Overshoot The amount added to the last segment of the mill path Segments The number of segments in the mill path Length The exact distance a mill tool would have to cut to create the path Any spaces in the mill path created by break tabs are not included in this however any legs from crown breaks are factored in NCGroup The NC Group number that the path belongs to Export Order The path s order number in the mill sequence If a value of 1 is shown then the order is not set NC optimization has not been run Operator Message Indicates if an operator message is displayed to the machine operator before or after the path is made Optional Stop Indicates if the machine is stopped before or after the path is made Polygon Only raster polygons are identified as Polygon Vector polygons are identified
300. ll Plunge Point Commande 116 UR E 134 146 Mill To Drill command sse 211 mill tool list OXPOMING toii prede pet dens 92 det ul Le EE 80 mill tools 5 sia LEO Ho ee cepi ees 10 El Uu e DEE 10 143 e Vue le EE 113 115 deleting irm edet feas 10 143 ln BEE 10 143 use report x AeA ciara tte eee ds 149 milled circles adding ett E Re ft e P ced 132 133 converting to drilled circle 211 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual milled circles con t converting to polylines A 209 COPYING pe E 103 deleting ai eninin eto egt n EE 102 106 Alle elle ET 118 MITO Diada 109 MOVING EE 102 105 SS A 26 102 Wel BEE 109 tools niente ee eee ee eet 102 Milled commande 132 Minimize button 3 Mirror commande 109 miror IMAGE eo ser ter eed ette t eae 47 Modify Dimension Commande 157 Modify Hole Chart commande 159 Modify Line Commande 158 Modify Note Balloon Commande 161 moire apertures eee eeeeeeece cece eeeeeeceeeeeeeeeeseeeeaees 47 137 MOUSE FUNCTIONS cccccccconocnncnnnnnocononoconennoneninarinnnnon 37 40 Move Break Tab commande 117 MOVE Commande 105 107 214 uso EE 162 MRU file liSt e ott ete ee 98 My Gomrimands 4 eene e RES 23 N Navigator isso LE 6 Analysis nete tet oem des 18 Le 8 Commands tab EE 23 Composites ssssssssese ene 13 Custom Apertures ooooococococccoccccnnconononccnnnnnonannnnnnncnncnnnnns 9 Data taDz zs Read den e 6 Embedded PassivVeS ooococccccccccoconono
301. ll items appear as positive visible data regardless of their actual polarity A Warning When View Composites is enabled the active layer is not displayed on top as it normally is View Backside Equivalent Hotkey B This command essentially flips all your data on the Y axis so that you are looking at the design from the back side This flips your grid as well so none of the coordinates of your data are changed This command is a toggle so you may select it again to view your data from the front This command does not physically alter your design If you wish to mirror your data select the Edit Mirror command View Virtual Panel Equivalent Hotkey Ctrl V The display of virtual panels created using the Tools Panelize Simple command may be toggled on off using the View Virtual Panel command View Clear Highlights The Clear Highlights command removes all highlights currently displayed in the workspace such as those that appear when you use the Query Item command It does not affect your design data MRelated topics View Highlights View Highlights Equivalent Hotkey H This command toggles the display of normal highlights on off Normal highlights are all highlights not indicating a select group or DRC error Related topics View Clear Highlights View Selections The View Selections command toggles the highlighting of the current select group if any on off This does not affect any of your data just its display Vie
302. llustration above is adjustable Negative values allow the Snoman pads to closely hug the host pads if desired To create Snoman pads 1 A netlist is required for the Snoman tool to work properly If one does not exist use the Tools Netlist Generate command to create a netlist 2 Select the Tools Snoman command The Snoman dialog box appears 3 In the Report File box specify the filename of a report file to log any errors By default the file is saved in the Samples folder Click the Browse button to search for a different folder 4 n the From Layer box specify the source layer that will be processed by the Snoman command Click the arrow button to select the desired electrical layers If All is entered all electrical layers will be processed 5 In the To Layer box specify the layer to place the generated pads Click the arrow button to select the desired layer If Same is entered the source layer will be used 6 The D code option allows you to process flashes that only use particular D codes Click the arrow button to select the desired D codes If All is entered all D codes are processed 7 To process only pads that fall within a selection window select the Window option Otherwise the entire layer is processed 8 A Snoman pad will not be added if it violates either of the Minimum Spacing values Pad Trace is the minimum spacing that must be maintained between pads and adjacent traces and Pad Pad is the minimum spa
303. location or use absolute relative coordinates from the XY Toolbar Repeat step 3 for as many drill hits as desired You can change to different tools and NC layers at any point When you are finished press the Esc key to end the function 130 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Add Slot Toolbar Button 2 This command allows you to draw drill slots on the active NC layer To add a slot 1 Select the desired NC layer and tool from the Layer Bar You can only use tools whose Type is defined as Drill or Both Select the Add Slot command You are prompted for a starting location for the slot Click the mouse on the desired location and click on the subsequent points that form the slot After selecting the end point for the slot press the Esc key to end the slot oak WwW ND You may add another slot by clicking on a new starting point you can change to different tools and NC layers at any point or press Esc again to exit the function Add Mill Path Toolbar Button gt This command allows you to add a new mill path to an NC layer If you want to convert drawn lines to a mill path use the Tools NC Create Path From command To add a mill path 1 Select the desired NC layer and tool from the Layer Bar 2 Select the Add Mill Path command 3 Click on the starting point and subsequent points that form the desired mill path To add arcs press the A key This allows you to enter a 3 point arc After entering the end po
304. locations will be used as a master reference to align items on the Snap Layer s 3 Select the Snap Layers that contain pads or drills to be aligned with those on the Golden Layer 4 In the Tolerance box enter the distance that coordinates of items on the Snap Layer can deviate from the items on the Golden Layer to be considered for alignment Items within this distance are aligned items outside this distance are ignored 5 Click OK Any qualified data are aligned and you are informed when the process is complete Edit Origin iL Toolbar Button fel This command allows you to relocate the origin 0 0 point of the database To change the origin 1 Select the Edit Origin command The Change Database Origin dialog box appears 2 If you select Database Updates Now your new origin selection is immediately committed to the database and the film box and data in the display are altered to reflect it If you select Database Updates After Next Reload the new origin is not committed to the database until after you save the database and reload it The film box will automatically relocate to the origin you select but none of the existing data or imported data will reflect the new origin until after the reload 3 Select Display This Dialog Only If Shift Key Is Pressed to cause the dialog box to appear in the future if you press the Shift key at the same time that you select the Edit Origin command If you select this option and setting you
305. log box appears 3 In the Layers box select All to process custom apertures on all visible To select specific layers to operate on click the arrow button and select the desired visible layers from the list 4 In the D Code box select All to process all custom apertures To select specific custom apertures to operate on click the arrow button and select the desired apertures from the list 5 Click OK and the selected custom apertures are processed A message box appears telling you how many were affected Edit D Code Scale Toolbar Button 22 Use this command to shrink or expand the size of the D code used to create one or more selected items in your database New apertures are automatically added to the aperture list as needed Tip If the scale command creates a new aperture for you and you subsequently use the Undo command to undo the scaling the new aperture will remain in the aperture list Use the Compact button in the Aperture Table dialog box to remove any unused apertures To scale items 1 If you plan to scale any pads select one of the Tools Convert Drawn Pads commands prior to scaling Scaling drawn pads may result in undesired pad sizes 2 Select the Edit D Code Scale command The Scale D Code dialog box appears 3 Enter the horizontal and vertical Scale factors 111 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual 4 Select Fixed Amount to add the scale values to each item Otherwise each item size will be multiplied b
306. ls Stencils Setup Shapes command and assigned those shapes to openings using the Tools Stencils Manual Conversion command you have subsequently defined an automated process for future stencil conversion The shapes and assignments are automatically stored and can be accessed in the future using the Tools Stencils Automatic Conversion command Tools Stencils Setup Shapes This function is used to enhance the finished shapes for paste stencil openings You are taking an existing paste stencil and modifying the shapes to those that meet the PC 7525 Stencil Design Guidelines To define stencil shapes 1 Select the Tools Stencils Setup Shapes command The Stencil Shapes Setup dialog box appears 2 To add a new stencil shape definition click the New button The New Stencil Shape dialog box appears 3 Enter a descriptive name for the shape in the Shape Name box 4 In the Shape Type list select the type of shape you want to define A preview of the selected shape appears in the small display to the right 5 The Justification option controls the placement of the new shape in relation to the pad you assign it to If Justification is not selected the shape will be centered on the pad If Justification is selected you need to select which edge of the shape will be justified against i e lined up with the corresponding edge of the pad A Tip Justification is only available if the top and or bottom conductive layers associated with your p
307. lygon that contains them If you query a polygon void Query Item command the information returned is for the polygon itself Polygon voids also cannot be modified added or deleted H import an ODB X database Select the File Import ODB X command The Import ODB X dialog box appears 2 Click the browse button next to the Input Data File box select your ODB database file 3 Under Import EDA Data select Yes to import the data as intelligent EDA data or No to import the files as graphics only without any intelligent design information 4 f you select Yes you can select the Assign Net Data To External Net Layer option If you select this option all netlist information will be copied onto a separate External Net layer 5 If you select Assign Net Data To External Net Layer you have two additional options that allow you to automatically perform a netlist comparison Generate New Netlist From Artwork creates a new Internal netlist from your artwork and Run Netlist Compare automatically runs the Analysis Netlist Compare function after you click OK If you do not select the Generate New Netlist From Artwork option the original Internal netlist information will remain so that if you later change your data and wish to compare against your original netlist you can generate a new netlist and select the Preserve Existing Net Names option to more easily identify where the differences are A Tip If you select to generate a new ne
308. lygons And Export With Conductor Data option to make the polygons vector fill Also specify the size of the lines to use for the solid vector fill 10 Export Net To Net Adjacency Data to report any nets within your specified distance to each other In the netlist each net is reported along with any other net that is adjacent to it according to the distance you specify Select this option if desired 11 Click the OK button to export your file File Export IPC 2581 Offspring This command is used to export IPC 2581 aka the Offspring format files To export an IPC 2581 database 1 Select the File Export IPC 2581 Offspring command The Export Offspring Design dialog box appears 2 Specify a file name for your exported cvg file and click the Save button Your file is exported File Export DXF This command allows you to export your GerbTool design to one or more DXF files as desired Each GerbTool layer creates a corresponding DXF layer In addition a DXF layer 0 is created containing items which appear within the Blocks section The Blocks section contains information necessary for displaying each of the apertures used in the design Block names are created with a convention that allows for easy import of aperture information back into GerbTool using DXF Import s Block Mapping function Each pad in the design is output into the DXF file as a block insert Outputting the pads as references in this manner instead of duplicating
309. m that the operator message is associated with Select another NC item to add an operator message to or click the Esc key to exit the function Related topics Edit NC Change Operator Message Edit NC Delete Operator Message Add Optional Stop 134 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Add Optional Stop Toolbar Button Use this function to insert a command into a drill or mill sequence that causes the machine to stop either before or after the NC item is created and extract the tool amp Tip To see if an NC item already has an optional stop associated with it use the Query Item command To add an operator message 1 Select the Add Optional Stop command You are prompted to select the NC data to add the stop to 2 Click on the drill or mill data in the workspace The Add NC Optional Stop dialog box appears 3 Click the Before button if you want the stop to occur before the item is created or Click the After button if you want the stop to occur after the item is created A small red octagon appears in the workspace with an arrow pointing to the NC item that the stop is associated with 4 Select another NC item to add a stop to or click the Esc key to exit the function Related topics Edit NC Delete Optional Stop Add Operator Message 135 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Setup menu The Setup menu commands allow you to manage the different tables that GerbTool utilizes Layers d 7 Apertures Shift A 4 Compos
310. make sure the appropriate layer is active In the above three layer example if the first dark layer is active you will not see the other two composite layers The layers that are contained in composites may be edited as you would any other layers using the standard GerbTool Edit commands Because GerbTool supports item level polarity items of different polarity can exist on a single standard layer creating composites is not necessary However as composites are still commonly used the following tutorials explain how to work with them in GerbTool In many instances both the Navigator and standard menu commands can be used to view and manipulate composites Both methods are explained so that you may choose whichever works best for you Warning The standard 274 D format does not support composite layers or item level polarity to properly export a composite or layers that contain a combination of positive and negative data you must use 274 X Importing a Composite 1 Select the File Import Import Wizard command 2 In the first dialog box select the directory that your composite file is in 60 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual 3 In the second dialog box select the composite file you wish to import and unselect any other files you do not wish to import There is no need to load in an aperture list as it is included in the 274 X file 4 Click in the Data Format column The Gerber Import Data Format dialog box appears 5 By defaul
311. mand the information returned is for the polygon itself Polygon voids also cannot be modified added or deleted Related topics File Open File Import IPC 2581 Offspring This command is used to import IPC 2581 aka the Offspring format files To import an IPC 2581 database 1 Select the File Import IPC 2581 Offspring command The Import Offspring File dialog box appears 83 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual 2 Select the desired IPC 2581 cvg file and click the Open button Your file is imported File lmport ODB This command imports ODB database files Reference Designators and Pin Numbers are assigned to User Data for each associated item In addition you have the option of automatically running a netlist comparison to verify your design data against your original netlist Tip Polygon Voids are supported but are not recognized as standalone entities Voids are only relative to the closed and filled polygon that contains them If you query a polygon void Query Item command the information returned is for the polygon itself Polygon voids also cannot be modified added or deleted To import an ODB database 1 Select the File Import ODB command A Browse for Folder dialog box appears 2 Pick the Job Folder that contains all your ODB database files and click OK The Import ODB dialog box appears 3 Select Yes to import the data as intelligent EDA data or No to import the files as graphics only without a
312. mande 42 71 New Group commande 100 Neger neng 162 NOS vue niente 150 151 160 O Oblong apertures ooocoocoocococcccccccnnncnnonnonncnnnoncnnnnnonnnnnn 137 octagon apertures esssse nn nnn ono 137 ODB OXPOMING DEET 94 POUN DEE 84 intrinsic aperture 137 E tbe bah 88 ODB commande 84 88 94 ODB X GL Ee DEE 94 Importing occae ucc eoe eden pue e 84 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual HESS tecto tette ess 88 ODB X commande 84 88 94 offset layers eoe aste iato eee 110 Offspring Gin eem 93 Importing riada ehe RR ERR ER gu 83 10 01E ET 42 aperture ISIS TT 77 Barco DPF EE 73 81 EK UE 71 CAMI EE 71 83 el UE 73 78 IB BI rH 71 Pic ge ee eebe ees 73 82 Cro de Ee 73 75 ERR RTE 71 PIP GL ie cen etcetera E 73 81 lese 83 PEDIDO Asia Dt ette erret eee 86 UI bie e doeet oreet cer Co eere eere ns 73 78 NOS gege ata epe eere dee 73 78 NG tool liSts 5 m denk eec mede es 80 DOBLA EE iaa 84 ODB Hoi A T E 84 B pliss iii eae Patente exis 83 PGB EE E a 71 Open Commande 42 71 elei 162 166 operator message ele Un a e bU etie dione 134 GHANGING REP 115 esu p G 116 Operator Message command 115 116 134 Optimize Commande 190 192 199 optional stop A E A E T T 135 ele BEE 116 Optional Stop Commande 116 135 Options men 174 elt Un changing EE 113 Origin commana teen elcid eee ad 113 Ortho Line Snap command
313. mark next to it unused apertures are being displayed If Show Unused does not have a checkmark select the command to display unused custom apertures in the list To delete an unused custom aperture 1 Make sure that unused apertures are displayed see above 2 Right click on the desired custom aperture in the Custom Apertures area A shortcut menu appears 3 Select the Delete command and the custom aperture is immediately deleted NC Tools To see a list of defined NC tool tables click on the plus box next to the NC Tools heading The NC Tools area expands to show all the defined tool tables Clicking on the plus box next to a Tool Table heading reveals all the tools the table contains with their corresponding tool number and size Each tool s type is also indicated by a unique symbol 10 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Drill 1 mill Both Most of the basic NC tool information may be modified using the Navigator If you do not see a procedure here for accomplishing your desired task such as deleting a tool or changing its color in the workspace right click on the NC Tools heading and select the Spreadsheet command from the shortcut menu This opens the NC Tool Setup dialog box where you can access all tool table data To add a new tool table 1 Right click on the NC Tools heading A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Add New Table command The New Table Name dialog box appears 3 Specify a name for the new NC tool ta
314. mask slivers Isolated Thermals Over etching of surrounding items can result in a thermal being isolated from the rest of a negative plane This analysis function allows you to oversize the data on the negative plane layers by a specified amount and determine its effects on the connection of the thermal to the negative plane You specify the amount of Over Etch that you wish to apply to the data on the specified plane layer amp Warning A thermal can be considered isolated by virtue of its design For example if a thermal has ties that are 2 mils wide and the Over Etch is specified as 2 5 the thermal is isolated Starved Thermals The starved thermal analysis verifies whether each thermal connection to the negative plane is valid or has been constricted by adjacent data that is too close or overlapping You specify the Percentage of the thermal s tie width that can be unblocked by objects This makes the clearance check relative to each thermal s tie width The thermal is considered starved if the connection from the interior of the thermal to the exterior measured across the minimum distance between the cutouts of the thermal and any other nearby data is less than the specified value The Clear value is how many thermal ties must be clear in order for a thermal to be considered not starved If you specify O all ties must be clear If you select 1 one tie must be clear A Warning Be aware of the number of ties in all the thermals in your de
315. mation as desired After making your changes select another layer or click the OK button to return to the Export HPGL dialog box 15 Click OK to plot or save your file 16 If you selected Interactive mode the workspace alters to show a representation of each layers outline with its corresponding number To position an image on the page simply click on an image to select it and then drag the image to the desired location and release the mouse button During interactive plot positioning a button bar and with several plot specific hotkeys are provided as an aid The hotkeys available during an interactive plot session are C for absolute coordinate entry for page layout initialization L to cycle the currently selected layer forward Ctrl L to cycle the currently selected layer backward S to snap align the currently selected layer on top of another layer and R to redraw the page layout When you are finished click the OK button in the button bar Related topics File Print File Export PostScript This function is used to create PostScript files or to plot data on any PostScript printer This includes typesetters capable of producing production quality artwork To export a PostScript file 1 Only visible layers will be exported Turn on the visibility of any layers you wish to include and turn off any layers you wish to exclude 2 Select the File Export PostScript command The Export PostScript dialog box appears 95 GerbTool
316. mbedded passive analyses in the AnalysisDRC MRC command to ensure that your data are properly sized aligned etc 4 Select the Tools Embedded Passives Etch Compensation command You are prompted to select the flash for a resistor shape 5 Using the Selection Filter select one or more resistors to apply compensation to 6 In the dialog box that appears enter the amount of compensation to apply and click OK 7 Select additional flashes or press the Esc key to exit the function Tools Embedded Passives Query See the Query Embedded Passive command for a description of this dialog box Tools Embedded Passives Report See the Documentation Reports Embedded Passives command for a description of this dialog box Tools Layer Spread Toolbar Button SS Use this command to reduce your film costs by automatically copying and spreading selected layers onto one layer and thus one sheet of film To create a layer spread 1 Use the Options Configure Display command to make sure the film box is the required size 2 If you want your layers in any particular order use the Layer Table to organize them 3 Select the Tools Layer Spread command The Layer Spread dialog box appears 4 Select Auto Mode to have the system automatically calculate the positioning of the images in the film box Otherwise you will be in Manual Mode and must specify the number of rows and columns in which to place the images 5 In Auto Mode the Edge To E
317. mbered as appropriate To change the draw or flash colors used on a layer The Flash and Draw cells for each layer control how the draws and flashes appear in the workspace You can also control layer colors with the Color Bar 1 To change a color for a particular layer click on the desired Flash or Draw cell A Color Selector appears 2 Click on the color you wish to use To dismiss the Color Selector without changing the color press the Esc key To change the color choice at a particular location in the Color Selector right click on the desired color This opens the standard Windows color selector that allows you to define a color If you have a specific set of layer colors you would like to use for all your designs you are provided with a file in the Macros folder called DEMO MAC which includes a macro called SetLayerColors Use the following steps to utilize this macro 1 Open the DEMO MAC file the Macro Developer and edit it to specify your desired colors Save the file and return to the main GerbTool window 2 Select the Macro Load command and load the DEMO MAC file 3 Select the Macro Run command and run the SetLayerColors macro A Tip If you wish to run the SetLayerColors macro automatically when GerbTool starts rename it to OnStartup To run it whenever you select the File Open command rename it to OnOpen To add comments to a layer You can add comments to a layer for your reference If you export your data as Gerber t
318. mill path NC circle etc based on a window boundary given If you clip a drilled circle the data are transformed to individual drill hits If you clip a milled circle the data are transformed to a standard mill path It can be used to delete all types of data in a selection window However if you only wish to delete entire draws flashes etc use the Edit Delete command To clip only drawn data 1 Select the Edit Clip command 2 In the Selection Filter select Window Xing mode and the desired data Types Also specify the layers and D codes Tools you wish to work on 3 Create a selection window around the drawn data you wish to delete The data are immediately clipped leaving the rest of the draw intact 4 When you are finished press the Esc key to exit the function Edit Join Toolbar Button Fa The Join command is used to join two line segments or mill paths together This function will not join segments within the same mill path If you wish to do so select the Edit NC Explode command to explode the path segments into individual paths select the Edit Join command to join the desired segments then the Edit NC Combine Paths command to combine the paths back into a single path To join two lines 1 Select the Edit Join command The Join dialog box appears 2 You can join line segments using one of three Modes Normal Mode Using Normal mode two selected line segments are extended or trimmed as needed so that they connec
319. mine the layer to which all other layers should be aligned with the master layer 2 Find an item on the master layer to use as a base item or reference point amp Warning Arcs cannot be used as reference points to align layers 3 Select the Edit Align Layers command 4 Click on the item you chose as a master reference point Use the Selection Filter if necessary 5 Click on an item on each layer to be aligned that corresponds to the reference point As you select each item it is highlighted and you are asked to confirm your selection The entire layer is then aligned with the master layer Again use of the Selection Filter may be helpful here You may also use the zoom in out and pan hotkeys to make it easier to find the master reference and corresponding items 6 If you wish to select a new base item press the Esc key and repeat steps 4 and 5 Or When you are finished press the Esc key twice to exit the function Edit Snap Pads Unlike the Edit Align Layers command which shifts the entire layer based on an individual reference point the Snap Pads command examines each individual item on a layer and aligns it to the nearest item on the golden layer This is useful if you need to cleanup low resolution artwork that does not line up properly from layer to layer 112 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual i snap pads Select the Edit Snap Pads command The Snap Pads dialog box appears 2 Select the Golden Layer whose pad or drill
320. mmand and assigned those shapes to specific pairs of stencil openings using the Tools Stencils Manual Conversion command To convert pad shapes 1 Make sure your paste mask layers are properly tagged in the Layer Table Tip If there is any stencil data that you what the conversion process to ignore create a Select Group of those items 2 Select the Tools Stencils Automatic Conversion command The Automatic Stencil Conversion dialog box appears 3 If you have already assigned stencil shapes to openings those assignments are listed You can Save those assignments for use in future designs by clicking the Save button If you want to load assignments from a previously saved ini file click the Load button 4 Select the desired shape conversions from the list by checking the box next to the Stencil Shape 205 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual 5 The system automatically selects the available paste mask layers as the Source Destination layers You can add or delete layers from the list by right clicking on the desired line and selecting the appropriate command from the menu 6 By default the resulting enhanced shapes are placed on the same layer as the source data If you wish to place the enhanced shapes on a different layer click on the desired Destination Layer and select a different layer from the list You can also change the Source Layer by clicking on it if desired 7 f you have a Select Group of openings that you do not want proces
321. mory GerbTool requires If you do not require the undo capability you may disable it Disabling undo releases any memory currently associated with undo information and prevents further memory use To redo a change 1 Select the Edit Redo command The Redo dialog box appears with the last seven undone edits listed 2 You redo changes in the order that they were originally performed and in order to redo one change you must redo all changes made prior to it Select the change s you wish to redo in the dialog box 3 Click the Redo button The dialog box closes and the workspace is immediately updated Edit Select Most Edit commands Copy Move etc allow you to work with single items windows of items or groups of items The Select commands allow you to manage groups of items to be modified by the Edit commands When a command allows group selection mode it will use the current Select Group that you created using the different Select commands Select Groups are also persistent from one Edit command to another For example if you rotate the current Select Group the rotated data will remain selected ready for another command Edit Select New Group Toolbar Button The New Group command allows you to create a new Select Group items Once you have created a select group the group is added as a Mode in the Selection Filter for use future Edit functions A Tip If you want to add the majority of the items in a database to the
322. move a button click on it and drag it out of the toolbar area 179 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Or 1 In the Customize dialog box click on the Customize Toolbar tab The Categories list shows the types of buttons available The buttons appear in the Buttons area and you can identify a button by clicking on it 2 Add a button to a toolbar by clicking and dragging it from the dialog box to the desired toolbar in the main window If you have modified a toolbar by adding or removing buttons and wish to return it to its default state select it in the Toolbars list box Toolbars Tab Then click the Reset button To change toolbar display properties To help you identify a button s function descriptive text can be displayed whenever your mouse cursor is placed on a button Select Show Tooltips if you want to see these descriptions or unselect the option if you do not want to see descriptions Or Select Cool Look if you do not want the edges of the individual buttons displayed Or To increase the size of the buttons for easier viewing select Large Buttons Options Import Settings The positioning and visibility of toolbars as well as other settings related to the GerbTool user interface are controlled by settings in your computer s registry When installing default settings are put in your registry When you change your toolbar positions etc those changes are maintained when you exit and re open the program When a new version
323. move one item 1 2 3 4 Select the Edit Move command Click on the item you want to move An outline of the item is attached to the cursor Move the mouse cursor to the new location and click on it Select another item to move or right click to end the command To move multiple items 1 Select the Edit Move command 214 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual 2 To move multiple items at once you must create a selection window Click on the desired upper left corner of the selection window 3 While still holding down the mouse button move the cursor to the lower right corner and release All items contained entirely within the window are highlighted 4 Click on any of the selected items to attach all of them to the cursor 5 Move the cursor to the new location and click to place them 6 Select other items to move or right click to end the command Edit Delete Use the Delete command to delete graphics in a custom aperture To delete one item 1 Select the Edit Delete command 2 Click on the item you want to delete The item is highlighted and you are asked to confirm the deletion To delete multiple items 1 Select the Edit Delete command 2 To delete multiple items at once you must create a selection window Click on the desired upper left corner of the selection window 3 While still holding down the mouse button move the cursor to the lower right corner and release All items contained entirely within the w
324. mpare command to verify that the fix was accurate Once no more errors exist you can use the Tools Netlist Apply External Net Names command to apply the external net names to the database if you wish Related topics Comparing Netlists Tutorial File Import Netlist The Import Netlist commands allow you to import an IPC D 356 A netlist or import only the netlist from an ODB or PADS ASCII database File Import Netlist IPC D 356 This command allows you to import and associate an IPC D 356 and 356A format netlist into your design When importing IPC D 356 A files GerbTool associates the net information for each layer in the input file to the conductive layers of the current design Occasionally you may encounter an IPC D 356 A file that contains probe information for some of the inner layers If you have a file of this type you should make sure the appropriate layers are loaded in the current design The layers will be associated in the same order they are encountered in the IPC D 356 A file Since an IPC D 356 A netlists contain information pertaining solely to pads and not traces GerbTool must generate an internal netlist prior to importing an IPC D 356 netlist to ensure that your database contains a full and complete netlist after importing While this may sound redundant this prepares your data for an automatic netlist comparison This first step in the netlist comparison feature produces a report file detailing any differences bet
325. mport an aperture list into a design that already has apertures defined all D codes that were previously defined will be remapped to new D codes and an internal remapping table will be created Therefore any Gerber files subsequently imported with the Import Gerber command will have their D codes remapped accordingly This procedure of importing an Aperture list followed by one or more basic Gerber files may be repeated as many times as needed as long as there is room for more apertures The Import Wizard makes easy work of importing multiple sets of Gerber files each with their own Aperture list in one simple session Tip If you are importing a GerbTool Aperture List map file any custom apertures are imported as moir s Use the Custom Ap button in the Aperture Setup dialog box to load or define your custom apertures Use of 274 X or saving your data as a GerbTool database gtd file will avoid this issue To import an aperture list 1 Select the File Import Aperture List command The Import Aperture List dialog box appears 2 In the Filename box specify the file to import Click the browse button if you need to search for the desired file 3 Choose the aperture list Automatic Conversion Rule ACR file to use from the Format list If you are not sure which format to choose select the Auto Detect option to have the format determined automatically All ACR files that are provided with GerbTool are in the Apconv folder If you have an ACR f
326. n first click on the desired Source DXF Block Then click on its corresponding Destination D code After the D codes are mapped if you click on a Source DXF Block its corresponding Destination D code is also highlighted If you wish to change any assignment click on the Source DXF Block in question then click on the Destination D code you wish to map it to If you wish to remove all mapping assignments at any time click the Clear Map button 18 Click the OK to return to the Import DXF dialog box 19 Click OK to finish importing your DXF file Filellmport CAM350 This command allows you to open a CAM350 database File formats up to and including version 7 X are supported To import a CAM350 file 1 Select the File Import CAM350 command The Import CAM350 dialog box appears 2 Select the desired pcb or cam file and click the Open button Notes regarding CAM350 files CAM350 v7 X databases can contain panelized data If your database contains a panel the panel itself the one up image and any symbols are saved as separate gtd files you are prompted to select a folder to contain the files You are then asked if you want to view the panel or the one up image file CAM350 DFM errors are added as Redline data on a separate layer Polygon Voids are supported but are not recognized as standalone entities Voids are only relative to the closed and filled polygon that contains them If you query a polygon void Query ltem com
327. n round thermals have round centers and rectangular thermals have rectangular centers Square thermals can have either Spoke Width Y Height k Air Gap EA A Width Triangle Select the Width of the base of the triangle and its Height Note that you can rotate this aperture by entering an Angle value Preview Display The display in the upper right corner shows the currently selected aperture It is a dynamic representation of the aperture s appearance but not its actual size Buttons Arrows Located underneath the shape tabs these arrows allow you to move sequentially through the aperture list views by D code number Current D code The currently selected D code number is displayed next to the arrow buttons Apply Applies the currently defined values to the D code selected in the aperture list You can have the system automatically apply changes to selected D codes by clicking the down arrow button and selecting the Auto Apply setting Reset Reverts a D code s properties to the most recently saved values Units This button opens the Configuration dialog box which allows you to change the units of measure Any changes you make to this dialog box will be reflected in Aperture Setup dialog box when you click OK Find D Code This button allows you to quickly jump to a particular D code in the list Find Text This button allows you to search for a D code that contains the text string you specify Any text appearing i
328. n 219 Aperture List Elles ee hate ta See cated eer fter ede ette te deleng 219 AR detinent ementi eint cin LE D ELI NEUE 221 Text Font Elles im niente Pede Dii ein enden ino eie Tao eter s 227 sample GerbTool Netist nl FIE eessen tis ceeds Hr Hte b rad p tede teen 228 elle GU 229 GLOSSARY E 230 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual About GerbTool GerbTool provides CAD CAM professionals with the tools they need for complete control over their PCB data It includes a feature rich data editor for ensuring a seamless link between PCB design and manufacturing From visual verification to high level data analysis GerbTool simplifies and automates your PCB post processing tasks GerbTool s intuitive graphical user interface Navigator toolbars and hotkeys allow you to focus on accomplishing tasks quickly and efficiently rather than on the technical details of operating the software The Import Wizard takes the guesswork out of importing your databases Automated tools such as the Solder and Paste Mask Generators Optimizers Advanced Panelization and Graphical Netlist Comparison reduce your time to market and costs A full suite of Analysis tools are combined into a single checklist style flow for increased throughput and data quality System Requirements The following minimum system configuration is required for running and installing GerbTool IBM PC compatible with at least a 1GHz Pentium CPU Windows 2000 XP or later For bes
329. n the aperture list may be searched for For example you could type 05 to find the next occurrence of a 50 mil aperture Add D Code Click this button to add a new D code to the aperture list There are two ways to add a D code Select an existing D code alter its values as necessary then click the Add D Code button to add a new D code with those values Click the Add D Code button to add a D code with no size define the D code s size and shape then click the Apply button You will be prompted for the new D code number The next available number is automatically provided which you accept or change You can also add multiple new D codes by using the following convention n n adds D codes using the numbers you specify 12 14 adds D codes 12 and 14 and n n adds a range of D codes 12 14 adds D codes 12 13 and 14 140 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Delete D Code To delete a D code select the desired D code in the list and click the Delete D code button Compact This button removes unused and redundant apertures within an aperture list Each layer then has its D codes remapped accordingly Custom Ap Click the Custom Ap button to display a menu containing all the utilities necessary for creating and modifying custom apertures Edit The Edit command opens a dialog box with a list of defined custom apertures A preview of the selected custom aperture appears on the right side Select the custom aperture you wish to edit and clic
330. nal netlist file when viewing your data 188 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Tools Solder Mask The Solder Mask commands are used to create solder mask layers They use a comprehensive set of rules that are designed to give you maximum possible clearance while maintaining optimal coverage throughout your design Special support for fine pitch pads is provided with automatic generation of block openings for those areas to prevent web sliver problems between pads Tools Solder Mask Generate The Solder Mask Generator automatically produces accurate and usable solder mask layers It provides the maximum coverage to avoid potential exposure problems while at the same time providing the maximum clearance To generate a solder mask 1 Make sure you have tagged your layers 2 Use the Tools Convert Drawn Pads Select Draws command to convert your drawn pads to flashes 3 If you want any items in your database ignored during the mask generation process create a Select Group of those items 4 Select the Tools Solder Mask Generate command The Generate Solder Mask dialog box appears 5 Select whether to create a Top Mask Bottom Mask or both 6 In the Maximum Errors box specify the number of allowable errors The mask generator first creates the mask using your oversize parameters and then analyzes the mask to make sure all openings abide by your minimum spacing values If it reaches this error count limit it stops logging errors and w
331. nccnnccocnnonnanoncnnnnnnnns 15 External Nets A 13 qe P 123 Layer Sets cec nce ete eR 14 E TE 7 Macros E 24 My Commandes aiora rora an EAN AEE 23 NEARY EE T 10 TT 12 System Commande 24 VIeWIDg iiie tea i eR PIRE RETE 123 Navigator Commande 123 NC Drill Mill commande 78 90 NC Circle Commande 131 NG commarid tiit iaa d ovibus 113 196 NC files OXPOMING M 90 TP OMUING er 78 243 NC To Gerber command sss 209 NC tool list OXpOrting dne 92 hse Em 80 NC Tool List command ooocccccccnccncnoconcnnnnnnonocinnnnon 80 92 NGC Tool Table rete tenete 143 INC tools uiscera teg cci atat 10 EHM 6 OGING m cttade 10 143 e VE UL EE 115 deletihg EE 10 143 lr le A a e a E Er AEE T eaa 10 143 USC CNO aci 149 NC Tools commande 143 149 negative Dolarttv ee ecceeeeeeeeeeeeteeeeeesaeeeeeeeseeeeeeaaes 47 nested commande esses 35 40 Net commande 169 net names e005 ols eves es iid e Seed 12 166 188 e Mul Un Le DEE 12 Netlist commande 86 187 Netlist Compare Commande 65 166 nel iii tato in E alee ae 12 187 cleaned 12 188 COmpDaring aeni a 65 84 85 162 166 o EE 92 IMPOR sica ia 86 88 satmiple x at baden dere y 228 SAVING for te cedet tem E AAA 188 AME M 12 adding user data to sssssseene 12 changing items Im 102 changing names enir a ae aE E Aaa 12 Highlighting EE 12 169 due cont 12 169 viewing items Im 102 New com
332. nd recommended Otherwise any arcs will continue to be represented by linear mill segments when the path is routed it will go much slower because the router will pause at the beginning of each segment If you select the Convert Segmented Arcs To True Arcs option click the Arc Conversion Setup button to control how the arcs are created Minimum Segments The minimum number of segments which must be within a valid segmented arc The higher this number the more accurate the system will be when selecting the arcs to process Maximum Length The maximum length a line segment can be for it to be considered part of an arc This prevents inclusion of traces as pieces of arcs Short Seg Length Short segments can be present at the beginning and end of segmented arcs This option specifies the maximum size of any short segments that might be found which will be automatically appended to an arc This is necessary because short segments can cause the arc finding algorithm to fail to find valid arcs due to insufficient precision Length Tolerance The tolerance for variation of line segment lengths for segments inside a segmented arc not including the first and last segments short segments Angle Tolerance The maximum angle between a perpendicular line from the line segment and the line from the midpoint of the given line segment to the center of the arc for the purpose of determining whether the segment belongs to the arc Click OK to
333. nd turn off any layers you wish to exclude 2 Select the File Export HPGL command The Export HPGL dialog box appears 3 In the Output File box select a file name for your PostScript file By default the file is saved in GerbTool s Samples folder Use the browse button if you wish to save to a different folder or find a file to overwrite 94 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Or To send the output to a plotter specify output port e g LPT1 or COM2 instead of a file name 4 f you wish to increase or decrease the size of the plot select a scale for the exported data A value of 1 0 plots at 100 0 5 at 50 etc 5 The Media Size is the size of the printable area of the printer s output media in whatever units of measure you have currently defined see the Options Units Precision command if you want to view or change the units of measure 6 If you wish to change the positioning of the output on the page change the Offset values The offset values are applied independent of the scale specified 7 The Plot Size options allow you to select the style of plotter being used There are two main types Generally A B style plotters have their plotter origin located in the lower left corner of the page while the C D E style has their origin in the center of the page Some plotters do not follow the above convention for locating their origins If you are experiencing difficulties in plotting check your plotter manual to determine th
334. nd type will appear in a light gray color until data has been added to the layer A Tip The number of available layer numbers in the layer table depends upon the Max Layers setting in the Options Configure command If you want to add a layer but there is no unused layer available increase the Max Layers number To make a layer visible invisible All layers that are currently visible in the workspace have a check mark next to their Layer number Visible layers can be edited invisible layers cannot be edited You can also control layer visibility with the Color Bar To make a layer visible click on an empty box to place a check in it To make a layer invisible click on the box to remove the check from it To delete a layer 1 Click on the layer number of the desired layer 2 Click the Cut button When you click OK to close the Layer Setup dialog box you will be warned that you have cut layers that were not pasted elsewhere in the layer list Click Yes to confirm your deletion and the layer will then be removed 136 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual To reorder layers 1 Click on the layer number of a layer you wish to move 2 Click the Cut button 3 Click on the number of a layer that you wish to move the cut layer before or after 4 Click the Paste Above button to move the cut layer before the selected layer or click on the Paste Below button to move the cut layer after the selected layer All affected layers are automatically renu
335. ndo Equivalent Hotkey CTRL Z or U Edit Undo reverses the last change made in the Custom Aperture Editor Note that you can only undo the last change you made Selecting the Undo command twice has no effect Edit Copy Equivalent Hotkey CTRL C Use the Copy command to copy graphics in a custom aperture To copy one item 1 Select the Edit Copy command 2 Click on the item you want to copy An outline of the item is attached to the cursor ak o Move the mouse cursor to the desired location of the copy and click on it Select another location for another copy by clicking on it or right click to select another item to copy Right click a second time to end the command To copy multiple items Select the Edit Copy command 2 To copy multiple items you must create a selection window Click on the desired upper left corner of the selection ou A 7 window While still holding down the mouse button move the cursor to the lower right corner and release All items contained entirely within the window are highlighted Click on any of the selected items to attach all of them to the cursor Move the cursor to the desired location of the copies and click to place them Move the cursor and click again on a new location to add more copies or right click to select other items to copy Right click a second time to end the command Edit Move Use the Move command to move graphics in a custom aperture To
336. ng box the Choose Selection dialog box appears with a list of segments Click on the segment you wish to add a vertex to it is highlighted in the display when you choose it from the list and click OK 4 The segment is attached to the cursor Move the cursor to the location where you wish to place the new vertex and click to place it 5 You may continue to add vertices to other line segments or press the Esc key to exit the function Related topics Edit Vertex Add Add Circle 0 Toolbar Button This command allows you to add a circle to the active layer using the current D code If the active layer is an NC layer the current NC tool is used All circles are created using circular interpolation or with multiple line segments depending on the style indicated by the Options Arcs 360 command Use circular interpolation with care as not all photo plotters support circular interpolation Segmented circles and arcs use the chord angle specified using the Options Configure command 126 A GerbTool 15 1 User Manual To add a circle 1 After you select the active layer and the D code in the Layer Bar select the Add Circle command If the current layer is an NC layer see the special instructions below 2 Click on the circle s center point 3 Move the cursor and click on a point on the radius 4 Repeat steps 2 and 3 to create another circle You may select a different layer and D code to create the circle if desired Press t
337. ng is an example of a simple plot D code 10 is used for the round flashes on each end and D code 11 is used for the square draws in between L This file was exported from GerbTool in 274 D format Absolute Coordinates with a Coordinate m n Format of 2 4 leading zeros suppressed The resulting 274 D Gerber file is below with a description of each data block G54D10 Prepare D code 10 G1X55000132000D3 Flash at X Y coordinates 5 5000 3 2000 n os Flash at 5 5500 3 1500 SADA TK Move shutter closed to 5 5000 3 2000 G1X55000Y31500D1 Prepare D code 11 G1X55500Y31500D1 Move draw to 5 5000 3 1500 this creates the vertical line segment M2 Move draw to 5 5500 3 1500 this creates the horizontal line segment End of plot Each data block ends with an asterisk A Gerber file can be exported in Inches or Millimeters the one above is in Inches How do we know where the decimal is in the coordinates That is where the Coordinate Format or m n value comes into play A 2 4 format means that there are 2 digits before the decimal point and 4 digits after However this can be confusing when leading or trailing zeros are suppressed as in the above example When leading zeros are suppressed then we only need to pay attention to the number to the right of the decimal point Absolute Coordinates means that the coordinates you are looking at are the actual X Y values based on a 0 0 origin Incremental Coordinates means tha
338. ng it in or loading it from a file using the Load button above When you are finished defining your text click OK Your text balloon is now attached to your cursor Balloons have arrows that point to an item that relates to the text Click on the location in the workspace where you want the point of the arrow to be Move the cursor to the location where you want to place the text and click to place it You can place copies of the text balloon in additional locations by clicking on them or press the Esc key to end the function Related topics Documentation Redline Add Text Documentation Redline Add Arrow Documentation Redline Add Arrow Toolbar Button This command allows you to insert an arrow of specified location direction and size into the current layer s redline information Redline information is virtual it is associated with a particular layer so its visibility is determined by whether the associated layer is visible but it does not exist on a layer To add a redline arrow 1 Make the layer that you want the arrow associated with the active layer 152 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual 2 Select the Documentation Redline Properties command and specify the properties of redline information for the desired layer Select the Documentation Redline Add Arrow command Click on the desired location of the arrow s tip in the workspace The arrow s tale is attached to the cursor Move the curso
339. ng you specify they are considered a group of fine pitch pads You then specify the amount of undersize that should applied to the perpendicular and parallel sides of each pad in each group 11 If you want pads that are less than a particular size excluded from the process select z i 5 the Ignore Pads On Electrical Layers Less Than option and select a minimum pad size Perpendicular C Parattet 12 If you have built a Select Group of items you want to ignore during paste mask E optimization select Don t Check Items In Select Group 13 If your current mask layer openings were created using drawn data and you wish to Fine Pitch Pad Undersizing convert the drawn data to flashes select the Convert Drawn Mask Layer option 14 Select the Fix Errors option if you want the system to automatically fix mask errors Regardless of whether you have the system fix any errors they are all logged in the Navigator where you can view them print reports and fix unfix the errors The following possible errors are reported Missing Electrical Pad There is no pad on the electrical layer corresponding to an opening on the mask layer To fix this the mask opening is deleted Missing Mask Opening There is no opening on the mask layer corresponding to a pad on the electrical layer To fix this a mask opening is added Misalignment Error The opening on the mask layer and its corresponding pad are misaligned by a value greater than
340. nge the values and click the Apply button To find all items at a particular set of coordinates specify the coordinates and click the Find button You can continuously click the Find button to cycle through all items Polarity This displays the polarity of the selected item To change an item s polarity select the desired polarity and click the Apply button A Warning If you plan to export your data in the 274 D or DXF format you should not change items to Clear polarity 274 D and DXF do not support polarity Select Group This box will be checked if the selected item is currently a member of the current Select Group Changing the status of this check box and pressing the Apply button modifies the select group status of the current item 102 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Net This is the net number of the selected item To find all items that comprise a particular net type the Net number in the box and click the Find button You can continuously click the Find button to cycle through all items amp Warning If you change the net number for an item and press the Apply button you will change the net that it belongs to This is not recommended as this can cause errors in your netlist UserData This is the user data that has been associated with the selected item If you place information into this area and press the Apply button the new data will be associated with the displayed item To find all items that have specific user data
341. nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnninininonos 113 143 196 etched passive 203 Composite To Layer commande 211 COMPOSING EE 13 47 60 lee lte EE 13 142 adding layers to E 13 converting to layers ssssssssssssss 13 211 deleting EE 13 142 COILING m cottage metet 13 142 hiding in workspace ooooonocccccncocccccononcncnnnancncnnnncccnnnnns 13 IS le RTE 13 Composites Commande 122 142 Configure Commande 174 construction line AIN it a alado 157 deleting EE 158 Sd EE 158 Convert Commande 206 coordinate format 47 Ell EE 32 changing for items sseeeeene 102 0010 ole e EE 167 Copper Area Commande 167 COpper SliVers oe e e utter 162 Copy Commande 40 103 214 Copy Selection To Clipboard command 40 101 COUPONS enmt eda Mesias Peg a utn ed en 67 182 Create Path From commande 196 cross hatch pattern sesssssssssseeee 182 crown break ab 146 Current Folder A 31 cursor SNAPPING tO grid ssssseeeeees 174 Custom Aperture Editor 137 custom apertures esseeeenee 9 47 137 adding circles to irte ete rette 217 adding lines tO inet edite i ies 217 assigning to NC tools 143 converting draws flashes to ssessss 209 e KE Le BET 9 editing t temet 9 214 215 237 custom apertures con t exploding EE 111 in 274 D aperture lists sssssssssssss 219 SAVING ET 214 Scaling inicie e een teta c ede e
342. nscode command E sep 2 Using the Selection Filter select the item or items whose D code you wish to O SE change CR Layers For example to transcode only draws using D code D18 only on layer 4 and only 1priart within a particular window the Selection Filter would need to be set as in the UJ eee 2intlart provided illustration Oa 3andart y WM x 4vccart 3 The Transcode dialog box appears Select the new D code and click OK Cl e 5int2art If you are making several selections and using the same new D code for each C wer 6sec art you can select the Don t Prompt After Each Selection option in the Transcode El Le D Codes dialog box Then items are assigned the new D code immediately after selection If 18 you then need to change the new D code you can click the New D code button in E Tools the Status Bar to specify the current replacement D code Al Edit D Code Explode Customs Toolbar Button Use this command to explode custom apertures in a design All data within the selected custom apertures are converted into their individual data items such as flashes drills and draws This is useful if you have to export your database in the 274 D format because that format does not support the notion of custom apertures To convert custom apertures into their individual elements 1 Make sure that any layers you wish to work on are visible 2 Select the Edit D Code Explode Customs command The Expand Custom D Codes dia
343. nting in the direction that the mill tool travels in a path Compensation Displays all compensated mill paths in their true compensated state the position in which the mill path will actually be created Tab Details Displays all tabs in their true appearance If you unselect this option tabs are displayed using a simple marker as shown below D Note that the size of the marker depends upon the width of your mill path if you use a small tool you may not be able to see the marker if your view of the workspace is zoomed out too far Mill Path Colors This defines the color of mill data in the workspace You can select whether to have your mill paths and circles displayed using the Tool color defined in the Setup NC Tools function or the Layer color defined by the draw color in the Color Bar or the Setup Layers function Other item markers are individually controlled here just click on a color to change it Options Customize Toolbar This feature allows you to add or remove buttons from any toolbar The Customize dialog box has two tabs The Toolbars tab is used for determining which toolbars are shown in the workspace and their appearance The Customize Toolbar tab controls which buttons appear in each toolbar To view a list of toolbars with their associated buttons and functions see the Toolbar Button Reference To view or hide a toolbar Inthe Toolbars tab the Toolbars list box displays all available toolbars with a c
344. nute or mm per second depending upon your units of measure Specify Default or 0 to use the machine default values You can override this setting on a path by path basis using the Edit NC Path Properties command RPM The spindle speed in rotations per minute Specify Default or 0 to use the machine default values Depth Offset The mean depth is how deeply a tool cuts into the material This is set at the machine as it is a function of the thickness of the back up material and the style of tools used A positive depth offset causes the drill or mill tool to cut into the material above the mean depth and a negative depth offset causes the drill or mill tool to cut further into the material than the mean depth Max Hits The maximum number of drill hits a tool may be used for before it must be replaced This setting is only available for tools designated as Drill or Both Link Tool If the tool is broken or the Max Hits limit is reached this is the number of the tool is used as a replacement Compensation Index Table If you wish to apply compensation to any mill paths the Compensation Index Table controls the amount of compensation used based on the tool that is used to create the paths The Index column shows the tool numbers and the Compensation Value shows the compensation applied to paths created by that tool By default compensation is the tool s radius If the compensation is 0 then the machine set compensation value i
345. nvert This is used to quickly bypass information at the top of a file that you know does not contain any aperture tool information Example The following example instructs GerbTool to skip the first twenty lines of the list HEADER 20 222 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual SKIP Syntax SKIP skip string Parameters skip string A text string to mark text to be skipped Description If this line is present all lines in the list that start with the given character string will be ignored Example X The following example will allow GerbTool to skip over lines that begin with SKIP Syntax any_text Parameters any_text The body of a comment Description This symbol leads comments in an ACR file Example The following example shows a typical comment Created By Joe Designer DEFAULT_UNITS Syntax DEFAULT_UNITS mode Parameters mode One of INCH MIL or MM Description f given will cause the values read in to be interpreted as Inches Mils or Millimeters depending on the value used Example The following example sets the units mode to metric DEFAULT UNITS MM CUSTOM Syntax CUSTOM yesno Parameters yesno Either 5 YES or NO Description If set to SYES GerbTool will attempt to create custom aperture names whenever possible Otherwise a Diamond shape will be substituted GerbTool will add only the custom aperture names in the aperture list not create the custom
346. ny intelligent design information 4 f you select Yes you can select the Assign Net Data To External Net Layer option If you select this option all netlist information will be copied onto a separate External Net layer 5 If you select Assign Net Data To External Net Layer you have two additional options that allow you to automatically perform a netlist comparison Generate New Netlist From Artwork creates a new Internal netlist from your artwork and Run Netlist Compare automatically runs the Analysis Netlist Compare function after you click OK If you do not select the Generate New Netlist From Artwork option the original Internal netlist information will remain so that if you later change your data and wish to compare against your original netlist you can generate a new netlist and select the Preserve Existing Net Names option to more easily identify where the differences are Tip If you select to generate a new netlist the system automatically creates the netlist without presenting you with any options such as including single point nets If you have special requirements for generating the netlist do not select the Generate New Netlist From Artwork option and instead run the Tools Netlist Generate function after you have imported your database 6 Click OK and your database is imported If you selected the Assign Net Data To External Net Layer option an External Net layer is created in addition to your other layers Viewed by it
347. o be kept from the draws in the design Flash Clearance specifies the distance the fill is to be kept from the flashes in the design Select either a Raster or Vector fill for the Fill Type Vector filled polygons are composed of numerous draws while Raster polygons use special commands inside the Gerber file to perform the same thing Options for Raster Fill When you select to Pour Around with a Raster Fill many smaller polygons may be generated when pouring around the circuitry The Minimum Size parameter allows you to specify the minimum size polygon area that will be allowed Each polygon is undersized by half the minimum size if it implodes it is deleted Smooth Polygons uses the same minimum size amount to perform a copper sliver analysis of the resulting polygon pour If any part of the polygon is found to create a potential sliver it is automatically fixed by smoothing that area of the polygon 128 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Options for Vector Fill There are four types of fill styles that can be used for the pour For None Solid and Hatched the Border D code is the D code that will be used to draw the border of the polygon None creates a polygon outline with no fill Solid creates a polygon with a solid fill The Fill Dcode is the D code that is used to create a solid polygon fill Horizontal specifies that horizontal fill lines are generated Inset specifies that the edge of the polygon is inset with the width of the F
348. o compare against your original netlist you can generate a new netlist and select the Preserve Existing Net Names option to more easily identify where the differences are A Tip If you select to generate a new netlist the system automatically creates the netlist without presenting you with any options such as including single point nets If you have special requirements for generating the netlist do not select the Generate New Netlist From Artwork option and instead run the Tools Netlist Generate function after you have imported your database 5 Click OK and your database is imported If you selected the Assign Net Data To External Net Layer option an External Net layer is created in addition to your other layers Viewed by itself this layer appears to contain no data However this layer contains the external netlist information and links the external net points to the appropriate top inner bottom layer net test points To view the points turn on the associated top bottom and inner layers and the external net layer The net points are displayed in four ways for easy reference NY Top Layer Net Point ZA Bottom Layer Net Point d Inner Layer Met Point Thru hole Net Point If you selected the Run Netlist Compare option GerbTool automatically displays discrepancies in the Navigator which you may use to view the errors in the workspace and print reports If you need to change any data to fix errors you should then re run the Netlist Co
349. o copy items from one database to another use the Edit Copy Selection To Clipboard command To copy all the data in a layer to another layer use the Layers list in the Navigator If you copy drawn or flashed data from a graphics layer to an NC layer the system will convert all draws to mill paths and all flashes to drill hits If tools the same size as the draws flashes do not exist in the tool table that is assigned to the NC layer new tools will be created You can also use the Tools Convert Gerber To NC command to copy and convert an entire graphics layer to an NC layer 2m copy a single item Select the Edit Copy command 2 In the Selection Filter select Item mode as well as the type of item that you wish to select 3 Click on the item you wish to copy in the workspace If more than one item exists at that location the Choose Selection dialog box appears where you may select the desired item 4 An outline of the item is attached to your cursor Move your cursor to the desired location for the copy and click to place it Or You can select exact coordinates for your placement in the XY Bar 5 If you wish to place additional copies of the same item in other locations click on those locations Otherwise press the Esc key 6 You can now select another item to copy or press the Esc key to end the function 103 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual ie copy a windowed selection of items Select the Edit Copy command 2 In t
350. o delete Use the Selection Filter to aid your selections as necessary 3 Each time you select an item for deletion you are prompted for confirmation If you do not want to be prompted click the Disable Prompts button in the Status Bar 4 When you are finished press the Esc button Edit Text Toolbar Button Al This command edits existing text in a database either the drilled text that resides on NC layers or the standard text that resides on other layer types A Tip This function is also available through the right click shortcut menu If the text you wish to edit is redline text use the Documentation Redline Delete command to remove the text then replace it with one of the appropriate Documentation Redline commands If the text you wish to edit is a fabrication note balloon use the Documentation Drawing Fabrication Modify Note Balloon command To edit standard text 1 Select the Edit Text command 2 In the Selection Filter make sure that Text is selected in the Types list and the layer the text is on in the Layers list 3 Click on the text you wish to edit The Modify Text dialog box appears See the Add Text command for information about text parameters 4 Modify the text as necessary and click Apply The text in the workspace is updated immediately To edit drilled text 1 Select the Edit Text command 2 In the Selection Filter make sure that Drilled Text is selected in the Types list and the NC layer the drilled te
351. o this setting is stick mode which is enabled using the Options Configure command Select the Display Draws As Sticks In Sketch Mode option under the Display tab When enabled stick mode displays all draws as a single thin line This mode can help you spot stacked and buried items mRelated topics View Overlay View Overlay Toolbar Button This command toggles overlay mode on off When overlay mode is enabled items on layers become transparent when drawn over those other layers When overlay mode is disabled items on layers obscure whatever is drawn underneath them Overlay mode makes it easier to spot stacked and buried items Flashes also display significantly faster in overlay mode Related topics View Sketch View Grid Toolbar Button E Equivalent Hotkey G The View Grid command toggles the grid display on off Use the Options Configure command select the Display tab to control the size of the grid Related topics Options Grid Snap 121 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual View Composites Toolbar Button EI Equivalent Hotkey V The View Composites command toggles the way composite layers are displayed and also toggles the view of item level polarity When this command is enabled the polarity of each item and composite layer specified using Edit Item and Setup Composites respectively will be honored if a layer item is specified as Clear it will be displayed in the background color When this command is not selected a
352. ocessing such as netlist extraction 4 If you have any drawn pads in your database select one of the Tools Convert Drawn Pads commands to convert them to flashes 5 Use the AnalysisIDRC MRC command to make sure your layers are properly aligned If any layers are misaligned you can use the Edit Align Layers command to align them 6 Use the Tools Pad Removal Stacked command to remove any redundant pads 7 Select the Tools Netlist Generate command or use the Navigator shortcut command to extract a netlist 8 Select the File Import Netlist IPC D 356 command and select the desired netlist file from the Import IPC D 356 dialog box 9 After you import the netlist a new External Net layer is created Viewed by itself this layer appears to contain no data However this layer contains the external netlist information and links the external net points to the appropriate top inner bottom layer net test points To view the points turn on the associated top bottom and inner layers and the external net layer The net points are displayed in four ways for easy reference NY Top Layer Net Point ZA Bottom Layer Net Point d Inner Layer Net Point X Thru hole Net Point If net names are not provided in the IPC D 356 file you imported the system will automatically assign a unique net name as appropriate Error Messages Below are examples of possible error message that can come from importing an IPC D 356 A file and what they mean No I
353. of drill layers to circuit layers which contain blind amp buried vias prior to generating a netlist MCM LTCC stackups define the sequence of electrical and insulating layers for MCM or LTCC boards 231 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual legend D code The D code used when displaying drill mill test point or other manufacturing information in the workspace LTCC Low Temperature Co fired Ceramic m n The coordinate format variable that specifies the location of the implied decimal point A format of 2 3 specifies that there are 2 digits before the decimal point and 3 digits after the decimal point Using this example the number 12345 in a Gerber file would represent 12 345 macro GerbTool functions that the user can define in the Macro Developer and automatically perform in a sequence Macros can be saved to a file and used to streamline processes mask sliver An area where the resist is so narrow that it will likely flake off float and redeposit itself in an area that might be soldered later MCM Microchip Module MRC Manufacturing Rule Checking MRU Most Recently Used N NC Numerical Control Refers to files that control drilling and milling machines NC tool list A list of drill and mill tools and their properties NC tool report Details of which mill and drill tools along with their definitions are used on all NC layers net number A unique identifier for a net netlist A file containing groups of X Y locations
354. of the radius you specify in a clockwise direction To create a milled circle 1 Select the desired NC layer and tool from the Layer Bar 2 Select the Add NC Circle Milled CW Inside command Click on the circle s center point ABO Move the cursor and click on a point on the radius Wu Repeat steps 3 and 4 as desired to create additional circles You can also select different NC layers and tools to create those circles 6 Press the Esc key to exit the function 132 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Add NC Circle Milled CW Outside Toolbar Button e This command creates a milled circle that is routed on the outside of the radius you specify in a clockwise direction To create a milled circle 1 Select the desired NC layer and tool from the Layer Bar 2 Select the Add NC Circle Milled CW Outside command Click on the circle s center point Eh O Move the cursor and click on a point on the radius al Repeat steps 3 and 4 as desired to create additional circles You can also select different NC layers and tools to create those circles 6 Press the Esc key to exit the function Add Drilled Text A Toolbar Button A Text that is created with numerous drill hits can be added to any NC layer The color of the text in the workspace depends upon what colors you have selected for your Drill Display Settings See the Options Configure command for more details The size of the individual characters in
355. of this dialog box 148 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Documentation menu The Documentation menu commands allow you to utilize different reporting and redlining functions Reports Redline gt Drawing Documentation Reports You can generate reports for the apertures and NC tools used in a design Documentation Reports Apertures Toolbar Button Select this command to generate an Aperture Report An aperture report details which D codes along with their definitions are being used on a per layer basis Included in the report are use counts for both flashes and draws Report Field The body of the dialog box displays the D codes shape of the item width X Size and height Y size whether it is used as a flash or draw and the number of instances of each At the bottom a total number of flashes and draws are given If an aperture has an unknown shape or is zero in size it is highlighted for easy recognition Edit Selected Clicking this button opens the Aperture Setup dialog box with the current aperture set to the aperture highlighted in the report You may also double click directly on a report item to edit that aperture Layer Allows you to enter the layer for which the aperture information is to be reported 0 or All will allow all layers to be considered while any individual number will generate the aperture information for only that layer If you change the selected layers click the Generate button to
356. ol bars may be moved to a location you prefer by clicking on the bar and dragging it to a new location They may be docked to an edge of the GerbTool window or float in a small window Most of the items in the window can also be resized or closed so that you can customize the space to suit your needs Title Bar eC m Tm A El Menu Der 3 Be Ex Yew Aji See Dogumertation nata Query Options Mace Jools Leer Help ToobarsC DG eg Gt 9 e et LayerBar ti ve se DID unes rfe 3x ees lx Navigator p Properties Display Status Dar A Fo Heip pess Et View Tabs Title Bar The Title Bar provides the filename of the currently loaded database and the GerbTool product name There are three buttons on the right side of the Title Bar BB clicking the Minimize button reduces the desktop to a button on the Windows task bar EE ciicking the Maximize button makes the desktop fill the entire screen The button s appearance then changes to an image of two windows the Restore button Clicking this restores the window to its previous size Edciicking the Close button exits the GerbTool program This functions the same as the File Exit command Menu Bar De Edit View Add Setup Documentation Analysis Query Options Macro Tools User Help To view a menu position your cursor on the Menu bar and click on it with the left mouse button This presents lists of commands that you can execute by clicking on them individu
357. ol you wish to delete 2 Click the Delete Tool button The tool is immediately deleted 143 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual A Warning You cannot delete a tool that has been used To compact the tool table Torenumber the tools so that they are consecutive click the Compact button You are also given the option to delete all unused tools from the tool table before compacting it To save the tool table 1 To save your tool list as a nct file click the Save button The NC Tool Table Files dialog box appears 2 Specify a file name for your tool list and click Save You can load this file in future databases To load a tool table If you have a tool table already loaded and its tools are used in the design loading another tool table will make both tables available If none the existing tool table s tools are used loading another tool table will replace the existing table 1 To load a previously saved nct file click the Load button The NC Tool Table Files dialog box appears 2 Select the file you wish to load and click Load The table appears in the NC Tool Setup dialog box A Tip To load a tool list that was created by another program use the File Import NC Tool List command To merge a tool table file with an existing table 1 Click the Merge button The NC Tool Table Files dialog box appears 2 Select the nct file you wish to merge in and click the Open button If you have tools that share the same tool number as the exist
358. olor choice list to meet you needs maximum 1024 colors available RGB Color Name pairs 128 00 vgal6red 0 128 128 vgal6cyan 0128 0 vgal6green 245 245 245 WhiteSmoke 255 250 240 FloralWhite 253 245 230 OldLace 250 240 230 Linen 250 235 215 AntiqueWhite maximum 32 current choice colors Choice Colors blue vgal6green white black coral SteelBlue SaddleBrown DarkSalmon DarkOrange DeepPink 229 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Glossary A absolute coordinates The actual X Y coordinate value based on a 0 0 origin acid trap An area where etching solution accumulates but does not flow out during manufacturing This causes over etching active layer The current layer that you are working on in the workspace The currently active layer is displayed in the Layer Bar antenna A net that does not end on a pad aperture conversion rule file An ASCII file used to describe a particular aperture list format using simple conversion language statements GerbTool uses this ACR file when you import aperture lists so that your design data appears with the correct D codes aperture list A list of Gerber aperture definitions D code number size and shape Separate aperture list files are used with 274 D data while 274 X has the aperture list imbedded in the Gerber file aperture report Details which D codes along with their definitions are being used on a per layer basis The report includes use c
359. ommand You are prompted for a point at which to add the flash If the active layer is an NC layer this becomes the Add Drill command 2 As you move the cursor in the workspace an outline shape of the current D code is displayed Click to add a flash at a desired location 3 You may click on additional locations to add a flash change the active layer or active D code as desired 4 When you are finished press the Esc key Add Draw Toolbar Button sy This command allows you to draw line segments on the active layer using the current D code A Tip To add a mill path use the Add Mill Path command To add a draw 1 After you select the active layer and the D code in the Layer Bar select the Add Draw command 2 Click on the starting point and subsequent points that form the desired line segments 125 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual To add arcs press the A key This allows you to enter a 3 point arc After entering the end point of a 3 point arc you may press the 9 key for an automatic 90 degree arc To add a tangential arc where the start and center points of the arc are tangent to each other press the A key and then the T key Then select the end point to the arc 3 Press the Esc key to end the draw 4 You may start a new draw if desired on the same or different layer with the same or different D code Otherwise press the Esc key to end the function Add Rectangle Toolbar Button 0 The Add Rectangle comman
360. on the desired command It executes immediately Macros The Macros area provides another way to execute GerbTool macros To see a list of all the GerbTool macros currently loaded click the plus box next to the Macros heading The Macros area expands to show all macros by name You cannot rename macros or reorganize the list To add a macro to the list use the Macro Load command To execute a macro Double click on the desired macro It executes immediately 24 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Selection Filter The Selection Filter allows you to define how you want to select items and what types of PRETEGE x items you wish to choose from For example depending on the command you may choose Mode from single item window group or complete layer selections as well as restricting your ltem selections to particular layers and or D codes etc B Tees When you are not in a command that uses the Selection Filter the text in the Selection v Flash Filter is gray and you cannot select any options You also do not have the option of using wl Draw the View Selection Filter command or the F hotkey when not in a function that uses the Y Arc Selection Filter Y Poly You can close the display at any time by clicking on the X in the upper right corner If you vi Tet undock the Selection Filter from the GerbTool window while not in a function that uses it it v Drill will disappear It will automat
361. on to move the drill hits Tools NC Drill Mask This command creates the mask used for tenting your non plated holes prior to plating To create a drill mask 1 Make sure your tools are properly defined as Plated or NonPlated in the NC Tool Table For your NonPlated drills specify a Mask Size Select the Tools NC Drill Mask command The Create Drill Mask dialog box appears Specify your NC layer in the Source Layer box Specify an empty layer for your Destination Layer ak Go NM Click the OK button and your drill mask is created Warning If you change any drill data on the NC layer that you created the drill mask for you will need to delete and recreate the drill mask Tools NC Set Group Order L Toolbar Button 2 All NC machines should to be told what order to create each drill hit or mill path It is best to optimize your NC tooling paths so that they are as short and efficient as possible If you want to group your drill mill data so that sets of data are created in a specific sequence you must first define the group order with this command All NC data with a given group number are processed together and the group numbers are processed from lowest to highest Therefore it is legal to assign the same group number to multiple items Then use the Tools NC Optimize command to optimize the tooling path within each group If you do not optimize the tooling path the tooling within each group would happen in a comp
362. ontal and 90 is vertical Slant The angle of the individual characters in the added text This can be used to produce italic text and other special effects Line Spacing The spacing between lines of text The value used is a percentage of the actual character height 1 0 will produce spacing the same height as the characters 0 5 one half etc Char Spacing The inter character spacing of the text to be added 1 0 will produce spacing the same height as the characters 0 5 one half etc Font Only the special GerbTool Stroke font may be used GerbTool Stroke is a simple font that does not use polygonal data or negative polarity Text File To load a file that contains text you wish to insert click the Load button and select the file This is useful if you have frequently used text Clicking the Save button saves the contents of the text window to the file named in the Text File box 160 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Text Entry Field This area is used to display the text that is to be added Text is entered into this field by either typing it in or loading it from a file using the Load button above 3 When you have finished defining your note balloon click OK You are prompted for the placement of the note balloon 4 Balloons have leader lines with arrows that point to an item that relates to the text Click on the location in the workspace where you want the point of the arrow to be 5 Move the cursor to the location where
363. ool 15 1 User Manual Tools menu The Tools commands provide important CAM capabilities Some commands will operate on a window or groups of items as well as complete layers Panelize gt Netlist Solder Mask gt Paste Mask d M Snoman Teardrops i Fix Silk Screen Pad Removal gt NC Embedded Passives gt 22 Layer Spread Stencils d Convert d Tools Panelize There are two methods of panelization The Advanced method allows you to take one or more existing GerbTool gtd databases and define the panel either interactively or based upon a pre existing panel template Using Advanced Panelization you can panelize more than one design place coupons pinning holes and title blocks and define venting thieving and robber bars all in a single dialog box that displays a preview of your panel Simple Panelization allows you to take the currently loaded file and create multiple copies of the design for a panel and create a simple vent pattern if desired Simple Panelization can be used when you want to create a one time basic panel of a single image It is commonly used for creating assembly panels Tools Panelize Advanced Toolbar Button Li Advanced Panelization allows you to panelize single or multiple designs and lets you store an unlimited number of panel templates so you can use the same panel configuration for multiple jobs You must have each design already saved as a GerbTool gtd database this
364. ool Stroke font 129 227 elle Lu 31 grid SIZO EE 218 Te PNE 174 218 Mavic m 121 Grid command A et ean rr tarn 121 218 Grid onap commard un itte green 174 Group Ee 198 group selection iii 100 GTD file Tt Un iacere rei Nanded de edid 72 elen ii EN 71 Cre S 73 H hatch polygon D 128 A O 182 ele de ULT EEN 38 hexagon apertures oococcoococccccnconcccnononcncnonancncna nan ncnnnnnns 137 highlight dla tia ds ds 200 MOS A ii 18 Item types inc t da tin 171 HEIS neanuid eene 169 A Pee p iet eec 122 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual highlight con t select groups aite eee Louie e bee de dde 122 CS ai ie i A 122 User Data eee eerte eee 170 Highlight commande 171 Highlights commande 122 hole chart EEE haved tecsaasees oats cesSena gh tessiaat death egeuaiiee 158 deleting HE 159 ell We EE 10 143 MIOGITYINIG TD 159 deel UE 160 home Plate tiet ta Re ete rere 204 MOUKG VS cre Coetu t ite e base heb dde 35 40 HPGL EXPO O vitalicia ed 94 IMPORINO DT tdt 73 81 o MP 94 HPGL commande 81 94 APG eere e eR n ex open is 81 l Mpo M EE 42 Aperture leie 57 T3 TT Barco DRIP coa eege ege 73 81 O 71 83 A E 60 elfe Ei 73 T8 RK 73 82 M 73 75 elle t TEE 73 81 APOL ac traia 73 81 IRC258 leese ee 83 SR TE EE 86 Mille mre at ocio br Umum musei ME 73 90 ING a eather Mabe nid A Me mdr ets E 73 T8 NG tool listS x ir me EE perde 80 LEI E 84 ODB netliSts sue erecto ee elle 88 ODB Fica a a aa aa ea 84 ODB
365. ool Tables command and the name of the desired tool table To move a layer 1 In the Layers list click on the layer you wish to move and continue to hold down the mouse button 2 Move drag the mouse cursor until it is over the layer in the Layers list that you wish to move the layer to 3 Release the mouse button All other layers are reordered as necessary so that no empty layers are created and no duplicate layer numbers exist To copy all the data from one layer to another 1 In the Layers list click on the layer you wish to copy from and continue to hold down the mouse button 2 Press and hold down the Shift key on your keyboard 3 Move drag the mouse cursor to the layer in the Layers list that you want to copy the data to 4 Release the mouse button and Shift key The data are immediately copied to the selected layer To copy all the data from one layer to multiple layers 1 Right click on the layer you wish to copy from A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Copy To command The Select Layers dialog box appears 3 Select one or more layers to copy the data to and click OK The data are immediately copied To renumber layers If you have deleted layers or otherwise have created gaps between the layer numbers in your design you can renumber the layers from lowest to highest and eliminate those gaps 1 Right click on the Layers heading A shortcut menu appears 2 Click the Compact command The layers are immedi
366. or 1 Right click on the desired error A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Print command The report is sent to your default printer A full page report is created for the error It contains a picture of the data in question both zoomed in and a diagram showing where it is in the design area the date file name units of measure information about the error and the item that caused the error Editing amp Deleting Run Information To rename a run 1 Right click on the run name A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Rename command A box appears around the name indicating that it can be edited 22 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual 3 Type in the new run name and press the Enter key when you are finished To delete a run 1 Right click on the desired run A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Delete command The run information is deleted from the Navigator To delete all runs 1 Right click on the Analysis heading A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Delete All command The information about all runs is deleted from the Navigator mRelated topics Edit Align Layers Tools Fix SilkScreen Commands Tab The Commands tab provides a shortcut to the main menu commands and macros The information is displayed in a tree format with expandable collapsible lists By default the My Commands area contains no functions the System Commands are structured as they are in the main menu and the Macros area contains all loaded macros
367. or for the embedded passive 6 Type the reference designator and click the OK button The embedded passive now appears in the Valid Embedded Passives list To change a reference designator 1 In the Valid Embedded Passives list right click on the desired reference designator A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Change Reference Designator command An edit box appears around the reference designator 3 Type the new reference designator and press the Enter key 16 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual To destroy embedded passives Destroying embedded passives removes the association of the resistor shape and the termination bars To destroy all embedded passives 1 Right click on the Valid Embedded Passives heading A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Destroy All command The link between the resistor shapes and termination bars is broken but the resistor shapes still remain marked as resistors They are now listed in the Invalid Embedded Passives list To destroy embedded passives individually 1 In the Valid Embedded Passives list right click on the desired reference designator A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Make Invalid command The link between the resistor and termination bars is broken but the resistor shape still remains marked as a resistor It is now listed in the Invalid Embedded Passives list To destroy resistor shapes Destroying resistor shapes removes their designation as resistors and they are considered ordinar
368. orrect layer then select the correct layer from the drop down list If you need to clear your choices and start the ordering over again click the Clear button which then turns into the Reset button and click the Reset button The order is set to the system default 5 Click OK when you are finished A layer set called MCM LTCC Stackup appears in the Layer Sets list To modify an MCM LTCC layer set Right click on the MCM LTCC layer set in the Navigator A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Edit Stackup command The MCM LTCC Setup dialog box appears 3 To change the layer order click on the incorrect layer then select the correct layer from the drop down list If you need to clear your choices and start the ordering over again click the Clear button which then turns into the Reset button and click the Reset button The order is set to the system default 4 Click OK when you are finished To rename a layer set 1 Right click on the desired layer set in the list A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Rename command An edit box appears around the layer set name 3 Type in the new name and press the Enter key To remove a layer set 1 Right click on the desired layer set in the list A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Remove command and the layer set is immediately removed This does not delete the actual layers in the database just the layer set information To delete layers see the Layers area of the Navigator To
369. ort Data The Export Data tab allows you to apply parameters that are specific to the NC equipment being used in your fabrication shop In some situations a CAD system may support some of these extended parameters such as feed or speed The Export Data information is not always required prior to exporting your database as it is typically assigned during the tooling process by your fabrication shop s CAM operator For any value that is set to Default or 0 no information is exported and therefore whatever is programmed into the machine is used If in doubt leave the Export Data information set to its default settings or check with your fabrication shop Following are descriptions of the data contained in each column Number This is the tool number The symbol next to the number indicates the type of tool it is Drill mill Both Size The tool diameter The units of measure are defined by the Options Units Precision command Plunge The in feed rate of the tool in either inches per minute or mm per second depending upon your units of measure A value of 0 or Default uses the machine s setting 145 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Retract The extraction rate of the tool in either inches per minute or mm per second depending upon your units of measure A value of 0 or Default uses the machine s setting Feed The rate at which the mill tool travels through the material to create the paths in either inches per mi
370. ould then re run the Netlist Compare command to verify that the fix was accurate Once no more errors exist you can use the Tools Netlist Apply External Net Names command to apply the external net names to the database if you wish 66 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Panelization Panelization is the process of creating an array of your PCB for a manufacturing panel This allows multiple PCBs to be created at one time optimizing material usage and shortening your manufacturing turnaround time GerbTool s Advanced Panelization allows you to panelize single or multiple designs and lets you store an unlimited number of panel templates so you can use the same panel configuration for multiple jobs You must have each design already saved as a GerbTool gtd database this command does not automatically operate on the design currently loaded in the workspace Coupon placement venting and thieving pinning holes and title blocks are supported as long as those elements have been saved as individual gtd files Essentially all panel elements are just seen as individual images by GerbTool that you can add rotate and repeat however you wish As long as you prepare your data properly panelization is a quick and easy process Preparing Your Data The following steps should be followed for any images you wish to appear on the board including coupons pinning holes title blocks etc 1 Before panelization import or open your data 2 Using the
371. ounts for both flashes and draws ASCII American Standard Code for Information Interchange This standard relates alphabet characters to specific code numbers blind via A via that is exposed on either the top or bottom layer and passes through an internal layer but does not pass completely through the board When looking at a finished board you can see where the via starts on one side but not where it ends inside border A continuous outline of the board which is placed on a layer by itself This layer is tagged with the border type breakout Pad and trace separation during manufacturing buried via A via that passes through certain internal layers only It is not exposed on the top or bottom layers The via is buried inside the layers CAD Computer Aided Design CAM Computer Aided Manufacturing compensation Compensation is used to offset the mill path from the centerline This is most often used when you convert a border into a mill path and you wish to offset the path so that the mill tool cuts outside of the border composite A composite a single layer and hence a single Gerber file which is made up of a set of positive dark and negative clear layers They are used to route traces on power planes copper area The amount of copper that is used in your design copper sliver An area of copper that is so narrow that it is likely to flake off during manufacturing custom aperture Special user created shapes t
372. outlines are shown 2 Select the Show Outlines command The outlines no longer appear around embedded passives in the workspace To make the outlines appear again select the Show Outlines command again To highlight all valid embedded passives 1 Right click on the Valid Embedded Passives heading A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Highlight command and all the valid embedded passives for that passive layer are highlighted in the workspace To highlight all invalid embedded passives 1 Right click on the Invalid Embedded Passives heading A shortcut menu appears 17 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual 2 Select the Highlight command and all resistor shapes that are not part of a valid embedded passive are highlighted in the workspace To highlight all non embedded passive flashes 1 Right click on the Non Embedded Passive Flashes heading A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Highlight command and all flashes that have not been marked as resistor shapes are highlighted in the workspace To zoom to a valid embedded passive 1 Click on the plus box next to the Valid Embedded Passives heading A list of embedded passives appears sorted by reference designator 2 Right click on the desired reference designator A shortcut menu appears 3 Select the Zoom To command The workspace immediately zooms to the desired embedded passive To zoom to an invalid embedded passive 1 Click on the plus box next to the Invalid Embedded Passive Flashes
373. owing 12250 represents 12 250 if the coordinate format is 2 3 Terminator Indicate the block terminator EOB as either or 75 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Coordinate Mode Absolute mode is when all X Y coordinates are referenced to a common origin Incremental mode is when each X Y coordinate is a displacement from the previous coordinate Zero Suppression No zero suppression allows coordinates to have zeroes in front or back of integers Leading zero suppression shows zeroes only at the end of a number trailing zero suppression shows zeroes only at the beginning of a number Character Set Indicate the character text used in the file Special You may enable Metric mode indicating that your files are in metric format If your files have Step amp Repeat codes you can choose Flatten S amp R to import all the stepped and repeated images as real data for example you are importing a panel and want to have all the images editable instead of virtual Select Honor CR LF if carriage return and line feeds should be honored as block terminators The Merge Polygons option controls how Polygons are handled G36 amp G37 commands in Gerber If you select Merge Polygons files with multiple G36 G37 polygons that touch or overlap are combined If positive data 2 or more polygons become 1 if a positive polygon is overlapped by a negative polygon it becomes a positive polygon with a void If you do not select this option all pol
374. owing special characters Excellon 4 2 Sieb amp Meyer 1 6 If you wish to save the contents of the Text Entry field to a file enter a file name in the Text File box and click the Save button This is useful if you have frequently used text 133 T 8 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual When you are finished click the OK button An outline of the text is attached to your cursor Click on the location where you want to place the text You can click on additional locations to place the same text or press the Esc key to exit the function Related topics Edit Text Add Break Tab Toolbar Button id Use this command to insert tabs into mill paths To add a break tab 1 2 3 5 Define your break tabs using the Setup Break Tabs command Select the Add Break Tab command A list of tab definitions appears in the Layer Bar Select the tab you wish to insert A bounding box is added to your cursor representing the width of the break tab Click on the point in the desired mill path where you wish to insert the tab You will not be allowed to add a tab to a location where there is insufficient space The bounding box gives you a nominal size but the true size factors in the size of the tool used for the mill path as well as whether the path is compensated this cannot be determined until you select the mill path you wish to add the tab to If the selected point is too close to another tab or eithe
375. ows you to insert a balloon with text into the currently selected layer s redline information Redline information is virtual it is associated with a particular layer so its visibility is determined by whether the associated layer is visible but it does not exist on a layer Toolbar Button To add redline text 1 Make the layer that you want the text associated with the active layer 2 Select the Documentation Redline Properties command and specify the properties of redline information for the desired layer 3 Select the Documentation Redline Add Balloon Text command The Add Redlining Balloon dialog box appears with the following options Height The character height of the text to be added Width The character width of the text to be added Rotation The angle in degrees of each line of text where 0 is horizontal and 90 is vertical 151 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Slant The angle of the individual characters in the added text This can be used to produce italic text and other special effects Line Spacing The spacing between lines of text The value used is a percentage of the actual character height 1 0 will produce spacing the same height as the characters 0 5 one half etc Char Spacing The inter character spacing of the text to be added 1 0 will produce spacing the same height as the characters 0 5 one half etc Mirror Selecting this causes the text produced by this command to be mirrored and printed ri
376. ox appears 3 The Layer Set List shows existing layer sets and the layers contained within them Click the New Layer Set button 4 Type a name for your layer set in the New Layer Set Name dialog box and click OK The layer set appears in the Layer Set List 5 To add a layer to the layer set click and drag them from the Layer List to the layer set name in the Layer Set List If you need to remove a layer from a set click and drag the layer from the set back to the Layer List Click the Delete Layer Set button to delete an existing layer set This button does not delete any data or remove any data layers Only the association to other layers is removed 6 Select the Enable Color Bar To Control Layer Sets option to allow toggling of the visibility of layer sets from the Color Bar When you turn one layer in the layer set on or off all the others in the layer set are also turned on or off 7 When you are finished click the OK button 142 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Setup Layer Sets Blind Buried Equivalent Hotkey Shift B This command allows you to create layer sets to define the pairing of NC layers to circuit layers for blind and or buried vias If your design includes blind buried vias the relationship of NC layers to circuit layers must be defined before generating a netlist using the Netlist Generate command A Tip The Enable Color Bar To Control Layer Sets option is only available for normal layer sets created with the
377. pen button The HPGL Import dialog box appears S The size of each pen as defined in the HPGL file appears You can change the size if desired al The Plot Size settings are used to tell GerbTool the type of plotter the plot file was intended for The values actually refer to the location of the origin with respect to the plot On an A B plotter the origin is in the lower left hand corner of the page while in the C D E it is in the center of the page Changing this setting will only effect the placement of the merged information any data that will extend beyond the page will not be clipped 6 To rotate the data 90 degrees counter clockwise select the Rotate 90 option 7 Select the HPGL 2 Scaling option if you are importing an HPGL 2 file The main difference between the HPGL and HPGL 2 formats is that the HPGL 2 format supports scaling 8 Click the OK button to import the data 81 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual File Import DXF This command allows you to import a DXF file into your design GerbTool supports up to AutoCAD 2000 Each layer contained within the DXF file can be mapped to one or more GerbTool layers This flexibility allows for duplicating information onto multiple layers when for instance a pad master layer is used which needs to be merged onto each layer containing traces Likewise more than one DXF layer may be mapped to a single GerbTool layer Layers may also be mapped by color so that items of the sam
378. perator message that is associated with an NC item Toolbar Button To delete an optional stop 1 Select the Edit NC Delete Operator Message command You are prompted to select the NC item that has the operator message associated with it 2 Click on the desired item and its associated operator message is deleted 3 Select additional operator messages to delete or press the Esc key to exit the function mRelated topics Edit NC Change Operator Message Edit NC Delete Optional Stop Toolbar Button Use this command to delete an optional stop that is associated with an NC item 116 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual To delete an optional stop 1 Select the Edit NC Delete Optional Stop command You are prompted to select the NC item that has the optional stop associated with it 2 Click on the desired item and its associated optional stop is deleted 3 Select additional optional stops to delete or press the Esc key to exit the function Edit NC Delete Break Tab Toolbar Button s Use this command to delete break tabs from mill paths To delete a break tab 1 Select the EditINC Delete Break Tab command You are prompted to select the break tab to delete 2 Click on the break tab you wish to delete It is immediately removed and the mill path is restored accordingly Tip If you are zoomed in fairly close on the tab you may note the point of selection is fairly limited On a normal break tab or stitched tab c
379. pics Comparing Netlists Tutorial File lmport PADS ASCII This command imports PADS ASCII files from PowerPCB v5 0 or earlier All database intelligence such as layer names layer structure etc is maintained Reference Designators and Pin Numbers are assigned to User Data for each associated item In addition you have the option of automatically running a netlist comparison to verify your artwork against your original netlist After importing the database you can use GerbTool to create and export an IPC D 356 A netlist export an ODB database etc To import a PADS ASCII database 1 Select the File ImportiPADS ASCII command The Import PADS ASCII File dialog box appears 2 Select your desired asc file and click Open The Import PADS ASCII dialog box appears 85 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual 3 If you select the Assign Net Data To External Net Layer option all netlist information will be imported onto a separate External Net layer 4 If you select Assign Net Data To External Net Layer you have two additional options that allow you to automatically perform a netlist comparison Generate New Netlist From Artwork creates a new Internal netlist from your artwork and Run Netlist Compare automatically runs the Analysis Netlist Compare function after you click OK If you do not select the Generate New Netlist From Artwork option the original Internal netlist information will remain so that if you later change your data and wish t
380. ple of this type of dialog box is the one used for File Import Barco DPF Edit Forms Edit forms are used to enter information into GerbTool They may contain data entry fields checkable buttons color buttons scroll bars and exit buttons OK Cancel etc This type of form is exemplified by the Setup Layers dialog box as shown below 3 14 Master Passive Other CSS nme Os Text 4 Other wm 6 ug E Cancel 38 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Accessing Help In addition to this Help system there are many ways to obtain more information about using GerbTool Most dialog boxes offer context sensitive help which can be accessed two ways Right click on any dialog box control If help is available for it What s This appears next to your cursor Click on What s This to view information about the control Click on the button in the upper right corner of the dialog box then on the dialog box control in question Explanatory text appears The GerbTool web site http www gerbtool com offers a support page with documentation in PDF format FAQ s with video demonstrations and other helpful information You can also join the GerbTool User Forum where you can ask questions and discuss GerbTool with other users 39 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Performance Tips Hotkeys Execute Immediately Nested commands otherwise known as hotkeys are available at all times when GerbTool is waiting for you to enter
381. pleted your panel save it as a new gtd file or export it as necessary By saving your completed panel as a new file your template file remains untouched and you have a new panel ready for manufacturing 68 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Working with Embedded Passives When importing Gerber or other dumb file formats the only information that GerbTool sees are draws and flashes on layers The system can t determine on its own what is or isn t a component In order for the system to correctly analyze or modify embedded passives in your database you must reverse engineer your data This tutorial explains the basic steps to reverse engineer embedded passives To reverse engineer embedded passive data 1 2 3 Import all of your embedded passive data Use the Setup Layers command to organize and tag your layers Select one of the Tools Convert Drawn Pads commands and convert all drawn pads on your conductive layers to flashes If this is not done the system will not be able to properly build your embedded passives Select the Tools Embedded Passives Find command Here you provide information about your embedded passive and conductive layers which the system uses to automatically build the embedded passives Every flash that is tagged as a resistor on the passive layer is marked with an Ohms symbol Q Resistor Flash Every embedded passive that has been built is highlighted with an outline Built Embedded Passive
382. plotted 9 Selecting the Gray Scale option outputs all colors except black and white in shades of gray When Gray Scale mode is not selected all data are displayed as black on a white background 10 If you wish to rotate the plot 90 degrees counter clockwise select the Rotate option 11 To have a border drawn around the plot select the Add Border option 12 To output each visible layer to a separate output file select Batch Mode If the Output File box is empty the output filenames will be derived from each layers filename and the current output filename extension If the Output File box contains a name a number representing the layer number of each layer plotted will be appended to the name mRelated topics File Print File Export Bitmap This command allows you to export the current view to a Windows bmp file This is the standard bitmap file format that virtually all graphics and page layout applications use To export a bitmap file 1 Only visible layers will be exported Turn on the visibility of any layers you wish to include and turn off any layers you wish to exclude 2 If you plan to export the bitmap using color use the Color Bar to set your layers Options Configure Display feature to set the workspace background to your desired colors 3 Select the File Export Bitmap command The Export Bitmap dialog box appears 4 n the Output box specify the filename you wish to use for the bitmap file By default the fi
383. posite layers to a single standard layer It does not delete the original composite information or the layers contained in the composite Click on the desired composite and drag it to the desired empty layer in the Layers list The composite is immediately converted to a single layer Or 1 Right click on the desired composite A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Convert To Layer command The composite is immediately converted to a single layer and placed on the next available empty layer To hide a composite in the workspace 1 Right click on the desired composite A shortcut menu appears with a checkmark next to the Visible command to indicate the layers are visible 2 Select the Visible command and the layers in the composite are hidden from view in the workspace 3 To make the layers visible select the Visible command again Layer Sets To see a list of all the layer sets in your design click the plus box next to the Layer Sets heading The Layer Sets area expands to show all layer sets by name There are three types of layer sets and each type has its own symbol SStandard Layer Set Blind Buried Layer Set ISMCM LTCC Stackup Layer sets may be added removed modified or have their view toggled using the Navigator To add a new standard or blind buried layer set 1 Right click on the Layer Sets heading A shortcut menu appears 2 Select Add Layer Set and the desired type View Edit for a Standard L
384. ption is a post processing analysis check If selected it checks for differences between the raster polygon and the resulting vector polygon Any differences that are greater than the specified minimum size are flagged as errors in the Analysis area of the Navigator 8 Click OK to perform the conversion Tools Convert Draws To Polylines This command converts all contiguous drawn line segments on visible layers into single polyline entities 210 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual To convert draws to polylines 1 Turn on the layers you wish to be processed and turn off any layers that you do not want processed 2 Select the Tools Convert Draws To Polylines command All visible layers are immediately processed and you are informed how many draws were converted and the number of resulting polylines Tools Convert Composite To Layer This function converts a composite of layers into a single standard layer containing only positive data You can also use this function to convert a single mixed polarity layer into a layer with only positive data To convert a composite to a single layer 1 Select the Tools Convert Composite To Layer command The Composite To Layer dialog box appears 2 Click the arrow next to the Source Composite box to select the composite you wish to convert The Select Layers dialog box appears All the composites in your design are listed If you wish to see the layers contained in each composite click the icon
385. r Film Box The film box shows the extents of your film The film size as well as its display color are stored in your saved gtd files and can be changed using the Options Configure command The View Film Box command allows you to quickly zoom so that the extents of the film box are displayed in the workspace XY Bar This toolbar shows the X and Y coordinates of your cursor in the workspace The Abs and Rel buttons allow you to change the coordinates to Absolute or 15588 16787m nl e Relative These buttons are available when you are in one of the Edit or Add functions Aerial Bar The Aerial view allows you to tell at a glance exactly where your current view window is located in reference to your data The red rectangle represents your current view what appears in the workspace and the black rectangle represents the database extents You can close the Aerial bar by clicking on the X in the upper right corner You can expand the size of the bar to the entire height of the workspace by clicking the up arrow then reduce its size by clicking the down arrow While it is docked in the GerbTool window you can resize the height and width of the bar by moving your cursor to one of its outer edges When the cursor changes to dh click and hold the left mouse button while you drag the edge to the desired size 32 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Color Bar The Color Bar is available at all times to change active layer layer colors an
386. r end of the path a tab will not be added The actual minimum required distance is the edge of the bounding box plus half of the selected path s tool size If the amount of space available is between the minimum required and the amount required to insure the tab will fit even if the path is compensated you will be warned Add additional tabs if desired Press the Esc key when you are finished Related topics Edit NC Change Break Tab Edit NC Move Break Tab Edit NC Delete Break Tab Add Operator Message Toolbar Button Has Use this function to insert a command into a drill or mill sequence that causes the machine to stop either before or after the NC item is created and display a message to the operator A Tip To see if an NC item already has an operator message associated with it use the Query Item command To add an operator message 1 2 Click on the drill or mill data in the workspace The NC Operator Message dialog box appears 3 4 Click the Before button if you want the message to appear to the operator before the item is created 5 Select the Add Operator Message command You are prompted to select the NC data to add the message to Type your message in the text box and click OK The Add NC Operator Message dialog box appears Or Click the After button if you want the message to appear to the operator after the item is created A small blue box appears in the workspace with an arrow pointing to the NC ite
387. r example a 2 3 format specifies two decimal digits before an implied decimal point and three following 12250 represents 12 250 if the coordinate format is 2 3 Mode Absolute mode is when all X Y coordinates are referenced to a common origin Incremental mode is when each X Y coordinate is a displacement from the previous coordinate Zero Suppression No zero suppression allows coordinates to have zeroes in front or back of integers Leading zero suppression shows zeroes only at the end of a number trailing zero suppression shows zeroes only at the beginning of a number Special You may enable Modal mode which will reduce the size of your files by removing all redundant draft codes and coordinates Metric outputs the file in metric format The default is imperial inches Character Set Indicate the character text used in the file Set As Default Saves the current settings as the default settings for this command 7 Select whether you wish to export Drill Data Mill Data or both from your NC layers 8 Select Use Step amp Repeat to export panelized images as well as any patterns that you defined in the NC Tool Table as step and repeat data If this option is not selected then panelized images and patterns are exported individually no step and repeat codes used Use of step and repeat will reduce your file size 9 Select Segment Arcs if your machine does not support arcs This will convert true arcs in your mill paths to line
388. r to the desired location for the tail and click to place it Oo Om A o You may place additional arrows or press the Esc key to end the function Related topics Documentation Redline Add Text Documentation Redline Add Line Documentation Redline Add Balloon Text Documentation Redline Add Line Toolbar Button S This command allows you to insert line segments into the current layer s redline information Redline information is virtual it is associated with a particular layer so its visibility is determined by whether the associated layer is visible but it does not exist on a layer To add a line 1 Make the layer that you want the line associated with the active layer 2 Select the Documentation Redline Properties command and specify the properties of redline information for the desired layer 3 Select the Documentation Redline Add Line command 4 Click on the location in the workspace where you wish one endpoint of the line to be The line is attached to your cursor 5 Move your cursor to the location of the second endpoint of the line and click on it 6 You can create additional lines or press the Esc key to end the function Related topics Documentation Redline Add Arrow Documentation Redline Sketch Documentation Redline Sketch Toolbar Button The Sketch command allows you to insert freeform drawing into the current layer s redline information Redline information is virtual it is
389. rack of certain individual errors make a note of the ID number You can use it to search for the error later see the To search for an error procedure below 3 Click the Close button when you are finished To search for an error 1 Right click on the Analysis heading A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Find Error command 3 Type the error ID number in the dialog box see the To view information about an error procedure above if you do not know the error s ID and click OK The error is selected in the Navigator list To highlight errors in the workspace When an error is highlighted the light bulb icon next to it is lit yellow If an error cannot be highlighted the round X icon next to the error is black 1 To highlight all the errors that were found right click on the error category A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Highlight All command The workspace zooms to the extent of the items that are highlighted or To highlight a single error double click on it in the error list The workspace zooms to the selection If you would prefer to use a single mouse click to highlight an error right click on the Analysis heading A shortcut menu appears Select the Single Click Highlight command If you wish to return to double click highlighting select the Single Click Highlight command again to remove its checkmark Or 1 To highlight multiple errors of your choice press and hold down the Ctrl key and click on
390. racter height of the text to be added 129 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Width The character width of the text to be added Rotation The angle in degrees of each line of text where 0 is horizontal and 90 is vertical Slant The angle of the individual characters in the added text This can be used to produce italic text and other special effects Line Spacing The spacing between lines of text The value used is a percentage of the actual character height 1 0 will produce spacing the same height as the characters 0 5 one half etc Char Spacing The inter character spacing of the text to be added 1 0 will produce spacing the same height as the characters 0 5 one half etc Mirror Selecting this causes the text produced by this command to be mirrored and printed right to left so it can be placed on mirrored Gerber files Font You may select any font from the Font dropdown list This list contains all the TrueType fonts on your system and the special GerbTool Stroke font GerbTool Stroke is a simple font that does not use polygonal data or negative polarity The following is a list of important points to remember when using TrueType fonts TrueType fonts require the use of polygonal data and a combination of positive and negative polarity When exporting your data note that by nature DXF does not support negative polarity and the 274 D file format does not support negative polarity or polygonal data GerbTool modif
391. rbTool 15 1 User Manual Saving Exporting The File Save and File Save As commands are used to save GerbTool database gtd files To save to any file format that is not a GerbTool database such as Gerber you must use an appropriate Export or Save command The following list shows supported file formats and what command is used to export them File Type Export Command Gerber 274 D 274 X Fire9XXX File Save As HPGL File Export HPGL IPC 2581 Offspring ile Export IPC 2581 Offspring Macro Macro Developer File Save S F NC Drill Mill File Export NC Drill Mill NC Drill Mill Tool List File Export NC Tool List NC Drill Mill Tool Report Documentation Reports NC Tools Save Netlist Tools Netlist Save File Export ODB ODB X File Export ODB PostScript File Export PostScript Related topics Gerber for Beginners ACR Files Aperture List Files Sample GerbTool Netlist nl File Text Font Files Color List File IPC D 350 File Export IPC D 350 IPC D 356 A File Export IPC D 356 44 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Changes in Drill and Mill Functions Version 14 0 introduced some improvements in the way that GerbTool works with Drill and Mill data The most apparent change is that Drill and Mill data can exist together on a single NC layer Tool definitions can also be combined in a single NC Tool List This allows you to import and export mixed Drill and Mill files to accommodate the latest eq
392. re change Just select the Documentation Drawing DrilllUpdate Hole Charts command to automatically update a drill chart To add a hole chart 1 Hole charts are created on drawing layers Make a Drawing layer the active layer 2 Select the Documentation Drawing Drill Add Hole Chart command The Add Hole Chart dialog box appears 158 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual 3 Select the NC layer that contains the desired drill information from the Drill Layer box 4 Define the parameters for your Title Text Drill Layer Enter the desired layer you wish to create a hole chart from Height The character height of the text to be added Width The character width of the text to be added Rotation The angle in degrees of each line of text where 0 is horizontal and 90 is vertical Slant The angle of the individual characters in the added text This can be used to produce italic text and other special effects Line Spacing The spacing between lines of text The value used is a percentage of the actual character height 1 0 will produce spacing the same height as the characters 0 5 one half etc Char Spacing Allows you to specify the inter character spacing of the text to be added 1 0 will produce spacing the same height as the characters 0 5 one half etc Font Only the special GerbTool Stroke font may be used This is a simple font that does not use polygonal data or negative polarity 5 If you want to use title text from an existin
393. re importing a non Gerber file such as a DXF file we recommend you use the import command specific to that format It will save you the time of having to step through the various Import Wizard dialog boxes When importing 274 D Gerber files external aperture list files are required GerbTool provides aperture list conversion for most of the popular CAD and photo plotter aperture list formats in use today This conversion process will translate a CAD aperture list directly into GerbTool reducing data entry related problems File Type Import Command Aperture List File Import Import Wizard File Import Aperture List FilellmportjBarco DPF CAM350 v7 X or earlier Filellmport CAM350 FilelOpen Custom Aperture Library Setup Apertures Custom Ap Load From Lib DXF AutoCAD 2000 or earlier Filellmport DXF ier File Import Import Wizard recommended File Import Gerber File import IPC 2561 Offspring NC Drill Mill File Import Import Wizard File Import NC Drill Mill i E 42 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual There are also files that are used by GerbTool but do not need to be imported or opened you simply need to tell GerbTool where they are located in case they need to be used If any of the below files are provided for you in the GerbTool program folder name of the sub directory is indicated File Type Command Aperture List Automatic Conversion Rule ACR Options Configure Ap List Converters Several acr files are pro
394. re view design Set As Default Saves the current settings as the default settings for this command Related topics File Print File Print Setup File Print Preview File Print Toolbar Button 8 The Print command prints the currently visible layers GerbTool uses the standard Windows printing utility and can plot to any printer supported by Windows 97 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual To define the format of each page use the File Page Setup command If you wish to create an HPGL or PostScript file or print to an HPGL or PostScript printer use the appropriate Export function File Print Preview This command allows you to view how each page of your design would print on the current Windows printer before you actually print it File Print Setup This command allows you to select and configure the printer prior to using the Print command GerbTool uses the standard Windows printing utility and can plot to any printer supported by Windows File Send This command allows you to quickly send the currently loaded database to an e mail recipient To send a database by e mail 1 Select the File Send command Your default e mail program automatically creates a blank e mail with the currently loaded design file attached to it in the gtd format 2 Specify the recipient s e mail address and the e mail s subject You can also attach additional files or add text to the e mail s body as desired 3 Send the e mail File Save Log
395. red extension to the file File Export NC Drill Mill Toolbar Button The Export NC Drill Mill command creates an NC file for either drill data mill data or both in the format specified 90 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual 19 export NC files It is recommended that you use the Analysis DRC MRC command to check for coincident and redundant drill hits among any other desired checks prior to exporting your data 2 Use the Tools NC Optimize command to optimize the NC tooling 3 Select the File Export NC Drill Mill command The Export NC dialog box appears 4 Select a Destination Folder to place your NC files in By default the Samples folder is used Click the browse button to search for a different folder 5 The NC layers are listed at the bottom of the dialog box with their layer names and numbers for your reference In the Filename column select check the layers you wish to export and unselect those you do not want to export You can change the file name by double clicking on the name and typing a new one 6 The Data Format button opens the NC Export Format dialog box which provides the following settings for your file formatting Change these settings as desired and click the OK button to return to the Export NC dialog box Dialect The format of the file to export Available options are Excellon Excellon 2 Sieb amp Meyer 1000 Sieb amp Meyer 3000 5000 and Takeuchi M N This is the coordinate format Fo
396. regenerate the report Print Click this button to print the report to the default Windows printer Save Click this button to save the report to a text file for further manipulation or later printing Documentation Reports NC Tools Toolbar Button Select this command to generate an NC Usage Report This report details which NC tools along with their definitions are being used on all NC layers Report Field The body of the dialog box displays a list of each tool that is used based on your Layer Table and Type selections The tool s Number Size Type Legend and the number of times it is used are shown and you can sort the table by any of these items by clicking on the column heading Edit Tools Clicking this button opens the NC Tool Setup dialog box where you may change the properties of any NC tool You may also double click on the Report Field to open the NC Tool Setup Layer To view only the NC tool information for a specific layer select the desired layer from this option Table Select the tool table that you want to view the usage information for Type Select the type of tool you wish to view usage information for Drill Mill or Both Save Click this button to save the report to a text file Print Click this button to print the report to the default Windows printer 149 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Documentation Reports Embedded Passives Select this command to generate an Embedded Passive Report
397. return to the Create Mill Path From dialog box A compensated mill path is offset from the centerline by the radius of the mill tool or the value set in the Compensation Index Table in the NC Tool Table If you wish to use compensation select the Specify Compensation Direction option You will be prompted later to select the offset direction 196 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual 10 If your board has any slots or cut outs that are smaller than the diameter of the mill tool the result would be a rout that cuts out more than the defined width of the slot If you select the Skip Slots Less Than Tool Size option the router will skip the small slots as illustrated below Tool Skipped Slot 11 Select the Double Path option if you want the mill tool to rout the same path twice This can be used to clean any rough edges left behind from the first rout especially when routing flexible circuits 12 If you want to define a plunge point that lies outside of the mill path specify an Angle and Length for the plunge line The plunge point will be based on these settings and the vertex you designate later as the starting point of the path The Angle is the deviation counter clockwise for positive angles clockwise for negative angles of the plunge line from the first segment of the mill path or the tangent at the starting point if the first segment is an arc The angle is limited to a range of 135 degrees Specify a value of 0 for both option
398. rocess select Ignore Pads On Electrical Layer Less Than and select a minimum pad size 12 If you have built a Select Group of items you want to ignore during solder mask generation select Don t Check Items In Select Group 13 Select Fix Errors By if you want the system to automatically fix mask spacing errors You can have errors fixed by shrinking the entire mask opening Resizing Opening or have the opening decreased Shaved on the offending side creating an irregular shape If the fixed opening violates the minimum oversize specified you will be asked if the fix should be applied 14 Click OK to generate the solder mask Regardless of whether you have the system fix any errors they are all logged in the Navigator where you can view them print reports and fix unfix the errors The following possible errors are reported Mask Opening Spacing Error Two mask openings violate the minimum distance between mask openings This might create mask slivers Mask Opening To Trace Error The mask opening is too close to a trace and violates the minimum mask to trace distance specified The trace might be exposed in the mask opening 189 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Tools Solder Mask Optimize This function analyzes your existing solder mask layers and determines if the mask openings and spacing abide by rules that you specify To optimize a solder mask 1 Make sure you have tagged your layers 2 Use the Tools Convert Drawn Pads Sele
399. roperties display Tools Convert Gerber To NC Toolbar Button e This command converts all drawn and flashed graphics on a layer to NC data If any polygons are converted their outline becomes a mill path Tip For increased control over the properties of mill paths we recommend you use the Tools NC Create Path From command If you wish to copy individual graphics to an NC layer use the Edit Copy command Converting Gerber to NC 1 If you have any drawn pads that you wish to convert to drill hits use one of the Tools Convert Drawn Pads commands to convert the pads to flashes Use the Tools Pad Removal Stacked command to remove any redundant pads Select the Tools Convert Gerber To NC command The Gerber To NC dialog box appears Specify the Source Layer of drawn and flashed data which are to be converted to NC data Specify the Destination Layer to place the new NC data This can either be an existing NC layer or an empty layer o Om SS W DY If you select an empty Destination Layer select the NC Tool Table to assign to the Destination Layer If you select an existing NC layer the tool table that is already assigned to that layer is displayed and cannot be changed 7 Click the OK button Your data are converted Tools Convert NC To Gerber This command will convert drill and mill data from an entire NC layer to flashes draws and polylines as appropriate on a specified non NC layer If round apertures
400. ross hair lines Note that you can rotate this aperture by entering an Angle value Octagon Define the horizontal Width and the vertical Height of the octagon Enter a Corner Size as illustrated below or click the Equilateral button to automatically create an equilateral octagon Note that you can rotate this aperture by entering an Angle value o Corner Size Oblong Define the horizontal Width and the vertical Height of the oblong Note that you can rotate this aperture by entering an Angle value Rectangle Define the horizontal Width and the vertical Height of the rectangle The corners can be Square right angles Rounded or Chamfered For rounded or chamfered rectangles you specify which corners are rounded chamfered and the radius of the edges as illustrated below Note that you can rotate this aperture by entering an Angle value Chamfered Rounded Round Define the Diameter of the round aperture Square Define the Width or length of the sides of the square aperture 139 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Thermal You can create either a Round Square or Rectangular thermal Specify the horizontal Width of the thermal and the Height if you are creating a Rectangle The Air Gap Width is the thickness of the thermal s line and the End Style defines the appearance of each of the line ends at the spokes Specify the number of spokes in the Count box any rotation Angle for the spokes and their Width By definitio
401. rotation The Type allows you to specify if the aperture represents SMT a through hole pad or a thermal Click on the desired column heading to sort the list by that attribute Click again to reverse the sort order Note that the sorting is purely for viewing item D codes are not changed 137 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual If a D code is not used in the current design its D code number and Angle are gray Used D codes have black text Shape View Allows you to view the apertures sorted by their shape A plus icon indicates that apertures of a particular shape exist You can expand the tree for a particular shape by clicking on the icon The apertures for each shape are Sorted by size and you can view the D code number degrees of rotation if applicable and type by further expanding the tree All the information in this view can be edited by right clicking on the desired property Quick Add Allows you to simply type in D code information in an ASCII list This is useful if you for example have a hardcopy aperture list that you want to quickly enter into GerbTool Simply type in the information as indicated D code Shape size1 size2 angle If no angle is given then no rotation is assumed you do not need to type in O for the angle value if there is no rotation The Shape value does not have to be completely spelled out the first 1 to 3 letters will suffice To avoid any confusion the following usage is recommended Bullet Bul
402. roup 101 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual 2 Select Edit Copy Selection To Clipboard and your selections are immediately copied If you are pasting the information to another database you may now close your current database and open another one 3 Paste the items using the Edit Paste Clipboard command Edit Paste Clipboard If you have copied items from another GerbTool database to Windows Clipboard this command pastes the items back into GerbTool See the instructions for the Edit Copy Selection To Clipboard command for more details A Warning This command does not allow you to copy items from other applications Edit Item Toolbar Button This command allows you to edit pertinent information associated with each database item In addition to allowing you to edit each database item there are extensive controls for navigating from one item to another This includes the ability locate an item based on its aperture net UserData value etc To edit a database item 1 Select the Edit Item command The Edit Item dialog box appears 2 Using the Selection Filter select the item you wish to modify The Edit Item dialog box displays information about the item and allows you to edit it using the following controls Seq No Displays the sequence number of the item whose information is being displayed The sequence number is an item s approximate location inside the database You cannot modify an item s sequence number If you know an i
403. rows will not fit between extension lines Mirror Selecting this causes the text produced by this command to be mirrored and printed right to left so it can be placed on mirrored Gerber files Font Only the special GerbTool Stroke font may be used GerbTool Stroke is a simple font that does not use polygonal data or negative polarity Text File To load a file that contains text you wish to insert click the Load button and select the file This is useful if you have frequently used text such as fabrication information Clicking the Save button saves the contents of the text window to the file named in the Text File box Text Entry Field When a dimension is created with the text box empty the dimension text is automatically generated by taking the measured distance and appending the appropriate text specified in the Dimension Properties dialog box If however you specify text in the text box it will be used to specify what to display as the dimension text Two special sequences may be present in the text The sequence a less than and greater than symbol specifies that the pattern is to be replaced with the distance using current units The sequence an open bracket and closed bracket indicates that the pattern is to be replaced with the distance in metric units if Imperial units are in use or in Imperial units if metric units are currently in effect As an example consider the following If Imperial units are currently spec
404. rpolated arcs on off This setting affects the method of creating arcs used by the Add Arc Ctr and Add Arc 3 Pt commands If enabled all arcs will be created using 360 circular interpolation If disabled all arcs will be created using small line segments This does not affect the way Gerber data are imported it only pertains to adding new arcs with the above mentioned commands Toolbar Button amp Warning Not all photoplotters support circular interpolation Options Units Precision Toolbar Button Mel Equivalent Hotkey Ctrl M This command serves as a shortcut to the Options Configure Units and Precision dialog box Options Configure This command allows you to change the way GerbTool is currently configured and many of the default settings that GerbTool uses at startup The Configuration dialog box contains the following categories which can be accessed by clicking on their respective tabs General This tab displays various general program settings Ignore Files With These Extensions These are the file name extensions that you do not use for any of the file formats that the Import Wizard handles Gerber aperture list NC drill mill HPGL Barco DXF or tool list files but that may appear in the same folder as your databases text files ACR files etc When the Import Wizard scans the files in the folder you select it will skip files with these extensions The more extensions it is able to ignore the faster the Import Wi
405. rs with the layer number X and Y coordinates and User Data for each point If you have non contiguous lines in your net the same coordinates may be listed several times If you do not have User Data assigned to the net two successive quotation marks appear next to the X Y coordinates 2 To highlight an end point right click on the desired coordinates and select the Highlight command from the shortcut menu The workspace zooms to the desired coordinates and the end point is highlighted To highlight items not part of a net In the Navigator net None is a collection of database items that are not part of any net 1 Right click on the Nets heading and a shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Highlight Net None command Or Under the Nets heading all the existing nets are listed alphanumerically by name The item in the list however is lt None gt Right click on lt None gt and select the Highlight command from the shortcut menu To change a net name 1 Right click on a net name and a shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Rename command A box appears around the text indicating it can be edited 12 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual 3 Type in the new name and press the Enter key To apply external net names After you have performed a Netlist Comparison and have corrected any errors you can use the Apply External Net Names command to apply the net names from the IPC D 356 netlist to the GerbTool netlist information The mo
406. rsion will only find and convert round oblong rectangle and square shapes No Aperture errors are generated for shapes that are not recognized you will need to use Tools Convert Drawn Pads Select Draws to convert them An error is also logged if a mask opening exists but no drawn data was found in the corresponding location on the conversion layer Tools Convert Arcs To Segmented Arcs gre Toolbar Button This command will convert circular interpolated true arcs into line segments Use this command if your photoplotter does not support circular interpolation true arcs When operating on Mill data the difference between this and the Segment Arcs option during File Export NC Drill Mill is this function allows you to control which arcs are segmented and the at which chord angle To convert arcs to segments 1 Select the Tools Convert Arcs To Segmented Arcs command The Segment Arcs dialog box appears 2 The Chord Angle is the angle at which the line segments will deviate from each other The smaller the angle the more line segment are drawn and the smoother the curve will be Select your desired chord angle and click OK 3 Using the Selection Filter select one or more arcs to convert When selecting an arc in a mill path for conversion if the selection mode is Window then the entire mill path must be within the selection window and all arcs within the mill path are converted To select specific arcs within a mill
407. rture List command exports an aperture list file in the GerbTool map format Exporting this file is only necessary if you are exporting your design data in the Gerber 274 D format When you export your data in other file formats or save a gtd file the aperture information is contained within those files You do not have to save a separate aperture list file 59 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Working with Composites The following tutorials explain the most common tasks involved in working with composites What is a Composite A composite a single layer and hence a single Gerber file which is made up of a set of positive dark and negative clear layers They are used to route traces on power planes In the example below the first layer is dark a second clear layer is used to create a path for the trace and then a dark trace layer is used to make the connections For display purposes the clear data element below is shown in black Original Copper Area Dark Layer Oversized Data Clear Layer Trace Dark Layer Resulting Composite By allowing the use of black and white for layer colors GerbTool allows accurate viewing of composite power and ground layers Setting the negative layer to white and the positive layers to black will result in a very realistic depiction of the final film A Tip For accurate viewing and editing it is important that the layers be placed in the proper order in the layer list Also
408. rture definitions custom or otherwise will be exported whether they are used or not 4 When you are finished defining your data format click the OK button to return to the Export Gerber dialog box 5 Select the layers you wish to export in the Filename column For your reference the associated layer s name and number are listed in the adjoining columns Each layer type is represented by an icon For an icon reference list see the Color Bar topic If you have a large number of layers but only wish to export a few click the Unselect All button then individually select the desired layers If you wish to change any of the file names double click on the filename you wish to change and then enter the new name 6 When you are finished making your selections click the OK button to export your files 7 f you exported your files in the 274 D format use the File Export Aperture List command to export the aperture list Related topics Gerber for Beginners Using Files File Export Aperture List This command allows you to export an Aperture List file from the currently loaded database This file is only necessary if you are exporting your data as 274 D Gerber files To export an aperture list 1 Select the File Export Aperture List command The Export Aperture List As dialog box appears 2 Select a file name for your aperture list and click the Save button Only the GerbTool map format is supported although you can assign any desi
409. s My Data Is In Enter the name of the folder containing your files to import Click the Browse button to search for the folder Configure File Types To Ignore This button opens the Configuration dialog box where you may enter any file name extensions that you want the program to ignore when scanning the folder The more files that may be safely ignored the faster the Import Wizard will be able to scan the specified folder Configure Aperture List Converters This button opens the Configuration dialog box where you may specify which aperture list converters should be enabled The more aperture list converters enabled the longer it will take to scan the specified folder 3 Click the Next button to continue to Page 2 of the Import Wizard This page presents the list of files that GerbTool found in the selected import folder Click on the list column headers to sort the list based on the data within the respective columns 73 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Filename Indicate whether GerbTool should import a file by putting a check mark by the filename Click the Unselect All Importable button if you wish to remove the check marks next to all file names File Type All importable file types are indicated if a file cannot be imported appears If GerbTool detects the file type incorrectly you may change it by clicking on the file type in question and selecting the correct type from the shortcut menu Data Format This column indica
410. s The mask generator first creates the mask using your undersize parameters If an opening cannot be created an error is logged If it reaches this error count limit it stops logging errors and warns you that the limit was reached This limit is provided in case you enter an undersize amount that is not appropriate for your design 7 Specify your Desired Undersize The generation process adds an opening of the appropriate shape on the mask layer at the same location as each pad on the corresponding electrical layer The openings are decreased in size by the specified Desired Undersize amount 8 If you select the Round Corners option for the openings define the corners either as a percentage of the shortest side of the aperture 1 to 50 percent or as an absolute value 9 Select the Detect Fine Pitch Pads option if you want the system to analyze pads for fine pitch conditions round pads are ignored If three or more pads of the same shape size and angle lie in line with each other and are within the maximum Edge To Edge or Center To Center Spacing you specify they are considered a group of fine pitch pads You then specify the amount of undersize applied to the perpendicular and parallel Perpendicular sides of each pad in each group 10 If you want pads that are less than a particular size excluded from the process select the Ignore Pads On Electrical Layers Less Than option and select a minimum pad size J parallel 11 If you
411. s are converted to draws larger widths are converted to raster filled polygons 15 For the Circles Less Than option circles smaller than the specified amount will be translated as round flashes Circles larger than this amount will be treated as circular draws Set the amount as desired 16 The Map Blocks function is only used if two conditions apply You already have another database loaded that contains aperture information and the DXF file you are importing was originally produced by GerbTool If both of these conditions do not apply to you just click the OK button and your data are imported You are finished Or If you have aperture information already loaded in GerbTool and your DXF file was originally produced by GerbTool click the Map Blocks button The Map DXF Blocks dialog box appears which allows you to map blocks in the DXF file to apertures in the currently loaded database 17 When GerbTool exports DXF data it names its blocks in a manner that identifies the D code number shape and size of each aperture If you wish to map each aperture by D code number to the existing apertures click the Auto Map button After the D codes are mapped if you click on a Source DXF Block its corresponding Destination D code will also be highlighted If you wish to change any assignment click on the Source DXF Block in question then click on the Destination D code you wish to map it to Or To manually map each block to its destinatio
412. s if you want the plunge point to be on the mill path at the starting point 45 90 135 Mill Path a 45 90 135 Plunge Line Angle 13 An overshoot is similar to a plunge line in that it is used to create a smoother edge on the board except that it applies to the tool extraction point The last segment of the mill path is extended so that the tool extracts at a location outside the board If you want an overshoot specify the Overshoot Length Enter a value of 0 if you do not want an overshoot Tip If the start and end points are on a corner and compensation is used a gap may appear between the plunge and extraction points The Overshoot and Plunge options are provided so that you can close this gap but they must be used in an appropriate manner The angle of the plunge is intended for situations where the start point is in the middle of an edge that you do not want to plunge into directly A properly defined overshoot would close any gap in this case If the start point is on a corner the plunge angle should be 0 so that compensation does not open a gap that the overshoot cannot close 14 Click the OK button 15 If you selected Automatic or Manual Mode click on any location in the drawn data that you wish to convert to mill The line segments are highlighted Or If you selected Interactive Mode select each of the line segments that you wish to convert to mill When you have completed the path press the End key 16 If yo
413. s To Check column Some checks like the Border DRC check are predefined with the appropriate layer type to analyze in this example the layer being border and you then select the layer to compare it against If no layers have been selected in cases where one or more conductive layers can be analyzed none selected appears If a layer of the correct type does not exist in your design not defined appears You will need to use the Setup Layers command to tag the appropriate layer If a layer of the appropriate type exists but is not selected not selected appears Save Click to save current analysis pass rule settings to an external file Load Click to load pass rule settings from an external file This command will load settings from a GerbTool design file as well as a standalone rule file Run Click to perform selected analyses Set As Default Click to save current settings as the default settings Related topics Performing DRC amp DFF Analyses Analysis Netlist Compare Graphical netlist comparison allows you to visually compare your design data against the original netlist GerbTool performs the comparison automatically and all violations are stored internally like DRC MRC and DFF violations This means you can quickly scan through and fix connectivity issues This command performs the same comparison as the NLC check which can be run with other DRC MRC analyses amp Tip Several steps should be taken to prepare
414. s and coordinate format M N In order for GerbTool s Import Wizard to identify a file as 274 X this statement must be present If your file does not have the statement you will have to manually identify the Data Format as 274 X in Page 2 of the Wizard You will also have to identify the proper M N Coordinate Mode and Zero Suppression in order for the file to be read properly The file will then import SFS lt L or T gt lt A or I Xn Yn Parameter Description ELTE lt L or T L suppress leading zeros T 7 suppress trailing zeros A or I A Absolute Coordinates Incremental Coordinates Xn amp Yn n the number of integer and decimal places for X and Y In our example 274 X file X24Y24 is a coordinate format of 2 4 It is customary for the values to be the same for X and Y MO Parameter The MO parameter specifies if units of measure are in Inches IN or millimeters MM This is another piece of information that is omitted from 274 D unless you used G70 or G71 Step and Repeat The SR parameter is used to duplicate data a specific number of times repeats at regular intervals steps When entered without parameters it is also used to disable the previous SR parameter Step and Repeat eliminates repetitive entry of data and helps to keep file sizes to a minimum A common use for step and repeat is in panelization 55 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual SR X number of repeats gt Y lt
415. s next to the name and you can then type in a new one Layers to Check Select the layers you wish to analyze NC Layer If you want to perform any analyses on drill data select your NC layer Drill checks are not available unless the NC layer is specified Window Select window mode to run your analysis on just a selected area of data If this option is not selected the entire design is analyzed 162 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Don t Check Items In Select Group Select this option if you want GerbTool to ignore all items that are in the current select group For example if you have blocks of text that you know you do not want analyzed you may use the Edit Select Add To command to create a select group with these blocks of text The text will be ignored thereby producing a much cleaner report Max Errors This text box allows you to set a limit of how many errors can be found logged This prevents the analysis from generating a huge report file if you enter incorrect spacing rules If you do not want to limit the number of errors click the arrow button and select No Limit the No Limit command is a toggle Analysis Type Check each analysis you wish to run in the selected pass and enter the appropriate properties If a checkmark appears on a folder icon it means you have selected an analysis to run in that particular category If an X appears next to an analysis the analysis cannot be run because the appropriate layers have no
416. s no pad on the electrical layer corresponding to an opening on the mask layer To fix this the mask opening is deleted Missing Mask Opening There is no opening on the mask layer corresponding to a pad on the electrical layer To fix this a mask opening is added Misalignment Error The opening on the mask layer and its corresponding pad are misaligned by a value greater than the Location Alignment value you specified To fix this the mask opening is moved to the same location as the pad Mask Opening Minimum Undersize Error The mask opening is not undersized by at least the minimum specified undersize To fix this the mask opening is undersized by the specified amount For embedded passive errors the following fixes are applied EP Alignment The resistor shape is misaligned To fix this the resistor shape is moved so that it is centered between the termination bars 20 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual EP TBar Overlap The resistor shape does not overlap the termination bars enough To fix this the resistor shape is altered so that the minimum overlap is attained EP TBar Extension The termination bar is not the correct length For additive passives the length of the termination bar is increased to attain the minimum extension length You specify the minimum copper clearance that must be maintained when the fix is made For subtractive passives the length of the termination bar is decreased to attain the minimum extension of
417. s used You can control whether or not compensation is applied to a mill path by selecting the Edit NC Path Properties command Setup Break Tabs Toolbar Button The Setup Break Tabs command is used to define any break tabs that you wish to use in your mill paths If you frequently use the same tabs you can save the tabs to a file for use on future jobs If you plan to add a break tab to a compensated mill path you should define the tab with the compensation in mind i e how you want the tab to appear after compensation has been applied A Ifyou add a break tab to a mill path then change the definition of that tab in the Setup Break Tabs function any occurrences of the tab in your database will change to reflect the new definition If the new definition results in the tab being larger you will be warned if your changes create an invalid tab at any location If you choose to keep the changes any invalid tabs are deleted Otherwise you can return to the setup dialog box and modify the tab again To change the appearance of an individual break tab define a new tab here if an appropriate tab does not already exist then use the EditINC Change Break Tab command To define a new break tab 1 Select the Setup Break Tabs command The Mill Path Tab Setup dialog box appears 2 Click the Add Tab button 3 In the dialog box that appears specify a new tab name or keep the default name and click OK The tab now appears in the list box
418. sed select the Don t Convert Items In Select Group option 8 When you are finished making your selections click the Run button to run the conversion Tools Convert The Convert commands are used to optimize data or simply convert one type of item to another Tools Convert Drawn Pads Many CAD systems still output rectangular pads such as surface mount pads using multiple draws to fill in the rectangle rather than a more efficient single flash This results in bloated Gerber files and increased processing times Also it is virtually impossible for high level CAM functions such as DRC to recognize these drawn entities as a pad rather than just a bunch of traces The example below shows the difference between a typical drawn pad and a comparable flash The drawn pad shown requires 27 separate Gerber commands to accomplish what one Gerber flash can accomplish As you can see if you have 2000 of these drawn flashes you will have a Gerber file with at least 54 000 lines when flashes could accomplish the same thing in only 2 000 It is recommended that the conversion of drawn pads to flashes be the first thing done to your designs This will usually ensure complete and trouble free conversion Also you must convert all drawn pads to flashes before generating a netlist or running most other CAM functions A Tip If you are reverse engineering embedded passives and need to convert drawn resistor shapes to flashes we recommend you use
419. self this layer appears to contain no data However this layer contains the external netlist information and links the external net points to the appropriate top inner bottom layer net test points To view the points turn on the associated top bottom and inner layers and the external net layer The net points are displayed in four ways for easy reference NY Top Layer Net Point ZA Bottom Layer Net Point d Inner Layer Net Point Thru hole Net Point If you selected the Run Netlist Compare option GerbTool automatically displays discrepancies in the Navigator which you may use to view the errors in the workspace and print reports If you need to change any data to fix errors you should then re run the Netlist Compare command to verify that the fix was accurate Once no more errors exist you can use the Tools Netlist Apply External Net Names command to apply the external net names to the database if you wish Related topics Comparing Netlists Tutorial File Import ODB X This command imports ODB database files that are in the XML format Reference Designators and Pin Numbers are assigned to User Data for each associated item In addition you have the option of automatically running a netlist comparison to verify your design data against your original netlist 84 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual A Tip Polygon Voids are supported but are not recognized as standalone entities Voids are only relative to the closed and filled po
420. ser Data commande 170 Useririeri nan een eo ipe 212 V Vector fill ince ade te te eee 128 VENTING WEE 67 182 185 Vertex Commande 107 126 vertices adding Little 107 126 deleite 107 Un EE 107 View Bar commande 217 MI Mo E 119 View Redlining Commande 154 View Tabs Le a a BE 124 deleting tite Pede ues 124 View Tabs Commande 124 View Edit commande 142 viewing L Leien EE 120 216 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual viewing con t virtual layer dd 185 backside nio bee o eet 122 Virtual MO MOLY E 40 A teet t ee eene rtu 60 122 y database extents sss sss ssnns 120 173 Virtual Panel commande 122 filmi box CEET 121 virtual panelization sisine as een nsee aeaa aata 185 jo EE 121 W highlights Sr rer eoe better E 122 Outlines ooo en A bean 121 Window Commanden 119 215 overlay vite bond rte Ment oe AED debet De ees 121 window selechon eee ceceeeeeeecececeseesenteaeeeeeeeeeeseentnanens 25 Wo IL C ee 120 216 WOrkSPaCe uites rape RBS 31 polarity an Unido en e ente dee ad ecu 122 recalling previous 123 e Ei e moe reste ito petenda e 71 recalling Save 123 dee Sech SE 154 X refreshing 121 217 XY Bar emie O 32 Saving Current criada 123 124 Z Select group a i nee cedentem 122 EE 121 Zero Supptegelon ENEE 47 le lune EE E e EE 119 120 215 216 transparent pese app Doni user data un enin uoti nete s 102 EE e yitual pane insista dic 122 ZOOM Out commnarid icone eaa naris 120 216 ZOOMING
421. shapes but have not been associated with an embedded passive They are listed by a system assigned number 15 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual The Non Embedded Passive Flashes list This is a list of all flashes on the passive layer by their X Y coordinates that have not been defined as resistor shapes To change the conductive layer You can only change the conductive layer if no valid embedded passives have been defined for the passive layer 1 Right click on the desired conductive layer and a shortcut menu appears 2 Select the desired conductive layer from the menu list To change the material constant 1 Right click on the material constant amount and an edit box appears around it 2 Type the new amount and press the Enter key To mark flashes as resistor shapes To mark all flashes 1 Right click on the Non Embedded Passive Flashes heading A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Mark All As Embedded Passive command All flashes are now marked as resistor shapes and appear in the Invalid Embedded Passives list To mark flashes individually 1 Click on the plus box next to the Non Embedded Passive Flashes heading and the flashes are listed by X Y coordinate 2 Right click on the desired flash and a shortcut menu appears 3 Select the Mark As Embedded Passive command The selected flash has now been marked as a resistor shape and appears in the Invalid Embedded Passives list To define embedded passives from Non Embedded Pas
422. sign If you select 4 as your Clear value and have thermals with 2 ties then those thermals would automatically be flagged as starved even if both of their ties are clear If you have several different types of thermals it is recommended that you leave the Clear value at 0 Top Solder Bridges amp Bot Solder Bridges Openings for pads on a mask layer may be oversized too much and expose an adjacent trace or another conductive object The copper for that pad may accidentally get too close during fabrication and create an unwanted connection or bridge to the adjacent object The Bridge Distance is the distance between the pad and objects in the same mask opening where the solder can possibly create a bridge If the adjacent object closer to the pad than this distance it will be identified as a possible bridge The Position Tolerance tests for shifting of the placement of mask openings It oversizes mask openings by the amount you specify to check if other conductive objects are then exposed by the mask opening If an object is exposed and is also within the specified Bridge Distance to the pad then an error is logged Pin Holes A pin hole is a void in an area of solid copper that can cause acid to pool and over etch the surrounding copper similar to an acid trap or can cause resist flakes potentially causing conductivity problems Pin holes often result from inaccurate vector drawn data that leaves tiny voids between the over lapping draws You
423. sing the Selection Filter if necessary click on the two lines you wish to join The lines are joined immediately 5 You can select other lines to join or press the Esc key to end the function Edit Rotate Toolbar Button e The Rotate command rotates a windowed selection or Select Group of items on a user defined pivot point or an automatically calculated center of the data If you wish to rotate items in a Select Group you must first create the group using the Edit Select New Group command To rotate items 1 Select the Edit Rotate command The Rotate dialog box appears 2 The Pivot Point options allow you to select the pivot point for rotating the selected items If Center is chosen the center of the selected items is automatically calculated and used If Interactive is chosen you are prompted for this point 3 Select the number of Degrees counter clockwise to rotate the items 4 f you want D codes rotated as well select the Rotate D codes option This is useful if you have custom apertures with an irregular shape whose orientation to the other data must be maintained New D codes will be created as necessary If you do not select this option the D codes will not be rotated with the data 5 Click the OK button when you are finished making your selections 6 Using the Selection Filter select the items you wish to rotate 7 After making your selection if you chose a Center axis point the data are immediately altere
424. sive this shows whether it is a termination bar or resistor If it is a resistor the reference designator is given Ohms If you query an embedded passive resistor this is the resistance value Mii Circle Tool The tool number for the circle Tool Size The size of the tool used for the circle Plated Yes means the circle is plated No means it is unplated Center The X Y location of the circle s center point Diameter The diameter of the circle Area The total square area of the circle Layer The layer the circle is on Layer Type The type of layer the circle is on 28 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual SeqNo The item s order in the Gerber database Item 1 is the first item listed in the Gerber file item 2 is the second etc Feed Rate The feed rate of the mill tool Side Whether the circle is cut on the Inside or Outside of the radius Direction Whether the circle is milled in a Clockwise or Counter Clockwise direction Length The distance the mill tool has to travel to create the circle NCGroup The NC Group number that the circle belongs to Export Order The circle s order number in the mill sequence If a value of 1 is shown then the order is not set NC optimization has not been run Operator Message Indicates if an operator message is displayed to the machine operator before or after the circle is made Optional Stop Indicates if the machine is stopped before or after the circle is made Mi
425. sive Flashes 1 Click on the plus box next to the Non Embedded Passive Flashes heading and the flashes are listed by X Y coordinate 2 Right click on the desired flash and a shortcut menu appears 3 Select the Construct Embedded Passive command The selected flash is immediately highlighted in the workspace and you are prompted to select one of its associated termination bars 4 Click on the first termination bar You are prompted to select the second one 5 Click on the second termination bar A dialog box appears prompting you to specify a reference designator for the embedded passive 6 Type the reference designator and click the OK button The embedded passive now appears in the Valid Embedded Passives list To define embedded passives from Invalid Embedded Passives 1 Click on the plus box next to the Invalid Embedded Passives heading to view the resistor shapes If you click on the plus box next to system assigned number you can view the coordinates of the resistor shape 2 Right click on the system assigned number and a shortcut menu appears 3 Select the Construct Embedded Passive command The selected resistor shape is immediately highlighted in the workspace and you are prompted to select one of its associated termination bars 4 Click on the first termination bar You are prompted to select the second one 5 Click on the second termination bar A dialog box appears prompting you to specify a reference designat
426. skip skip xsize ysize rot false true dcode FORMAT RECT skip rectangle skip skip xsize ysize rot false false dcode FORMAT_SPECIAL Position Shape Mentor now has multiple formats FORMAT THERMAL skip dcode circle skip power xsize ysize FORMAT ROUND skip dcode circle skip xsize ysize FORMAT ROUND skip dcode circle skip xsize FORMAT RECT skip dcode rectangle skip xsize ysize FORMAT RECT skip dcode rectangular skip xsize ysize FORMAT_SPECIAL Aperture Position FORMAT SPECIAL Aperture Position FORMAT SPECIAL skip Position FORMAT SPECIAL Ap Pos 226 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Text Font Files GerbTool uses a font file containing a list of X Y coordinate pairs that constitute the strokes required to display each character inserted by the Add Text command You may have more than one font file but GerbTool will always read the stroke fnt file at startup To use a different font file such as the fancy fnt file that is provided in the Fonts folder simply rename the current stroke fnt to some other meaningful name and then rename the desired font file to stroke fnt GerbTool allows you to edit existing fonts and create new fonts It is faster and easier to modify the default fonts than it is to create a new font Therefore even if you want to create a font that is totally different than the GerbTool Stroke font it is recommended that you follow the
427. splayed take into account the actual size of the apertures used for each object If itis not selected the extents are based on the center point of each object Include Virtual Panelization If Include Virtual Panelization is selected the extents displayed include virtual panels in the calculations If it is not selected only the extents of the actual objects are displayed If no virtual panels are present in the database this option is unavailable 173 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Options menu The Options menu commands control the GerbTool environment E Grid Snap S Ortho Line Snap Arcs 360 Me Units Precision Ctri M Configure Customize Toolbar Import Settings Options Grid Snap Toolbar Button Equivalent Hotkey S Use this command to toggle grid snapping on off When grid snap mode is enabled your cross hair cursor will automatically jump to the nearest grid point as you move it across the workspace See the Options Configure command for information on changing the appearance of the grid Options Ortho Line Snap Toolbar Button 1 This command allows you to toggle orthogonal snap mode on off When enabled all lines drawn interactively will be forced to the specified angle See the Options Configure command for information on changing the snap angle A Tip The current setting may be temporarily overridden by holding down the Ctrl key Options Arcs 360 aj This command allows you to toggle inte
428. st important purpose for this is that when you view the net information in the Navigator or query a net you will see the net name rather than the arbitrary GerbTool net number If you save your data as a gtd file the netlist information is saved as well so you will no longer need to refer to the external netlist file when viewing your data 1 Right click on the Nets heading and a shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Apply External Net Names command The external net names are immediately applied to the nets To change the User Data for a net 1 Click on the plus box next to the desired net coordinates If there is no User Data assigned to a net UD lt blank gt appears 2 Right click on the User Data and a shortcut menu appears 3 Select the Edit command A box appears around the text indicating it can be edited 4 Type in the new User Data and press the Enter key The user data now also appears next to the net coordinates External Nets When you have imported a netlist GerbTool lists the nets in the External Nets area of the Navigator The number of nets is noted next to the heading To see a list of all external nets click on the plus box next to the External Nets heading The External Nets area expands to show all nets by net name To highlight all the points on an external net Double click on the name of the external net you wish to highlight All the points for that external net are highlighted in the workspace To
429. st columns Click on the left or right edge of the column header and drag it to the appropriate location By default only columns for the Tool Number and Size are provided If your tool list contains additional parameters such as Feed Rate or Depth Offset you can add those columns by right clicking in the appropriate location in the column heading and selecting the appropriate Add command f you wish to delete a column header right click on it and select Delete Column from the shortcut menu Note that once you delete a column it can always be added again later f you have a column of information in your tool list that you wish to be ignored right click on the column header currently above it and select Add Skip Column from the shortcut menu A header titled Skip now appears above the contents If you find that you have a tool list that contains mixed definitions where not all tools use the same column format see the Mixed Format Definitions section below for details on how to manage these types of lists 3 Specify the Delimiters used to separate the columns in your tool list 4 Select the Units of measure for your tool list 5 If you have any lines in the tool file such as headers or comments specify in the Initial Lines To Ignore box how many lines at the beginning of the file should be ignored by the tool converter Also specify in the Comment Text box the symbol that leads any comment lines in your tool list 6 Once t
430. stead of a leading or trailing zero L or T parameter in the format statement a D appears In addition all the Gerber commands in the body of the file have the decimal points inserted in them whereas a correct Gerber file would not have decimals because that M N information is gained from the XnYn parameter in the Format Statement Although this use of decimal points does not conform to the Gerber standard GerbTool version 14 1 and later will import this type of Gerber file All Gerber files we export however conform to the Gerber standard 56 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Working with Apertures This tutorial will assist you with all aspects of working with apertures Importing Aperture Lists If you are starting with 274 D Gerber data you will have a separate Aperture List file that must be imported along with your Gerber data 274 X files have aperture information that is embedded in the files so no separate aperture file is needed For a detailed explanation of what aperture lists are see Gerber for Beginners There is no standard format for aperture lists each CAD CAM system can use whichever format they desire Because of this when GerbTool imports an aperture list an Aperture Conversion Rule ACR file is necessary to interpret the aperture list GerbTool has an extensive library of aperture converters that can be used for aperture lists from many different CAD CAM systems You simply select the appropriate ACR fil
431. stom Aperture Editor A custom aperture is a collection of graphic drawing primitives such as circles and lines The easiest method of creating a custom aperture is to use the Tools Convert To Custom command This command allows you to window around a group of items on a layer and have them automatically converted into a custom aperture The Custom Aperture Editor provides a separate workspace in which to create and modify custom apertures It is opened when you select Custom Ap New or Custom Ap Edit command in the Aperture Setup dialog box Most of the menu commands in the Custom Aperture Editor window behave in a similar fashion to those in the GerbTool main window Due to the nature of the Editor all of the File menu commands except Save and Exit are unavailable Title Bar2 fe ete ey ee E EEN Il Main Menu File Edit View Add Query Options Help File Toolbar gt 0 i gt gd Se View Toolbars l q e e E Q ou Coordinate f zr Display A 049000 Y 0 68000 sb Gei Graphics Width Diameter 0 02000 Toot 0 Negative Toolbar Stat ony n Main Menu The Custom Aperture Editor menus provide functions to manipulate the data in the workspace File Tool Bar This toolbar contains buttons to save your custom apertures and display information about the Editor They each have equivalent commands View Tool Bar This toolbar contains buttons to manipulate the display of your data in the workspace They e
432. t GerbTool converts composites to single layers with item level polarity This allows for easier editing of the data To maintain your data as a standard composite select the Layer Composites option under Assign 274 X Polarity To 6 Click OK and complete the import process Creating a Composite Creating a New Composite If the layer you wish to add to the composite does not already exist select the Setup Layers command Find a new empty layer in the Layer Setup dialog box and assign it a name and an appropriate layer type 1 Select the Setup Composites command The Composite Setup dialog box appears 2 The Composite List shows any currently loaded composites and the layers contained within them Click the Create Composite button and a new composite with a system default name such as Composite 1 is created 3 To add a layer to a composite click and drag the desired layer from the Layer List to the Composite List To remove a layer from a composite drag the layer back to the layer list 4 To change layer polarity right click on a layer within a composite to select a different polarity A polarity of Dark means that the layer is to be displayed in the style a normal Gerber file is displayed Clear tells GerbTool to display the layer using the current background color This has the effect of erasing or clearing areas from an image that were previously drawn by a dark layer Negative layers should be set to clear Using the
433. t IPC D 356 command The Export IPC D 356A dialog box appears 3 In the File Name box enter a name for your netlist file By default the file is saved in GerbTool s Samples folder Use the Browse button to choose a different folder or file name 4 Enter the number of the NC layer that contains your through hole drill information this is the same NC layer that was used when the netlist was generated If no NC layer is available the system will look at the aperture table type field to determine whether a pad is SMT or not 5 Select Include Unconnected Pads Using N C Net Name to have all unconnected isolated pads output using the IPC defined net name N C Otherwise all unconnected pads will be ignored 92 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual 6 Select Include Solder Mask Information to include data indicating solder mask usage If no solder mask is present then this option is not available If you have a solder mask but this option is not available your solder mask layer is not properly tagged in the layer table 7 You do not need to select any of the other options in the dialog box If they are selected unselect them They apply only to IPC D 356A netlists 8 Click the OK button to export your file 19 Wegen an IPC D 356A netlist If your database does not already have a netlist use the Tools Netlist Generate command to create one 2 Select the File Export IPC D 356 command The Export IPC D 356A dialog box appears 3 In the F
434. t Services for more information on developing DLL s to assist in converting complex aperture list formats Example The following example specifies a user supplied dll XTENSION myapfmt dll DCODE Syntax DCODE mode Parameters mode One of ONLINE SEQUENTIAL or S GERBER ORDER Description This line controls how D code values will be derived If set to SONLINE the default the codes read on each line will be used If SEQUENTIAL is used lines that match the rules given will be assigned sequential numbers Some aperture lists have their D codes arranged in a special non sequential order used in certain Gerber photoplotters This order will be used if SGERBER_ORDER is set Example The following example sets the D code mode to sequential DCODE SSSEQUENTIAL The following are descriptions of each rule statement and the expected parameters if any FORMAT shape Syntax Parameters Description Example FORMAT shape rule shape The possible shapes are ROUND SQUARE RECT OBLONG DONUT DIAMOND OCTAGON THERMAL THERM45 TARGET CUSTOM Please note that this parameter should be combined with the FORMAT prefix to form a single word such as FORMAT ROUND rule A rule for matching apertures that are to be mapped to a GerbTool shape aperture If the rule matches a line in the aperture list being converted that line will be converted into a GerbTool shape aperture T
435. t at a vertex If you wish to eliminate this vertex later you must first convert the lines to polylines using the Tools Convert Draws To Polylines command Then delete the vertex using the Edit Vertex Delete command If you are joining two lines that currently intersect and want to only trim one of the lines to the intersection point select the Trim Second Line To First Only command This is useful if you have one long line in with several 108 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual intersecting lines Otherwise both lines will be trimmed to the intersection point This option is ignored when joining mill paths Note that with this mode you can join lines that are in line with each other but not parallel lines Chamfer Mode Chamfer connects the lines first by extending or trimming them then a third line is inserted to join them Use the Size option to specify how far back from the intersection of the two lines the system is to place the chamfer If the two lines are in line or parallel to each other this mode will not work Fillet Mode Fillet connects the lines first by extending or trimming them then an arc is inserted to join them Use the Size option to specify how far back from the intersection of the two lines the system is to place the fillet If the two lines are in line or parallel to each other this mode will not work 3 When you are finished making your selections click OK You are prompted to select the two lines to join 4 U
436. t been selected or do not exist in your design Information Min Air Gap Reports the shortest distance between any two items in the design Conductive Layer Count Reports the total number of conductive layers Board Size Reports the extents of the Border layer if one exists Otherwise the extents of the conductive layers is reported drawing and other graphical layers are ignored Hole Count Reports the tools used on each NC layer and the number of holes hits created by each Hole Size Count Reports the number of tools used on each NC layer does not report tool numbers or hits Buried Vias Reports the upper and bottom most start and end layers for buried vias Blind and Buried layer sets must be defined in order to run this analysis Blind Vias Reports the upper and bottom most start and end layers for blind vias Blind and Buried layer sets must be defined in order to run this analysis Min Pad Drill Reports the minimum annular ring spacing from copper pads to plated through hole drill hits Min Drill Drill Reports the minimum spacing between drill hits Min NPTH Copper Reports the minimum spacing between non plated through hole drill hits and copper on external and internal layers Min Pad Pad Reports the minimum spacing from one pad to another for each conductive layer Min Pad Trace Reports the minimum spacing from a pad to a trace for each conductive layer Min Trace Trace Reports the minimum spac
437. t each X Y coordinate is a displacement from the previous coordinate Following is the same Gerber file except it was exported with no zero suppression and in Incremental Coordinates G54D10 G01X055000Y032000D03 G01X000500Y 000500D03 G01X 000500Y000500D02 G54D11 G01X000000Y 000500D01 G01X000500Y000000D01 M02 49 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual The following Gerber file is an illustration of a filled polygon the G36 command It is a simple square G36 G1X0Y40D02 G75 G3X40Y0140J0D01 G1X9960Y0DO1 G3X10000Y4010J40D1 G1X10000Y9960D1 G3X9960Y100001 40JO0D1 G1X40Y10000D1 G3X0Y996010J3 40D1 G1X0Y40D1 G37 G74 M2 Your next question is likely How am supposed to know what all the formatting values are Well that s a disadvantage to using 274 D Someone with a lot of experience with Gerber may be able to tell just by looking at the file but interpreting a 274 D Gerber file can be difficult for the novice user In a perfect world the CAD system that created the files might actually use all the G codes that specify the format add comments using the G04 command or provide you with a separate Read Me file identifying the correct format If you are trying to import 274 D Gerber Files into GerbTool and are unsure of the formatting you should use the Import Wizard The Import Wizard not only helps in identifying whether your files are 274 D or 274 X but also makes an educated guess at the format of the fil
438. t graphics display a 17 or larger monitor with at least 1280 x 1024 resolution is recommended At least 512 megabytes MB of RAM and 30 MB of hard disk space GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Contacting WISE Software If you have any questions regarding GerbTool or WISE Software Solutions feel free to contact us Headquarters Address WISE Software Solutions Inc 2700 E 9th Street Suite 100 Newberg OR 97132 USA Phone 503 554 8855 FAX 503 554 1220 E Mail North American Sales sales wssi com International Sales int_sales wssi com World Wide Web http www wssi com Technical Support If you purchased GerbTool from an authorized reseller you should contact them directly for technical support as they will have a better understanding of your needs and intended uses of the software If you are unable to get satisfactory assistance in solving your problems you may contact WISE Software Solutions using the following methods Check our web site at http www gerbtool com for up to date FAQ s with video demos as well as access to the GerbTool User Forum Send technical questions by e mail to tech wssi com Send license requests to licenses wssi com Senda FAX message to 503 554 1220 Call 503 554 8855 between the hours of 8 00 A M and 4 00 P M Pacific Time GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Main GerbTool Window The main GerbTool window or desktop is illustrated below All toolbars and contr
439. t menu and leave the right mouse button function unassigned here the right mouse button will act like the Esc key and terminate command functions Function Keys Allows you to specify what menu functions or macros are executed by the function keys on your keyboard F1 and F10 are reserved by Windows the others may be changed to any of the available functions that are listed If you want to associate a particular macro with a function key you must first load it using the Macro Load command Then it will be available for selection all macros are listed together at the beginning of the dropdown list Ap List Converters This tab shows all aperture list converters ACR Files available for use Converters that are currently loaded are at the top of the list with a check mark When selecting which aperture list converters should be loaded a rule of thumb is less is better you should unselect any aperture list converters that you do not require The Count column displays use count of each converter To speed up the import process the Import Wizard analyzes the most used converters first during automatic aperture list conversion If you ever wish to restart the use count click the Clear Use Counts button To change the location of your ACR files The Source Folder box displays the folder where the aperture list converters are located By default this is the Apconv folder located in the GerbTool program folder 1 If you have not already done
440. t of the material the machine stops at certain points extracts the mill tool moves a short distance and continues the mill path teardrop Adding additional material to smooth the transition from trace to pad strengthening the trace pad junction and preventing drill breakout at the junction test point A point on a net used by a testing machine to verify net connectivity thieving A solid border of copper placed around the images in a panel intended to prevent over etching of a panel layer during the manufacturing process also known as galvanic venting or robber bars Unlike venting thieving does not fill the areas between images U user data Information attached to a database item which is saved in your database but does not add any graphics to your design User data can be used to associate reference designators pin numbers or net names to each pad or it can simply be information that you wish to pass on to others who view the design V venting A cross hatch or dot pattern added between panel images to the inner layers virtual panelization Creating a manufacturing panel using step amp repeat codes 233 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Index 2 274 D files ENNEN 47 274 X ATTEN 47 A ADS DUO ati 32 absolute coordinates cccccccocononnconcnonoccooncrnnoncncnnos 32 47 A O 162 ACR file ere init Seege 47 eue 77 Ile EE 226 active break toab enn 6 active D code nennen 6 ACUVE latir diete ue AEn Rin 6
441. t shows any existing composites and the layers contained within them Click the New Composite button A new composite with a default name such as Composite 1 appears in the Composite List 4 To add a layer to a composite click and drag the desired layer from the Layer List to the composite name in the Composite List 5 The layer s polarity is shown in parentheses next to the layer name Dark is a positive layer clear is a negative layer To change a layer s polarity right click on a layer within a composite to select a different polarity If you need to remove a layer from a composite click and drag the layer from the composite back to the Layer List Click the Delete Composite button to delete an existing composite This button does not delete any data or remove any data layers Only the association to other layers is removed 6 When you are finished click OK In the Color Bar and Layer Table your layers are now tagged as Composite Setup Layer Sets The Layer Sets selection displays a menu of items that allow you to setup different kinds of layer sets Setup Layer Sets View Edit Equivalent Hotkey Shift L This command allows you to create or change layer sets Layer sets allow you to simultaneously change the visibility state of multiple layers To create a layer set 1 Create or load the layers that you want to be part of the layer set 2 Select the Setup Layer Sets View Edit command The Layer Set Setup dialog b
442. t the design with the paste mask layers that you wish to create the stencils from 2 Use the Tools Paste Mask Optimize command to take care of properly undersizing the pads or If your design does not have paste mask layers use the Tools Paste Mask Generate command to create them 3 Select the Tools Stencils Setup Shapes command and define the stencil shapes you want to use 4 Select the Tools Stencils Manual Conversion command to teach the system which stencil shapes you want to associate with which original openings over pad pairs After selecting each pair of openings when you are asked whether you want to convert the matching openings click No It will still save the assignments you make but the openings will not be converted yet 5 Select the Tools Stencils Automatic Conversion command to specify which paste mask layers you wish to convert what destination layers to place the stencil data on and convert all the openings amp Tip Once you have completed steps 3 and 4 you can save the stencil definitions and associations to a file by clicking the Save button in the Automatic Stencil Conversion dialog box The next time you want to enhance a stencil using the same stencil shape definitions and associations you can skip steps 3 and 4 above Just select the Tools Stencils Automatic Conversion command click the Load button to load the file and run the conversion 70 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual GerbTool Command Reference
443. t to process data within a windowed area Otherwise the entire layer is processed 11 If you previously ran the Teardrop function and wish to delete any existing teardrops before creating new ones select Delete Existing Teardrops 12 When you are finished making your selections click OK 13 If you selected the Window option you are prompted to create your selection window 14 Teardrops are added to your specifications and any errors are logged to your report file as well as to the Analysis area of the Navigator Tools Fix SilkScreen Toolbar Button e The Fix SilkScreen command automatically clears silkscreen data away from pads S e eee SY Aw y aN 06 o 00 e e WW e amp e 6 6 e 9 amp e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e E e e e E Before After Running Fix SilkScreen 194 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual To run the Fix SilkScreen function 1 2 3 Make sure your layers are properly tagged in the Layer Table Select the Tools Fix SilkScreen command The Fixup SilkScreen dialog box appears In the Pad Layer box select the layer that contains the pads you wish to clear the silkscreen data from Alternatively you can select an NC layer and the function will clear the silkscreen from any drill data In the SilkScreen Layer box select the corresponding silkscreen layer 5 In the Min Spacing box specify the minimum clearance between the pads and the silkscreen
444. t unused number in the sequence and ascend from there The number you are starting with is in parentheses Sequence Number You manually specify the group number of the next hit you select 6 Select the Mark Items As Merge Data option to flag your NC data as merged Virtual Panelization will not step and repeat those merged items 7 Click the OK button 8 Use the Selection Filter to order the items as specified The Status Bar displays N ext P rev F irst L ast G oto indicating that typing the first letter of these commands will display an item using the next previous first last or explicitly specified group number 9 When you are finished press the Esc key to exit the function Tools NC Optimize Toolbar Button All NC machines should be told what order to create each drill hit or mill path If you do not optimize the tooling path the tooling within each group would happen in a completely random fashion There are two ways to optimize your data You can create your tooling path based on the tool number all data for Tool 1 is tooled first then Tool 2 etc or you can group your data so that sets of data are created in a specific sequence To optimize your NC data 1 If you want to optimize your NC data based on NC group order numbers first define your group order numbers with the Tools NC Set Group Order command It is recommended that you turn off the visibility of all your non NC layers Select th
445. ta Charts Charts Tools Drill Set Order Tools NC Set Group Order Manually define the order in which your drill hits and mill paths are created Tools Drill Optimize Tools NC Optimize Automatically define the most efficient order in which your drill hits and mill paths are created Tools Mill Rout Create Tools NC Create Path From Create mill paths either from existing drawn Add Mill Path data or by manually drawing them 45 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual None Edit NC Combine Paths Combine separate mill paths into one Tools Mill Rout Edit Delete Plunge Edit NC Path Properties To place the plunge on the mill path effectively deleting the plunge line the Plunge Length and Angle options should be set at 0 None A ditNCI ChangelMill Plunge Point Change the location of a plunge point Tools Mill Rout Edit Reverse Direction EditINC Reverse Path Direction Change the direction that a mill path is routed Tools Mill Rout Edit Delete Mill Edit Delete selecting a mill path Delete a mill path using the Selection Filter Add Break Tab paths Edit Copy data to drill hits Edit Copy Tools Convert Mill To Gerber Edit Copy Convert mill data to draws None Tools NC Drill Separate Move a set of drill hits based on tool number rom one NC layer to another Noe fo ls NCD rill Mask Create a drill mask Tools Drill Show Drill Path Tools NC Display Settings Define how NC data are displayed in the Tools Mill Rout Display Plunge Retr
446. tabase is fitted to the display Related topics View Save View Previous View View Tabs Delete If you have added additional views to the workspace using the View Tabs Add command you can delete them as well This does not affect any of the design data You cannot delete the Log and Main view tabs To delete view tabs 1 Click on the View Tab you wish to delete 2 Select the View View Tabs Delete command 3 You are asked to confirm your selection When you click Yes the view tab is immediately deleted 124 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Add menu The Add menu commands allow you to enter various types of new database items 0 Hash Draw 0 Rectangle Vertex O Circle Arc Ctr gt Arc3Pt i Aray Eh Polygon A Iet 4 Drill 1 Slot gt Mil Path NC Circle gt 2 Drilled Text Se Break Tab Heg Operator Message fer Optional Stop All circles and arcs are created using circular interpolation or with multiple line segments depending on the style indicated by the Options Arcs 360 command Use circular interpolation with care as not all photo plotters support circular interpolation Segmented circles and arcs use the chord angle specified using the Options Configure command Add Flash e Toolbar Button E This command allows you to add a flash to the active layer To add a flash 1 After you select the active layer and the D code in the Layer Bar select the Add Flash c
447. tackup If you have Blind Buried vias click the Setup Blind Buried Via Layer Sets button This opens the Layer Set Setup For Blind Buried Vias dialog box where you define the pairing of NC layers to circuit layers by creating layer sets 9 An NC layer with through hole drill information is necessary to determine layer to layer connectivity as well as direct connections to plane layers The system will automatically display your NC layer in the Thru hole Drill Layer box If you want to select a different NC layer click the arrow button and select the layer If you do not supply an 187 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual NC layer select None the netlist extract function will use the Aperture Table Type field to determine whether each pad is SMT or not 10 Select the Include Single Point Nets option if you wish to designate all isolated pads pins or vias as nets 11 If you created a Select Group of times to ignore during netlist generation select the Don t Include Items In Select Group option 12 If you previously generated a netlist and need to recreate it after modifying some data you can maintain your existing net name assignments by selecting the Preserve Existing Net Names option 13 Click the OK button to generate the netlist While the system is processing your date take note of the Status Indicator in the bottom right corner of in the main GerbTool window It will flash red when the system is working and turn green when finished
448. tems sequence number however you can enter it into the Seq No box and click the GoTo button The appropriate item will be found in the database and its information displayed below You can also click the lt lt or gt gt buttons to display the preceding or succeeding items respectively Delete Item To delete the item currently displayed in the Edit Item dialog box select the Delete Item option and click the Apply button Layer The Layer box displays the layer the currently selected item is displayed on with the layer s name displayed next to it To move the item to a different layer change the layer number you can also select a layer from a list by clicking the arrow button Then click the Apply button D Code Tool The D Code box displays the number of the D code used to create the selected item and the D code s properties are displayed next to it To change an item s D code change the D code number you can also select a D code from a list by clicking the arrow button Then click the Apply button To highlight each individual item that uses the selected D code click the Find button You can continuously click the Find button to cycle through all items If the item you have selected is on an NC layer the tool that is used for that item is displayed instead You can change or find the tool assignment just like a D code XY This box displays the coordinates of the currently selected object To change an item s coordinates cha
449. ter point data centered on it 3 Outer positive circle diameter 4 Inner negative circle diameter 5 Cross tie thickness negative data 6 Rotation in degrees counterclockwise clockwise 53 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Custom Aperture Examples SAMDONUT 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 ADD1ODONUT 0 60X0 40 ADD20DONUT 0 08X0 70 In the above example D10 is defined as a 60 mil donut with a 40 mil hole and D20 is defined as an 80 mil donut with a 70 mil hole Note that both D10 and D20 refer to the same aperture macro but have different sizes P En SAMTHSS3 20 1 0 200000 0 100000 0 000000 0 100000 0 000000 0 000000 20 0 0 100000 0 050000 0 000000 0 050000 0 000000 0 000000 20 0 0 030000 0 000000 0 000000 0 141400 0 000000 0 000000 20 0 0 030000 0 000000 0 000000 0 070700 0 122456 0 000000 20 0 0 030000 0 000000 0 000000 0 070700 0 122456 0 000000 ADD64THSS3 The above example assigns the aperture to D64 Absolute values are used in the Aperture Macro so no additional values are specified in the AD command SAMOCTAGON_DIA 5 1 8 0 0 0 09000 22 50000 21 0 0 04000 0 04000 0 0 45 00000 Example 274 X File If we export our example plot into a 274 X file this time in 2 4 absolute coordinates leading zero suppression we get the following file 54 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual LPD SLNLayer2 FSLAX24Y24 SMOIN SAD ADD10C 0 010000 ADD11R 0 005000
450. tes the detected data format for each file To override the detected format click on the appropriate entry If the file is Gerber the Gerber Import Data Format dialog box appears See File Import Gerber for details on using this dialog box A Tip In order for a 274 X file to be properly recognized it must have a 6FS statement Format Statement and at least one 6ADD statement Aperture Definition If you know your files are 274 X but are not recognized as such you should check your file in a text editor for these statements If the Format Statement is missing you can either manually add it to the file in the text editor or specify the settings in the Gerber Import Data Format dialog box The file should then import without further issues If the Aperture Definition statement is missing you can specify the format settings in the Gerber Import Data Format dialog box The file will import without any aperture definitions which you can add later if desired using the Setup Apertures command If you need further information regarding Gerber file formats see Gerber for Beginners Ifthe file is an aperture list the Select Converter dialog box appears GerbTool has already selected an appropriate aperture converter to use for your aperture list if one is available To override the selection select a different converter to use from the Data Format list You can have your selection applied to all incoming aperture lists by clicking the Appl
451. that corresponds with your PADS drill file To import an NC file 1 Select the File Import NC Drill Mill command The Import NC dialog box appears A Tip If your file name has an extension that does not appear in the Files of type list select the Options Configure command and click on the Paths Files Extensions tab Add your file extension to the Default Extensions list for your Drill or Mill files 78 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Select the file to import and click the Open button The Import NC Data dialog box appears In the Destination Layer box select the layer to place the NC data Select an NC Tool Table to place your tool definitions You can create a new tool table or add to an existing tool table if another database is already loaded Because NC files do not contain decimal points a number such as X19485 could mean 1 9485 inches 19 485 inches or 194 85 inches To help limit the possibilities the system assumes that the minimum board size is 2 5 inches and the maximum size is 25 inches With these base values it can then determine the accurate coordinate M N format and size of your board The detected board dimensions are indicated above the thumbnail view of the design If the indicated size is significantly larger or smaller than the actual design you can click the Set Min Max Board Size button and specify a more accurate range for the board GerbTool will then recalculate the size based upon those limits
452. that match the size of the NC tools do not exist new apertures are created If you wish to convert only selected data use the Edit Copy command To convert NC data to Gerber 1 Select the Tools Convert NC To Gerber command The NC To Gerber dialog box appears 2 In the Source Layer box select the NC layer with the drill and or mill data to be converted 3 In the Destination layer box select the layer that is to receive the converted data 4 Click the OK button and your data are converted Tools Convert To Custom Toolbar Button e This command converts existing database items into a custom aperture By nature custom apertures are graphical entities Therefore once converted they are assigned to their own D code and do not contain any references to the previous layer or D code assignments of the items they were created from An exception to this is NC tool assignments Since custom apertures are created automatically when importing drill files that contain Step and Repeat commands tool assignments are internally stored in custom apertures To change the tool assignments within an existing custom aperture use the Custom Aperture Editor To convert data to a custom aperture 1 Turn on only the layers that contain the items you wish to convert to a custom aperture 2 Select the Tools Convert To Custom command 209 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual 3 Using the Selection Filter window around the data to convert to a custom
453. the newfile fnt file to the GerbTool 15 1 folder and rename it to stroke fnt 14 You may now start GerbTool and use the modified font to create text 227 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Sample GerbTool Netlist nl File The following is a sample netlist file created by the Tools NetlistiSave command This net was saved using net numbers instead of user data for labeling The number pairs are the coordinates of the net points NET 1 825 4600 2300 5225 2300 5325 2700 4750 NET 2 875 4700 975 4700 NET 3 900 4500 1300 1600 1300 4200 1350 4500 NET 4 900 4600 2400 5175 2400 5275 2400 5375 NET 5 975 3375 1700 3375 1700 3475 NET 6 975 4000 1100 3900 1600 4200 NET 7 3300 4000 3400 3375 3400 3700 3400 3800 3400 3900 3500 3675 3500 4050 NET 8 975 4800 1300 5000 NET 9 1000 4400 1000 4500 1100 4200 1200 1600 NET 10 1100 3375 1500 2725 2125 2625 NET 11 1200 2325 1400 1000 1400 2725 2725 750 NET 12 1200 3075 2275 3050 2275 3150 NET 13 1300 3375 2125 2525 NET 14 1400 1300 1600 1300 1600 2725 2525 750 228 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Color List File When starting up GerbTool loads a color list file named color rgb GerbTool reads first the available colors from a RGB color name pair list and second a list of current choice colors The current choice colors specified will be those presented whenever you select colors within GerbTool i e flash and draw colors You may modify both the color name pair list and the c
454. the Documentation Drawing Drill Add Hole Chart command for a description of the dialog box options 3 When you are finished click the OK button The title block is automatically updated 4 Select another title block or press the Esc key to exit the function mRelated topics Documentation Drawing Drill Delete Hole Chart Documentation Drawing Drill Update Hole Charts Toolbar Button Use this command if you have made modifications to your data that affect the drill information Selecting this command automatically updates all drill charts Documentation Drawing Fabrication The Fabrication command presents a menu of fabrication drawing functions Documentation Drawing Fabrication Add Note Balloon Toolbar Button 4 The Add Note Balloon command allows you to add a note balloon to the current drawing layer To add a fabrication note balloon 1 Make the layer that you want the note balloon associated with the active layer The layer must be tagged as a Drawing layer see Setup Layers 2 Select the Documentation Drawing Fabrication Add Note Balloon command The Add Note Balloon dialog box appears with the following options Symbol Shape Specifies that the note balloon is to have a triangle circle or square appear around the text Height The character height of the text to be added Width The character width of the text to be added Rotation The angle in degrees of each line of text where 0 is horiz
455. the Location Alignment value you specified To fix this the mask opening is moved to the same location as the pad Mask Opening Minimum Undersize Error The mask opening is not undersized by at least the minimum specified undersize To fix this the mask opening is undersized by the specified amount 15 After making your selections click OK to execute the optimization 192 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Related topics Tools Stencils Tools Snoman M Toolbar Button E Snoman is a tool designed to create a maximum material condition at the point where a trace segment enters a pad thereby eliminating the possibility of pad trace separation breakout This is accomplished by examining a layer and outputting pad flashes of the correct size at the correct locations Automatic adjustments are made to the size and location of the generated Snoman pads to eliminate design rule spacing violations Snoman is primarily designed for working with very small pads and traces such as micro vias that are 30 mils or less but can be used anywhere to prevent pad trace separation Snoman derives its unusual name from the appearance of a Snoman pad placed on top of a host pad which resembles a snowman The following illustration shows the original pad and trace as well as the resulting Snoman pad Host Pad Snoman Pad Trace Host Offset The distance maintained between the host pad center and the edge of the generated Snoman pad see Host Offset in the i
456. the draws for each instance can significantly reduce the size of the generated file bs export a DXF file Because DXF does not support the concept of polarity items with clear or negative polarity will not appear correctly when the file is imported into other applications If you have items with negative clear polarity in your database run the Tools Convert Composite To Layer command to convert everything to positive dark data 2 Select the File Export DXF command The Export DXF dialog box appears 3 In the Output File box specify the filename you wish to use for the DXF file By default the file is saved in GerbTool s Samples folder Use the browse button if you wish to save to a different folder or find a file to overwrite 93 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual 4 The export function produces a report file which contains a summary of the DXF file the number of layers flash inserts lines polygons and blocks Enter a name for the txt file in the Report File box 5 Select Metric to have the coordinates in the DXF file expressed in millimeters Otherwise coordinates are in inches 6 Select Batch Mode to output each visible layer in a design to a separate file If the Output File box is empty the output filenames will be derived from each layers filename and the current output filename extension If the output field contains a name a number is appended representing each layer s respective number 7 Select Output Endcaps to h
457. the preview Take note of the Status Indicator in the main GerbTool window It will flash red when the system is calculating your changes and turn green when finished Dot pattern Select the Shape and Size of your dots Choose whether to have the offset spacing between the dots measured to the edge or center of the dots Define the spacing between dots in the X and Y directions To create a staggered pattern of dots select the Stagger option and decide which row should be offset To have them staggered like the below example the Row 2 offset should be half the value of the Spacing Between Columns amount and the Row 1 offset should be zero Select the polarity of your pattern 184 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Hatch pattern You can define up to 3 lines The Size is the thickness of the line The Spacing Between Centers is the distance between the lines measured from their centers The Angle is the angle of each line in degrees Select the polarity of your pattern Star Burst pattern Select the number of spokes lines you want in the star burst pattern and the desired width of each spoke as measured at the panel s edge Define the angle of the first spoke in the panel this is the spoke at 0 0 or 12 o clock Select the polarity of your pattern Save amp Load Pattern buttons Click the Save Pattern button to save the pattern definitions as a pat file for future use Click the Load Pattern button to load a previously created pattern
458. the text depends upon which format you are working with Excellon or Sieb A Meyer as specified in the NC Configuration Settings and the drill tool you use to create it larger tools will result in larger text Because placement of the characters is based on a grid characters may not all be the size but the space occupied by each is the same For Excellon the size is 4 dill hits wide by 7 hits high for Sieb 8 Meyer they are 5 hits wide by 7 hits high Both formats define the spacing between the drill hits as 1 2 times the drill size or 0 0417 inches if no tool size is defined To add drilled text 1 Select the desired NC layer as the active layer in the Layer Bar 2 Select the drill tool you wish to use to create the text as the active tool 3 Select the Add Drilled Text command The Add Drilled Text dialog box appears 4 Choose whether you want the orientation of the text to be Horizontal or Vertical LL t 3 d E pmet HORIZONTAL TEAT q LEL Lil We 5 The Text Entry field at the bottom displays the text that is to be added Type in your desired text here Or To load a file that contains text you wish to insert click the Load button and select the file The two drill formats support slightly different character sets so if a character is not supported the space is left blank when you place the text in the workspace Both formats support all alphabetic upper case only and numeric characters and the foll
459. tial errors in the list press and hold down the Shift key then select the first and last error in the group Release the Shift key when you are finished 2 Right click on the error list A shortcut menu appears Select the Highlight command to remove the checkmark The highlighting in the workspace is removed To find the location of an open or short in the workspace 1 Right click on the Open or Short in the error list A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Pin Point Error command The system zooms to the location of the error and places a bounding box around the area where the open or short is located To hide fixed errors in the Navigator 1 Right click on the Analysis heading A shortcut menu appears 19 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual 2 Select the Show Fixed command to remove the checkmark All fixed errors those marked with a green X icon are hidden from view If you wish to view these errors again select the Show Fixed command again Fixing Errors To automatically fix errors To view the results of the fixes we recommend that you highlight them before you fix them Note that GerbTool may not be able to automatically fix some errors and cannot fix netlist or layer comparison problems You will have to modify the data for those errors yourself 1 To fix an individual error right click on it A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Fix command When the error is fixed the round X icon next to the error turns green
460. tire layer is processed Click OK If you selected the Window option define your selection window The pads are processed according to your selections Tools Pad Removal Stacked Selecting this command will remove any unnecessary pads that are stacked one on top of another or are completely buried and on the same layer To remove stacked pads 1 2 Select one of the Tools Convert Drawn Pads commands to convert drawn pads to flashes If you wish to process more than one layer turn on the layers you wish to process and turn off the layers you do not wish to process Select the Tools Pad Removal Stacked command The Stacked Pad Removal dialog box appears In the Layer box select the layer to remove stacked pads from Define a Tolerance if you want any pads that are offset from each other within a certain amount to be considered stacked If you wish to only process a select window of pads select the Window option Otherwise the entire layer is processed 195 T GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Click OK If you selected the Window option define your selection window The pads are processed according to your selections Tools NC The NC commands control the creation and optimization of NC data To control the display of NC data in the workspace as well as specify the dialect of the machine or controller you intend to use select the Options Configure command and use the options under the NC Settings t
461. tlist the system automatically creates the netlist without presenting you with any options such as including single point nets If you have special requirements for generating the netlist do not select the Generate New Netlist From Artwork option and instead run the Tools Netlist Generate function after you have imported your database 6 Click OK and your database is imported If you selected the Assign Net Data To External Net Layer option an External Net layer is created in addition to your other layers Viewed by itself this layer appears to contain no data However this layer contains the external netlist information and links the external net points to the appropriate top inner bottom layer net test points To view the points turn on the associated top bottom and inner layers and the external net layer The net points are displayed in four ways for easy reference NY Top Layer Net Point ZA Bottom Layer Net Point d Inner Layer Met Point Thru hole Net Point If you selected the Run Netlist Compare option GerbTool automatically displays discrepancies in the Navigator which you may use to view the errors in the workspace and print reports If you need to change any data to fix errors you should then re run the Netlist Compare command to verify that the fix was accurate Once no more errors exist you can use the Tools Netlist Apply External Net Names command to apply the external net names to the database if you wish Related to
462. to control some aspects of GerbTool s low level operations Typically you would be instructed by GerbTool Technical Support personnel on how to modify this parameter The value is entered as a hexadecimal number File MRU Size Controls how many files appear in the Most Recently Used list in the File menu Enable Undo Redo This controls whether the saving of Undo information is on or off and whether it should be initially on upon startup If Undo is currently enabled and you disable it any current Undo information will be destroyed and Undo will then be disabled This should only be disabled if you do not want to be able to Undo any edits you perform and want to free any memory that might be used by the Undo buffer Tip The current Undo status is shown in the Status Bar Display This tab displays the current settings that affect the GerbTool desktop Grid You may select a pre defined grid size or by entering a value in the size X Y fields you may specify a non standard grid size Film Box You may change the current film box size by editing the size X Y fields The default color of the film box is yellow However if you open a gtd file that has a different film box color specified it will override the default setting That new color will become the default for new databases unless you change it You can change the film box color by clicking on the Color button and selecting a new one from the Color Selector If you wish to hide th
463. to save the current design as a GerbTool database gtd file This command does not clear the current workspace you may continue to work on the current design after saving It does not overwrite any files that may have been imported Related topics File Export FilelSave As Select this command to save the current design under a different filename The design is saved in the GerbTool gtd database format This command does not clear the current workspace you may continue to work on the newly named design after saving It does not overwrite any files that may have been imported mRelated topics File Export Filellmport The Import commands are used to open database files of various formats If you wish to open a GerbTool gtd or dsn file use the FilelOpen command instead File Import Import Wizard This command opens the Import Wizard The Wizard allows you to specify which files Gerber aperture lists GerbTool databases Drill files etc you wish to import assign aperture lists to specific Gerber files and order the loading sequence GerbTool automatically recognizes the file types and imports the specified files into the first empty block of consecutive layers found D codes with multiple definitions are automatically remapped to new D codes as needed To use the Import Wizard 1 Make sure all the files you wish to import are in the same folder 2 Select the File lmport Import Wizard command Page 1 of the Import Wizard appear
464. to select 3 In the workspace click on the lower left corner of the desired selection area The selection window is now attached to your cursor 4 Move your cursor and click on the upper right corner of the desired selection area The selected items are highlighted and you are prompted to select a move from point 5 Click on an anchor point where the items will be attached in relation to your cursor An outline of the data being moved is attached to your cursor 6 Move your cursor to the desired location for the move and click to place it Or You can select exact coordinates for your placement in the XY Bar A Tip If you select data from more than one layer i e more than one layer is visible then the data will be moved into their respective source layers 7 Select other items to move or press the Esc key to end the function To move a Select Group 1 Use the Edit Select New Group command to create a Select Group 2 Select the Edit Move command 3 In the Selection Filter select Group mode All other types of filters are not applicable 4 Click on an anchor point where the items will be attached in relation to your cursor An outline of the data being moved is attached to your cursor 5 Move your cursor to the desired location for the move and click to place it Or You can select exact coordinates for your placement in the XY Bar A Tip If your Select Group contains items from more than one layer then t
465. to the machine operator before or after the hit is made Optional Stop Indicates if the machine is stopped before or after the hit is made Drilled Circle Tool The tool number used for the circle Tool Size The size of the tool used for the circle Plated Yes means the circle is plated No means it is unplated Center The X Y location of the circle s center point Diameter The diameter of the circle Area The total square area of the circle Layer The layer the circle is on Layer Type The type of layer the item is on SeqNo The item s order in the Gerber database Item 1 is the first item listed in the Gerber file item 2 is the second etc NC Group The NC Group number that the circle belongs to Export Order The circle s order number in the drill sequence If a value of 1 is shown then the order is not set NC optimization has not been run Net The net number that the item belongs to if any Operator Message Indicates if an operator message is displayed to the machine operator before or after the circle is made Optional Stop Indicates if the machine is stopped before or after the circle is made 27 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Drilled Text Tool The tool number for the text being queried Tool Size The size of the tool used for the text Plated Yes means the text is plated No means it is unplated Location The X Y location of the insertion point of the text usually the lower left corner of th
466. truct Embedded Passive command in the Navigator s right click menu or the Tools Embedded Passives Build Embedded Passive command 201 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Prior to exporting your embedded passive data it is recommended that you use the Analysis IDRC MRC command and run the embedded passive analyses This will ensure that your data are properly aligned sized etc Tools Embedded Passives Mark Resistor Flashes The Tools Embedded Passives Find command allows you to have the system automatically mark all the flashes on your passive layers as resistor shapes You can also manually mark each flash as resistor shapes using the Mark Resistor Flashes command A Tip This can also be done in the Navigator See the Embedded Passives topic To manually mark resistor shapes 1 Use the Setup Layers command to organize and tag your layers 2 Select the Tools Embedded Passives Find command In the Find Embedded Passives dialog box select only the Convert Drawn Resistor Shapes To Flashes option Do not select Identify Resistor Flashes or Build Embedded Passive Resistor Objects O r Select one of the Tools Convert Drawn Pads commands to convert the drawn resistor shapes on your passive layers to flashes After converting your data to flashes note that all the flashes now appear Navigator under Embedded Passives lt passive layer name gt Non Embedded Passive Flashes 3 Select the Tools Embedded Passives Mark Resistor Flashes comm
467. ts Inches Author Date Shape D10 Round D11 Square D12 Oblong D13 Bullet D14 Moire D15 Ellipse D16 custom D17 Hexagon D18 Butterfly D19 Triangle D20 Rectangle D21 Octagon D22 Donut D23 Diamond D24 Thermal Width OO OO OO OO OO OO OO 004000 006000 010000 018000 025000 050000 100000 150000 015000 030000 040000 040000 070000 076000 0 Round 4 4f60 afc8 044000 ooo0oo0oo0o0000 000000 Height 004000 006000 007500 018000 025000 050000 080000 129900 015000 040000 015000 040000 070000 025000 044000 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual GerbTool GT Fabricator 13 0 Wed Jul 30 10 04 45 2003 Type ThruHole ThruHole ThruHole ThruHole ThruHole ThruHole Tool OO OO OO Tool Size SMT 0 0 0 DO ThruHole 0 0 0 SMT SMT SMT SMT SMT SMT Therma 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 oooooo0o o oooooo0o o oooooo oooooo DO DO DO DO DO DO DO DO DO DO DO DO DO 0 DO oOoooooo Legend ooooo R90 Angle Properties 0 2750 25 3b88 0 6338 4a6a O b298 b298 0 2 27b0 15d4 27b0 f80c 0 0 1 018 1f018 3e030 319c0 0 0 5d048 508da 17412 O 94d4 Round 0 129a8 18ce0 O 18ce0 94d4 2 f 9ec 0 18ce0 18ce0 7416 0 2b688 208e6 Round O 2 210 80c 0 0 1b490 1b490 4 60 Parallel Round Warning about 274 D Because 274 D does not have the notion of a custom aperture if you export an aperture list that contains custom apert
468. tton This command allows you to specify the D code and color used when adding redline information Redline information is virtual it is associated with a particular layer so its visibility is determined by whether the associated layer is visible but it does not exist on a layer To define redline properties 1 Select the Documentation Redline Properties command The Redline Properties dialog box appears with the following options Active Layer This allows you to specify the D code and color used when adding subsequent redline information on the currently active layer Existing D code information is not affected by changing these properties In other words the properties that are actually used when adding redlines are those specified for the Active Layer This allows you to specify and save different colors and D codes for use in different layers Default All redlining is created using the Default settings unless you override them for individual layers by changing the Active Layer settings You may change the default line size and or line color used The specified line size will be mapped to an appropriate D code 2 When you are finished click the OK button to save your settings Documentation Redline View Redlining Toolbar Button ES The View Redlining command toggles the view of redline information for all of the currently visible layers on and off When turned on the redlining information will appear on the screen as
469. tton is selected GerbTool panelizes your data using copies not step amp repeat codes This results in a bigger database size but it allows you to manipulate the individual copies after panelization is completed Virtual Clicking the Virtual button in the Panelize dialog box allows GerbTool to panelize your design without actually duplicating layer data it uses step amp repeat codes The benefits of virtual panelization include automatic updating of all images if you alter the master image and drastically reduced file sizes However you are prevented from manipulating the individual panelized images The display of virtual panels may be toggled on off using the Ctrl V hotkey Step amp Repeat Codes If your designs are to be plotted on a 274 X or FIRE9XXX compatible plotter GerbTool will automatically insert the proper step amp repeat codes into your Gerber data Although no data are duplicated during virtual panelization the data origin is modified to center the images within the panel Therefore it is still necessary to save your design after panelization GerbTool will also insert step amp repeat codes into NC data if the Virtual button is enabled This may be useful in drilling large panels if your NC equipment has limited memory Current Panel Virtual panelization requires that you setup layer sets The names assigned to the existing virtual layer sets appear in the Current Panel list Select the set of layers that yo
470. turn off the highlighting double click on the external net again Or 1 Right click on the name of the net you wish to highlight A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Highlight command All the points for that external net are highlighted in the workspace To turn off the highlighting simply select the Highlight command again it is a toggle To highlight a single external net point 1 Click on the plus box next to the name of the net that contains the desired point The net points are listed by type You can view more information about each point by clicking on the plus box net to it 2 Double click on the desired external net point Its location is highlighted in the workspace To turn off the highlighting double click on the external net point in the Navigator again Or 2 Right click on the desired external net point and a shortcut menu appears 3 Select the Highlight command The external net location is highlighted in the workspace To turn off the highlighting select the Highlight command again it is a toggle Composites To see a list of all the composites in your design click the plus box next to the Composites heading All composite information may be modified using the Navigator To add a new composite 1 Right click on the Composites heading A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Add Composites command A new composite with a system default name appears in the Composites list To delete a composite 1
471. u TEE 3 Toolbar Button Reference A 3 E VE 6 RRE Ire 6 Data Tabo EE 6 Commands Taburete a aan ens ss et eee e 23 GEERT ee aa odas a 25 Item Properties Display Rm 26 EE 31 eet EE EN A E 32 Aerial Daria a EE enee gehen 32 Sale TEE 33 HOTKEYS EE 35 MOUSE AND FUNCTION KEY COMMANDS eceeeeeeeeeeeees rr 37 Mouse Functions TET 37 Function Key picada 37 DIALOG BOXES a ida 38 KRIER e 38 nsi 38 ACCESSING el Px PEE 39 d igeiiuiusmicm 40 Hotkeys Execute Immediately 2 21 dee deret nidi i erae cb ed ah ans dans aay 40 Interrupting Redraws and Highlights 2 ince tite a eder dee eed da EROR Luar e rdc d ele oe 40 Bieles late 40 Using the Selection EE 40 Copying to the Windows Clipboard rie rrt ree rib rr be ee rtp dia aee Ed se bue reda eden 40 Programming Your Mouse and Function keys ener rr rra 40 Memory Considerations menni id nei t anid e Ba eeu ed E Der ale dab ed epa Sra abe ands a 40 TUTORIALS 42 USING Hai 42 Changes in Drill and MilIFUNCIONS void rhet rece rede br bah s dee td brute eda epee 45 Gerber for De DREES seier ski dekoriert du 47 Gerber for Beglnners ien rotes ree bd e roce able Eu redde a ceu 47 Working with eu 57 Working with Composites 12 licita iii iii 60 Performing DRC amp DFF Analyses
472. u can increase the size of the box by pressing the PgUp hotkey or decrease the size for increased accuracy by pressing the PgDn hotkey Use the Selection Filter if necessary and click on the item you want to measure from If more than one item is at the selected location a Choose Selection dialog box appears where you can select your desired item Click on the item you want to measure to The actual distance between the edges of the items in X and Y as well as true length is displayed in the Status Bar To measure between the first selected item and another item press the Esc key and select another item O r To measure between two different items press the Esc key twice watch the prompt in the Status Bar and click on the desired items Or If you are finished press the Esc key three times Query Measure Center To Center ER Toolbar Button Z The Center To Center command measures the actual distance between the centers of two items You can select any item that is on a visible layer To measure between the centers of two items 1 Zoom or pan to the items you wish to measure between in the workspace To aid in your selection turn off any layers that you do not need to be visible Select the Query Measure Center To Center command You are prompted to select the first item A bounding box is added to the cursor Anything that falls within this bounding box is a potential selection You can
473. u oi eoi pt tette Meeks eset lest abate eta d eset 71 duplicate data gts trees 18 167 DXF command eee tette ere e bei ei 82 93 DXF files exporting pie dade deli td eee teet 93 Importihg EE 73 82 E Edge To Edge Commande 172 edit let 57 137 Clo DDR 102 blind buried layer sets sse 143 brealctabS c uitae trae te EE 115 117 239 edit con t COMPOSE S eene 60 142 construction Ines 158 CUStOM APETIUT S iiien iiini iniii diei iia aaa 9 di ne 157 draws di a tiec Drs e ero ee aec ve d 102 all harte aieo tod tee vereri edet Ce ote ehe vende 159 A a EN 102 elle e 102 rill tele EE 143 drilled circles xo ree vertat eter o oe A Eee 102 drilled A EE 102 106 fabrication note balloons seessnennnieneessnerrerssnern 161 flashes tote delere o tere ete etre 102 layer Setsz iit iin aane a ent 142 EVT 136 millipathis i teen 102 Mill tools 00 adi 143 milled ele iia aid 102 NG tools niit roce ee etis 143 operator messages seseseee eA 115 e EE 102 Te WEE 100 text isi enis uod i EH 102 106 undo iiri ndn deci nidis 99 USer data EE 102 En dE 107 Se ln 99 ellipse apertures iinn aan ai 137 e mail design files sseeeene 98 Embedded Passive command 170 embedded passives oooooconocococcnccccoconononcncnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn 15 defining iieri tur RE 15 69 200 202 cile M Nr ME 18 162 highlighting
474. u selected the Specify Compensation Direction option you are prompted to select the offset direction Click on the side of the mill path where you want the offset applied 17 Click on the starting point of the mill path Your mill path is created Note the following symbols are used to represent the plunge and extraction points Plunge Point Extraction Point 197 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Tools NC Drill Separate This command allows you to move a set of drill hits from an NC layer to a new NC layer The drill hits are selected by tool number and plating status To separate drills onto a new NC layer 1 Select the Tools NC Drill Separate command The Drill Separate dialog box appears 2 In the Source Layer box specify the NC layer that contains the drill hits you wish to move 3 In the Destination Layer box specify the empty layer that you wish to move the drill hits to 4 Each tool is listed by number with its size provided for your reference The Plated and Non plated columns contain check boxes for each tool Select whether to move the plated or non plated or both hits for each desired tool by clicking on the appropriate check box next to each tool If no selection is made for a tool none of the drill hits created by that tool will be moved To select all plated hits for every tool click on the Plated column heading To select all non plated hits for every tool click on the Non plated column heading 5 Click the OK butt
475. u wish to include in the panel from the list Setup Virtual Panels If you wish to create a new layer set click the Setup Virtual Panels button and select the Add command In the dialog box type a name to your layer set and click OK Then in the Layer Set Setup For Virtual Panels dialog box drag the desired layers for the set from the Layer List to the Layer Set List Click OK when you are done You may now create a panel from this layer set If you wish to delete a layer set whether it is inactive or a virtual panel that you have already created select the desired panel from the Current Panel list Click the Setup Virtual Panels button and select the Delete command If the layer set was used in a virtual panel the step and repeat images from the virtual panel are deleted when you click OK in the Panelize dialog box If you wish to modify a layer set whether it is inactive or a virtual panel that you have already created select the desired panel from the Current Panel list Click the Setup Virtual Panels button and select the Modify command The Layer Set Setup For Virtual Panels dialog box appears where you can change the layers that are in the set If the layer set was used in a virtual panel the step and repeat images are changed when you click OK in the Panelize dialog box Auto Calculate Select this option if you want the system to determine how many copies to place on the panel based on values you enter for spacing between
476. u would like to use for all your designs you are provided with a file in the Macros folder called demo mac which includes a macro called SetLayerColors Use the following steps to utilize this macro 1 Open the demo mac file the Macro Developer and edit it to specify your desired colors Save the file and return to the main GerbTool window 2 Select the Macro Load command and load the demo mac file 3 Select the Macro Run command and run the SetLayerColors macro A Tip If you wish to run the SetLayerColors macro automatically when GerbTool starts rename it to OnStartup To run it whenever you select the FilelOpen command rename it to OnOpen 34 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Hotkeys Hotkeys also known as nested commands are available anytime GerbTool has prompted you to enter a point or is idle All hotkeys are executed immediately without affecting the current command Some hotkeys are a toggle which means that pressing the key will turn a mode on or off When a hotkey has an equivalent menu command it is indicated Equivalents for most hotkeys are also available through a right click context sensitive shortcut menu if enabled Key Command Key Command 1 90 Bringalayer 1 10 to top Oor MiewZoomOut Ctri 1 9 0 Bring a layer 11 20 to top A Tumonalllayers E Mepa B ToggeViewBacsile Quemfltem O Shift B SetupayerSetsBind Buied RB MewRedraw Ctrl C Enter relative coordinates
477. uch as Netlist Compare and Design Rule Checking Toolbar Button To generate a netlist 1 Using the Setup Layers command make sure that each layer is tagged with the correct layer type This is required so that the system understands what each layer is 2 Remove any extraneous data on your electrical layers that are outside the perimeter of the board such as title blocks targets crop marks etc A Tip We recommend that any documentation for the board be done on a separate Drawing layer If you wish to keep the data placing it on a drawing layer assures it will not interfere with any processing 3 Select one of the Tools Convert Drawn Pads commands to convert any drawn pads to flashes 4 Use the Analysis DRC MRC command to make sure your layers are properly aligned If any layers are misaligned you can use the Edit Align Layers command to align them 5 Use the Tools Pad Removal Stacked command to remove any redundant pads 6 If you wish to exclude any data from the netlist generation process use the Edit Select New Group command to create a Select Group 7 Select the Tools Netlist Generate command The Netlist Generation dialog box appears 8 By default the system will generate a Conventional netlist and assume you do not use any MCM LTCC technology or Blind Buried vias If you are using MCM LTCC technology click the Setup MCM LTCC Stackup button This opens the MCM LTCC Setup dialog box where you define your layer s
478. uipment There are also many other new features and enhancements related to working with NC data which made it necessary to alter many of the existing menu commands in the user interface Following is a migration table that lists the NC related menu commands prior to version 14 0 and their new equivalents Click on the new command links to view detailed instructions Pre V14 0 Command Equivalent Command in V14 0 Function of V14 0 Command File Import Drill File Import NC Drill Mill Import drill and mill files File lmport Mill Rout File Import Drill Tool List File Import NC Tool List Import drill and mill tool lists File Export Mill Rout tab in a mill path mill path item dd Slot one one Add NC CirdejDrilled None Add NC Circle Milled CCW Inside Add a milled circle Add NC Circle Milled CCW Outside Add NC Circle Milled CW Inside Add NC Circle Milled CCW Outside machine operator when drilling milling None Add Optional Stop Add a command to stop the machine when drilling milling elements Setup Mill Tools your database ocumentation Drawing Drill Add Hole ChartDocumentation Drawing Drill Add Hole Chart Create a drill chart Documentation Drawing Drill Delete Hole Documentation Drawing Drill Delete Hole Delete a drill chart Chart Chart i i i i Documentation Drawing Drill Modify Hole Modify a drill chart Chart Chart i i i Documentation Drawing Drill Update Hole Update a drill chart after changing drill da
479. ull page report is created for each individual error It contains a picture of the data in question both zoomed in and a diagram showing where it is in the design area the date file name units of measure information about the error and the item that caused the error To generate a summary report file for all errors of a particular type 1 Right click on the desired error category such as DRC A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Report command A Save As dialog box appears 3 Select the desired folder and specify the report file name A text file containing information for all your errors is created To print reports for all the errors of a particular type 1 Right click on the desired error category such as DRC A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Print All command The reports are sent to your default printer A full page report is created for each individual error It contains a picture of the data in question both zoomed in and a diagram showing where it is in the design area the date file name units of measure information about the error and the item that caused the error To generate a summary report file for an individual error 1 Right click on the desired error A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Report command A Save As dialog box appears 3 Select the desired folder and specify the report file name A text file containing information for the error is created To print a report for an individual err
480. ult settings that you save To apply the saved default settings to imported files just click the Use Default button and any detected format settings are overridden 8 Take note of the thumbnail view prior to completing the import process If everything looks correct click the OK button to import the file If data are imported with an incorrect format specified they will be loaded with unpredictable results If you inadvertently import a file incorrectly use the Undo command and re import If you import your data to an existing NC layer whose tool table already contains tool definitions you will be prompted to resolve any conflicts You are also warned if any items have no associated tool defined Select the Setup NC Tools command to view which tools are currently in use and to add or change tool definitions File Import NC Tool List This command allows you to import a Drill Tool List file Tool list conversion is accomplished using the same ACR rule file technology as used by the Import Aperture List command If you already have a tool list converter you wish to use copy the associated conversion rule file into the ToolConv folder located in the main GerbTool installation folder Tip This is only used for importing tool lists that were created by other programs If you are wish to load a GerbTool nct file use the Setup NC Tools command and click the Load button in the NC Tool Setup dialog box To import an NC tool list 1 Sele
481. uration dialog box and select the Macro Load command to load the macro file 4 Click the Add button to add your new User menu command You can use the Move Up and Move Down buttons to reorder the User menu commands To remove an item from the menu select the item in the Menu Label list and click the Remove button If you add an item and then want to change it you must remove it and re add it Macro Files This tab displays a list where you select which Macro files you want to load automatically the next time you start GerbTool this does not run the macros it simply makes them available for running on demand If you want to run a macro immediately use the Macro Load command to load the macro and then select Macro Run Filename This list shows all Macro files found in the Source Folder You may select or unselect Macro files to load as required 177 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Source Folder Allows you to specify the folder where the macros are located The default location is the GerbTool macros folder To add additional macro files simply copy them into the folder specified by the Source Folder field Units and Precision This tab displays the current units and precision settings that are used to represent sizes and distances i e coordinates Change the settings as desired Warning There is a possibility of rounding errors when you switch between different settings Use care when making changes Hot Keys Right clicking
482. ure Editor File toolbar View Status Bar This command toggles the display of the Custom Aperture Editor Status Bar at the bottom of the window View View Bar This command toggles the display of the Custom Aperture Editor View toolbar Add Circle Use this command to add a filled circle to your custom aperture To add a circle 1 Select the Add Circle command An outline of the circle is attached to your cursor and you are prompted to select the location for it 2 If you would like to change the diameter of the circle enter the value in the Width Diameter text box in the Graphics Toolbar If you would like to place the circle as negative data select the Negative option in the Graphics Toolbar 3 Click on the location of the circle You can click on more locations as desired or right click to end the command Add Line Use this command to add a line to your custom aperture To create line segments 1 Select the Add Line command If you would like to change the width of the line enter the value in the Width Diameter text box in the Graphics Toolbar If you would like to place the line as negative data select the Negative option in the Graphics Toolbar 2 Click on the location of the first end point of your line A representation of the line is now attached to your cursor 3 Move your cursor to the location of the next vertex in your line and click on it You may continue to add vertices to your line 4 After you have pl
483. ure dialog box you may program both the mouse buttons and function keys F1 F12 with commands that you frequently use and in a layout that you find comfortable Memory Considerations GerbTool was developed to operate in true 32 bit protected mode with virtual memory This allows GerbTool to address the entire memory range of the CPU even if the actual installed amount of memory real memory is less While virtual memory is a very powerful feature there is no substitute for real memory for maximum speed You should also keep in mind that other applications that you may have running on your computer such as e mail programs and other utilities that run in the background often use a significant amount of available memory This can cause performance problems in GerbTool because not enough memory may be available to process large amounts of data For example if you have no other applications running on a 256 MB system 20 MB of Gerber files will load quickly into GerbTool If you load those same files while other applications are running you may notice a lot of disk activity as the virtual memory manager begins to thrash due to the disproportionately small amount of real memory available 40 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual If you receive an error message such as memory allocation error this indicates that your system has exhausted its allocated swap space You can help keep the swap file usage down by occasional use of the Edit Purge command and d
484. ures the customs are listed but not completely defined only their size is indicated Custom apertures can be saved to library files for future use If you re import an aperture list that contains custom apertures they are defined as moires You will then have to use the Custom Ap button in the Aperture Setup dialog box to reload or define your custom apertures Use of 274 X will avoid these issues because the custom aperture definitions are contained within the 274 X data 220 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual ACR Files An Automatic Conversion Rule ACR file is an ASCII file used to describe a particular aperture list or tool list format using simple conversion language statements In addition to providing the ability to convert most popular CAD and photo plotter aperture lists directly into the popular GerbTool format you can also create your own ACR files for specialty proprietary or otherwise unsupported aperture or tool list formats GerbTool s GUI driven ACR File Creator that allows you interactively create an ACR file for any aperture or tool list You can also manually create a file using a separate text editor In either case once the ACR file is complete GerbTool will then be able to read the aperture or tool list automatically How an ACR File Works An ACR file is used to import either an aperture list or tool list When importing an aperture list the ACR describes the format of the original aperture list Once the ACR file h
485. ust made As useful as this is the Undo memory buffer can consume memory and affect system performance You can disable the Undo function using the Options Configure command DRC Status The number of existing Analysis errors is shown Select Group The number of items in the current Select Group Sel is shown Units of Measure The current units of measure are displayed Process Indicator The process indicator light in the lower right corner of the desktop tells you if the system is currently processing data If the light is flashing red GerbTool is currently processing data When the light is solid green GerbTool is not processing data If the light is solid red not flashing a system error has occurred and GerbTool is unable to process data Workspace The Workspace is where the graphical representation of your database appears The commands in the Menu Bar and their associated toolbar buttons control your view of the workspace and allow you to edit the data You can change the background color of the workspace using the Options Configure command Anytime GerbTool is redrawing the display or highlighting a window of data you may halt the drawing process by pressing the Esc key This will not effect the operation of a command and in many cases will speed up the operation 31 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual of a command If you would like to terminate a redraw using the right mouse button you must disable the r
486. vert the Gerber files to a fnt file requires the Gerber files to be in a very specific format Select RS274D as the Dialect and 2 3 as the m n setting you will need to type this in manually it is not offered in the selection list The Coordinate Mode should be set at Absolute Zero Suppression at None G Commands should be set at Include and Character Set should be ASCII No not select any of the other options 9 Click OK to return to the Export Gerber dialog box 10 Click OK to export the files You will be prompted whether you want to replace the existing gbr files Click the Yes To All button to replace all of them 11 Select File Exit to exit GerbTool When you are asked if you wish to save any changes to FONTS GTD click the No button 12 From the Windows desktop select Start gt Run and execute the following command line from the Run dialog box On Windows Vista C ProgramData WISE Software Solutions GerbTool 15 1 Fonts G2F EXE newfile fnt On all other Windows operating systems C Documents and Settings All Users Application Data WISE Software Solutions GerbTool 15 1 Fonts G2F EXE newfile fnt In the above example a new font file called newfile fnt is created in the Fonts folder Please note that this does not purge the individual Gerber character files from the Fonts folder You may do this manually if desired 13 To use the font file you created rename the existing stroke fnt file in the GerbTool 15 1 folder Then copy
487. verting to line segments ce eeeeeeeeteeeeeenees 208 El le M stacks 103 A aa iaaa eaa ENEA EN 102 111 en WT EE 102 106 ul ne sicco conce sat coti basti e direi patri eb dida 109 MOVING nad ena cepto ke he degen 102 105 polarity dE 102 112 DIOPOMlS cmd tada 26 102 gent ila EE 109 Cell DE 111 tangetitlal tit redet en ees es 125 Arcs 360 comnmalfid coe tlbi tt e ic a deed 174 Arcs To Segmented Arcs command 208 ARES AA A a 47 EE ine need ede 128 Array COMMANA enne 128 lge EE 152 Automatic Commande 207 Automatic Conversion command 205 automatic conversion rule files aperture lists nettes 47 57 77 creating uio ence tee EE e dE TT 80 222 NG tool lists itt RC eie ed td e 80 regular expression Svntan cc ceeeeeeeeeeeteeeeeeeneeees 221 Sample camita ci tegit 226 I olore 35 120 216 B Backside commande 122 balloon text 151 160 Barco DPF commande 81 92 Hatch printing BEE 96 bird S Gye Vi Wa etsi iie e thiet gud 32 Bitmap Commande 96 Blind Buried commande 143 blind buried vias occcccccooonocnnonnnncononononononcnnnnonaronnnnons 143 block instance nic een rne nmn e nen tod 26 BMP files exporting ed eee RE 96 Break Tab command 115 117 134 break tabs Ten VE 6 peine 134 CHANGING EE 115 ell UL EE 146 deletirig o eer RR Sek RIR AER 117 MOVING DEE 117 Break Tabs commande 146 Build Embed
488. vided for you in the ApConv folder DXF Fonts File Import DXF Several shx files are provided for you in the DXFFonts folder Macros Macro Load execute using Macro Run Several Macro mac files are provided for you in the Macros folder NC Tool List Automatic Conversion Rule ACR Any file placed in the ToolConv folder is automatically detected by File lmport NC Tool List Text Fonts The font file used by Add Text and other text commands O ntfs dec See Tet Font Ples Drag and Drop 274 X and gtd Files All the necessary aperture information is contained within 274 X files and GerbTool database gtd files contain all the necessary information for an entire design Because of this it is a simple task for GerbTool to load these files GerbTool offers a simple drag and drop feature for importing 274 X files and opening GerbTool files allowing you to view your data quickly 1 Open GerbTool and the Windows File Explorer 2 In Windows Explorer find the 274 X or gtd file you wish to import 3 Click on the file and hold down your mouse button Drag the cursor to the GerbTool workspace and release the mouse button The data immediately appears in the workspace Troubleshooting Gerber Import The Import Wizard automatically detects the format of your Gerber files and imports them accordingly Some issues with importing Gerber data and aperture tables may occur however so below are some tips for making sure your data are import
489. vious edits 118 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual View menu The View menu commands control the viewing window location and size as well as the type of data you wish to look at Window Zoom In Num Q Zoom Qut Num Pan P a All Fit Cti R Q Film Box gd Redraw R Te Sketch Overlay HH Gnd G F Composites V Backside B Virtual Panel Ctrl V Clear Highlights Highlights Selections Selection Filter F Save gt Recall Previous Navigator Toolbars Restore Toolbars View Tabs gt View Window Toolbar Button S Use the View Window command when you want precise control over the view in the workspace Two points are required to define a rectangle that encompasses the area that is to become the new viewing window If you are currently zoomed in very close to the workspace and wish to expand your view use the View Zoom Out command To create a view window 1 Click on the upper left corner of your desired view space A window is attached to the mouse cursor 2 Move the cursor and click on the lower right corner of your desired view space The workspace immediately zooms in on your selection Related topics View Zoom In View Pan 119 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual View Zoom In Toolbar Button amp Equivalent Hotkey or plus key Use the Zoom In command to quickly decrease the size of the viewing window and see a smaller area of your design in more detail in the workspace
490. visibility and locations Related topics View Toolbars 123 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual View View Tabs GerbTool allows you to maintain different view windows of your workspace so that you are not required to frequently zoom and pan your view You can perform edits such as copy data from one view to another The View Tabs at the bottom of the workspace are used to select which view you want at any given time By default two views are provided Log shows a record of all your actions since you opened or created a database Main shows the graphical display of your database You can add additional tabs as necessary and later delete them View View Tabs Add GerbTool allows you to maintain different view windows of your workspace The View Tabs at the bottom of the workspace are used to select which view you want at any given time By default two views are provided Log shows a record of all your actions since you opened or created a database Main shows the graphical display of your database You can add additional View Tabs maintaining one view of your database in each so that you are not required to frequently zoom and pan your view You can perform edits such as copy data from one view to another To add a view 1 Select the View View Tabs Add command 2 You are prompted to assign a name to the new tab You can create your own or accept the default name assignment The new tab is created immediately and your da
491. w Selection Filter Toolbar Button a Equivalent Hotkey F The View Selection Filter command toggles the display of the Selection Filter box on off You can also use the X button in the upper right corner of the Selection Filter to close it You can only use the selection filters when you are in an applicable function such as Edit Delete or Query Item Otherwise you will only see the various filter categories Mode Types etc without any available selections Related topics Selection Filter 122 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual View Save The View Save command is used to save the current viewing window for later recall You can save up to eight views To save a view window 1 Zoom pan to the view you wish to save in the workspace 2 Select View Save and the number you want associated with that view Use the View Recall command to recall any of the saved viewing windows Related topics View View Tabs Add View Previous View Recall The Recall commands are used to display previously saved viewing windows which you defined using the View Save command Only those positions that have views saved to them are available for selection View Previous The View Previous command is used to recall the last viewing window This allows you to quickly toggle your view between two locations in the workspace Related topics View Save View View Tabs Add View Navigator This toggle command controls the display of the Navigator Select
492. ween the internal and imported external netlist When you run the Netlist Compare function you are presented with a graphical comparison of the internal and external netlists where GerbTool highlights the discrepancies noted in the report You will not have to hunt and peck through the report file and use the Query commands to find the issues If your goal is to perform a netlist comparison see the Comparing Netlists tutorial for complete instructions This topic will only cover the steps necessary for importing an IPC D 356 A netlist 86 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual To import a netlist 1 Use File Import Import Wizard to import your Gerber data or File Open to a previously created GerbTool gtd file 2 If you opened a gtd file that already contains a netlist select the File Import Netlist IPC D 356 command to import the external netlist Then continue with step 9 Or If your database does not already contain a netlist use the Setup Layers command or the Navigator make sure that each layer is tagged with the correct layer type This is required so that the system understands what each layer is 3 Remove any extraneous data on your electrical layers that are outside the perimeter of the board such as title blocks targets crop marks etc Tip We recommend that any documentation for the board be done on a separate Drawing layer If you wish to keep the data placing it on a drawing layer assures it will not interfere with any pr
493. well as when printed Redline information is virtual it is associated with a particular layer so its visibility is determined by whether the associated layer is visible but it does not exist on a layer Documentation Drawing The Drawing menus contain commands that allow you to edit drawing information contained in your design With these commands you can create quality mechanical drawings and diagrams complete with intelligent drawing primitives which automatically update themselves Multiple drawings can be contained within the design by first selecting the Setup Layers command and tagging each layer you wish to have contain a drawing with the Drawing layer type Then you can create a drawing is by making the desired drawing layer the active layer then using the appropriate functions found under this menu Drawing information as with all other layer information is stored in the design file Drawings can also be plotted and exported in the same manner as other layers 154 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Documentation Drawing Dimensioning The Dimensioning command presents a menu of dimensioning functions which display the distance between two items in the design using lines arrows and text Documentation Drawing Dimensioning Add Dimension Toolbar Button h This command allows you to add one or more dimensions to the current drawing layer Each dimension reports the distance between two features i e flash center points
494. will properly support these apertures as intrinsics The fields of a GerbTool aperture list consist of the following Field Possible Values D Code 10 9990 Shape Round Square Butterfly Oblong Octagon Diamond Triangle Bullet Ellipse Hexagon Donut Thermal Moir or Rectangle Custom apertures are preceded by 95 Width 0 0 9 9999 Height 0 0 9 9999 When referring to Donuts or Thermals this field represents the diameter of the inner hole When referring to Targets this field refers to the diameter of the inner ring of the Target Type SMT Thruhole or Thermal Tool 0 999 Not used after Version 8 Tool Size 0 0 9 9999 Not used after Version 8 Legend 10 4095 Not used after Version 8 R90 10 4095 The D code to substitute for this D code when rotating 90 or 270 degrees This field exists only for compatibility with older versions of GerbTool as newer versions perform the D code substitutions automatically a 0 will appear in that case Angle The angle of rotation for the aperture A positive number indicates counter clockwise rotation A negative number indicates clockwise rotation Properties The properties of each intrinsic aperture depend upon its shape All sizes widths lengths etc in the Properties field are in GerbTool database units To convert the values to inches divide them by 2540000 All angles are in degrees Styles and shapes are ASCII strings exactly like those in the Aperture Setup di
495. x X Y values All your data must be contained within the film box area Change your origin if necessary It is recommended that your origin be the same as the lower left corner of the film box To panelize two or more PCBs if you are working from Gerber data import all the Gerber files for your databases together If you are working from GerbTool gtd files open one of the files then merge in the second To successfully panelize multiple PCBs the PCBs must have the same number of layers and each of the corresponding layers should be the same type The system executes the panelization process immediately after you click OK If you selected the Auto Calculate option the images are centered in the film box If you did not select Auto Calculate after clicking OK you must window around the data you wish to panelize Manual panelization Auto Calculate not selected does not center the image into the film box If you wish to place the vent pattern on more than one layer it is recommended that you place the vent pattern on an empty layer then can use the Edit Copy command after panelization to copy it to the desired layers Placing the 185 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual pattern on an empty layer makes it easier to copy The Add Array command also allows you to fill an area with a vent pattern however it does not offer a clearance around the images Following is a description of each option in the Panelize dialog box Standard If this bu
496. x appears around the size 4 Type in the new size and press the Enter key To change a tool s type 1 Click on the plus box next to the desired tool 2 In the tool detail list the second item is the tool type Right click on the type and a shortcut menu appears 3 Select the desired tool type from the menu To change a tool s plating status 1 Click on the plus box next to the desired tool 2 In the tool detail list the third item is the plating status Right click on the type and a shortcut menu appears 3 A checkmark appears next to the current type Select either Plated NonPlated or Both as desired To change a tool s legend 1 Click on the plus box next to the desired tool 11 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual 2 In the tool detail list the last item is the legend The legend is one or two alphanumeric characters that are used to designate the tool in a drill hole chart Right click on the legend and a shortcut menu appears 3 Select the Edit command A box appears around the legend 4 Type one or two alpha numeric characters and press the Enter key To view unused tools 1 To view all unused tools in all tool tables right click on the NC Tools heading A shortcut menu appears or To view all unused tools in a specific tool table right click on the desired tool table name A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Show Unused command and all unused tools immediately appear in the list To hide unused tools repeat the
497. xt is on in the Layers list 3 Click on the drilled text you wish to edit The Modify Drilled Text dialog box appears See the Add Drilled Text command for more information on drilled text parameters 106 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual 4 Modify the text as necessary and click OK The text in the workspace is updated immediately Related topics Edit Delete Edit Copy Edit Vertex The Vertex commands are used to manipulate line vertices in your database Edit Vertex Add Toolbar Button SE This command allows you to add a vertex anywhere on an existing line segment or mill path Tip The current orthogonal line snap setting affects this function if the Ortho Line Snap is turned on To add a vertex 1 If you only wish to work with data on specific layers turn off any layers that you do not want to modify 2 Select the Edit Vertex Add command A bounding box is attached to the cursor 3 Click on the point in the desired line segment where you wish to add a vertex When you select a line segment any segment that falls within the bounding box is a potential selection You can decrease the size of the bounding box using the PgDn key to avoid selection of more than one segment If more than one line segment falls within the bounding box the Choose Selection dialog box appears with a list of segments Click on the segment you wish to add a vertex to it is highlighted in the display when you choose it from the list and click
498. y To All button You can create a new converter by clicking the New Converter button See File Import Aperture List for details on creating a converter If the file is an NC tool list the Select Converter dialog box appears GerbTool has already selected an appropriate converter to use for your tool list if one is available To override the selection select a different converter to use from the Data Format list You can have your selection applied to all incoming tool lists by clicking the Apply To All button You can create a new converter by clicking the New Converter button See File Import NC Tool List for details on creating a converter If the file is DXF the Import DXF dialog box appears See File Import DXF for details on using this dialog box Ifthe file is HPGL the HPGL Import dialog box appears See File Import HPGL for details on using this dialog box Ifthe file is DPF there are no format parameters to modify If the file is NC drill or mill data the Import NC Data dialog box appears See File Import NC Drill Mill for details on using this dialog box Length The size of the file in bytes Date The date that the file was last modified Show Unknown File Types By default the Wizard only displays those files it can identify Select this option if you wish to see all files contained in the selected import folder 4 Click the Next button to continue 5 If you are importing any 274 D files Page 3 appears
499. y flashes To destroy all resistor shapes 1 Right click on the Invalid Embedded Passives heading A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Destroy All command The resistor shapes are now designated as ordinary flashes and listed in the Non Embedded Passive Flashes list To destroy resistor shapes individually 1 In the Invalid Embedded Passives list right click on the reference designator number of the desired passive shape A shortcut menu appears 2 Select the Destroy command The resistor shape is now designated as an ordinary flash and listed in the Non Embedded Passive Flashes list To hide the Ohms symbol Every flash that is tagged as a resistor on the passive layer is marked with an Ohms symbol Q Resistor Flash 1 To hide the Ohms symbol on resistor shapes right click on the Embedded Passives heading A shortcut menu appears A check mark next to the Show Ohms Symbol command indicates the symbols are shown 2 Select the Show Ohms Symbol command The Ohms symbol no longer appears on resistor flashes in the workspace To make the symbol appear again select the Show Ohms Symbol command again To hide the outlines around embedded passives Every embedded passive that has been built is highlighted with an outline Built Embedded Passive 1 To hide the outlines around embedded passives right click on the Embedded Passives heading A shortcut menu appears A check mark next to the Show Outlines command indicates that
500. y the scale values specified 5 Click OK 6 Using the Selection Filter as necessary select one or more items to scale 7 When you are finished press the Esc key to exit the function imRelated topics Edit Scale Edit D Code Polarity Toolbar Button Use this command to control the item level polarity When using item level polarity the ordering of the data is crucial You may find that you need to move data in place thereby placing the moved data at the end of the database Warning If you plan to export your data in the 274 D or DXF format you should not use this function 274 D and DXF do not support polarity To change an item s polarity 1 Select the Edit D Code Polarity command The Polarity dialog box appears 2 Select Dark polarity to select positive or viewable items or Clear polarity for negative items which clear away positive data in a given area 3 Click OK 4 Using the Selection Filter as necessary select the items to apply the polarity to 5 When you are finished press the Esc key to exit the function Edit Align Layers Toolbar Button E This command aligns layers for proper layer registration when multiple layers are viewed simultaneously Proper layer alignment is also crucial to the successful creation of a netlist If you wish to verify that your layers are correctly aligned you can check for layer to layer registration using the Analysis DRC MRC command To align layers 1 Deter
501. yer For example if you apply a scaling factor of 2 to the X and Y coordinates of a flash at 4850 5050 the size remains the same but its new coordinates become 9700 10100 When applied to an entire layer everything is expanded relative to the scale factor A scale factor of 1 makes no change to the data 3 Specify an Offset which adds the specified amount to the coordinates of your selection For example an offset value of 1 to the X and Y coordinates of a flash at 4850 5050 moves the flash to 4851 5051 When applied to an entire layer everything is moved by one X Y coordinate An offset value of 0 makes no change to the data 4 Click OK 5 Using the Selection Filter select the data to offset and or scale The changes are immediately made in the workspace 6 Press the Esc key to exit the function Edit D Code The D code commands are used to modify the apertures used to create your design 110 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Edit D Code Transcode Toolbar Button PZ Mode This command allows you to change the D code of an individual item window group kem or complete layer By changing the D code of an item you can alter its size and Window shape Using the Selection Filter you may specify which items have their D codes 2 Window Xing transcoded gt Layer Another way to change an item s size and shape is to edit the aperture list directly Ei Types d To change item D codes Draw 1 Select the Edit D Code Tra
502. ygons will be individual entities Dark and clear polarity are maintained though the clear items will appear black in the workspace Assign 274 X Polarity To If you are importing 274 X files you can have polarity managed in two different ways Individual Items imports each file as a single layer and assigns polarity on an item by item basis If Layer Composites is selected then a layer with the correct polarity is created for every logical layer LP command in the imported file resulting in a composite Arcs Specify whether all circular interpolated arcs should be considered 360 whether redundant coordinates should be removed from arcs whether to convert small arcs to linear line segments and the chord angle used in segmenting arcs found in filled polygons If small arcs are to be converted to linear line segments the two parameters that affect this conversion are the angle and the delta Min Arc Angle specifies the smallest sweep angle that an arc may be before it is selected for segmentation Min Arc Delta specifies the smallest distance between end points of an arc before it is selected for segmentation Set Min Max Board Size GerbTool attempts to determine the size of your design based upon various values in the file The dimensions are indicated in the dialog box above the thumbnail view of the design If the indicated size is significantly larger or smaller than the actual design you can specify a size range for your design Ger
503. you will have a variable number of characters to match This occurs most often with spaces Patterns of this sort can be matched by using the characters and A character followed by matches 0 or more instances of that character A character followed by matches 1 or more instances of that character For example the string abta matches all of the following aba abba abbba abbbbba while the string ab matches all of those lines plus the line aa Matching Order Sometimes you will encounter instances where a line in an aperture list will match multiple FORMAT lines in your converter If this happens the converter will use the first FORMAT line matched For example to match the following 2 lines 10 THERMAL 0 25 0 15 normal thermal 11 THERMAL 0 25 0 15 45 0 45 degree thermal 221 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual You would want to use the following 2 lines in this exact order FORMAT THERM45 dcode THERMAL xsize 4 ysize 45 0 a FORMAT THERMAL dcode THERMAL xsize 4 ysize b If you were to have the order of these lines reversed line b would match both of the original aperture list lines and the converter would produce two non rotated thermals Creating an ACR File GerbTool provides a GUI driven ACR File Creator that allows you interactively create an ACR file for any aperture list or tool table You can also manually create a file using a separate text editor This topic will assist you in the latter
504. your mouse within the workspace opens a context sensitive shortcut menu of available hotkeys This tab allows you to control what commands are listed and in what order Right Click Popup Menu Select check the Right Click Popup Menu option if you wish to have the shortcut menu appear when clicking the right mouse button Unselect the option to not have the right click shortcut menu appear When the menu is disabled the right mouse button then functions like the Esc key cancels or exits functions or it can be assigned to other functions see the Function Key Mouse tab Nested Command Select each item you wish to have appear in the shortcut menu To select all commands click the Enable All button The Enable All button then becomes Disable All which will subsequently allow you to unselect all commands Move Up Move Down To move a list item up or down one position in the list click on the item then click the Move Up or Move Down button as desired Hot Key Emulation To aid new users GerbTool can emulate many of the hotkeys of other CAM systems If you wish to have the hotkeys in GerbTool emulate another program make your selection here NC Settings This tab displays the current dialect and display settings for your NC data NC Dialect Select the dialect of the machine or controller you intend to use You can ultimately export your NC data to any dialect but if you preselect it here GerbTool will ensure that all data that you creat
505. zard will be able to scan the specified folder 174 GerbTool 15 1 User Manual Suppress Import Warning Messages If you wish to prevent warning messages from being displayed when importing files select this option A log file will still be created but you will not be prompted whether to view it Print Border Text These are the variables for border text you wish to use on plots The keywords are TIME displays the time DATE displays the date DESIGN displays the gtd file name LAYERNAME displays the layer name PROG displays the GerbTool program name Text Editor This is the executable file for the text editor GerbTool will launch when you are presented with a file to view or edit Max Layers This sets the default number of layers that GerbTool creates on startup as shown in the Color Bar and Layer Table The valid range for this value is 32 999 Use the minimum value that satisfies your requirements to conserve memory This option is not a layer limit You open import more than this number of layers add GerbTool will display them accordingly Tip When you change this parameter it will not come into effect until the next time you start GerbTool Chord Angle The chord angle used when creating segmented arcs For example a chord angle of 5 would result in a 18 separate line segments for a 90 arc Line Snap Angle The angle at which lines will be forced to if Ortho Line Snap is enabled Flags This allows you

GerbTool 15.1 User Guide - Photo Data & JD Photo

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GerbTool 15.1 User Guide - Photo Data &amp; JD Photo

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GerbTool 15.1 User Guide - Photo Data & JD Photo