Custom Geometry and PCB Fabrication

Bends, curves, rings, radials, and custom traces; Boolean operations, Gerber file read and write

Use the shape objects to create different designs and complex shapes and create custom printed circuit board (PCB) components to complete PCB designs quickly. Use line interconnects such as bends, curves, mitered edges, and traces to effectively lay out PCB components.

Gerber files are open ASCII vector format files that contain information on each physical board layer of the PCB design. These files also represent circuit board objects, like copper traces, vias, pads, solder mask, and silkscreen images by series of coordinates. Write Gerber files that can be used by PCB manufacturers to translate the details of the design into physical properties of the PCB.

Objects

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Shapes

Bends

`bendCurved`	Create curved bend shape on X-Y plane
`bendMitered`	Create mitered bend shape on X-Y plane
`bendRightAngle`	Create right-angle bend shape on X-Y plane

U Bends

`ubendCurved`	Create U-bend with curved edges on X-Y plane
`ubendMitered`	Create U-bend with mitered edges on X-Y plane
`ubendRightAngle`	Create right-angle U-bend shape on X-Y plane

Rings, Curves, and Radial

`ringAnnular`	Create annular ring on X-Y plane
`ringSquare`	Create square ring on X-Y plane
`curve`	Create curved shape on X-Y plane
`radial`	Create radial shape
`delta`	Create delta shape

Traces

`traceSpiral`	Create even-sided polygon trace in spiral form
`traceRectangular`	Create rectangular trace
`traceTee`	Create tee trace
`traceCross`	Create cross-shaped trace
`traceStep`	Create step trace in XY plane
`traceTapered`	Create tapered trace in X-Y plane

Custom Traces

`tracePoint`	Create custom line trace based on specified X and Y coordinates
`traceLine`	Create line trace

PCB

`pcbComponent`	Create single or multifeed PCB component
`PCBReader`	Import and update Gerber files
`PCBWriter`	Create PCB board definitions from 2-D PCB designs
`pcbElement`	Create RF Toolbox circuit element

Functions

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Fabrication

`gerberRead`	Create `PCBReader` object with specified Gerber and drill files
`gerberWrite`	Generate Gerber files
`pcbcascade`	Create new component using cascade operation

Shape Operators

`add`	Boolean unite operation on two RF PCB shapes
`subtract`	Boolean subtraction operation on two RF PCB shapes
`plus`	Shape1 + Shape2 for RF PCB shapes
`minus`	Shape1 - Shape2 for RF PCB shapes
`intersect`	Boolean intersection operation on two RF PCB shapes
`and`	Shape1 & Shape2 for RF PCB shapes
`area`	Calculate area of RF PCB shape in square meters

Shape Visualization

show Display PCB component structure or PCB shape

Shape Manipulation

`scale`	Change size of RF PCB shape by fixed amount
`translate`	Move RF PCB shape to new location
`rotate`	Rotate RF PCB shape about defined axis
`rotateX`	Rotate RF PCB shape about x-axis
`rotateY`	Rotate RF PCB shape about y-axis and angle
`rotateZ`	Rotate RF PCB shape about z-axis
`mirrorX`	Mirror shape along X-axis
`mirrorY`	Mirror shape along Y-axis

Topics

Board Thickness versus Dielectric Thickness in PCB
This example shows you how to define the BoardThickness of PCB with respect to dielectric thickness of pcbComponent object for different use-cases.

Featured Examples

Create and Analyse Dual Characteristics of Complementary Split Ring Resonators from Gerber Files

Create a complementary split ring resonator (CSRR) from Gerber files and subsequently analyze the model. The Gerber file format is used in printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing and is available in two formats: RS-274D, which was the initial release standard, and RS-274X, which is the newer extended Gerber format. The RF-PCB Toolbox™ supports the newer RS-274X format both to generate Gerber files from a PCB model and to create the PCB model from a set of Gerber files.

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Prototype, Design, and Analysis of SIW based Microstrip Tapered Transmission Line

Design and analyze a Substrate Integrated Waveguide (SIW) microstrip transmission line using Gerber files.

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Analyzing Crosstalk Between PCB Traces

Create a pair of close traces using traceLine object and performs analysis on those traces to calculate the amount of unwanted coupling to the passive trace.

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Create and Analyze PCB Interconnects using Custom Traces

Use the custom traces traceLine and tracePoint in RF PCB Toolbox and create PCB traces with different shapes and orientations. The traceLine uses the lengths and angles properties to create a trace and the tracePoint uses points to create the trace. For both the traces, corner property can be set to Sharp, Miter, and Smooth to create specific corners at all the bends.

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Routing Discipline to Reduce Crosstalk

Analyze surface currents and follow routing discipline on a PCB trace.

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Design and Analyze Compact UWB Low Pass Filter Using pcbComponent

Design and analyze a compact low pass ultra-wide band (UWB) filter based on a U-shaped complementary split ring resonator using the pcbComponent object. The filter is designed to have very low insertion loss over a wide band of frequency from low 0.1 GHz to 10.8 GHz. The design of the filter is taken from the reference [1].

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Design and Analyze Band Stop Filter using pcbComponent

Design and analyze band stop filter using the pcbComponent object. Design the band stop filter with a fractional bandwidth (FBW) of 1.0 at a midband frequency f0 of 2.5 GHz for the band-edge frequencies of f1 = 1.25 GHz and f2 = 3.75 GHz as defined in Figure 6.11b of reference [1].

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Design and Analyze HighPass Filter Using pcbComponent

Design and analyze highpass filter using the pcbComponent object. A microstrip highpass filter is designed based on a three-pole (n = 3) Chebyshev highpass prototype with 0.1 dB passband ripple and cutoff frequency fc = 1.5 GHz.

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