All content Copyright 2022 Parallel Systems Ltd.

 

1. Select File>New from the top menu

A window appears and asks you if you want to save the release.brd file before creating a new design.

 

2. Left-click>Yes to save the changes.

The file release.brd is written to disk. The New Drawing window appears.

 

3. Check that the Drawing Type is set to Board, and enter the following name in the Drawing Name field:

viewgerber

This will create a new layout drawing called viewgerber.brd.

 

4. Left-click>OK in the New Drawing window

 

5. Left-click>OK on the “Create a new drawing” form to open the new design viewgerber.brd.

 

6. Select Setup>Design Parameters from the top menu.

The Design Parameter Editor form opens.

 

7. In the Design tab, use the scroll button in the Size field, and check / select A2.

 

8. In the Design tab, use the scroll button in the Accuracy field, and check / select 2.

 

9. Left-click>OK to close the form.

 

10. Select Setup>More>Subclasses from the top menu.

 

11. Select the box next to Manufacturing

 

12. In the New Subclass field, enter ARTWORK.

Press the Tab or Return key after entering the new subclass name to confirm addition.

 

13. Close the Define Subclasses forms using the “red crosses” to the upper right of each form. You are now ready to load in your artwork.

 

14. Select Import>More>Artwork from the top menu.

The Load Cadence Artwork form appears.

 

15. Set the Class field to Manufacturing using the pull-down menu.

 

16. Set the Subclass field to ARTWORK using the pull-down menu if it is not currently selected.

 

17. Left-click the Browse button, in the file browser window select TOP.art, and left-click>Open.

The entire path appears in the File Name field.

 

18. Left-click>Load File

A rectangle now attaches to your cursor. This represents the outline of the plot you are about to place.

 

19. Move the cursor near the upper left area of the blank screen, then left-click to place, the artwork image appears.

 

20. Repeat the preceding steps to place the other etch layer artwork files you have created (vcc1.art, gnd1.art, and bottom.art).

(And vcc2 and gnd2.art if you wish)

 

21. Left-click>OK to close the Load Cadence Artwork form.

 

22. Zoom in to view the artwork layers.

 

23. There is no need to save this file since it won’t be required after this lab.

If you load the Gerber artwork data onto any ETCH class and run a DRC you will see numerous errors reported. The Gerber data is intended for a photoplotter and describes the design as lines and shapes, there is no “intelligence” in the Gerber data that relates to pins, footprints, nets and so on. That is why this section of the lab created a user defined subclass specifically to load the Gerber artwork data into.

 

 

End of Lab

 

All content Copyright 2022 Parallel Systems Ltd.