stackUp

R2026b

Create PCB stackup definition

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Description

Use the stackUp object to create a printed circuit board (PCB) stackup definition to import Gerber files. A Gerber file is a set of manufacturing files used to describe a PCB. A Gerber file uses an ASCII vector format for 2-D binary images.

Creation

Syntax

s = stackUp
s = stackUp(NumMetalLayers=Value)

Description

s = stackUp creates a default PCB stackup object with five layers. Specify Gerber files as inputs to the second and fourth layers. Specify dielectric material objects as inputs to layers one, three, and five.

example

s = stackUp(NumMetalLayers=Value) creates a PCB stackUp object with the number of metal layers specified by Value. The stack-up contains alternating dielectric and metal layers arranged in the pattern dielectric–metal–dielectric–…–dielectric. Odd-indexed layers are dielectric layers and even-indexed layers are metal layers. The total number of PCB layers is computed as maximum of (2*Value + 1) and 5. Unused metal layers remain empty.

Properties

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Number of metal layers in the stack-up, specified as a positive integer.

Example: 4

Data Types: double

This property is read-only.

Number of layers in the stackup, returned as a positive scalar.

First layer in the stackup definition object, specified as a dielectric object.

Example: s = stackUp; d = dielectric('RO4725JXR'); s.Layer1 = d;

Second layer in the stackup definition object, specified as a character vector or string naming a Gerber file. The file must be saved with a .gtl, .gbl, or .gbr extension.

Example: s = stackUp; s.Layer2 = 'antenna_design_file.gtl';

Note

You must import the Gerber file to the MATLAB® workspace before setting this property.

Third layer in the stackup definition object, specified as a dielectric object.

Example: s = stackUp; d = dielectric('RO4725JXR'); s.Layer3 = d;

Fourth layer in the stackup definition object, specified as a character vector or string naming a Gerber file. The file must be saved with a .gtl, .gbl, or .gbr extension.

Example: s = stackUp; s.Layer4 = 'antenna_design_file.gbl';

Note

You must import the Gerber file to the MATLAB workspace before setting this property.

Fifth layer in the stackup definition object, specified as a dielectric object.

Example: s = stackUp; d = dielectric('RO4725JXR'); s.Layer5 = d;

Examples

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Open Live Script

Create a PCB stack up definition object using default properties.

S = stackUp;

Set the thickness of the dielectric Air in layer 1 to 0.1 mm.

S.Layer1.Thickness = 0.1e-3;

Import a top layer Gerber file to layer 2.

S.Layer2 = 'interdigital_Capacitor.gtl';

Create a PCBReader object using the stackUp object, S.

p = PCBReader('StackUp',S);

To update the Gerber file, convert the PCBReader object to a pcbComponent object.

pcbcapacitor = pcbComponent(p);
pcbcapacitor.FeedDiameter = 0.001
pcbcapacitor = 
  pcbComponent with properties:

              Name: 'interdigital_Capacitor'
          Revision: 'v1.0'
        BoardShape: [1×1 antenna.Rectangle]
    BoardThickness: 0.0061
            Layers: {[1×1 dielectric]  [1×1 antenna.Polygon]  [1×1 dielectric]  [1×1 dielectric]}
        FeedFormat: 'FeedLocations'
     FeedLocations: [0 0 2]
      FeedDiameter: 1.0000e-03
      ViaLocations: []
       ViaDiameter: []
      FeedViaModel: 'square'
         Conductor: [1×1 metal]
              Tilt: 0
          TiltAxis: [0 0 1]
              Load: [1×1 lumpedElement]
        SolverType: 'MoM'
        IsShielded: 0

View the PCB component in the Gerber file.

show(pcbcapacitor)

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

Version History

Introduced in R2021b

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See Also

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