Gerber to GDSII In Batch Mode (Windows)

This application note describes how to convert an RS274X Gerber file into GDSII stream format without using the ASM 600 user interface. To do this one must first create some supporting files: a job file, an apt file and and a config file. Once those are property created the main conversion program can be called by a command line.

1. Generate the JOB and APT file from RS274X Gerber File

Before you can run the conversion engine you must first generate two ascii files: a job file and an apt file. You don't need to generate these manually -- you should use the utility called rs274xjb.exe. Imagine you have a Gerber file called demo.art located in the c:\tmp directory. Your comand line for this utility is:

   c:\DIR\rs274xjb.exe c:\tmp\demo.art

   Example of a job file
   ---------------------
   [General]
   layers=layer1,layer2
   aptfile=C:\tmp\1.APT
   gbrformat=RS274D
   gdsfile=C:\tmp\Output.GDS
   gdsunit=inch
   scale=1.000

   [layer1]
   layer=1,C:\tmp\1.GBR

   [layer2]
   layer=2,C:\tmp\2.GBR
   ---------------------

   Settings needed for the job file:
   1. There are 2 layers, layer1 and layer2 where layer1 is
      gerber file c:\tmp\1.gbr and layer2 is c:\tmp\2.gbr.
   2. The aperture file used for this job is c:\tmp\1.apt as specified
      in aptfile.
   3. Gerber format is gbrformat=RS274D (RS274X/RS274D/MDA).
   4. The output is gdsfile=c:\tmp\output.gds.
   5. The GDS output unit is gdsunit=inch (mil, mm, cm, um, inch).
   6. Translation scale is scale=1.000.

Generate Artwork aperture file for RS274D Standard Gerber

   Example of an aperture file
   ---------------------------
   APTUNITS inch                -- Gerber and aperture unit
   FORMAT 2.4                   -- Format of the gerber file
   
   SUPPRESS LEADING             -- Data in gerber file are leading zero suppressed
   SUPPRESS TRAILING            -- Data in gerber file are trailing zero suppressed

   CIRANG 90                    -- Data in gerber file are circular 90 mode.
   CIRANG 360                   -- Data in gerber file are circular 360 mode.

   ABSOLUTE on                  -- Data in gerber file are in absolute mode.
   ABSOLUTE off                 -- Data in gerber file are in incremental mode.

   ARCRES 15                    -- ArcRes value in degree.
   ARCSAG 0.001                 -- ArcSag value in GDS output unit.
                                -- Translation uses the finer of ArcRes and
                                   ArcSag.

   PEND 0                       -- Output GDS in connectivity mode.
   PEND 1                       -- Output GDS in graphics mode
                                   (also need -we in the command line).

   FLASH on                     -- Always fixed.

   CIRCULAR on                  -- Always fixed.
   GBR_END M02                  -- Always fixed.

   TUNIT                        -- Output unit.

   D10 0.0000000 d Round 0.00100000 0.00100000  -- Dcode 10 is a round.

   c:\DIR\gbr2gdxg.exe "-cfg:c:\tmp\demo.apt" "-out:c:\tmp\demo.gds"
   -f "c:\tmp\demo.job" [-s:Scale] [-we] [-mrgballs]
  
   where   -cfg:     specify an Artwork format aperture file.
           -out:     specify the GDS output file name.
           -f        specify an Artwork format job file.
           -s:Scale  Scale is a conversion factor depending on the 
                     input and output unit.
                     INCH to INCH   not necessary
                     MM   to MM     not necessary
                     INCH to MIL    -s:1000.0
                     INCH to CM     -s:2.54
                     INCH to MM     -s:25.4
                     INCH to UM     -s:25400.0
                     MM   to INCH   -s:0.03937
                     MM   to MIL    -s:39.37
                     MM   to CM     -s:0.1
                     MM   to UM     -s:1000.0
           -we       is graphics mode which the DXF output looks the
                     same as the gerber input.
                     default is connectivity mode.
           -mrgballs under graphics mode, specify this to merge path ends
                     with the round flashes to form 1 single boundary.