Drill2GBR Engine Syntax

For a calling application to run NETEX it must convert any drill files into Gerber files. The Gerber file units, format and mode must match. In general one should also offset any apertures used so as not to conflict with the apertures defined in the Gerber files used for conducutor data.

drlgbr.exe  [ input_files(s)] [options]

where:

-list:<list_file>        get list of input files from list_file.

-scan:<scan_fle>         create a scan file with generation info
                         of contents of the drill files

-out:<output_file>       specify output file to generate

-startcode:<dcode>       specify the starting d-code to use in
                         dcode assignments of tools in the
                         scan file.

-map:<map_file>          specify map file to read for obtaining
                         user mapped dcodes and diameters to tool
                         numbers.

-drlunits:<units>        specify inch or mm for drill file units

-gbrunits:<units>        specify inch or mm for Gerber units

-drlformat:<format_spec> specify format for drill file(s)

-gbrformat:<format_spec> specify format for Gerber files(s)

-drlzeroinc:<mode>       specify drill zero inclusion mode:
                         leading,trailing or decimal.
                     

-gbrzerosup:<mode>       specify drill zero suppresion mode:
                         leading,trailing or decimal.

-drlxymode:<mode>        specify drill xy mode: absolute 
                         or incremental

-gbrxymode:<mode>        specify gerber xy mode: absolute 
                         or incremetal

-appttype:<atype>,<aparams>  atype can be polygon. aparms 
                             can be any RS274X ADD parameter 
                             delimited by a ",'.

-offsetx:<x_value>       specify X value by which to offset drill 
                         coordinates during conversion to Gerber.

-offsetx:<x_value>       specify Y value by which to offset drill 
                         coordinates during conversion to Gerber.

-silence                 run in silent mode.

Details and Examples

Generally, one cannot expect the conversion from drill to Gerber to be done fully automatically without some user intervention. This is because drill files data headers are not rigorously enforced. Therefore a computer program is not always able to properly determine the drill data parameters needed for a conversion without some user intervention.

Drill files have tools which are similar to Gerber apertures or D-codes. Unfortunately the tools may or may not be defined in the header as there is no single standard method of defining them. If tool info is present in a drill file it is likely the scan routine will detect it. If not present it is the user's responsibility to define the diameter.

If more than one drill file is to be converted it is also possible that the same tool might have two different values in the two different files. When converting to Gerber this must be avoided by shifting to unique D-codes.

Drill vs. Gerber Units Mode and Format

Both drill files and Gerber files require unit information, mode information (absolute coordinates or incremental) and format information (for decimal point reinsertion). These parameters may not be identical for supplied data i.e. The Gerber files may have a format of 4.4, inch and absolute and the drill file may have a format of 3.3, inch and incremental.

It is important to properly characterize the units:mode:format of both the drill and gerber file so that the result is a Gerber file that matches the conductor Gerber files.

Offset

Occasionally one runs across drill data that is offset in X,Y from the Gerber data it supports. This is a bad situation since there is no automatic way to detect this occurence nor to correct for it. However assuming the user can measure the offset one can then put this value into the converter's command line and take it into account.