Methodology of creating an object database from a Gerber file
View Patent ↗A method and apparatus for translating a Gerber data file into a data format usable by vision software through a process whereby a first Gerber data element is selected and examined to determine if the shape represented by that element intersects with any other shapes. Each shape intersecting the selected element is merged into a single data object with the selected element. This process is repeated for each element describing the printed circuit board layout. The consequence of this procedure is that complex geometries that had been represented as the intersection of many simple geometries are represented as individual data objects.
1. A method of converting a data set describing a printed circuit board into a format recognizable by vision software, the data set comprising data elements representing various shapes, some of which overlap thereby forming a continuous composite shape, the method comprising:
(a) finding a first data element representing a first shape that intersects with a second shape represented by a second data element;
(b) merging the first and second data elements; and
(c) exporting the merged element as a single data elements,
wherein the step (a) further comprises:
(a)(i) dividing a layer of the printed circuit board into a plurality of regions:
(a)(ii) identifying one data element as an active element:
(a)(iii) identifying a region in which the shape represented by the active element is situated; and
(a)(iv) within the identified region, finding all other shapes intersecting the shape represented by the active element.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
(a)(v) merging the data elements found in step (a)(iv);
(a)(vi) identifying the merged data element as the active element;
(a)(vii) identifying another region in which the shape represented by the active element is situated; and
(a)(viii) within the region identified in step (a)(vii), finding all other shapes intersecting the shape represented by the active element; and
(a)(ix) merging the data elements found in step (a)(viii).
3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
(a)(x) repeating steps (a)(vi) through (a)(ix) until all regions in which the shape represented by the active element is situated have been identified.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (a)(i) further comprises dividing a layer of the printed circuit board into a plurality of rectangular, tessellating regions.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data set representing the layout of the printed circuit board is a Gerber data set.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (a) is preceded by the step of:
receiving the data set describing the printed circuit board from a printed circuit board computer aided design system.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (c) is followed by the step of: sending the exported data to a printed circuit board inspection system.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (c) is followed by the step of:
inspecting a layer of a printed circuit board using the exported data.
9. A computerized system for converting a data set describing a printed circuit board into a format recognizable by vision software, the data set comprising data elements representing various shapes, some of which overlap thereby forming a continuous composite shape, the system comprising:
a memory element that stores the data set describing the layout of the printed circuit board; and
a processor operably coupled to the memory element and programmed to perform the following steps:
(a) finding a first data element representing a first shape that intersects with a second shape represented by a second data element;
(b) merging the first and second data elements; and
(c) exporting the merged element as a single data element,
wherein the processor is further programmed to perform step (a) by performing the following additional steps:
(a)(i) dividing a layer of the printed circuit board into a plurality of regions;
(a)(ii) identifying one data element as an active element;
(a)(iii) identifying a region in which the shape represented by the active element is situated; and
(a)(iv) within the identified region, finding all other shapes intersecting the shape represented by the active element.
10. The computerized system of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further programmed to perform the following steps:
(a)(v) merging the data elements found in step (a)(iv);
(a)(vi) identifying the merged data element as the active element;
(a)(vii) identifying another region in which the shape represented by the active element is situated; and
(a)(viii) within the region identified in step (a)(vii), finding all other shapes intersecting the shape represented by the active element; and
(a)(ix) merging the data elements found in step (a)(viii).
11. The computerized system of claim 10 , the processor is further programmed to perform the following step:
(a)(x) repeating steps (a)(vi) through (a)(ix) until all regions in which the shape represented by the active element is situated have been identified.
12. The computerized system of claim 9 , wherein the processor is programmed to perform step (a)(i) by dividing a layer of the printed circuit board into a plurality of rectangular, tessellating regions.
13. The computerized system of claim 9 , wherein the data set stored in the memory element is a Gerber data set.
14. The computerized system of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further programmed to receive the data set describing the printed circuit board from a printed circuit board computer aided design system.
15. The computerized system of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further programmed to send the exported data to a printed circuit board inspection system.
16. A system for converting a data set describing a printed circuit board into a format recognizable by vision software, the data set comprising data elements representing various shapes, some of which overlap thereby forming a continuous composite shape, the system comprising:
a memory element storing the data set describing the layout of the printed circuit board; and
a means for merging data elements representing overlapping shapes, wherein the means for merging data elements comprises a means for:
(a)(i) dividing a layer of the printed circuit board into a plurality of regions;
(a)(ii) identifying one data element as an active element;
(a)(iii) identifying a region in which the shape represented by the active element is situated; and
(a)(iv) within the identified region, finding all other shapes intersecting the shape represented by the active element.
17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the means for merging data elements further comprises:
a means for merging data elements representing overlapping shapes situated in one of the plurality of regions.
18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the means for merging data elements is embodied within a printed circuit board computer aided design system.
19. The system of claim 16 , wherein the means for merging data elements is embodied within a printed circuit board inspection system.
20. The system of claim 16 , comprising a means for exporting the merged data elements to a printed circuit board inspection system.