layer
Description
A layer refers to an individual sheet of material – either conductive metallic (such as copper) or insulating (such as fiberglass) – making up the structure of a PCB. The layers are sandwiched together.
Create a layer object
Creation
Syntax
Description
Input Arguments
Properties
Examples
This example shows how to read an Allegro file and create a pcbFileRead object. After this the following opertations will be executed:
Create layer, cadnet, padstack, part, and component objects form the pcbFileRead object
Create a powerDistributionNetwork object from the cadnet object
Set the properties of the powerDistributionNetwork object for voltage and current density anlysis
Analyse and visualize the voltage and current density
Here is the circuit:
Here is the pcb layout:
Read file
Read a native format Allegro file and look at the propeties of the pcb
pfile = pcbFileRead('native_ExampleBoard_Allegro')pfile =
pcbFileRead with properties:
FileName: 'native_ExampleBoard_Allegro'
NumLayers: 5
MetalLayer: [1 3 5]
DielectricLayer: [2 4]
LayerHeight: [0.0184 0.0104 0.0092 0.0012 0]
NumCadnets: 7
NumPadStacks: 6
NumComponents: 8
NumParts: 5
cadnetList(pfile)
ans=7×4 table
CadnetIdx CadnetName NumPins Length
_________ ___________________ _______ ______
1 {'Unconnected_Net'} 3 0
2 {'NET_OUTV' } 2 0.615
3 {'NET_GND' } 1 0.46
4 {'NET_IN22' } 2 0.645
5 {'NET_IN11' } 4 0.488
6 {'NET_INNEG' } 2 0.515
7 {'NET_INPOS' } 2 0.676
componentList(pfile)
ans=8×3 table
ComponentIdx ComponentName NumPins
____________ _____________ _______
1 {'OUT_V'} 1
2 {'U1' } 6
3 {'C3' } 2
4 {'R1' } 2
5 {'TP1' } 1
6 {'R2' } 2
7 {'IN_N' } 1
8 {'IN_P' } 1
partList(pfile)
ans=5×2 table
PartIdx PartName
_______ _______________
1 {'IOSINGLEPIN'}
2 {'IC6ANT' }
3 {'CAPGEN080' }
4 {'RESGENH40' }
5 {'RESGEN080' }
padStackList(pfile)
ans=6×2 table
PadstackIdx PadstackName
___________ ____________________
1 {'MHYCIRCLE009' }
2 {'MHYC012' }
3 {'MHYRECT46X59' }
4 {'MHYRECT80X60H40' }
5 {'VIA' }
6 {'MHYRECT46X59_TOP'}
stackUp(pfile)
ans=5×8 table
LayerNumber LayerName LayerType Material Thickness EpsilonR LossTangent Conductivity
___________ ______________ ______________ __________ _________ ________ ___________ ____________
1 {'TOP' } {'Signal' } {'COPPER'} 0.0012 1 0 5.96e+07
2 {'Dielectric'} {'Dielectric'} {'FR-4' } 0.008 4.5 0.035 0
3 {'LAYER2' } {'Plane' } {'COPPER'} 0.0012 1 0 5.96e+07
4 {'Dielectric'} {'Dielectric'} {'FR-4' } 0.008 4.5 0.035 0
5 {'BOTTOM' } {'Signal' } {'COPPER'} 0.0012 1 0 5.96e+07
Create layer object
Create and visualize a layer object
layerobj = layer(pfile,1,Type= 'All')layerobj =
layer with properties:
pcBoard: [1×1 pcbFileRead]
LayerNumber: 1
Type: "All"
LayerHeight: 0.0184
NumSurfaces: 1
NumPins: 14
NumVias: 4
NumTraces: []
EntityList: [1×1 struct]
show(layerobj)
Create a cadnet object
Create cadnet object and look at it data
cadobj = cadnet(pfile,'NET_IN11')cadobj =
cadnet with properties:
pcBoard: [1×1 pcbFileRead]
CadnetName: 'NET_IN11'
NumPins: 4
NumSurfaces: 2
NumVias: 4
NumTraces: 4
TotalLength: 0.4880
Voltage: 'NoDef'
LayerRange: [1 3 5]
EntityList: [1×1 struct]
figure show(cadobj)
Create a padstack object
Create a padstack object and look at its data
stackobj = padStack(pfile,'MHYC012')stackobj =
padStack with properties:
pcBoard: [1×1 pcbFileRead]
PadStackName: 'MHYC012'
PadType: 'Pin'
PadShape: 'Circle'
NumPads: 6
PadCenter: [6×2 double]
HoleDiameter: 0
PadDiameter: 0.0120
PinPadInfo: [6×8 table]
shapes(stackobj)
ans=6×1 cell array
{1×1 antenna.Polygon}
{1×1 antenna.Polygon}
{1×1 antenna.Polygon}
{1×1 antenna.Polygon}
{1×1 antenna.Polygon}
{1×1 antenna.Polygon}
Create a part object
Create a part object and look at its data
partobj = part(pfile,"IC6ANT")partobj =
part with properties:
pcBoard: [1×1 pcbFileRead]
PartName: 'IC6ANT'
NumComponents: 1
ComponentInfo: [1×7 table]
componentData(partobj)
ans =
component with properties:
pcBoard: [1×1 pcbFileRead]
ComponentName: 'U1'
PartName: 'IC6ANT'
ComponentType: 'IC'
NumPins: 6
Value: ''
Facement: 'TOP'
ComponentPinInfo: [6×7 table]
Create component object
Create a component object and look at its pin data
componentobj = component(pfile,'U1')componentobj =
component with properties:
pcBoard: [1×1 pcbFileRead]
ComponentName: 'U1'
PartName: 'IC6ANT'
ComponentType: 'IC'
NumPins: 6
Value: ''
Facement: 'TOP'
ComponentPinInfo: [6×7 table]
componentPinData(componentobj,1)
ans =
pinsData with properties:
PinShape: 'Circle'
PartNumber: 'IC6ANT'
Component: 'U1'
PinNumber: 'A3'
Value: ''
PadStack: 'MHYC012'
CadnetName: 'NET_OUTV'
StartLayer: 1
StopLayer: 1
Circular pin dimensions:
Center: [0.1010 0.2690]
Diameter: 0.0120
DrillHoleDiameter: 0
Create a power distribution network object
Create a power distribution network object from a cadnet object. After this the following operations can be performed:
Set up the the Network Parameters, DC Parameters, and DC Rules properties of the power distribution network for power integrity analysis
Analyse and visualize the voltage and current desnsity of the power distribution network
Here is the cadnet for power integrity analysis
pdnobj = powerDistributionNetwork(cadobj)
pdnobj =
powerDistributionNetwork with properties:
Network Parameters:
NetType: [1×1 cadnet]
Source: []
Load: []
Sense: []
PlatingThickness: []
DC Parameters:
NominalVoltage: []
LoadCurrent: []
DC Rules
MaxCurrentDensity: []
MinVoltage: []
MaxVoltage: []
MaxViaCurrent: []
To Analyse PDN:
Set Network Parameters: setNetworkParameters
Set DC Parameters: setDCParameters
Set DC Rules: setDCRules
Find the pins connected to the cadnet using the findComponents function
ConnPins = findComponents(cadobj)
ConnPins=4×5 table
ComponentIndex Refdes PinList ComponentType Part
______________ ______ _______ ______________ _______________
1 "C3" "1" {'Capacitor' } {'CAPGEN080' }
2 "R2" "2" {'Resistor' } {'RESGEN080' }
3 "TP1" "1" {'Test Point'} {'IOSINGLEPIN'}
4 "U1" "A1" {'IC' } {'IC6ANT' }
in = ConnPins.Refdes(2); out = [ConnPins.Refdes(1),ConnPins.Refdes(4)]; SensePin = ConnPins.Refdes(3);
Set the network parameters
setNetworkParameters(pdnobj,Source=in,Load=out,Sense=SensePin,PlatingThickness=0.0003);
powerDistributionNetwork with properties:
Network Parameters:
NetType: [1×1 cadnet]
Source: "R2"
Load: ["C3" "U1"]
Sense: "TP1"
PlatingThickness: 3.0000e-04
DC Parameters:
NominalVoltage: []
LoadCurrent: []
DC Rules
MaxCurrentDensity: []
MinVoltage: []
MaxVoltage: []
MaxViaCurrent: []
To Analyse PDN:
Set DC Parameters: setDCParameters
Set DC Rules: setDCRules
Set the DC parameters
setDCParameters(pdnobj,"LoadCurrent",[10e-3,10e-3],"NominalVoltage",2)
powerDistributionNetwork with properties:
Network Parameters:
NetType: [1×1 cadnet]
Source: "R2"
Load: ["C3" "U1"]
Sense: "TP1"
PlatingThickness: 3.0000e-04
DC Parameters:
NominalVoltage: 2
LoadCurrent: [0.0100 0.0100]
DC Rules
MaxCurrentDensity: []
MinVoltage: []
MaxVoltage: []
MaxViaCurrent: []
To Analyse PDN:
Set DC Rules: setDCRules
Set the DC rules
setDCRules(pdnobj,MinVoltage=1,MaxVoltage=2.00002,MaxCurrentDensity=4,MaxViaCurrent=2)
powerDistributionNetwork with properties:
Network Parameters:
NetType: [1×1 cadnet]
Source: "R2"
Load: ["C3" "U1"]
Sense: "TP1"
PlatingThickness: 3.0000e-04
DC Parameters:
NominalVoltage: 2
LoadCurrent: [0.0100 0.0100]
DC Rules
MaxCurrentDensity: 4
MinVoltage: 1
MaxVoltage: 2.0000
MaxViaCurrent: 2
Analyze voltage deviation
voltage(pdnobj);
Analyze current desnsity with direction enabled
current(pdnobj,Direction="on")
Version History
Introduced in R2025a
