PCB Investigator Documentation - EasyLogix · PCB-Investigator Page 7 2. Menus 2.1 File Menu 2.2 Edit Menu Open ODB++ Job Library Open ODB++ Directory Tree Open ODB++, Gerber274x,

PCB-Investigator Page 1

PCB – Investigator Documentation


Table of contents

1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 4

1.1 Formats .................................................................................................................................... 5

1.2 Top Menu ................................................................................................................................ 5

1.3 PCB - INVESTIGATOR Toolbar .................................................................................................. 6

2. Menus ........................................................................................................................................ 7

2.1 File Menu ................................................................................................................................. 7

2.2 Edit Menu ................................................................................................................................ 7

2.3 View Menu .............................................................................................................................. 8

2.4 Selection Menu ........................................................................................................................ 8

2.5 Extras Menu ............................................................................................................................. 9

2.6 Components Menu .................................................................................................................. 9

2.7 Window Menu ....................................................................................................................... 10

2.8 Help Menu ............................................................................................................................. 10

2.9 Export Menu .......................................................................................................................... 10

2.10 Contect Menu ........................................................................................................................ 11

3. Functions ................................................................................................................................ 12

3.1 Opening a job ........................................................................................................................ 12

3.2 View Data .............................................................................................................................. 13

3.3 Move and Rotate Objects ...................................................................................................... 16

3.4 Edit Objects ........................................................................................................................... 16

3.5 Compare Layers ..................................................................................................................... 17

3.6 Show and Edit Matrix ............................................................................................................ 18

3.7 Add Bitmap Data ................................................................................................................... 19

3.8 View Component Manager ................................................................................................... 20

3.9 Add ODB++ data .................................................................................................................... 20

3.10 Add Gerber274x, Excellon and Sieb & Meyer data ............................................................... 21

3.11 Find ........................................................................................................................................ 21

3.12 Strokes ................................................................................................................................... 22


4. Terms and definitions ........................................................................................................ 23

4.1 ODB++ .................................................................................................................................... 23

4.2 Gerber274x ............................................................................................................................ 23

4.3 Excellon .................................................................................................................................. 23

4.4 DXF ......................................................................................................................................... 23

4.5 Sieb & Meyer ......................................................................................................................... 23

4.6 IPC356 .................................................................................................................................... 23

5. Shortcuts ................................................................................................................................ 24


1. Introduction

PCB-Investigator is a tool to view and edit PCB data on your computer. It helps

you in the whole development process. From the start on, you can track your

changes with different methods. There is also a possibility to pass notes and

change requests easily to your customers with Embedded PCB-Investigator.


1.1 Formats

Input: ODB++, Gerber274x, Excellon 1, Excellon 2, Sieb & Meyer

Output: ODB++, Jpg, PNG, TIF, DXF, CatiaScript, IPC356

1.2 Top Menu

Bottom view

Last View

View original Size 1:1

Zoom Out

Zoom In

Zoom Home all Features

Zoom to profile

Print Preview Layers

Print Layers

Save ODB++ Directory

Open ODB++, Gerber274x, Excellon Files within a Tgz or Zip File

Open ODB++ Job Tree

Open ODB++ Job Library

Open Job in Explorer

3D view


1.3 PCB - INVESTIGATOR Toolbar

Zoom rectangle

Select single object (S)

Select all objects in rectangle

Select net, open context menu with right click

Pan tool

Show measure dialog (M)

Show CAD net dialog

Show matrix dialog

Draw drill layer with one color

View Notes on/off

View feature info on layer features

Draw profile on/off

Make a snapshot

Show selected feature buffer

Switch between mm and inch

Flatten hierarchy

Show insert info

Close all open tool dialogs

Default net selection: select all net

objects

Current layer net selection: select

only objects on the current layer

Best view for net selection: select all

net objects and activate all relevant

layer


2. Menus

2.1 File Menu

2.2 Edit Menu

Open ODB++ Job Library

Open ODB++ Directory Tree

Open ODB++, Gerber274x, Excellon included in a tgz or Zip File

Import Gerber274x, Sieb & Meyer and Excellon Files

Import ODB++ data from an ODB++ Directory Tree

Close current job

Page setup for the printing pane

Print preview

Print layers

Save data to ODB++ directory tree

Exit PCB - Ivestigator

Save ODB++ directory tree to a different location

Copy current view to clipboard as BMP

Copy current view plus the layer matrix to clipboard as BMP

Add feature objects to active layer

Edit active feature

Change feature object attributes

Delete all selected features

Move or rotate layer

Export data


2.3 View Menu

2.4 Selection Menu

Zoom In

Zoom Out

Zoom Profile, shows the full view.

Zoom Home, the startview.

Turn Grid on/off

Goto last view

Set zoom factor, select your own zoom.

Clear selected items

Reverse active selection

Select previous selected features

Show selection filter dialog

Find elements and properties

Bottom view, shows the view from the other side.

3D view

Select objects by index

Assign colors to selected items

Set color of selection to default

Set each assigned color to default


2.5 Extras Menu

2.6 Components Menu

Change viewing colors

Open options Dialog

Compare layers by graphic

Calculate the area of a selection or a layer

Add/Edit notes

View/Edit layer matrix

View measure dialog

View Step & Repeat info

View user data from the job

Add an Image layer to the job

Make a screen capture

Export current view as picture

Set new profile

Show Component Manager

Change Component view visualization

Show properties of selected components


2.7 Window Menu

2.8 Help Menu

2.9 Export Menu

Export an embedded PCB-Investigator design

Export a embedded design in an ZIP-folder

Export to DXF format

Export a CATIA script

Export data to SolidWorks

Export a high resolution picture

Export a IPC356 netlist

Export the bill of material as csv- or txt-file

Export the pick and place list as csv- or txt-file

Export a list of all components as csv- or txt-file

Displays list of used symbols

Show analyse result

Opens a demo design

Help on strokes

Download PCB-Investigator manual

Recommend PCB-Investigator to a friend

Purchase PCB-Investigaor

Info about developers of PCB-Investigator


2.10 Contect Menu

Zoom to profile area

Zoom home

Change to default view

Zoom all selected objects (area include all selected objects)

All objects with the same attributes

Clear selection buffer

Give all selected object a color

Reset the color of selected objects

Analyse results

Show measure dialog

Show note dialog

Goto position on the PCB

Show search dialog

Show properties of the selected object


3. Functions

3.1 Opening a job

You can open a job via ‘File’ ‘Open ODB++ Job’ or use the Job Library, which is also included in the

‘File’ menu. The Job Library lists each recently opened job and allows re-opening them. A right click

on one of the server buttons opens the context menu displayed below. You can select up to five

different locations (servers) where jobs are stored.

Context menu for servers


3.2 View Data

Select easily layers to view or set active. Active means that these layers are

editable while the others are protected. Different background colors indicate

different kinds of layers. Board layers have an orange background, document

layers are light blue highlighted, drill layers are gray highlighted and the

background color of mask layers is green.

Left click on

layer name to

display layer

Left click on

check box to

activate layer

Right click opens

context menu


Use the color settings menu to assign colors to the different layers according to

your wishes. Assigning colors to objects can be done by using the Color dialog.

Choose a layer and click on

the ‘Color’ button to assign

a color to the layer

Additionally you can choose

from different kinds of

brushes for selected items


There is an easy way to get information about sizes of objects. Use the Info layer

dialog to get dimensioning of each object on your screen. To open this dialog,

just press on the tool bar.

Example 1 displays the dimensioning Example 2 displays dimensioning of all objects. without pads and lines.

Example 3 displays the Netname labeling


3.3 Move and Rotate Objects

Maybe you have imported layers from ODB++, Gerber274x or Excellon you may

have different origins. With Transform Layer you can move the layer in any

direction till all layers fit together.

Transform each active layer Deactivate the check box to get a selection of layers you want to transform

3.4 Edit Objects

‘Edit Object’ provides all information about a selected object. The properties of

this object can be changed. Use the ‘Update’ button to verify your changes. By

using ‚Add Symbol‘ additional kinds of objects can be created.


3.5 Compare Layers

After selecting two different layers and pressing the ‚Compare‘ button a new

layer is created which contains the matches of both selected layers. Thereby you

can easily check for accordance and differences.

The figure above displays the result of comparing two layers. The green

highlighted area indicates that there are no differences, whereas the black space

refers to a region where changes were detected.

Layer selection


3.6 Show and Edit Matrix

The Matrix provides an overview about layers in your project. It offers the

chance to copy, move and edit layer data in a convenient way.


3.7 Add Bitmap Data

PCB - Investigator can add Bitmap Data to the CAD vector data to compare

production result with the CAD data. You can import pictures created with a

digital/infrared camera or a scanner. Use ‘Extras’ ‘Add Image Layer’ to do so.


3.8 View Component Manager

‘Component Manager’ provides a list of each component on the according

component layers. This list can be customized according to your wishes. Items

can be summed up by e.g. Part-Name to get a BOM. There is also a possibility to

save the listed data as .csv or .xml file and to print the data.

3.9 Add ODB++ data

Use ‘File’ ‘Import ODB Layer’ to add ODB++ layers to the currently opened project. Afterwards you can use the ‘Compare Layers’ option (see section 3.4) to

detect alterations to former versions of layers. It is possible to predefine 5 Server locations where the Jobs are archived. You also can use the history of the last opened Jobs.

Choose which data shall be displayed

Import & export your own settings


3.10 Add Gerber274x, Excellon and Sieb & Meyer data

Use the add CAM input menu to add Gerber274x, Sieb & Meyer and Excellon data

with an automated recognition of the format. It is also possible to change it

manually.

3.11 Find

Use the Find dialog to search for objects,

components, properties, nets or geometries.


3.12 Strokes

There is a short access to a lot of menus available. Push the middle button or the

mouse wheel of your mouse and draw one of the gestures shown below.


4. Terms and definitions

4.1 ODB++

All modern layout tools have options to write ODB++. You can use the option

write to directory or the option to write it to .Tgz file. The advantage is to get

detailed information within the job. So it can be used during developing process.

4.2 Gerber274x

Gerber274x is ASCII vector graphic format. This format includes also the

definition of the apertures which will be used for drawing.

4.3 Excellon

Excellon is used for drill data.

4.4 DXF

DXF is a 2D and 3D Data Exchange Format.

4.5 Sieb & Meyer

Sieb & Meyer data is used for describing CNC manufacturing.

4.6 IPC356

A special definition of netlist data.


5. Shortcuts

Open Job Library Ctrl J

Open ODB-Job Shift O

Zoom in Ctrl I

Zoom out Ctrl O Zoom home Ctrl H / Pos 1

Default view Ctrl Home change to default view Center view Ctrl E Set mouse position

to center Right Ctrl R / Right Go right

Left Ctrl L / Left Go left Up Ctrl U / Up Go up

Down Ctrl D / Down Go down Selection tool S Change Mouse Mode

to select single object Select all Ctrl A Select all Objects

Clear selection Ctrl C Deselect all objects Last selection Ctrl P

Show grid Ctrl G Show full color / Ctrl W

skeleton / mixed Fix color F8 Change color mix Cross-hair F 9 Cross-hair on / off

Ruler F 11 Ruler on / off Flatten panel on / off Ctrl Q

Draw Vertex Ctrl V Search Ctrl F Show search dialog

Matrix Ctrl Shift A / Ctrl M Show matrix dialog

Measure M Measure cursor F 12 Measure cursor on / off

Back B Next feature N Select next feature

Step & Repeat Ctrl S Show step & repeat dialog

Documents

PCB Investigator Documentation - EasyLogix · PCB-Investigator Page 7 2. Menus 2.1 File Menu 2.2 Edit Menu Open ODB++ Job Library Open ODB++ Directory Tree Open ODB++, Gerber274x,