Expedition PCB: Automation and Scripting (v2005)

The PCB Automation and Scripting course was developed to help you understand how you can customize the PCB flow tool, Expedition,  to both integrate the tool into your process flows as well as enhance their capabilities. You will be introduced to the Object model.  Using a VBScripting environment, you will be learn how the Object Model concept is applied within scripts as well as how to use the available methods to access, manipulate, and/or report object properties,  as well as some basic scripting techniques.  You will learn how to create GUIs which encapsulate different aspects of your flow, or extend the tool’s functionality.  You will also learn how to modify the user interface by adding, or removing menus and toolbars.

Detailed lab exercises help reinforce what is discussed during the lectures and provide you with extensive tool usage experience under the guidance of our industry expert instructors.

You will learn how to:

• Create and run scripts on Expedition PCB layout  files
• Access the Expedition PCB layout object models in order to modify the design
• Access the Expedition PCB layout object models in order to generate reports
• Manipulate the user interface as it pertains to menus, toolbar buttons, and keybindings
• Manipulate files by creating, writing to, opening, closing, moving, deleting, etc.
• Basic string manipulations
• Customize the Expedition menu and toolbar objects
• Run the batch engines from a script

Hands-On Labs

Throughout this course, extensive hands-on lab exercises provide you with practical experience using scripts on files generated by the Expedition software. Hands-on lab topics include:

• Searching a design for pins and components
• Searching for the length of traces
• Event handling
• Adding/modifying graphical objects
• Customizing the user interface
• Adding vias
• Using Motion Graphics
• Communicating with the user through message and input boxes
• Generating log and report files
• Creating customized forms
• Customizing the graphical user interface

Audience

• Design and CAD Engineers who will use Scripting in the DxDesigner/Expedition flow
• CAD tool support personnel responsible for maintaining/integrating tools into their process flow.

Prerequisites

• Familiarity with Expedition PCB Layout
• Familiarity with concepts of  basic scripting
• Familiarity with basic programming concepts
• Familiarity with Windows 98, NT, 2000, XP or UNIX operating systems

Key Topics

• Automation defined
• Platforms, Languages, Servers, and Clients
• VBScript Basics
• MGCPCB Automation Data Model
• MGCPCB Automation Objects, Collections, Properties, Methods and Events
• File System Objects
• String manipulations