Drill file generation in PCB Design - Cell-by-Cell Formula Trace

Sample Data

This table lists the holes to be drilled on a PCB with their IDs, X and Y coordinates in millimeters, and hole diameters.

Cell	Value
A1	Hole ID
B1	X (mm)
C1	Y (mm)
D1	Diameter (mm)
A2	H1
B2	10
C2	15
D2	0.8
A3	H2
B3	20
C3	25
D3	1.2
A4	H3
B4	30
C4	35
D4	0.6

Formula Trace

GENERATE_DRILL_FILE(A2:D4)

Step 1: Read hole data from cells A2:D4

Step 2: Convert coordinates and diameters to drill file format (inches, format 2.4)

Step 3: Assign tool numbers based on diameter

Step 4: Create drill file lines for each hole

Step 5: Combine all lines into final drill file content

Cell Reference Map

    A       B       C       D
1 | Hole ID | X (mm) | Y (mm) | Diameter (mm)
2 |   H1    |  10    |  15    |    0.8
3 |   H2    |  20    |  25    |    1.2
4 |   H3    |  30    |  35    |    0.6

References: The formula reads all cells from A2 to D4 to get hole data.

The drill file generation formula uses the hole ID, X and Y coordinates, and diameter from cells A2 to D4.

Result

    A
1 | Drill File Output
2 | M48
3 | ;Layer_Color=9474304
4 | ;FILE_FORMAT=2:4
5 | T01C0.0315
6 | X03937Y05906
7 | T02C0.0472
8 | X07874Y09843
9 | T03C0.0236
10| X11811Y13779
11| M30

This shows the drill file content generated from the hole data. It includes header, tool definitions with diameters, hole coordinates, and footer.

Sheet Trace Quiz - 3 Questions

What unit conversion is applied when generating the drill file?

A Millimeters to inches

B Inches to millimeters

C Centimeters to inches

D No conversion

Key Result

GENERATE_DRILL_FILE reads hole data, converts units, assigns tools by diameter, and formats drill commands.