Layer Name

Enter the desired Layer Name in this text entry box. For dielectric layers, this layer name is displayed in the Material Name column in the Dielectric Layers page of the Settings dialog box (Circuit ⇒ Settings) in Sonnet. Note that entering an existing material does not change the settings for that dielectric layer. You must still edit the material properties for the dielectric layer in Sonnet after translation.

There are three special layer names used to maintain interoperability between Sonnet and the Gerber files.

SONNET_TOP: If you want vias to go to the top of the box, then a metal layer must be added in Stackup Layer 1. The special name for this layer is SONNET_TOP. This indicates to the translator that this metal level is the box top. Note than any geometry in the Gerber file for this metal layer is completely ignored since metal polygons may not be placed on the box top in Sonnet.

SONNET_BOT: This indicates to the translator that this metal level is the box bottom or substrate. Note than any geometry in the Gerber file for this metal layer is translated but is effectively meaningless since the whole box bottom is metal.

SONNET_IGNORE_#:  # can be any integer and is used for dielectric layers. If you have two metal layers with different metal properties that you wish to appear on the same metal level in Sonnet, you need to place a SONNET_IGNORE_# command between them so that the translator places the geometries from both Gerber files on the same metal level. Netex-G does not permit you to use different metals on the same layer, so this is the only way you can distinguish the metal types so that their properties can be entered in Netex-G. If you do not insert this “imaginary” dielectric layer in between the metal layers, then all the shapes for both metals will be merged together in Netex-G.