Task 188: .ESCPCB File Format
Task 188: .ESCPCB File Format
1. List of Properties of the .ESCPCB File Format Intrinsic to Its File System
The .ESCPCB file format is a proprietary format used by esCAD pcb, a PCB pattern design software developed by Electro-System Co., Ltd. (Japan). Based on available information from public sources, detailed technical specifications (e.g., binary structure, header layout, data encoding) are not publicly documented, as it is an original, closed format owned by the company. No reverse-engineering details or open specifications were found in searches across web resources, including Wikipedia, software documentation, and related forums.
From descriptions in software documentation and articles:
- File Extension: .escpcb (case-insensitive, but typically lowercase).
- Format Type: Binary (inferred from its use in PCB design software for storing complex data like layouts; no evidence of it being text-based).
- Content Structure: Contains PCB design data, including:
- Component placement (positions and orientations of electronic components).
- Routing (trace paths and connections between components).
- Design specifications (layers, net properties, design rules, and connectivity information).
- Layer configurations (supports up to 128 layers in full versions, limited to 4 in free versions).
- Netlist integration (compatible with formats like EscNet, Future Pin, and Pad2000 for importing connectivity data).
- File Operations Supported: Opening existing .escpcb files, saving edited data with the .escpcb extension, overwriting existing files, and automatic saving at intervals (e.g., every 5-15 minutes) for recovery.
- Proprietary Nature: Electro-System Co., Ltd. original format; not standardized or interoperable without the esCAD pcb software. No public magic number (file signature), endianness, or field layouts are documented.
- Intrinsic File System Properties:
- Stored as a single file per design.
- No built-in compression or encryption mentioned, but as a proprietary binary format, it may include internal checks (e.g., checksums) for data integrity during load/save operations.
- File size varies based on design complexity (e.g., number of components, layers, and routes), but no specific limits are stated beyond software constraints (e.g., layer limits).
These properties are derived from functional descriptions rather than a formal specification. Without access to the binary structure, deeper intrinsic details (e.g., header offsets, data types) cannot be listed accurately.
2. Two Direct Download Links for .ESCPCB Files
No direct download links for sample .ESCPCB files were found in web searches. The format is proprietary and tied to esCAD pcb software, which does not appear to provide public examples or demo files. Searches for "download sample .escpcb file" and similar queries returned no valid results, only references to the software itself or unrelated PCB files. Without samples, reverse-engineering or verification of the format is not possible from public sources.
3. Ghost Blog Embedded HTML JavaScript for Drag-and-Drop .ESCPCB File Dump
Since the .ESCPCB format specifications are not publicly available, a full decoder cannot be implemented. The following is a basic HTML/JavaScript snippet that allows drag-and-drop of any file (assuming .escpcb extension for validation). It reads the file as binary, displays basic metadata (e.g., size, type), and dumps the raw hex content to the screen. It does not decode or extract specific properties due to the lack of format details. This can be embedded in a Ghost blog post (or any HTML page) within a code block or custom HTML element.
This script validates the extension, reads the file as binary, and outputs a hex dump. Without specs, it cannot parse or display format-specific properties like component placements.
4. Python Class for .ESCPCB File Handling
Without public specifications, a complete decoder/encoder cannot be written. The following Python class opens a .ESCPCB file, reads it as binary, prints basic file metadata, and outputs a hex dump. Reading/writing specific properties is not possible. It uses standard libraries only.
import os
import binascii
class EscPcbHandler:
def __init__(self, filepath):
self.filepath = filepath
self.data = None
def open(self):
if not self.filepath.lower().endswith('.escpcb'):
raise ValueError("Invalid file extension. Must be .escpcb")
with open(self.filepath, 'rb') as f:
self.data = f.read()
print(f"File opened: {self.filepath}")
print(f"File size: {len(self.data)} bytes")
def decode_and_print(self):
if self.data is None:
raise ValueError("File not opened")
print("Hex Dump (first 1024 bytes):")
print(binascii.hexlify(self.data[:1024]).decode('utf-8'))
print("\nDecoded Properties: Unavailable (Proprietary format - no public specs)")
# Placeholder: Would parse properties here if specs were known
def write(self, output_path):
if self.data is None:
raise ValueError("No data to write")
with open(output_path, 'wb') as f:
f.write(self.data)
print(f"File written to: {output_path}")
# Example usage:
# handler = EscPcbHandler('example.escpcb')
# handler.open()
# handler.decode_and_print()
# handler.write('output.escpcb')
5. Java Class for .ESCPCB File Handling
Similar limitations apply. This Java class opens, reads, prints metadata/hex dump, and writes the file. No decoding due to proprietary nature.
import java.io.*;
import java.nio.file.Files;
import java.nio.file.Paths;
public class EscPcbHandler {
private String filepath;
private byte[] data;
public EscPcbHandler(String filepath) {
this.filepath = filepath;
}
public void open() throws IOException {
if (!filepath.toLowerCase().endsWith(".escpcb")) {
throw new IllegalArgumentException("Invalid file extension. Must be .escpcb");
}
data = Files.readAllBytes(Paths.get(filepath));
System.out.println("File opened: " + filepath);
System.out.println("File size: " + data.length + " bytes");
}
public void decodeAndPrint() {
if (data == null) {
throw new IllegalStateException("File not opened");
}
System.out.println("Hex Dump (first 1024 bytes):");
for (int i = 0; i < Math.min(1024, data.length); i++) {
System.out.printf("%02X ", data[i]);
if ((i + 1) % 16 == 0) System.out.println();
}
System.out.println("\nDecoded Properties: Unavailable (Proprietary format - no public specs)");
// Placeholder for decoding if specs were known
}
public void write(String outputPath) throws IOException {
if (data == null) {
throw new IllegalStateException("No data to write");
}
Files.write(Paths.get(outputPath), data);
System.out.println("File written to: " + outputPath);
}
// Example usage:
// public static void main(String[] args) throws IOException {
// EscPcbHandler handler = new EscPcbHandler("example.escpcb");
// handler.open();
// handler.decodeAndPrint();
// handler.write("output.escpcb");
// }
}
6. JavaScript Class for .ESCPCB File Handling
This Node.js class (requires fs module) handles opening, reading, printing, and writing. No browser support due to file system access; use in Node environment.
const fs = require('fs');
class EscPcbHandler {
constructor(filepath) {
this.filepath = filepath;
this.data = null;
}
open() {
if (!this.filepath.toLowerCase().endsWith('.escpcb')) {
throw new Error('Invalid file extension. Must be .escpcb');
}
this.data = fs.readFileSync(this.filepath);
console.log(`File opened: ${this.filepath}`);
console.log(`File size: ${this.data.length} bytes`);
}
decodeAndPrint() {
if (!this.data) {
throw new Error('File not opened');
}
let hexDump = 'Hex Dump (first 1024 bytes):\n';
for (let i = 0; i < Math.min(1024, this.data.length); i++) {
hexDump += this.data[i].toString(16).padStart(2, '0') + ' ';
if ((i + 1) % 16 === 0) hexDump += '\n';
}
console.log(hexDump);
console.log('Decoded Properties: Unavailable (Proprietary format - no public specs)');
// Placeholder for decoding
}
write(outputPath) {
if (!this.data) {
throw new Error('No data to write');
}
fs.writeFileSync(outputPath, this.data);
console.log(`File written to: ${outputPath}`);
}
}
// Example usage:
// const handler = new EscPcbHandler('example.escpcb');
// handler.open();
// handler.decodeAndPrint();
// handler.write('output.escpcb');
7. C Class for .ESCPCB File Handling
In C, we use structs for class-like behavior. This code opens, reads, prints metadata/hex dump, and writes. Compile with gcc file.c -o escpcb_handler.
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>
typedef struct {
char* filepath;
unsigned char* data;
size_t size;
} EscPcbHandler;
void init(EscPcbHandler* handler, const char* filepath) {
handler->filepath = strdup(filepath);
handler->data = NULL;
handler->size = 0;
}
void open_file(EscPcbHandler* handler) {
if (strstr(handler->filepath, ".escpcb") == NULL && strstr(handler->filepath, ".ESCPCB") == NULL) {
fprintf(stderr, "Invalid file extension. Must be .escpcb\n");
exit(1);
}
FILE* f = fopen(handler->filepath, "rb");
if (!f) {
perror("Failed to open file");
exit(1);
}
fseek(f, 0, SEEK_END);
handler->size = ftell(f);
fseek(f, 0, SEEK_SET);
handler->data = malloc(handler->size);
fread(handler->data, 1, handler->size, f);
fclose(f);
printf("File opened: %s\n", handler->filepath);
printf("File size: %zu bytes\n", handler->size);
}
void decode_and_print(EscPcbHandler* handler) {
if (!handler->data) {
fprintf(stderr, "File not opened\n");
exit(1);
}
printf("Hex Dump (first 1024 bytes):\n");
for (size_t i = 0; i < handler->size && i < 1024; i++) {
printf("%02X ", handler->data[i]);
if ((i + 1) % 16 == 0) printf("\n");
}
printf("\nDecoded Properties: Unavailable (Proprietary format - no public specs)\n");
// Placeholder for decoding
}
void write_file(EscPcbHandler* handler, const char* output_path) {
if (!handler->data) {
fprintf(stderr, "No data to write\n");
exit(1);
}
FILE* f = fopen(output_path, "wb");
if (!f) {
perror("Failed to write file");
exit(1);
}
fwrite(handler->data, 1, handler->size, f);
fclose(f);
printf("File written to: %s\n", output_path);
}
void cleanup(EscPcbHandler* handler) {
free(handler->data);
free(handler->filepath);
}
// Example usage:
// int main() {
// EscPcbHandler handler;
// init(&handler, "example.escpcb");
// open_file(&handler);
// decode_and_print(&handler);
// write_file(&handler, "output.escpcb");
// cleanup(&handler);
// return 0;
// }