Extract text from PCB layout files (BRD)
To convert BRD PCB layouts to another format, you need Autodesk EAGLE or other Cad software.
To convert other file formats to the "PCB Design File" file type, you need software like Autodesk EAGLE or a similar tool.
A .BRD file typically stores the physical layout of a printed circuit board (PCB), or it acts as a BoardView file used for component-level diagnostics and motherboard repair. Common creators include Autodesk EAGLE, Cadence Allegro, and KiCad. Specialized software like OpenBoardView is required for the repair schematic variants, often used for Apple MacBook motherboards.
The biggest disadvantage of the .BRD extension is extreme fragmentation. A .BRD file created in EAGLE uses an XML structure and is entirely incompatible with a .BRD from Cadence Allegro, which is a proprietary binary. Because multiple vendors use the exact same extension for completely different data structures, users often face "invalid format" errors. Furthermore, these files require expensive, heavy Electronic Design Automation (EDA) software or highly niche repair tools to open. You cannot easily share a layout with a client, a mechanical engineer, or a manufacturer without exporting it first.
To share designs for review, convert .BRD to PDF or PNG. For mechanical CAD integration and enclosure design, convert to DXF or STEP. For actual PCB manufacturing (fabrication), you must convert your .BRD into standard Gerber (.GBR) and Excellon drill files.
Convert.Guru analyzes your BRD file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted SCH, UYAP, ZIP, BDR, BDV, PCB, CAD, DSN, PDF, 1BRD, FBRD, GBR and FZ files.
If you want to convert BRD file to DXF, PDF, ALG, STL, DWG, DGN, RVT, RFA, SKP, 3DM, STEP or IGES, you can use Autodesk EAGLE or similar software from the "Printed Circuit Board Layout" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert SLDASM, DGN, PRT, IAM, X_B, CATPRODUCT, SLDPRT, RVT, ASM, DWG, CATPART or DXF files to BRD, try Autodesk EAGLE or another comparable tool in the "Printed Circuit Board Layout" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our BRD converter.