PCB File

What are PCB files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening a PCB file or are you simply curious about its contents? We're here to explain the properties of these files and provide you with software that can open or handle your PCB files.

What is a PCB file?

PCB files have multiple uses, and ACCEL/Protel Printed Circuit Board Design is one of them. Read more about the other uses further down the page.

ACCEL/Protel Printed Circuit Board Design

We have not yet analyzed in detail what these files contain and what they are used for. We're working on it.

How to open PCB files

We have identified two PCB openers that are compatible with this specific type of PCB file.

Programs that open ACCEL/Protel Printed Circuit Board Design files

Last updated: August 10, 2026

All known file formats using extension .PCB

While ACCEL/Protel Printed Circuit Board Design is a popular type of PCB-file, we know of 6 different uses of the .PCB file extension. Different software may use files with the same extension for different types of data.

CADSTAR Printed Circuit Board Design

We know that one PCB format is CADSTAR Printed Circuit Board Design. We have not yet analyzed in detail what these files contain and what they are used for. We're working on it.

PCB opener for Windows

We have identified one PCB opener that is compatible with this specific type of PCB file.

P-CAD Printed Circuit Board Design

P-CAD Printed Circuit Board Design files (extension .PCB) are legacy design-files created by P-CAD (originally by ACCEL Technologies, later acquired by Protel/Altium). They store the complete circuit board layout: shapes of copper pads and via holes, component placements including reference designators and rotation, traces/connectors or nets between those components, layer definition (copper, silkscreen, mask, etc.), board outline and optional copper pours or zones. They are used in electronics design, before exporting manufacturing outputs like Gerbers.

These files are typically written by P-CAD or exported from Altium Designer using its P-CAD ASCII export option, especially when a text-based representation is needed. Modern tools like KiCad can import only the ASCII form of P-CAD .PCB files; the older binary P-CAD formats are not supported. During import, the library ("patternDef") definitions of components, netlist data linking component pins, board stackup, and graphical or routing contents are parsed. Some P-CAD-specific rules or constraints are dropped (for example design-rule constraints are often not preserved).

Internally in the ASCII format the file begins with the token ACCEL_ASCII as identifier, the format is structured in parenthesised S-expression-like syntax, with sections such as asciiHeader (for units), library (defining pad styles, patterns, component definitions), netlist, and pcbDesign (layer definitions, component placement, tracks, pads, polygon pours, board outline). Units (e.g. mils or mm) are declared. Coordinates and angles are encoded in these units; rotation in tenths of a degree.

A known technical signature for some binary P-CAD .PCB files includes the bytes 49 49 02 04 20 at offset 0 ("II…" in ASCII) and 0D0A0D0A3B at offset 7 (ASCII for "….;").

Programs that open these PCB files

We have identified one PCB opener that is compatible with this specific type of PCB file.

PCB ASCII Printed Circuit Board

We know that one PCB format is PCB ASCII Printed Circuit Board. We have not yet analyzed in detail what these files contain and what they are used for. We're working on it.

While we have not verified the apps ourselves yet, our users have suggested ten different PCB openers which you will find listed below.

SmARTWORK Printed Circuit Board Design

We know that one PCB format is SmARTWORK Printed Circuit Board Design. We have not yet analyzed in detail what these files contain and what they are used for. We're working on it.

The Print Shop Deluxe Business Card

The Print Shop Deluxe Business Card file with extension .PCB is a design file created by Broderbund's The Print Shop Deluxe software (with its Companion add-on) specifically for business card projects. Users create layouts for business cards - such as name, address, graphics or clip art - via templates in this desktop publishing program, and when they choose a business card project the software saves the design in this format.

This file is produced (written) by The Print Shop Deluxe (and its Companion) when the user saves or exports a business card design. Such .PCB files are opened (read) again by the same software for further editing, printing, or modification of the business card. It is not a general graphics format imported by many programs, but rather specific to business card projects in The Print Shop Deluxe.

Internally, .PCB business card files written by The Print Shop Deluxe begin with a signature of ASCII bytes "PSDeluxe.pcc" at offset 0, and they also contain the string ".PCB" somewhere within their data for identification.

Programs that open these PCB files

We have identified one PCB opener that is compatible with this specific type of PCB file.

Various apps that use files with this extension

These apps are known to open certain types of PCB files. Remember, different programs may use PCB files for different purposes, so you may need to try out a few of them to be able to open your specific file.

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