| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
Boris
United Kingdom
34 Posts |
 Posted - 22 Sep 2008 : 15:33:52
|
I produced a Gerber plot which has bullet-shaped edge connector pads on the top and bottom faces of the PCB.
I read the Gerber back into EASY PC using the Intelligent Gerber Import and to my horror, where the pads should be were two rows of vias or circular pads with holes in.
An error file was generated saying that it was going to ignore two lines of the Gerber file as shown below:
Reading file 'LTS AD7228 test board - Top Copper.gbr'.
Warning (line 15): Ignored definition of macro "T95".
Warning (line 16): Aperture definition uses undefined macro "T95".
I looked at the Gerber file for lines 14, 15 and 16 and it said:
%ADD20O,0.12000X0.08000*%
%AMT95*0 Bullet Pad at angle 180*21,1,0.07000,0.36500,0,0,180*%
%ADD95T95*%
It is the bottom two lines that it said it was going to ignore and I must admit they are different to the line before them which is the usual format of a Gerber aperture table.
I asked my local PCB manufacturer to run it through his system and everything was perfect.
Is there a problem with the EASY PC Gerber reader?
I have version 12.01 of EASY PC but the Intelligent Gerber Import program was installed at the same time as we installed version 7.0.
Has the Gerber reader changed; since the latest version of EASY PC seems to be outputting information that it can't read back in?
I would be grateful for any help on this issue.
Many thanks,
Boris
|
|
|
edrees
United Kingdom
779 Posts |
Posted - 22 Jul 2009 : 11:57:13
|
Hi Boris, I have had a similar experience this week, when trying to re-create a pcb design for a Client who only had the Gerbers. The problem is how the Gerber generator defines non-circular and non-rectangular pads. Usually, they are defined in macros (%AM bit). However, Easy-PC gerber import does not want to read macros as it is unable to recreate the pad shape from this information. Hence, all "special shape" pads appear circular (or built up from circles). The new shapes offered in EasyPC (triangles, diamonds, octagonal pads) all do the same.
If you really want to just preview your Gerbers then use the excellent FREE Pentalogix ViewMate program which can be obtained here,-http://www.pentalogix.com. It's the Gerber viewer which Peter (in Tech Support) uses in preference to the EasyPC one, but won't officially recommend it as Easy PC would prefer you to BUY a inferior Gerber importer from them at £65 or £117 + VAT. I hope this acts as a warning to others who may be tempted to buy the EasyPC Gerber importer software. It doesn't do what it says on the tin! |
 |
|
|
Peter Johnson
United Kingdom
498 Posts |
Posted - 28 Jul 2009 : 12:43:20
|
I'm being a little maligned here! If any user mentions that they'd like to check Gerber files, I routinely recommend both Viewmate, <www.pentalogix.com> and GC-Prevue , <www.graphicode.com> rather than suggesting the Gerber import option. Apart from any other considerations, it makes sense to use code written by a third party as the chance of bugs being missed is much smaller when there's no code commonality.
However viewers are useless if you want to reconstruct a design. For that you do need an import capability. The problem with Gerber macros and Easy-PC is that a macro can be ANY shape, so there's absolutely no guarantee that there'd be any structure within Easy-PC that could be used for it. The limitations on the available apertures for Gerber files is indicated by the number of structures within Easy-PC that have to use macros . It's not just the exotic pad shapes. Something as simple as rotating a rectangular or square pad is quite enough.
We're in something of a catch-22 situation here. When the Gerber import was first added, Easy-PC definitely couldn't import anything in macros. Now, with the expansion of its capabilities, it's certainly plausible that it could import some of them. Recognising which is not trivial, and therein lies the rub.
Do we put development effort into what is a relatively minor function within the program, or do we use the same effort elsewhere to improve other features which will benefit more users? It's never as clear cut as that, of course, and there are suggestions for improvements in this area that won't break the bank in terms of resources. What's likely to happen is a realtively slow but steady improvement in this area, but not as much or as fast as some intensive users would like, simply because of the realities of budgeting resources. |
|
|
|
edrees
United Kingdom
779 Posts |
Posted - 28 Jul 2009 : 16:18:38
|
Peter, firstly, my humble apologies to you if you felt hurt by my comments, it wasn't intentional or meant in any way to be personal.
However, Boris only wished to use the basic EasyPC Gerber Import to verify his gerber outputs were correct before commiting to plotoplots etc. He was alarmed when the EasyPC Gerber import did not show him what he expected. He would have seen what he expected with either ViewMate or GC-Preview gerber viewers.
I quote from your web-site Sales literature (Basic Gerber Importer), "Import Gerber artworks into an Easy-PC PCB Design for viewing and pre-production checking". Sorry, but neither the basic nor the Intelligent Gerber Importers you offer for sale do not do that when they encounter non-circular pads.
Again, I quote from your web-site Sales literature, (Intelligent Gerber Importer), "Import Gerber files, NC Drill and Bill Of Materials files into Easy-PC. Intelligently rebuilt this information into a PCB design as though it was created in Easy-PC originally. Rebuilds track connectivity through all layers using connecting vias and pads. Rebuild pads and shapes back into design-based components. Also includes the 'flat' Gerber Import viewer option." Again, it doesn't rebuild all pads, -only the circular ones.
Neither packages do what it says on their tins! Perhaps Number One Systems can enlighten us as to how it justifies offering for sale the basic Gerber Importer/Viewer add-on for £65 + VAT, which does not work as well as freeby software, and why the more expensive Intelligent Gerber Importer is mis-described?
|
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
|
|
Intelligent Gerber Import problem