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Freddy G
Canada
2 Posts |
 Posted - 12 Jun 2007 : 14:34:39
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Hi All,
I've been using Easy-PC for a couple of years now but I always output to windows so I can print on transparency and etch boards myself.
Now I'd like to have some boards professionally manufactured.....but I don't know anything about gerbers or NC drill files or whatever a fab house is going to need from me.
Would some kind soul please guide me through it and maybe check over my work and advise me about any mistakes they see?
Thanks,
Freddy |
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Benno
Netherlands
79 Posts |
Posted - 13 Jun 2007 : 07:09:50
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Freddy,
Most productionhouses will have a set of designrules regarding your design (things like restring for pads, clearances etc). Often they also have some sort of FAQ regarding Gerber.
I think you now mirror your designs when printing since you etch yourself? With Gerber that is one thing you should not do.
Also if your pcb is multilayer make sure you add a text like top and bottom in copper in the proper layer. The text should be readable on the copper (so you need to mirror text for bottom layer).
What I found very easy when producing my first board was the ODB++ output. You get 1 file to send to productionhous that contains all. Disadvantage you cannot view contents of that file yourself.
Best way to go is to find you a manufacturer and ask them for specs for the Gerber they need. To get an idea, you could visit www.multipcb.de which I use to make my boards. They have an english section and a very detailed technical FAQ explaining layout (and output) issues.
[EDIT] find yourself a copy of GCPrevue a free Gerber viewer. That way you can play with Gerber yourself[/EDIT] |
Edited by - Benno on 13 Jun 2007 07:20:43 |
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Peter Johnson
United Kingdom
501 Posts |
Posted - 13 Jun 2007 : 07:55:42
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Another Gerber viewer worth considering is Viewmate from <www.pentalogix.com>. Like GC-Prevue, you're asked for an email address and sent an unlock code for the download. Neither company sells your email address to third parties, and Pentalogix have even been known to send out courteous notes letting you know there's a new version - even though it's free!
You can also download a free ODB++ viewer from Valor who invented the format. The link is:
<www.valor.com/en/Products/Valor%20Universal%20Viewer.aspx>
You do need to login to this site however to get the download.
If you get stuck creating Gerber files, try pressing <F1>. The context sensitive help should resolve most problems other than the obvious one of what clearances and sizes your manufacturer requires.
Just a footnote here. You still need to make your tracks and pads oversize by twice the thickness of the copper (about 1 thou for 1oz copper in the old format) to allow for etching losses. Manufacturers generally assume that the designer takes care of this aspect. They will however, normally adjust their drill sizes on plated holes so the finished size is what was specified in the design. If in doubt, it's always wise to ask. |
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Freddy G
Canada
2 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jun 2007 : 13:22:47
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Gentlemen,
Thanks for your assistance!
I downloaded pentalogix viewer and everything looks OK except that some of the pads seem to have no drill holes Also, I'm not sure that I'va actually generated a drill size file....what should the extension be for the drill file?
I've uploaded all the gerber files that I generated here:
http://www.box.net/shared/qcl12yuh9f
The *.pcb file is there as well. If you could take a quick look at the files and guide me with any further advice I would be most appreciative.
Best Regards,
Freddy |
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Peter Johnson
United Kingdom
501 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jun 2007 : 13:03:02
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You're using a rather old version of Easy-PC for Windows.
The files matching *.g0? are the Gerber files. *.gso is the Gerber settings file. This can be read in notepad or similar.
The files matching *.h0? are the drill files. They should be exactly the same! *.hs0 is the drill table, which again can be read by a text editor.
It's usual when producing Gerber files to ask for the drill holes to be filled, as they're not needed. The information is contained in the drill file instead. Of course if the holes are filled, that's what you'll see in the Gerber viewer. |
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Benno
Netherlands
79 Posts |
Posted - 22 Jun 2007 : 15:36:00
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Freddy,
I don't know the pentalogix viewer, but in GCprevue, you can choose to load the drill file as an extra layer. So you can check if the drill holes are in correct place. It is especially usefull for mountingholes, which in my case do not contain copper.
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gerber and drill files