Post by thread:PCB Gerber Viewing

I have been working on a project for the past several weeks. It has involved the development of code and also the creation of a PC board design to house the product. I have progressed to the point where I have created the PCB layout in Ivex s WinBoard (and WinDraft). Prior to the next step of sending the board out to have it etched, I have been warned to make sure the Gerber files generated are in fact truly reflective of the board design I have made. Are there any Gerber file viewing utilities out there that anyone can recommend? Ivex does offer one, but I thought it would be best to get the utility from a separate company other than that of the PCB design software that I use. Would appreciate the feedback. John

Me too! Miguel ---------- > De: John D. Kerr <spam_OUTJOHN.KERRTakeThisOuTPEEL.COM> > Para: .....PICLISTKILLspam@spam@MITVMA.MIT.EDU > Assunto: PCB Gerber Viewing > Data: Domingo, 15 de Agosto de 1999 16:28 > > I have been working on a project for the past several weeks. It has involved > the development of code and also the creation of a PC board design to house > the product. > > I have progressed to the point where I have created the PCB layout in Ivex s > WinBoard (and WinDraft). Prior to the next step of sending the board out to > have it etched, I have been warned to make sure the Gerber files generated > are in fact truly reflective of the board design I have made. > > Are there any Gerber file viewing utilities out there that anyone can > recommend? Ivex does offer one, but I thought it would be best to get the > utility from a separate company other than that of the PCB design software > that I use. > > Would appreciate the feedback. > > John

<x-flowed>At 03:28 PM 8/15/99, you wrote: >Are there any Gerber file viewing utilities out there that anyone can >recommend? Ivex does offer one, but I thought it would be best to get the >utility from a separate company other than that of the PCB design software >that I use. > >Would appreciate the feedback. > >John You may want to look at CamVu http://www.ecam.com/camvu.htm I believe this is the freeware Gerber viewer from ACT. If you want to start modifying the Gerber files you can buy into their cam350 product line but that starts getting into some real money. carl -------------------------------------------------------- Henry Carl Ott N2RVQ carlottKILLspaminterport.net http://www.interport.net/~carlott/ -------------------------------------------------------- You're entitled to your own opinions. You are not entitled to your own facts. </x-flowed>

I found one a couple of weeks ago: Go to http://www.lavenir.com/ and download the "ViewMate" software. It is a free, crippled version of the $500 "ViewMaster" software. The main restrictions are in editing and saving the Gerbers, but you can at least load them in and see what they look like. The worst part of the no-save restriction is that, while you have to load all the gerbers separately, layer-by-layer, (componant side, solder side, solder stop mask, silkscreen, etc...) there's no way (AFAICT) even to save a script as to which file to load into which layer. Still, I spent a good bit of time digging around for Gerber viewers, and this was by far the best thing I found that didn't cost hundreds of dollars; it would appear that the non-free version is pretty nice. There's a couple of other viewers out there that I found, but they were, IMHO, by far inferior to ViewMate while not being much less crippled. BTW, I found the ViewMate software through a link off the IPC website http://www.ipc.org (note: .org, not .com -- there is a .com but it is unrelated). IPC is an industry association for printed circuit manufacturers and the like, and there is a ton of good information to be found there; It is well worth poking around in their site for a while. --Bob On Sun, Aug 15, 1999 at 03:28:29PM -0400, John D. Kerr wrote: > > Are there any Gerber file viewing utilities out there that anyone can > recommend? Ivex does offer one, but I thought it would be best to get the > utility from a separate company other than that of the PCB design software > that I use. > > Would appreciate the feedback. > > John -- ============================================================ Bob Drzyzgula It's not a problem .....bobKILLspam.....drzyzgula.org until something bad happens ============================================================

<x-flowed>> > > You may want to look at CamVu > http://www.ecam.com/camvu.htm > > I believe this is the freeware Gerber viewer from ACT. > Never mind, ignore the above information. I misread the documentation and camvu will not handle gerber files directly. My bad. carl -------------------------------------------------------- Henry Carl Ott N2RVQ EraseMEcarlottspam_OUTTakeThisOuTinterport.net http://www.interport.net/~carlott/ -------------------------------------------------------- You're entitled to your own opinions. You are not entitled to your own facts. </x-flowed>

John, you can use cam350 free version that you can't edit I do not remember URL but I can find out. Andre "John D. Kerr" wrote: {Quote hidden}> I have been working on a project for the past several weeks. It has involved > the development of code and also the creation of a PC board design to house > the product. > > I have progressed to the point where I have created the PCB layout in Ivex s > WinBoard (and WinDraft). Prior to the next step of sending the board out to > have it etched, I have been warned to make sure the Gerber files generated > are in fact truly reflective of the board design I have made. > > Are there any Gerber file viewing utilities out there that anyone can > recommend? Ivex does offer one, but I thought it would be best to get the > utility from a separate company other than that of the PCB design software > that I use. > > Would appreciate the feedback. > > John

Sounds like a fairly anal company or boss. SOP it to have the PCB house plot you a proof and return it to you before you commit to fab. I used to have a big Gerber used for IC layout, I don't trust the hardware --- spent hours with a loupe and a wire list! Sometimes the interpreter got quirky. If you get a good proof plot then you are good to go. This will also allow you to check your design rules against the ones the fab house is using. good luck, joe "John D. Kerr" wrote: {Quote hidden}> > I have been working on a project for the past several weeks. It has involved > the development of code and also the creation of a PC board design to house > the product. > > I have progressed to the point where I have created the PCB layout in Ivex s > WinBoard (and WinDraft). Prior to the next step of sending the board out to > have it etched, I have been warned to make sure the Gerber files generated > are in fact truly reflective of the board design I have made. > > Are there any Gerber file viewing utilities out there that anyone can > recommend? Ivex does offer one, but I thought it would be best to get the > utility from a separate company other than that of the PCB design software > that I use. > > Would appreciate the feedback. > > John

GC-PREVUE for Windows version 8.1.2 This is a free gerber viewer you can get at http://www.graphicode.com It works very well once you have figured out how to load the gerber files ;) You need the different gerber files and the rack file. The software will allow you to print a checkplot of every file you can see on the screen. Hope this help Gaston "John D. Kerr" a icrit : {Quote hidden}> > I have been working on a project for the past several weeks. It has involved > the development of code and also the creation of a PC board design to house > the product. > > I have progressed to the point where I have created the PCB layout in Ivex s > WinBoard (and WinDraft). Prior to the next step of sending the board out to > have it etched, I have been warned to make sure the Gerber files generated > are in fact truly reflective of the board design I have made. > > Are there any Gerber file viewing utilities out there that anyone can > recommend? Ivex does offer one, but I thought it would be best to get the > utility from a separate company other than that of the PCB design software > that I use. > > Would appreciate the feedback. > > John

This is just a test, I have received two identical copy of my posting! Gaston Gagnon a icrit : {Quote hidden}> > GC-PREVUE for Windows version 8.1.2 > > This is a free gerber viewer you can get at http://www.graphicode.com > It works very well once you have figured out how to load the gerber > files ;) > > You need the different gerber files and the rack file. > The software will allow you to print a checkplot of every file you can > see on the screen. > > Hope this help > Gaston > > "John D. Kerr" a icrit : > > > > I have been working on a project for the past several weeks. It has involved > > the development of code and also the creation of a PC board design to house > > the product. > > > > I have progressed to the point where I have created the PCB layout in Ivex s > > WinBoard (and WinDraft). Prior to the next step of sending the board out to > > have it etched, I have been warned to make sure the Gerber files generated > > are in fact truly reflective of the board design I have made. > > > > Are there any Gerber file viewing utilities out there that anyone can > > recommend? Ivex does offer one, but I thought it would be best to get the > > utility from a separate company other than that of the PCB design software > > that I use. > > > > Would appreciate the feedback. > > > > John