Transfer from the design domain (CAD) to the manufacturing domain (CAM) What Are the Alternatives? Simply put, Gerber RS-274X format does not transfer the complete design from the design domain (CAD) to the manufacturing domain (CAM). All of these other data sets must be generated as a separate process by a separate utility. However, the problem is that the standard does not take into account all other aspects of PCB fabrication and assembly.įor instance, there’s the transfer of the layer stackup order and materials information, drill data, Pick & Place data, data, Netlist, Test Point Report, and more. Gerber RS-274X may be extremely accurate and reliable for rendering precise images of copper shapes on signal and plane layers. Have you ever had to explain to management or a client how a misinterpreted fabrication note caused a schedule delay? Have you ever received boards with drill holes that were misregistered or even completely missing? Have you ever received boards with copper layers out of order? If you’ve experienced these problems, then you’ll know what we’re talking about: There are several limitations of the Gerber X format that many designers are painfully aware of. Despite its popular use in about 90% of all PCBs designed worldwide, this file format has several practical limitations that can lead to a number of problems during the fabrication process. Gerber RS-274X is the de facto standard for PCB design software, but that doesn’t necessarily make it the best.

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