Ucamco Releases Specification for Fabrication Documentation in Gerber

Reading time ( words)

Since decades Gerber is the standard for describing the images – copper layers, solder mask, drills – in PCB fabrication data. Attributes introduced with Gerber X2 ‘add intelligence to the image’ by identifying layers, vias, SMD pad, component  pin numbers and reference designator.

But PCB fabrication data is not just about images - it includes fabrication documentation such as finish, overall thickness and materials. It is essential for the quoting, planning, engineering, CAM and fabrication of the bare and assembled board. It is often transferred informally, in drawings and texts, and handled manually, wasting time and risking errors. The Gerber Job File transfers this information in a machine-readable manner as part of Gerber fabrication data.

The extension is compatible with both Gerber X1 and X2. Existing image input/output code does not need to be changed when implementing the Gerber job file.

The Gerber hallmark of simplicity and human-readability is maintained.

The Gerber Job File is straightforward to implement. Partial implementations are allowed, even encouraged. Better a partial job file than no job file at all. Developers can pick and choose from the spec what suits them. Several software suppliers have already committed to support the new Gerber Job File.

The initial draft was published on the Ucamco website for public review by the Gerber community in March 2017. There was a lively discussion, the draft went through seven public revisions before being finalized early April 2018. It became much more practical in the process.

About Ucamco

Ucamco (formerly Barco ETS) is a market leader in PCB CAM software, photoplotting and direct imaging systems, with a global network of sales and support centers. Headquartered in Ghent, Belgium, Ucamco has over 25 years of ongoing experience in developing and supporting leading-edge photoplotters and front-end tooling solutions for the global PCB industry. Key to this success is the company's uncompromising pursuit of engineering excellence in all its products. Ucamco also owns the IP rights on the Gerber File Format through its acquisition of Gerber Systems Corp. (1998).

The specification and example files are available at the Gerber page, click here.

09/12/2018 | Dave Wiens, Mentor, a Siemens Business

PCB designers working with flex or rigid-flex technology face many potential risks that can derail a project and cause costly design failures. As the name implies, flex and rigid-flex designs comprise a combination of rigid and flexible board technologies made up of multiple layers of flexible circuit substrates, attached internally and/or externally to one or more rigid boards. These combinations provide flexibility for the PCB designer working on dense designs that require a specific form factor. Rigid-flex allows the PCB design team to cost-efficiently apply greater functionality to a smaller volume of space, while providing the mechanical stability required by most applications.

06/25/2018 | Dave Lackey and Anaya Vardya, American Standard Circuits

The design process is arguably the most important part of the flex circuit procurement process. The decisions made in the design process will have a lasting impact, for better or worse, throughout the manufacturing cycle. In advance of providing important details about the actual construction of the flex circuit, it is of value to provide some sort of understanding of the expected use environment for the finished product.

06/08/2018 | Dan Beaulieu, D.B. Management Group

Mark Thompson wants to help PCB designers. He’s seen it all in CAM support at Prototron Circuits: the incomplete or inaccurate data packages, boards that are unnecessarily complex or over-constrained, and so much more. Mark just returned to writing his popular Design007 Magazine column, The Bare (Board) Truth, which addresses questions such as, “What happens to your design at CAM?” I asked Mark to explain why it’s so important for designers to communicate with their fabricators, and why they need to get out of the office and visit a board shop every now and then.