Altium designer gerbers + batch PCB = Green images?

Archive BatchPCB
1

I tried several settings in Altium, but every time I end up with a confirmation email from batchPCB that says the design Passed but all the images about top and bottom layer are fully green. I do not see any traces at all.

Can anyone help me figuring out what is wrong?

It’s about a 2layers PCB.

This is what I see as preview when I submit the design:

[<LINK_TEXT text=“http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/9060/p … gtl.th.png”>http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/9060/pcbexternalgtl.th.png</LINK_TEXT>

[<LINK_TEXT text=“http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/2083 … gbl.th.png”>http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/2083/pcbexternalgbl.th.png</LINK_TEXT>

And this is what I see in my confirmation mail:

Macro Name = OCTAGOND14

Macro Consuming 4,1,8,-0.063,-0.019,-0.063,0.019,-0.044,0.037,0.044,0.037,0.063,0.019,0.063,-0.019,0.044,-0.037,-0.044,-0.037,-0.063,-0.019,0.0 [2]

PUSH 1.000000

PUSH 8.000000

PUSH -0.063000

PUSH -0.019000

PUSH -0.063000

PUSH 0.019000

PUSH -0.044000

PUSH 0.037000

PUSH 0.044000

PUSH 0.037000

PUSH 0.063000

PUSH 0.019000

PUSH 0.063000

PUSH -0.019000

PUSH 0.044000

PUSH -0.037000

PUSH -0.044000

PUSH -0.037000

PUSH -0.063000

PUSH -0.019000

PUSH 0.000000

PRIM 4

Parse_OK

Looking up macro OCTAGOND14 [0x1a04340]

Beginning GCODE run

Ending GCODE run

Created 365 polygons

Found 0 errors

Partitioning…

Grouping…

Distance testing

MergeCount: 364

tests: 18613

Board boundaries: Rect: [0.827000,1.383000] → [2.323000,2.362000], w: 1.496000, h: 0.979000

Found 1 groups

lengthdb size 0

[

Macro Name = OCTAGOND14

Macro Consuming 4,1,8,-0.063,-0.019,-0.063,0.019,-0.044,0.037,0.044,0.037,0.063,0.019,0.063,-0.019,0.044,-0.037,-0.044,-0.037,-0.063,-0.019,0.0 [2]

PUSH 1.000000

PUSH 8.000000

PUSH -0.063000

PUSH -0.019000

PUSH -0.063000

PUSH 0.019000

PUSH -0.044000

PUSH 0.037000

PUSH 0.044000

PUSH 0.037000

PUSH 0.063000

PUSH 0.019000

PUSH 0.063000

PUSH -0.019000

PUSH 0.044000

PUSH -0.037000

PUSH -0.044000

PUSH -0.037000

PUSH -0.063000

PUSH -0.019000

PUSH 0.000000

PRIM 4

Parse_OK

Looking up macro OCTAGOND14 [0x1da1340]

Beginning GCODE run

Ending GCODE run

Created 202 polygons

Found 0 errors

Partitioning…

Grouping…

Distance testing

MergeCount: 201

tests: 8162

Board boundaries: Rect: [0.827000,1.378000] → [2.323000,2.362000], w: 1.496000, h: 0.984000

Found 1 groups

lengthdb size 0

[](ImageShack - Best place for all of your image hosting and image sharing needs)](ImageShack - Best place for all of your image hosting and image sharing needs)](ImageShack - Best place for all of your image hosting and image sharing needs)](ImageShack - Best place for all of your image hosting and image sharing needs)

2

That’s strange. Which version of Altium are you running?

I’ve used Altium successfully with Batch PCB, and although never had a fully green image, i have had some “missing traces” where parts of the PCB looked green in the DRC image, but the boards always worked out properly…

It’s likely more of the DRC-bot’s issue than an actual problem that will stop your gerbers from being made properly, but an e-mail to BatchPCB support couldn’t hurt.

3

I recently bought the latest version Summer '09.

Apparently the Gerber’s are OK since my local manufacture doesn’t have any problems.

I’m not sure, but could it have something to do with polygones (ground planes) that are placed over the whole area?

4

It could be… looking back at the PCB’s I’ve done that show a similar problem, it’s generally the polygons that wipe out most of the other details, but not all of it like in yours. I think similar problems have been brought up on here before, but don’t offhand remember any answers/explanations.

5

But is it just the preview or is the actual order also just a copper plane?

6

It should be just a preview… All the boards I’ve sent that looked ‘wierd’ in the DRC-bot’s preview turned out fine. :slight_smile:

7

Didn’t noticed before, but the sizes of the PCB are also totaly wrong ( to big ) or are their minimal size for PCB? (since mine is 2x0.9 inch)

8

I think the minimum size is 1"x1", so you shouldn’t really have a problem there…

Did you send Sparkfun an e-mail about this?

9

I am getting this same ‘green image’ bug also using altium. Did you endup ordering it?

10

iv had a similar experience when uploading my gerber files created using altium 2009.

the previews on the site and the previews the bot sent back where missing huge chunks of my design (just showed up as huge copper areas), my whole design is polygon filled so maybe this is the problem

im hoping its just a preview error and not a file error

all my files are correct when viewed in viewmate

so i think its all ok!

:slight_smile:

11

willyp:
Didn’t noticed before, but the sizes of the PCB are also totaly wrong ( to big ) or are their minimal size for PCB? (since mine is 2x0.9 inch)

To deal with that size descrepancy, it is best to describe your board size with a 0.000 width shape in the top copper layer. If your Altium software won’t do that, use the narrowest that you can. Do not have notes or silkscreen or anything outside of the board outline.

12

RE solid filled-in layers: see my post: viewtopic.php?f=16&t=23281&p=107617#p107617 .

–David Carne