gerber files from linux pcb

Archive BatchPCB
1

I’ve found PCB (formerly xpcb) to be a nice full featured opensource PCB layout tool. It claims to output gerber (RS274X) files. One of my concerns is what file names SFE accepts – do the extensions matter, or only the contents?

the filenames from my test circuit look like this:

prj1.output_back.gbr

prj1.output_backmask.gbr

prj1.output_bom.txt

prj1.output_fab.gbr

prj1.output_front.gbr

prj1.output_frontmask.gbr

prj1.output_frontpaste.gbr

prj1.output_frontsilk.gbr

prj1.output_group4.gbr

prj1.output_group5.gbr

prj1.output_plated-drill.cnc

prj1.output_xy.txt

Anyone from SFE think this might work with your import utility?

thanks in advance

-T

ps-

pcb can be found here:

http://pcb.sourceforge.net/

2

tyris:
I’ve found PCB (formerly xpcb) to be a nice full featured opensource PCB layout tool. It claims to output gerber (RS274X) files. One of my concerns is what file names SFE accepts – do the extensions matter, or only the contents?

the filenames from my test circuit look like this:

prj1.output_back.gbr

prj1.output_backmask.gbr

prj1.output_bom.txt

prj1.output_fab.gbr

prj1.output_front.gbr

prj1.output_frontmask.gbr

prj1.output_frontpaste.gbr

prj1.output_frontsilk.gbr

prj1.output_group4.gbr

prj1.output_group5.gbr

prj1.output_plated-drill.cnc

prj1.output_xy.txt

Anyone from SFE think this might work with your import utility?

thanks in advance

-T

ps-

pcb can be found here:

http://pcb.sourceforge.net/

Nope, don’t think it will. Protel determines the layer by the extension

3

Protel does like file extensions, but we would be able to import your gerbers (drill file is still unknown). Once we get all the customer orders panelized, ben then has to sort the gerbers into the appropriate layers. This is usually done by extension using a batch file to sort files into sub directories. Since your extensions are all the same, he has to do yours by hand. Not great, but workable. Change your files to the appropriate generic extension (gbo gerber bottom overlay, gtl gerber top layer, etc) and you’d make us much happier.

-Nathan

4

Nathan,

Does Protel have the same problem with the extensions used by Eagle? If so I will gladly change them myself to save you guys the headache.

-Bill

5

sparky:
Protel does like file extensions, but we would be able to import your gerbers (drill file is still unknown). Once we get all the customer orders panelized, ben then has to sort the gerbers into the appropriate layers. This is usually done by extension using a batch file to sort files into sub directories. Since your extensions are all the same, he has to do yours by hand. Not great, but workable. Change your files to the appropriate generic extension (gbo gerber bottom overlay, gtl gerber top layer, etc) and you’d make us much happier.

OK, I can fix them. Cooking up a quick script to do some renaming is pretty easy. Im sure its in everyone’s best interest to not waste your time with something like file extensions.

I’ll readup on the drill file details; I dont know enough about it right now to ask any intelligent questions yet.

thanks

-T

6

Bill,

Eagle outputs file names with different extensions so our batch file can sort those ok.

-Nathan

7

Looks like my order passed DRC. We’ll see if I made a sane layout though :slight_smile:

Guess this opens the door for linux “pcb” based designs. Before submitting I had to rename the files to mimic eagle, and reformat the drill file with a perl script. A couple of small automatable steps but it removes the need for a windows box.

I just wish they could come up with a less generic name, even the old “xpcb” was better :slight_smile:

-T

8

yeah, I still call it “xpcb” even though its name is supposedly just “pcb” because “pcb” is too generic… :?