KiCAD file format and drill problems

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1

I’ve never heard of this PCB program, but I’m seeing some designs from it. Here is the problem with the drill files seen so far:

M47 DRILL file {PCBNEW 19-oct-05} date 6/12/2005-23:24:46
M48
R,T
VER,1
FMAT,2
INCH,TZ
TCST,OFF
ICI,OFF
ATC,ON
T1C0.025
T2C0.032
T3C0.055
%
M47
G05
M72
T1
X4.650Y3.000
X5.300Y3.700
T2
X5.650Y3.300
X5.750Y3.400
X5.650Y3.500
X4.350Y2.800
X4.850Y2.800

Notice the decimal points in the coordinates? I’ve never see that and our CAM software totally eats it. If you use KiCAD, you’ll either have to figure out how to make the NC drill files not have these, our you’ll have to go in by hand and delete them from the coords.

Also, this design, after deleting the decimals, the drill hits were about 8 inches from the main board - ie, the drill file did not line up at all. We can’t do this for the customer. PLEASE preview all designs using Viewmate or any other free viewer. If you can’t get it to look right, we certainly won’t be able to.

-Nathan

2

After installing gerbview, a free Linux program that reads “drill files” ( http://gerbv.sourceforge.net/ ), I was able to figure out everything in these pesky Kicad files that is unacceptable.

  • - Decimal format, instead of 2.3 or 2.4 fixed-point format
  • - Extra stuff (TCST, ICI, ATC) in the header
  • - Y coordinates should all be negative

    • I have made a website that converts Kicad drill files to something that should work for Spark Fun. It’s at http://www.RayDarLLC.com/kicad/. You can run your KiCAD drill files through the website and it will send you back a modified file.

    I have verified this website’s output with gerbview. But that is as far as I can go. If someone from Spark Fun could try this website with their software, that might help avoid future headaches.

    3

    I can confirm that Kicad now works and makes correct files. Follow the instructions on this thead:

    viewtopic.php?t=1980