Since PCB design is a complex process involving many variables, it is certainly not uncommon for some errors to occur in the Gerber file provided by the customer. Prior to the start of production, the audit engineer will find these errors in time, which sometimes leads to a delay in the PCB assembly process while the customer corrects the problem. Thus, some of the most common problems found in years of experience working with Gerber files. Expect the customer to be correct before submitting the quotation.
1. Lack of PCB Circuit Board Outline
The board outline is perhaps the simplest and most straightforward part of the Gerber file, but it is still necessary to describe the edge of the board to the actual boundary at the time the PCB board was made, so that individual boards can be routed from the panel. When Gerber files are generated, some CAD packages do not generate board Outlines by default and must be specified. The board outline can be described by its own Gerber file or as part of a regular drilling file, but it must exist somewhere, so be sure to check it carefully to save communication time.
2. Lack of Excellon/NC drilling files
Similar to the first point, many PCB Design CAD packages have a separate option for generating drilling files and other Gerber. This makes it easy to miss the drill file, which is necessary to create any through-hole dimensions that may be present in the design. Sometimes you will see a Drill diagram submitted in place of the Excellon/NC Drill file, but the drill diagram only contains supplementary information that cannot be directly translated to the PCB board making machine. Make sure that the main Gerber file archive contains a drill down file with an extension of.xln or.drl.
Gerber documentation is a basic requirement for any PCB board fabrication or PCB assembly project. Of all types of PCB design files, the Gerber file can be a very important one because the physical properties of the board are described in a way that the PCB manufacturing machinery can handle directly. In many years of experience with Gerber files the following are also common problems:
1. Empty or corrupted Gerber data
It is often easy to spot errors or empty Gerber data by glancing at the Gerber file, these problems are often caused by incorrect Settings in the CAD software, so double check that the Gerber version is specified correctly. Gerber files can be generated correctly in Eagle, KiCAD, Altium Designer, and AutoCAD.
2. Wrong file format
The industry standard Gerber format is RS-274X, which is required for the PCB board fabrication process. We can also accept ODB ++ design files for PCB board fabrication. Sometimes we see clients export to an older format or send their designs using the file format of their specific CAD software, such as Eagle's.brd. Before you submit, it is recommended to double check that Gerbers is formatted correctly.
3. Unclear file names
For multi-layer PCB board fabrication and HDI PCBS, the order of the copper layers is often not clear from the file name itself, so it is recommended to provide a simple PCB Stackup to make this information as clear as possible. It can be included in manufacturing graphics as its own PDF or Excel file, or it can be included directly in the mechanical layer of the Gerber file.
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