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Can you name these two different kind of PCB designs?

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hkBattousai

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I've just started learning PCB design, I want to search information, tutorials and 'how to's on the web, but I'm lacking some terminology. I need to know what these two different PCB formats are named:


Design Format #1 (This kind of output is obtain by PCB design software after schematic to PCB conversion):
http://autopilot.sourceforge.net/images/pcb.png


Design Format #2 (This is the final format of PCB which you directly print on the FR2 sheet):
http://www.electronics-lab.com/projects/power/001/pcb.gif


Can you please name these two kind of PCB formats for me, so that I can search more about them; I just need a starting point.

Thanks.
 
The first one is double sided, the second is single sided.

Mike.

No, I'm not referring to the number of layers, or something like that.

One of them is the final (printable) form of the PCB, and the other one is an intermediate form.
Can you please tell me their names?

Thank you anyway.
 
The one in black is the PCB (Printed Circuit Board) drawing, showing just the traces on one layer of the board.

The one in color is a CCA (Circuit Card Assembly) drawing, showing the parts location on the PCB as well as the PCB traces on all layers.
 
You could given the name multilayer color & layered monochrome image.
 
Correct me if I'm wrong:

The first one is a software specific PCB design. The labels, lines, colors, symbols can differ in different software. It is just an intermediate design format to obtain the second one.

The second one is called "Gerber", the final form of the PCB design which can be directly printed on the physical board.
 
I've just started learning PCB design, I want to search information, tutorials and 'how to's on the web, but I'm lacking some terminology. I need to know what these two different PCB formats are named:


Design Format #1 (This kind of output is obtain by PCB design software after schematic to PCB conversion):
http://autopilot.sourceforge.net/images/pcb.png


Design Format #2 (This is the final format of PCB which you directly print on the FR2 sheet):
http://www.electronics-lab.com/projects/power/001/pcb.gif


Can you please name these two kind of PCB formats for me, so that I can search more about them; I just need a starting point.

Thanks.

#1 is the design software view and #2 is a positive copper image. Neither are gerber files, though a gerber viewer might look like #1 on the display.

Gerber photoplot is a hardware text language that looks like this:

G70*
%FSLAX55Y55*%
%ADD11C,0.01000*%
%ADD12C,0.01500*%
%ADD13C,0.01200*%
%ADD14C,0.02000*%
%ADD15C,0.02500*%
%AMUSER16*
1, 1, 0.05000, 0.0, 0.0*
1, 0, 0.02000, 0.0, 0.0*%
%ADD16USER16*%
%ADD17C,0.00800*%
D11*
X00000Y00000D02*
X600000Y00000D01*
X600000Y30000*
X560000Y30000*
X560000Y50000*
X597500Y50000*
X600000Y52500*
X600000Y107500*
X597500Y110000*
X560000Y110000*
X560000Y130000*
X600000Y130000*
X600000Y300000*
X00000Y300000*
X00000Y00000*
.
.
.
"D11" is the first aperture (pen) in the file and this is an absolute coordinate file telling the hardware where to draw (plot) lines.

Dan
 
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Like Ubergeek63 said, the second one is NOT a gerber file. It's just an image file of the single layer without silkscreen.

A gerber file would also not have the drill holes in it. They are stored in a seperate drill file.
 
Like Ubergeek63 said, the second one is NOT a gerber file. It's just an image file of the single layer without silkscreen.

A gerber file would also not have the drill holes in it. They are stored in a seperate drill file.

you are correct about the drill holes in gerber files, its a seperate file, but if you see the layers it will look the same as in fig#2. this shows the copper layers not the drill hole.

when you generate a gerber file from a pcb drawing, all relevent files are generated and saved in one click. then you have to generate C/N drill file for holes and tool size specifications and it is also a single click.

Edit: see the attached
 

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Correct me if I'm wrong:

The first one is a software specific PCB design. The labels, lines, colors, symbols can differ in different software. It is just an intermediate design format to obtain the second one.

The second one is called "Gerber", the final form of the PCB design which can be directly printed on the physical board.

Not necessarily Gerber, you use the plotter or printer to output layered drawings are all like that.
 
In essence, one is the design file; another is the film.
 
film? we have not used film since i explained to my boss that we could email the gerber files! it is a positive image, if the PCB house even bothers with it they will be using negatives
 
Whitch PCB programm is in use?
The PCB manufactor should be asked what kind of file is comfortable to produce the PCB's.
Easyer work for the manufactor = Cheaper for you.

Some Companys prefer the original board files of the used PCB program.
E.g. an xxx.brd File from the program EAGLE.

Gerber and Excellon files could be exported by most of PCB programs.
Ask your PCB manufactor about a little script for your prefered PCB program, how to to this, because there are many settings possible.
 
film? we have not used film since i explained to my boss that we could email the gerber files! it is a positive image, if the PCB house even bothers with it they will be using negatives

PCB manufacturers need to be drawn Gerber files into the film exposure used for etching and printing.

**broken link removed**
 
Both, positive & negative.

In general photoplotter draw positives, and then copy negative as needed. They're both named film.
 
If you have the opportunity, you can visit the factory to look.
 
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