Description

<style>.e_editor{font:14px/24px Arial,'microsoft yahei','Times New Roman','b8bf53';}.e_editor div,e_editor p,e_editor td,e_editor th,e_editor li{font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-family:inherit;}.e_editor ul{margin:-10px 0 20px;}.e_editor li{padding:5px 0;}.e_table{width:96%;border-collapse:collapse;empty-cells:show;}.e_table th,.e_table td{padding:5px;border:2px solid #eee;}.e_img{padding:10px 0;text-align:center;}.e_p{line-height:20px;padding:0 0 20px;text-indent:0em;}</style> <div class="e_editor"> <div class="e_p"> A Gerber file for each section of your electronic circuit design is what you need if you want to create a PCB. </div> <div class="e_p"> In this Gerber tutorial, I will teach you how to create the files you need for a <a href="https://www.allpcb.com/2_layer_pcb.html" target="_blank">2-layer board</a> using Cadsoft Eagle. After you have completed this tutorial you will have all the necessary files needed to send to most <a href="https://www.allpcb.com/best_pcb_manufacturers.html" target="_blank">PCB manufacturers</a>. </div> <div class="e_p"> <h2> Step 1: Open the CAM Processor </h2> </div> <div class="e_img"> <img src="https://file.allpcb.com/bbs/p/wwwbuild-electronic-circuitscom/wwwbuild-electronic-circuitscomc20170227182021212.png" /> </div> <div class="e_p"> In Eagle, open Board view. Click the “CAM” button or choose “File-&gt;CAM Processor”. This will open the CAM Processor tool that is used to generate the files. </div> <div class="e_p"> Here you can define the sections you want to create files for. </div> <div class="e_p"> But you don’t really need to understand this. Actually I have never really thought about the details of this until I was writing this article. I have just been using ready-made configurations. And that is probably what you want to do as well. </div> <div class="e_p"> <h2> Step 2: Open a predefined job </h2> </div> <div class="e_p"> To simplify creating Gerber files, Eagle comes with a predefined job for this. It is called gerb274x.cam. </div> <div class="e_p"> (Note: If you want to order PCBs from Seeed Studio’s Fusion PCB service, you should instead download their own CAM-file from the bottom of their submission guidelines page. Be aware that this will give you different file names than the ones listed below in this article.) </div> <div class="e_p"> To open it in the CAM Processor click “File-&gt;Open-&gt;Job…” </div> <div class="e_p"> Browse to your …/eagle/cam/ folder, and you should see a file called gerb274x.cam. Choose it and click “Open”. </div> <div class="e_p"> You will now see five tabs in the CAM Processor. Each of these tabs will generate a Gerber file. </div> <div class="e_img"> <img src="https://file.allpcb.com/bbs/p/wwwbuild-electronic-circuitscom/wwwbuild-electronic-circuitscomc20170227182021694.png" /> </div> <div class="e_p"> <h2> Step 3: Adding a second silk screen (Optional) </h2> </div> <div class="e_p"> If you look at the tabs, you will see that you don’t have a file for silk screen bottom. For simple boards, the silk screen is usually on the top layer so that you don’t need the bottom. Some of the cheap circuit board manufacturers don’t even allow bottom silk screen. </div> <div class="e_p"> But if you need silk screen on bottom layer as well, follow these steps: </div> <ul> <li> Click “Add” </li> <li> Change Section to something like “Silk Screen SOL” </li> <li> Change File to “%N.pls” </li> <li> Deselect all layers </li> <li> Select layers 20 “Dimension”, 22 “bPlace” and 26 “bNames” </li> </ul> <div class="e_p"> There you go. </div> <div class="e_p"> <h2> Step 4: Create each gerber file </h2> </div> <div class="e_p"> Select where you want to put the Gerber files by clicking on the “File” button and choosing a folder. Do this for all the tabs. </div> <div class="e_p"> Then click “Process Job”. This creates your Gerber files. </div> <div class="e_p"> <h2> Step 5: Adding file for drill holes </h2> </div> <div class="e_p"> Even though drilling is supported by the Gerber format, manufacturers usually want the Excellon file format for specifying drill holes. Luckily, Eagle also comes with a predefined job for creating a drill file. </div> <div class="e_p"> (Note: This step is automatically done if you’re using the CAM-file from Seeed Studio that I linked to in step 2.) </div> <div class="e_p"> Open it in the CAM Processor by clicking “File-&gt;Open-&gt;Job…” </div> <div class="e_p"> Browse to your …/eagle/cam/ folder, and open the file named “excellon.cam”. </div> <div class="e_p"> Select where to put the output file by clicking on the “File” button. </div> <div class="e_p"> Then click “Process Job” to create your Excellon file. </div> <div class="e_p"> <h2> Step 6: Check output files </h2> </div> <div class="e_img"> <img src="https://file.allpcb.com/bbs/p/wwwbuild-electronic-circuitscom/wwwbuild-electronic-circuitscomc20170227182022658.png" /> </div> <div class="e_p"> You should now have the following files: </div> <ul> <li> *.cmp (Copper, component side) </li> <li> *.drd (Drill file) </li> <li> *.dri (Drill Station Info File) – Usually not needed </li> <li> *.gpi (Photoplotter Info File) – Usually not needed </li> <li> *.plc (Silk screen, component side) </li> <li> *.pls (Silk screen, solder side) </li> <li> *.sol (Copper, solder side) </li> <li> *.stc (Solder stop mask, component side) </li> <li> *.sts (Solder stop mask, solder side) </li> </ul> <div class="e_p"> After you have created each gerber file, you should always look at them using a Gerber viewer to make sure everything is ok. </div> <div class="e_p"> <h2> Summary </h2> </div> <div class="e_p"> This Gerber tutorial shows one way of creating the files you need. Even though this should be OK for many PCB manufacturers, you might find that some would want the files created in a slightly different way. If so, don’t worry, they will probably provide you with a Job file you can load directly into Eagle or at least have a good explanation on how to do it on their website. </div> <div class="e_p"> Check out more articles on PCB design by clicking this link: </div> <div class="e_p"> Return from Gerber File to PCB Design </div> </div>