Gerber format

Abstract: The invention discloses an outline analyzing method for detecting printed circuit board defects, comprising the steps of: 1) converting Gerber format into high-resolution bitmap format and obtaining reference image of printed circuit board (PCB); 2) using high speed line array camera to scan the PCB and obtaining actual image of the PCB; 3) calculating standard reference outline and actual outline of the PCB and comparing them with each other; 4) according to the comparative result, determining the difference between them; 5) setting defect filtering conditions and making difference filtration processing. By these steps, it improves traditional PCB detecting process and further raises detecting efficiency.

Abstract: A system and method of recreating a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) in electronic form from disjointly formatted data. A graphical representation of the PCB is displayed as derived from electronically formatted Gerber files wherein component mounting locations are electronically selected and component identification data is merged from a non-electronically formatted bill of materials into a database for associating the component identification data with the Gerber files PCB data. This system overcomes the previously tedious, manual and error-prone process of recreating a PCB from such disjointly formatted data.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a printed board by using automatic typesetting, which includes the following steps: step 1 making a gerber file and a drill file; step 2 converting the gerber file and the drill file into machinable files through computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) 350 software; and step 3 processing the printed board according to the machinable files. The method for producing the printed board by using automatic typesetting solves technical problems that the existing printed board typesetting operation has too many steps, needs to set and adjust many parameters and is complex and troublesome in the operation process. The method modifies the size of cutters in holes of an associated board sign graph, and modifies the size of the cutters in two rows of holes in associated board sign files by collecting the size of drill holes of various holes in the drill file, thereby being capable of reflecting coating states of most of the holes in the board more accurately in metallographical sections, and making preparations for adjusting subsequent drill hole sequence and achieving few holes fast detection.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for translating a Gerber data file into a data format usable by vision software through a process whereby a first Gerber data element(E1-E5) is selected and examined to determine if the shape (302, 304, 306) represented by that element (E1-E5) intersects with any other shapes (302, 304, 306). Each shape intersecting the selected element is merged into a single data object with the selected element. This process is repeated for each element describing the printed circuit board 300 layout. The consequence of this procedure is that complex geometries that had been represented as the intersection of many simple geometries are represented as individual data objects.