Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uwm.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!ginosko!uunet!ingr!phil
From: phil@ingr.com (Phil Johnson)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: PC Boards: Gerber formats
Message-ID: <6650@ingr.com>
Date: 28 Sep 89 15:28:34 GMT
References: <6261@pt.cs.cmu.edu> <6564@ingr.com> <1989Sep26.154248.15220@utzoo.uucp>
Reply-To: phil@ingr.UUCP (Phil Johnson)
Organization: Intergraph Corp. Huntsville, Al
Lines: 26

In article <1989Sep26.154248.15220@utzoo.uucp> henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer) writes:

>Out of curiosity, is the Gerber format *documented* anywhere, or is it one
>of these "well, you know what I mean" formats where it is assumed that
>everyone with any interest already knows how it works?

I have checked since my posting and found that the Gerber Photoplotting File
Format is specified in the MIL-SPEC-RS274 document.  You should be able to get
a copy from a local photoplotter sales office, such as Optronics or Scitec.

The Gerber photoplotters were based on flash tube type technology.  The trend
has moved toward the laser-based technology, so that photoplot time and 
quality can be more predicted (You don't have to continually calculate the
remaining useful life of the flash tube).  The technology doesn't matter, in
that the Gerber format is considered THE PCB photoplotting format.  Each
photoplotter manufacturer will probably add extensions that take advantage of
special features of their models, but you should be very safe with the vanilla
Gerber format.

To paraphrase Julia Childs: " Bon Aperature"


-- 
Philip E. Johnson                    UUCP:  usenet!ingr!b3!sys_7a!phil
MY words,                           VOICE:  (205) 772-2497
MY opinion!