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!