Beyond Design: Slaying Signal Integrity Villains
Elementary Mr. Watson: Running the Signal Gauntlet
The Shaughnessy Report: Winning the Signal Integrity Battle
Ucamco’s Gerber Netlist Goes Live with KiCad
November 9, 2016 | UcamcoEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
Earlier this year, a draft specification for netlist and component attributes in Gerber X2 was published on the Ucamco website by its Managing Director Karel Tavernier, and made available to the Gerber community for review and comment. Following a number of revisions, the final specification was published on on October 2.
KiCad's founding creator Jean-Pierre Charras contributed substantially to the specification and its review process, and also worked closely with Gerber's developer Ucamco to ensure the successful implementation of netlist and component attributes in KiCad's own Gerber X2 output. The output has been fully verified by Ucamco as conforming perfectly to the specification and a sample file is available on the Ucamco download page.
The new output, says Charras, will be released in KiCad's PCBnew in nightly builds at the beginning of November 2016.
“In Gerber X2, Ucamco has given us a format that provides greater transparency and information in the output stage of the design process," said Charras. "By adding the netlist data in this format, we demonstrate our commitment to providing the best possible manufacturing outputs in our PCB layout program and to keeping our Gerber output at the highest standard: netlist and component information is essential for assembly and for the communication between all parties in the PCB design and manufacturing process. It's always good practice to verify Gerber files produced by board editors, and here, a Gerber viewer like the KiCad GerbView tool, which can highlight nets and graphic elements from a given component, is really very useful.”
Tavernier said, “As it is compatible with current workflows, X2 is the safest, most cost-effective and practical way to take PCB fabrication data to the next level. Now, with CAD netlist, X2 provides a powerful checksum of the image data and makes data transfer even more secure. We are honoured that a well-respected software such as KiCad is implementing the Gerber netlist and component output, and that they should do this within weeks of its release illustrates our point that X2 is straightforward to develop. By supporting X2 and adding the CAD netlist KiCad is showing what it means to be a good PCB citizen, helping not just its own users, but the industry in general, to move PCB fabrication along the most practical path forward."
About KiCad
KiCad is a mature ECAD tool (Free Open Source Software) for board design. It contains KiCad, a Project Manager, Eeschema, a schematic editor that allows simple and complex hierarchies with analog simulation, and Pcbnew, a board editor (32 copper layers, a push and shove router and a 3D viewer). It also includes a number of helper tools including the GerbView Gerber viewer that enables the verification of Gerber and drill files.
For more information on KiCad please click here.
About Ucamco
Ucamco (formerly Barco ETS) is a market leader in PCB CAM software, photoplotting and direct imaging systems, with a global network of sales and support centers. Headquartered in Ghent, Belgium, Ucamco has over 25 years of ongoing experience in developing and supporting leading-edge photoplotters and front-end tooling solutions for the global PCB industry. Key to this success is the company's uncompromising pursuit of engineering excellence in all its products. Ucamco also owns the IP rights on the Gerber File Format through its acquisition of Gerber Systems Corp. (1998).
Share on:
Testimonial
"Advertising in PCB007 Magazine has been a great way to showcase our bare board testers to the right audience. The I-Connect007 team makes the process smooth and professional. We’re proud to be featured in such a trusted publication."
Klaus Koziol - atgSuggested Items
Trouble in Your Tank: Implementing Direct Metallization in Advanced Substrate Packaging
09/15/2025 | Michael Carano -- Column: Trouble in Your TankDirect metallization systems based on conductive graphite are gaining popularity throughout the world. The environmental and productivity gains achievable with this process are outstanding. Direct metallization reduces the costs of compliance, waste treatment, and legal issues related to chemical exposure. A graphite-based direct plate system has been devised to address these needs.
Closing the Loop on PCB Etching Waste
09/09/2025 | Shawn Stone, IECAs the PCB industry continues its push toward greener, more cost-efficient operations, Sigma Engineering’s Mecer System offers a comprehensive solution to two of the industry’s most persistent pain points: etchant consumption and rinse water waste. Designed as a modular, fully automated platform, the Mecer System regenerates spent copper etchants—both alkaline and acidic—and simultaneously recycles rinse water, transforming a traditionally linear chemical process into a closed-loop system.
Driving Innovation: Depth Routing Processes—Achieving Unparalleled Precision in Complex PCBs
09/08/2025 | Kurt Palmer -- Column: Driving InnovationIn PCB manufacturing, the demand for increasingly complex and miniaturized designs continually pushes the boundaries of traditional fabrication methods, including depth routing. Success in these applications demands not only on robust machinery but also sophisticated control functions. PCB manufacturers rely on advanced machine features and process methodologies to meet their precise depth routing goals. Here, I’ll explore some crucial functions that empower manufacturers to master complex depth routing challenges.
Trouble in Your Tank: Minimizing Small-via Defects for High-reliability PCBs
08/27/2025 | Michael Carano -- Column: Trouble in Your TankTo quote the comedian Stephen Wright, “If at first you don’t succeed, then skydiving is not for you.” That can be the battle cry when you find that only small-diameter vias are exhibiting voids. Why are small holes more prone to voids than larger vias when processed through electroless copper? There are several reasons.
The Government Circuit: Navigating New Trade Headwinds and New Partnerships
08/25/2025 | Chris Mitchell -- Column: The Government CircuitAs global trade winds continue to howl, the electronics manufacturing industry finds itself at a critical juncture. After months of warnings, the U.S. Government has implemented a broad array of tariff increases, with fresh duties hitting copper-based products, semiconductors, and imports from many nations. On the positive side, tentative trade agreements with Europe, China, Japan, and other nations are providing at least some clarity and counterbalance.