The Shaughnessy Report: The Designer of Tomorrow
Designers Notebook: Impact of Advanced Semiconductor Packaging on PCB Stackup
Fresh PCB Concepts: PCB Stackup Strategies—Minimizing Crosstalk and EMI for Signal Integrity
Ucamco Releases Major Revision of the Gerber File Format Specification
November 17, 2016 | UcamcoEstimated reading time: 1 minute
Revision 2016.11 allows designers to include the CAD netlist with Gerber files and offers several text improvements and clarifications.
The goal of the Gerber CAD netlist is to facilitate upfront communication between the different parties involved in design, assembly and automation. The three new X2 attributes include CAD netlists in Gerber fabrication data and allow designers to:
- Attach the component reference designator, pin number and net name to the component pads in the outer copper layers. This information is essential for a complete board display. More importantly, the netlist provides a powerful checksum to guarantee PCB fabrication data integrity.
- Attach the netlist name to any conducting object on any copper layer. Lightweight viewers can then display netlists without the need for an algorithm to compute connectivity.
- Attach the component reference to any object, e.g., to identify all the legend objects belonging to a given component.
Revision 2016.11 was developed by Karel Tavernier. Jean-Pierre Charras provided essential input on the CAD netlist, and further remarks by Remco Poelstra and Wim De Greve were included.
KiCad is the first software vendor to implement support for the new netlist attributes.
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:
Suggested Items
Designers Notebook: Impact of Advanced Semiconductor Packaging on PCB Stackup
01/07/2025 | Vern Solberg -- Column: Designer's NotebookTo accommodate new generations of high I/O semiconductor packaging, printed circuit board fabrication technology has had to undergo significant changes in both the process methods and the criteria for base material selection and construction sequence (stackup). Many of the new high-function multi-core semiconductor package families require more terminals than their predecessors, requiring a significantly narrower terminal pitch. Interconnecting these very fine-pitch, high I/O semiconductors to the PCB is made possible by an intermediate element referred to as an interposer.
BOOK EXCERPT: The Printed Circuit Designer’s Guide to... High Performance Materials, Chapter 4
01/02/2025 | I-Connect007In Chapter 4, Michael Gay discusses the two main types of copper foil used for PCB boards today: electrodeposited (ED) foil and rolled annealed (RA) foil. He also explains the pros and cons of each, and provides an update of the latest innovations in copper foil technology.
Connect the Dots: Designing for Reality—Solder Mask and Legend
01/02/2025 | Matt Stevenson -- Column: Connect the DotsIn the previous episode of I-Connect007’s On the Line with… podcast, we discussed the strip, etch, and strip process. At this point, we have a functioning board, but we still need to protect the PCB from environmental effects and document the circuit components. This brings us to the solder mask and legend phase of production.
Global PCB Connections: Following DFM Rules Leads to Better Boards
12/18/2024 | Jerome Larez -- Column: Global PCB ConnectionsAs a PCB field applications engineer, ensuring smooth communication between PCB designers and fabricators is one of my frequent challenges. A critical part of that dialogue is design for manufacturing (DFM). Many designers, even experienced ones, often misunderstand or overlook important DFM considerations. They may confuse design rules with manufacturing minimums, leading to technically feasible designs that are difficult or costly to produce. In this column, I will clarify some common DFM guidelines and help designers understand the difference between “design rules” and “minimums” while sharing best practices that will simplify the production process and ensure the highest quality PCB.
Sayonara to the Last Standing Copper Foil Plant in North America
12/17/2024 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007In July 2021, PCB007 Magazine published an interview with Michael Coll and Chris Stevens of Nippon Denkai about the new acquisition by Nippon Denkai of the last-standing ED foil manufacturer in North America. The plant in Augusta, Georgia, was formerly owned by Oak Mitsui, Inc. and had been purchased by Nippon Denkai the previous March, after which significant investment was made with the expectation of providing more jobs.