Fresh PCB Concepts: Designing PCBs for Harsh Environments—Reliability Is Engineered Upstream
Elementary, Mr. Watson DFX—Basically a Basket of Crabs With Spreadsheets
Target Condition: When Design Outpaces Manufacturing
Ucamco Provides Free Reference File Viewer for Gerber Users
July 19, 2017 | UcamcoEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
Ucamco is now offering a free Gerber reference file viewer for the Gerber user community. Ucamco has spared no effort to display all valid Gerber files correctly. The viewer provides an easy way to see the correct interpretation of a file. Diagnostics tools help to analyze it. If the viewer reverse engineers an image on an invalid file, it will give a warning that the file contains errors, thus helping to detect invalid files.
The Reference Gerber Viewer offers the following benefits:
- For developers, it provides an easy way to test their Gerber output and to answer questions about the interpretation of the specification.
- For people who create Gerber output, it provides an easy way to check the image of the file they are about to send.
- For people who receive Gerber files, it provides an easy way to validate their input and arbitrate in discussions about the valid interpretation of a file. Sharing the link to the reference with the file senders will avoid damaging misunderstandings.
This is positioned as an easy-to-use reference and a complement to specification. It will help keep Gerber files on the straight and narrow path of full compliance to the specification. The whole Gerber user community benefits when we are all singing from the same hymn book.
Note: This is a Gerber file viewer, not a PCB fabrication data set viewer. It does not work with NC or IPC-D-356 files, as these are not Ucamco formats and it is not up to Ucamco to write a reference viewer for these.
The Reference Gerber Viewer has been kept simple and easy to learn. As a cloud-based online web service there is no software to download, install and maintain; it is always up to date.
It is available here and its use is free of charge. Feel free to forward the link to our online reference viewer or to integrate it in your website.
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) and continues to develop it.
For more information on Gerber X2 please click here.
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
Fresh PCB Concepts: Designing PCBs for Harsh Environments—Reliability Is Engineered Upstream
04/23/2026 | Team NCAB -- Column: Fresh PCB ConceptsWhen engineers hear the phrase “harsh environment,” they usually think of the extreme temperature swings, vibration and shock, pressure changes, or radiation in aerospace. However, aerospace is not the only harsh environment where electronic assemblies must survive. Automotive power electronics, downhole oil and gas tools, marine controls, rail systems, defense platforms, and industrial automation equipment all expose PCBs to environments that are equally unforgiving. The stress mechanisms may differ, but the physics does not.
The Right Approach: The End of an Era—DoD Proposes MIL-PRF-31032 Cancellation
04/21/2026 | Steve Williams -- Column: The Right ApproachThe Defense Logistics Agency has initiated formal proceedings to cancel the military's primary performance specification for printed circuit boards, a move that could reshape how the U.S. defense industrial base qualifies and sources one of its most critical electronic components. On March 4, 2026, DLA Weapons Support issued a memorandum to military and industry coordination activities announcing that MIL-PRF-31032, along with its six associated specification sheets, has been proposed for cancellation. A 30-day comment period was allotted, with concurrence or comments due by April 3, 2026.
IPC CFX Demo Line Debuts in Korea at EMK 2026
04/10/2026 | Global Electronics AssociationAt Electronics Manufacturing Korea (EMK) x NEPCON Korea 2026, the Global Electronics Association, in collaboration with 13 companies, showcased the IPC CFX Demo Line (Connected Factory Exchange demonstration line), marking its debut in Korea.
IPC-7712 Development Advances at APEX EXPO: Committee Aligns on Scope, Structure, and Industry Priorities
04/10/2026 | Circuit Technology Center, Inc.Significant progress was made in developing the proposed standard IPC-7712, Component Safe Removal for Failure Analysis and Reclamation, during in-person meetings held at APEX EXPO, March 16 to 18.
2026 IPC Masters Competition China Wraps Up With Record Participation
04/07/2026 | Blair Yan, Global Electronics Association East AsiaThe three-day 2026 IPC Masters Competition concluded March 27 at productronica China in Shanghai, bringing together the largest and most highly skilled group of electronics assembly professionals in the event’s 16-year history. With 623 participants from 77 companies across China—up 30% from last year—the competition reflected a growing focus on the practical application of electronics manufacturing standards.