-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- design007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueRules of Thumb
This month, we delve into rules of thumb—which ones work, which ones should be avoided. Rules of thumb are everywhere, but there may be hundreds of rules of thumb for PCB design. How do we separate the wheat from the chaff, so to speak?
Partial HDI
Our expert contributors provide a complete, detailed view of partial HDI this month. Most experienced PCB designers can start using this approach right away, but you need to know these tips, tricks and techniques first.
Silicon to Systems: From Soup to Nuts
This month, we asked our expert contributors to weigh in on silicon to systems—what it means to PCB designers and design engineers, EDA companies, and the rest of the PCB supply chain... from soup to nuts.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Media kit
||| MENU - design007 Magazine
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.
Suggested Items
IPC Issues Clarion Call for EU to Reclaim Leadership in Electronics Manufacturing
11/21/2024 | IPCIPC released a synopsis of its recent white paper, Securing the European Union’s Electronics Ecosystem. This condensed document presents a comprehensive overview of the current challenges in Europe’s electronics manufacturing industry and shares actionable steps to help the EU achieve a stronger, more autonomous ecosystem.
Enjoy the Journey: PCB Design Instructor Kris Moyer on His Sustainable Lifestyle
11/19/2024 | Michelle Te, IPC CommunityWhen I contacted IPC design instructor Kris Moyer to discuss his sustainable lifestyle, he responded to my text with a call. "I'm calling you from about 8,000 feet, sitting at the foot of Mammoth Lakes," he told me. “My friends and I are about to get in the pool for the afternoon." Kris can do this because he actually lives full-time in his travel-trailer at this campground. He's now a permanent camper, taking him anywhere the winds blow—and where there's strong internet service—so he can teach his PCB design classes, offer expert interviews, and live off the land.
IPC Celebrates National Apprenticeship Week with a Focus on Electronics Manufacturing Excellence
11/19/2024 | IPCIPC, a leading global electronics industry association and source for industry standards, training and advocacy, is proud to announce its participation in National Apprenticeship Week, scheduled for November 17-23, 2024.
IPC Introduces First Standard for In-Mold Electronics
11/18/2024 | IPCIPC announces the release of IPC-8401, Guidelines for In-Mold Electronics. IPC-8401 addresses in-mold electronics (IME) technology, providing industry consensus on guidelines for manufacturing processes, part structures, material selection, and production test methods to integrate printed electronics and components into 3D smart structures.
Virginia is for (PCB) Lovers: Weidmuller USA Celebrating 50 Years in Virginia
11/18/2024 | Linda Stepanich, IPCThe Weidmuller Group, a provider of Smart Industrial Connectivity products and solutions, is a family-owned company founded in 1850 in Germany. It currently operates sites in more than 80 countries. Weidmuller USA, based in Richmond, Virginia, and celebrating 50 years in 2025, plans to open an engineering and production facility this fall, bringing more jobs to the region.