Mail Archives: geda-user/2012/01/13/11:53:35
--20cf303b3fed685a4704b66ada0f
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Advanced Circuit's FreeDFM tool gives me more false positives than anything
else. It's certainly better than nothing, but I think that a gerber-based
DRC just doesn't have enough information to do a good job.
On Fri, Jan 13, 2012 at 8:01 AM, Colin D Bennett <colin AT gibibit DOT com> wrote:
> On Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:26:31 +0300
> Dmitry Dzhus <dima AT dzhus DOT org> wrote:
>
> > Hello!
> >
> > I'm looking for a tool which would allow to perform design rule
> > checking for PCB files in Gerber format. Any ideas if the code
> > from gEDA's pcb can be used for that? At first glance it seems
> > like pcb can only check files of its own format and its code is
> > tied with GUI. I need something capable of doing batch testing.
> >
> > Any relevant book recommendations about how DRC is implemented in
> > general, since I think I'll start writing it if no suitable free
> > software solution comes up?
>
> It would be GREAT to have a free tool to run design rule checks on
> Gerbers.
>
> Has anyone used the online tool FreeDFM from Advanced Circuits?
> <https://www.my4pcb.com/net35/FreeDFMNet/FreeDFMHome.aspx>
> It looks like you can upload a zip of your RS-274X Gerbers and
> get a DRC report at no cost. I haven't tried it.
>
> Ideally.... it would be REALLY awesome if there were a way to import
> Gerbers into pcb -- this would enable both design rule checking
> using pcb's engine, and also many other options such as
>
> - panelizing boards given files from other people (non-pcb
> users ... what if I wanted to do what Laen AT DorkbotPDX does... can
> pcb support it? not now),
>
> - easily importing reference designs from manufacturers (think
> RF circuits and other complex designs with tight design
> constraints that you don't want to manually recreate or trace by
> hand,
>
> - porting a board layout from a proprietary tool into pcb.
>
> I know the Gerbers lack a lot of the information that a pcb layout
> file provides, but even if the elements (components), vias, etc.
> were not automatically made into pcb native entities, it would be a
> huge step forward anyway and be 90% of the way there, making a lot
> of tasks possible.
>
> Regards,
> Colin
>
--20cf303b3fed685a4704b66ada0f
Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Advanced Circuit's FreeDFM tool gives me more false positives than anyt=
hing else.=A0 It's certainly better than nothing, but I think that a ge=
rber-based DRC just doesn't have enough information to do a good job.<b=
r>
<br><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Fri, Jan 13, 2012 at 8:01 AM, Colin D Ben=
nett <span dir=3D"ltr"><<a href=3D"mailto:colin AT gibibit DOT com">colin AT gibib=
it.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"=
margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div class=3D"HOEnZb"><div class=3D"h5">On Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:26:31 +0300<=
br>
Dmitry Dzhus <<a href=3D"mailto:dima AT dzhus DOT org">dima AT dzhus DOT org</a>> w=
rote:<br>
<br>
> Hello!<br>
><br>
> I'm looking for a tool which would allow to perform design rule<br=
>
> checking for PCB files in Gerber format. Any ideas if the code<br>
> from gEDA's pcb can be used for that? At first glance it seems<br>
> like pcb can only check files of its own format and its code is<br>
> tied with GUI. I need something capable of doing batch testing.<br>
><br>
> Any relevant book recommendations about how DRC is implemented in<br>
> general, since I think I'll start writing it if no suitable free<b=
r>
> software solution comes up?<br>
<br>
</div></div>It would be GREAT to have a free tool to run design rule checks=
on<br>
Gerbers.<br>
<br>
Has anyone used the online tool FreeDFM from Advanced Circuits?<br>
<<a href=3D"https://www.my4pcb.com/net35/FreeDFMNet/FreeDFMHome.aspx" ta=
rget=3D"_blank">https://www.my4pcb.com/net35/FreeDFMNet/FreeDFMHome.aspx</a=
>><br>
It looks like you can upload a zip of your RS-274X Gerbers and<br>
get a DRC report at no cost. =A0I haven't tried it.<br>
<br>
Ideally.... it would be REALLY awesome if there were a way to import<br>
Gerbers into pcb -- this would enable both design rule checking<br>
using pcb's engine, and also many other options such as<br>
<br>
- panelizing boards given files from other people (non-pcb<br>
=A0users ... what if I wanted to do what Laen AT DorkbotPDX does... can<br>
=A0pcb support it? not now),<br>
<br>
- easily importing reference designs from manufacturers (think<br>
=A0RF circuits and other complex designs with tight design<br>
=A0constraints that you don't want to manually recreate or trace by<br=
>
=A0hand,<br>
<br>
- porting a board layout from a proprietary tool into pcb.<br>
<br>
I know the Gerbers lack a lot of the information that a pcb layout<br>
file provides, but even if the elements (components), vias, etc.<br>
were not automatically made into pcb native entities, it would be a<br>
huge step forward anyway and be 90% of the way there, making a lot<br>
of tasks possible.<br>
<br>
Regards,<br>
Colin<br>
</blockquote></div><br>
--20cf303b3fed685a4704b66ada0f--
- Raw text -