Gerber in Flash mode

[Goahead]

Hi

Simple question, using expedition wg2002:

Some facturies are complaining about my gerbers (274x) that are to large and time consuming (33mb all the 12 layers in some boards +/- 3mb per layer) .
They tell me to flash de gerber in the copper data (planes etc) and that will reduce +/-500 times the size of files!
How can i do that? I dont see options in "gerber output", "gerbermachine" or in viewer "GerTool"?

Thanks
Goahead

[nazir]

Hi Goahead,

If the copper pour is present then gerber data will always be large. if u want reduce the size make ur positive planes as negative then generate the gerbers.

Regards
Nazir

[Goahead]

Thank you Nazir

I thougth that maybe there was a way of flashing the planes part, so copper would be a "mask" and not filled by traces reducing the size of it.

OK.. i think i will begin with the negative output gerber files.

Thanks again
Goahead

[Skip Yutkus]

Be very carefull if you have signals on a negative plane, I reviewed a design with signals on a negative plane and Expedition had allowed thermals to encroach on signals creating opens. A drc in Expedition will not find it.

On a negative plane all of your clearances are flashed if the aperture table supports the shape.

Skip

PS: I always use a gerber viewer to look at the output before it goes out - most software has gotchas that you will only find by looking at the output.

[Goahead]

Thank you Yutkus

Yes, we always use Gerbtool after making gerbers to analyse the results, since its the programm that comes with expedition.

I hope that manufacture people dont get confused receiving negative gerbers and positive, all mixed, since theres no need to make all gerbers in negative...

Lets put hands at work

Thanks to all
Goahead

[Skip Yutkus]

They will have absolutely no problem, their cam operators prefer negative power planes, at volume board shops the cam operators are evaluated by the number of jobs completed in a day, as well as accuracy.

Skip