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2011-03-27 by leeleduc
I would like to merge multiple PCB's into a single gerber file so I can get more than one PCB layout onto a board. Does any one know of a program other Gerbmerge that can do this? I'm trying to save my students some money getting their boards made. We've been using the toner transfer method but I'd like them to have the experience of sending a design out for fab. If I can do this then I can afford to pick up the tab for my students. Thank you.
2011-03-27 by Terry Gray
Which layout software are you using? Some of the pcb layout software allows panelization of a design. Eagle, for instance, has a ULP to do this. On 03/27/2011 09:54 AM, leeleduc wrote: > > I would like to merge multiple PCB's into a single gerber file so I > can get more than one PCB layout onto a board. Does any one know of a > program other Gerbmerge that can do this? I'm trying to save my > students some money getting their boards made. We've been using the > toner transfer method but I'd like them to have the experience of > sending a design out for fab. If I can do this then I can afford to > pick up the tab for my students. > > Thank you. > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
2011-03-27 by Kerry Wentworth
Rather than merging boards, consider this: http://dorkbotpdx.org/wiki/pcb_order You get 3 copies of a board for $5 per square inch, no setup fees, no shipping fees. So, if each student has a 2" X 2" board, and there are 10 students, it would total $200, and each student would have 3 copies of their board in about 2 weeks. Combining it into 1 file would be the same price. Compare to APC, for example: Combining into 1 panel 8" X 6", 2 boards would be $253 + $28 shipping, and have 2 copies of the boards in 2-3 days, which have to be cut. Just a thought. Kerry leeleduc wrote: > I would like to merge multiple PCB's into a single gerber file so I can get more than one PCB layout onto a board. Does any one know of a program other Gerbmerge that can do this? I'm trying to save my students some money getting their boards made. We've been using the toner transfer method but I'd like them to have the experience of sending a design out for fab. If I can do this then I can afford to pick up the tab for my students. > > Thank you. > > > -- Internal Virus Database is out-of-date. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.289 / Virus Database: 267.11.13 - Release Date: 10/6/05
2011-03-27 by dubob4432
another vote for dorkbotPDX :) have been very happy with them. the board quality is excellent and laen (james) is excellent to work with. i have gone down to 4mm x 4mm x .9mm qfn, 3mm x 3mm .9mm lga and 0402 components sizes w/out issue from dorkbotPDX. if you still want to merge gerber files, i have used gerbmagic for putting different solder stencils on the same 'sheet', have never done whole boards since i use dorkbotPDX :). good luck, bob --- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Kerry Wentworth <kwentworth@...> wrote:
> > Rather than merging boards, consider this: > > http://dorkbotpdx.org/wiki/pcb_order > > You get 3 copies of a board for $5 per square inch, no setup fees, no > shipping fees. > So, if each student has a 2" X 2" board, and there are 10 students, it > would total $200, and each student would have 3 copies of their board in > about 2 weeks. Combining it into 1 file would be the same price. > > Compare to APC, for example: > > Combining into 1 panel 8" X 6", 2 boards would be $253 + $28 shipping, > and have 2 copies of the boards in 2-3 days, which have to be cut. > > Just a thought. > > Kerry > > > > > > leeleduc wrote: > > I would like to merge multiple PCB's into a single gerber file so I can get more than one PCB layout onto a board. Does any one know of a program other Gerbmerge that can do this? I'm trying to save my students some money getting their boards made. We've been using the toner transfer method but I'd like them to have the experience of sending a design out for fab. If I can do this then I can afford to pick up the tab for my students. > > > > Thank you. > > > > > > > > > > -- > Internal Virus Database is out-of-date. > Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. > Version: 7.0.289 / Virus Database: 267.11.13 - Release Date: 10/6/05 >
2011-03-27 by tda7000
This won't work for multiple designs unless they were all created in the same file (and that would cause headaches) but when I want multiple copies of the same board, I just make copies of it in the PCB program. I use KiCAD and that's easy as highlighting my entire finished design and copying it as many times as I need. Line them all up, and print them out for toner transfer, or make a Gerber.. the choice is yours. If you want the file to look sensible, delete the extraneous copies afterwards. --- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "dubob4432" <dubob4432@...> wrote:
> > another vote for dorkbotPDX :) have been very happy with them. the board quality is excellent and laen (james) is excellent to work with. i have gone down to 4mm x 4mm x .9mm qfn, 3mm x 3mm .9mm lga and 0402 components sizes w/out issue from dorkbotPDX. > > if you still want to merge gerber files, i have used gerbmagic for putting different solder stencils on the same 'sheet', have never done whole boards since i use dorkbotPDX :). > > good luck, > bob > > > --- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Kerry Wentworth <kwentworth@> wrote: > > > > Rather than merging boards, consider this: > > > > http://dorkbotpdx.org/wiki/pcb_order > > > > You get 3 copies of a board for $5 per square inch, no setup fees, no > > shipping fees. > > So, if each student has a 2" X 2" board, and there are 10 students, it > > would total $200, and each student would have 3 copies of their board in > > about 2 weeks. Combining it into 1 file would be the same price. > > > > Compare to APC, for example: > > > > Combining into 1 panel 8" X 6", 2 boards would be $253 + $28 shipping, > > and have 2 copies of the boards in 2-3 days, which have to be cut. > > > > Just a thought. > > > > Kerry > > > > > > > > > > > > leeleduc wrote: > > > I would like to merge multiple PCB's into a single gerber file so I can get more than one PCB layout onto a board. Does any one know of a program other Gerbmerge that can do this? I'm trying to save my students some money getting their boards made. We've been using the toner transfer method but I'd like them to have the experience of sending a design out for fab. If I can do this then I can afford to pick up the tab for my students. > > > > > > Thank you. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > Internal Virus Database is out-of-date. > > Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. > > Version: 7.0.289 / Virus Database: 267.11.13 - Release Date: 10/6/05 > > >
2011-03-28 by leeleduc
Thanks for the replies. Dorkbot is ideal for my students. --- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "tda7000" <Tda7000@...> wrote:
> > This won't work for multiple designs unless they were all created in the same file (and that would cause headaches) but when I want multiple copies of the same board, I just make copies of it in the PCB program. > > I use KiCAD and that's easy as highlighting my entire finished design and copying it as many times as I need. > > Line them all up, and print them out for toner transfer, or make a Gerber.. the choice is yours. > > If you want the file to look sensible, delete the extraneous copies afterwards. > > --- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "dubob4432" <dubob4432@> wrote: > > > > another vote for dorkbotPDX :) have been very happy with them. the board quality is excellent and laen (james) is excellent to work with. i have gone down to 4mm x 4mm x .9mm qfn, 3mm x 3mm .9mm lga and 0402 components sizes w/out issue from dorkbotPDX. > > > > if you still want to merge gerber files, i have used gerbmagic for putting different solder stencils on the same 'sheet', have never done whole boards since i use dorkbotPDX :). > > > > good luck, > > bob > > > > > > --- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Kerry Wentworth <kwentworth@> wrote: > > > > > > Rather than merging boards, consider this: > > > > > > http://dorkbotpdx.org/wiki/pcb_order > > > > > > You get 3 copies of a board for $5 per square inch, no setup fees, no > > > shipping fees. > > > So, if each student has a 2" X 2" board, and there are 10 students, it > > > would total $200, and each student would have 3 copies of their board in > > > about 2 weeks. Combining it into 1 file would be the same price. > > > > > > Compare to APC, for example: > > > > > > Combining into 1 panel 8" X 6", 2 boards would be $253 + $28 shipping, > > > and have 2 copies of the boards in 2-3 days, which have to be cut. > > > > > > Just a thought. > > > > > > Kerry > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > leeleduc wrote: > > > > I would like to merge multiple PCB's into a single gerber file so I can get more than one PCB layout onto a board. Does any one know of a program other Gerbmerge that can do this? I'm trying to save my students some money getting their boards made. We've been using the toner transfer method but I'd like them to have the experience of sending a design out for fab. If I can do this then I can afford to pick up the tab for my students. > > > > > > > > Thank you. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > Internal Virus Database is out-of-date. > > > Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. > > > Version: 7.0.289 / Virus Database: 267.11.13 - Release Date: 10/6/05 > > > > > >
2011-03-28 by leeleduc
I'm not panelizing a single design. I'm putting different designs together into a single gerber file. --- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Terry Gray <twgray2007@...> wrote:
> > Which layout software are you using? Some of the pcb layout software > allows panelization of a design. Eagle, for instance, has a ULP to do this. > > On 03/27/2011 09:54 AM, leeleduc wrote: > > > > I would like to merge multiple PCB's into a single gerber file so I > > can get more than one PCB layout onto a board. Does any one know of a > > program other Gerbmerge that can do this? I'm trying to save my > > students some money getting their boards made. We've been using the > > toner transfer method but I'd like them to have the experience of > > sending a design out for fab. If I can do this then I can afford to > > pick up the tab for my students. > > > > Thank you. > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] >