ExpressPCB to Gerber file converter?

[Joel Koltner]

"Leon" <leon355@btinternet.com> wrote in message
news:5fd970fa-feb9-41b1-b078-e9960f0de82e@k8g2000yqn.googlegroups.com...

The Pulsonix software I use has can import Gerber files and edit them,
but it isn't free.

It doesn't have many features that a purpose-built "Gerber editor" does,
although it certainly works in a pinch. (The biggest problem seems to be that
Pulsonix tries to be smart and figure out what things "are," whereas sometimes
you just want a "dumb" editor that thinks of everything as a drawn line or a
flashed shape.)

Protel used to have very good Gerber import abilities... I wonder if it still
does?

 

[Joel Koltner]

"Leland C. Scott" <kc8ldo@arrl.net> wrote in message
news:kL6dneya5b4836XXnZ2dnUVZ_vSdnZ2d@giganews.com...

You have a rough idea as to the cost for the bare-bones PCB core? I didn't
see any prices on the web sites from a quick look..

That almost always implies at least four digits.

You pretty much have to call up your local Pulsonix distributor to get
pricing -- it tends to vary significantly worldwide. As of a little more than
a year ago, any Pulsonix suite that included PCB layout was >$2k in the U.S.
A full-featured suite with a handful of the "spendy" options (network
licensing, database connectivity, chip packaging toolkit, etc.) would tend to
top $10k in the U.S.

 

[Baron]

Leland C. Scott wrote:

"JeffM" <jeffm_@email.com> wrote in message

news:9f6d3303-beb7-4aba-8c82-9caaaa662c36@x5g2000yqk.googlegroups.com...
When someone gets hot to trot for the Cadsoft product,
I like to remind him that he may find the same situation:
*His* work product tied up in **their** proprietary format:

Boo! Hiss! Kick the dog. Well the dog isn't to blame , maybe not a
good idea to kick it.

Check this out.

http://gerbv.sourceforge.net/

I've used gerbv quite usefully ! It does take a little getting used to.

http://pcb.gpleda.org/news.html#20090202

http://www.gpleda.org/index.html

I haven't tried out most of these tools. It would be interesting to
get somebody's comments who has used them for a project.

--
Best Regards:
Baron.

 

[Brad Velander]

Joel,
I would counter your comment below. True that Protel can import Gerber
but it is specifically a very limited Gerber import that works mainly only
with it's own exported Gerbers. Try importing Gerbers created in another
toool and you are fighting a difficult if not loosing battle. There are all
sorts of legitimate Gerber expressions that it will just gag on.

--
Sincerely,
Brad Velander.

"Joel Koltner" <zapwireDASHgroups@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:169_l.215435$Tp1.101458@en-nntp-01.dc1.easynews.com...

"Leon" <leon355@btinternet.com> wrote in message
news:5fd970fa-feb9-41b1-b078-e9960f0de82e@k8g2000yqn.googlegroups.com...

Protel used to have very good Gerber import abilities... I wonder if it
still does?

 

[Leon]

On 17 June, 02:10, "Leland C. Scott" <kc8...@arrl.net> wrote:

"Leon" <leon...@btinternet.com> wrote in message

news:5fd970fa-feb9-41b1-b078-e9960f0de82e@k8g2000yqn.googlegroups.com...



The Pulsonix software I use has can import Gerber files and edit them,
but it isn't free.

 You have a rough idea as to the cost for the bare-bones PCB core? I didn't
see any prices on the web sites from a quick look..

--
Regards;

Leland C. Scott
KC8LDO

"The most reliable components are
 the ones you leave out."

By Gordon Bell, father of the
minicomputer at DEC.

About $3,000.

Leon

 

[Joel Koltner]

Thanks for the information, Brad. When I was using Protel's Gerber import
functionality, it was only with Gerber files Protel itself had generated, so I
never saw the important limitations you're describing.

---Joel

 

[Brad Velander]

Joel,
Glad I could enlighten or warn.
Plenty of users only find it out after their expectations are raised.
The first one that I stumbled across was that it wouldn't even import some
Protel Generated files that had been re-exported from their own Camtastic
2000DE after a couple of very minor edits.
Some externally generated Gerbers may be formatted much closer than
others to the precise format required.for Protel import. I have heard of a
couple people having success with only edits to the initial Gerber
configuration statements (approx. the first dozen lines). That wasn't the
case in a couple of my attempted imports, the required edits grew
exponentially as I tried to progress.
--
Sincerely,
Brad Velander.

"Joel Koltner" <zapwireDASHgroups@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:CTT_l.41756$op1.33593@en-nntp-05.dc1.easynews.com...

Thanks for the information, Brad. When I was using Protel's Gerber import
functionality, it was only with Gerber files Protel itself had generated,
so I never saw the important limitations you're describing.

---Joel

 

[K7ITM]

On Jun 13, 12:36 pm, "Leland C. Scott" <kc8...@arrl.net> wrote:

"Harold E. Johnson" <W4...@mchsi.com> wrote in messagenews:INSYl.740928$yE1.253509@attbi_s21...



"Leland C. Scott" <kc8...@arrl.net> wrote in message
news:JLWdnYFglb9gdK7XnZ2dnUVZ_sSdnZ2d@giganews.com...
Does anybody have or know where to get a utility to convert from
ExpressPCB file format to a standard Gerber file? If not any info on the
file format itself?

Yup. You can pay Express PCB for the file. (No utility) $75 the last time
I bought one.

That's not going to happen. I know I can get some reverse engineering
software that will import the layout as a graphic then trace over it using
the PCB layout software to generate standard Gerber files. I'm looking for
something easy and I'm not paying them $75 a pop for each small board to
convert.

I also found out there maybe some utilities out, still looking, there that
can convert from an exported PDF, or EPS file, to a Gerber format too.
Getting a PDF printer driver is easy. Use the driver when printing out a
copy of the board layout.

--
Regards;

Leland C. Scott
KC8LDO

"Brilliance is typically the act of an
individual, but incredible stupidity
can usually be traced to an
organization."

Jon Bentley

FWIW, I've been using FreePCB for layouts the past year or so, and
find it's pretty well documented and easy to use. It produces
Gerbers, and of course you already know that once you have those, you
can find lots of different places to order boards, some faster than
others, some cheaper than others. I do end up having to build
footprints for FreePCB fairly often, but even that's not too bad, and
once built, I have them for the future.

Cheers,
Tom