Gerber and pick'n'place file viewer - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: pisoiu
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 25, 2019, 04:12:38 pm
content: Hi,I used in the past some gerber file viewers, but rarely and just for their basic function. I cannot say I am familiar with this kind of software tools.Can anyone recommend me a software tool to view PCB gerber files and pick'n'place centroid files generated for assembly? For pnp files it is important to see a layer with both x-y data as well as rotation. I need this tool for offline validation of my (or other's) files before going to openpnp. Also, possibility to alter pnp data would be a plus, as some components will need ajdustments in rotation and some in x-y data (probably asimetrical components).Thanks.

author: nisma
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 25, 2019, 04:48:49 pm
content: You can usw gerbv. For openpnp you should use the saved package images and cross check with solder mask Gerber file using opencv. For gerbv beside resistors you should import and Export the centroid data in openpnp in order to geht the correct bounding box Dimension.

author: Mechatrommer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 25, 2019, 04:58:38 pm
content: tryhttps://www.zofzpcb.com/the programmer is a member here zofzpcb iirc. so you can ask him something here...

author: pisoiu
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 26, 2019, 08:04:19 am
content: I actually used gerbv in the past but I was not aware it can read pnp files. I tested with some random file, it shows only a square in the component location and component designator printed 3 or 4 times all over the square. The square is the same regardless of component size and shows no component orientation. Not usable.zofzpcb seem to be a nice tool but I see it oriented to create nice pcb renders. I was unable to find a way to load pnp files into it.

author: SMTech
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 26, 2019, 08:34:33 am
content: Quote from: pisoiu on September 26, 2019, 08:04:19 amI think by and large what you are looking for is normally a tool provided by the p&p manufacturer or built into the pick& place software itself. Other options are Aegis circuitcam express, Unisoft or Fab3000 (which sort does what you want but is more useful for creating a pick and place file from gerber) . There is also SMT-Maestro which shows a little box for each device with a pin 1 marker, but is mostly a tool for merging a pick and place file with a BOM and outputting a new pick & place file with the columns you actually want, in the order you want. SMT-Maestro is free but has vanished off the internet, you can find a dropbox link in the SMTNet threads.Here is one of the screens in Essemtecs ePlace as an example. In the CAD Conversion screen previous to this one, you import the pick and place file and tell ePlace what each column is, the units used and match the part numbers or values to your internal part numbers the machine already knows & mark through-hole or no fits as ignore. On this preview screen you can alter the rotations and spot any issues. Rotation alterations & part number matches are saved in an adjust file for use next time, we keep one per designer. In this software, while you could manually hack the CSV data on screen to fix location issues its easier to put the board in the machine and correct it using the overhead camera. You can see a need for this process in this example as certain shapes in this creators library have Pin1 defined as component center, sadly (in this version at least) there isn't a built in method to create a rule to apply an offset to a package, but then perhaps that could get messy .

author: pisoiu
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 26, 2019, 11:58:48 am
content: Quote from: SMTech on September 26, 2019, 08:34:33 amBasically yes, I'm sure established players offer this validation tool. But in my case, openpnp does not have that and the p&p manufacturer it's me, so...Thanks for other suggestion, I'll take them one by one to see if I find something good for me. If not, last hope is to write my tool. I have to write other tools anyway, mostly related to component inventory.

author: nisma
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 26, 2019, 12:44:40 pm
content: If you use a real file it works.There is a really small package list where it don't workThe package column must be named footprint. maybe you cad use package and you should rename it.It recognize only 0201 and up, 008004 (0201 metric), 009005 (03015 metric), 01005 (0402 metric) don't work.From difference between pad center and pin1 location, the size of components are reconstructed.This is basically the file type that the program expect, or that every assembler want.Code:Designator;Footprint;Mid X;Mid Y;Ref X;Ref Y;Pad X;Pad Y;TB;Rotation;CommentR26;R0603;660.236mil;1603.937mil;660.236mil;1603.937mil;630.236mil;1603.937mil;T;360.00;RESR25;R0603;1763.386mil;1148.425mil;1763.386mil;1148.425mil;1763.386mil;1178.425mil;T;270.00;RESU2;SOT-23-6;1927mil;1156mil;1927mil;1156mil;1875.819mil;1193.401mil;T;270.00;TLV61220C1;C0805;2151.968mil;1381.102mil;2151.968mil;1381.102mil;2151.968mil;1336.103mil;T;90.00;CAP1R3;R0603;2153mil;1148mil;2153mil;1148mil;2153mil;1178mil;T;270.00;RESQ1;SOT-23-3;283mil;1106.3mil;283mil;1106.3mil;243mil;1059.056mil;T;270.00;MOS-PR1;R0805;1654.331mil;1159.843mil;1654.331mil;1159.842mil;1654.331mil;1114.844mil;T;90.00;RESU4;TSSOP-8/SOT23-8;1051.968mil;1539.37mil;1051.968mil;1539.37mil;1090.354mil;1610.236mil;T;270.00;TP1512;L1;l-7*7*4;1875.591mil;1469.685mil;1875.591mil;1469.685mil;1875.591mil;1617.323mil;T;270.00;InductanceU3;TSSOP-8/SOT23-8;666.535mil;3093.307mil;666.535mil;3093.307mil;704.921mil;3164.173mil;T;270.00;OPAU5;RE200B-A;1259.055mil;2775.591mil;1259.055mil;2775.591mil;1339.055mil;2835.591mil;T;180.00;RE200B;M3;_MARK;275.591mil;3503.937mil;275.591mil;3503.937mil;275.591mil;3503.937mil;T;0.00;_markM2;_MARK;1948.819mil;2047.244mil;1948.819mil;2047.244mil;1948.819mil;2047.244mil;T;0.00;_markS1;SWITCH-V;98.425mil;2775.591mil;98.425mil;2775.591mil;137.795mil;2834.646mil;T;270.00;SW-PBU1;CC2530-MODE-16.5*25.5;708.661mil;2319.291mil;708.661mil;2319.291mil;433.661mil;1984.646mil;T;90.00;CC2530-MODE2C5;C0603;1601.575mil;2699.606mil;1601.575mil;2699.606mil;1601.575mil;2729.606mil;T;270.00;CAP1C8;C0603;822.441mil;3044.094mil;822.441mil;3044.095mil;852.441mil;3044.094mil;T;180.00;CAP1M1;_luxcon-21*3;-2646.457mil;-319.094mil;1648.819mil;3634.252mil;-2646.457mil;-319.094mil;T;360.00;_markBT1;BATTRY-5*2;2322.835mil;2775.591mil;2322.835mil;2775.591mil;2322.835mil;3070.866mil;T;180.00;BATTERYD2;LED-5;461.417mil;3003.937mil;461.417mil;3003.937mil;511.417mil;3003.937mil;T;180.00;PHOTOC2;CDT-4;1295.669mil;2154.331mil;1295.669mil;2154.331mil;1295.669mil;2055.905mil;T;270.00;CAP2

author: SMTech
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 26, 2019, 07:35:22 pm
content: Quote from: pisoiu on September 26, 2019, 11:58:48 amIf its you generating the data in the first place, the requirements on such a tool are lower as you are in charge of what is generated through your CAD library. I think you will find CircuitCam is the tool many companies offer with their machines, I don't even know if you can buy it that easily on its own.