PCBs from pdf files

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ericallan

ericallan

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Joined 2003
I was trying to start a group buy up over at pinkfishmedia from a circuit that's an optimised Naim pre-amp layout. The link to the design is at http://www.acoustica.org.uk/t/naim/preamps.html (The 'Air Guitar-iste' preamp at the bottom of the page).
The layout is at http://www.acoustica.org.uk/t/naim/...airg_tracks.pdf
I was hoping to get a number of pcbs from a manufacturer but I apparently need a gerber file to keep costs down.
Does anyone know how to convert a pdf to a gerber file? I've managed to get the file in the form of a dxf file, but this won't load into the pcb sofware I've got (Traxmaker).
Any ideas?
 
steenoe

steenoe

Member
Joined 2004
The easy way would be to make a couple of boards yourself, from the PDF's;) Do a search on "toner transfer" Its actually pretty easy:) Take a look at these boards:http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?postid=772857#post772857

Steen:)
Edit. Let me know and I will find a few threads for you:cool:
Edit again:) Normally you cant do much with a PDF file, its like a bitmap. You cant import a file like that into a vector program with great results! You can import it allright, but you have to redraw all the lines. And their width too!! Too much of a hassle?
 
poobah

poobah

Member
Joined 2005
The real information is usually gone by the time it becomes a pdf.

You can make dxf into gerbers though.. you do have to clean up though the gerbers will rounded line endcaps sometime where you didn't want them. Of Course all the compnent info is lost like hole sizes especially.
 
ericallan

ericallan

Member
Joined 2003
pinkmouse said:
Have you asked the guy who designed the board;

a) for permission to use it?

b) for the gerbers?

The answer to a) might well give you the answer to b) ;)
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The guy contributes to PFM and is aware of the group buy, but he doesnt have gerbers as he created the pdfs to use for Press n Peel pcbs.

Did you say you had dxf's?

And how do they look?
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The dxf I have looks great in Autocad, much like the original, I just can't get it to import into a pcb program.

We are looking at about 30 boards so far.
 
ericallan

ericallan

Member
Joined 2003
poobah said:
Any good board house should be able to work from dxf.

Send them to me and I might convert them...
Click to expand...


Thanks, I will send you the file when I am at home tonight.

We did want to tweak the design a bit, but this might be beyond my slim knowledge of pcb and CAD software. The hope was to tighten the star earth so that there are no seperate "islands" of 0v points, just one point.
 
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