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?
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?
Nisbeth said:To my knowledge you need to redraw the PCB from the pdf-file in a PCB-editor before you can generate gerber's
/U.
That was my fear.
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
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?
Steen
Edit. Let me know and I will find a few threads for you
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?
If its a DXF file, you need the electronic's module for either Autocad or Microstation. Otherwise you wont get a real view of it. If it is a .PLT or HPG file, you might have a chance.Did you say you had dxf's?
Steen
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.
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.
Absolutely, that was what I was trying to sayThe real information is usually gone by the time it becomes a pdf.
Yep to that, cause the DXF's are still vector files.You can make dxf into gerbers though..
Its not even that hard to understand
Steen
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)
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.
The dxf I have looks great in Autocad, much like the original, I just can't get it to import into a pcb program.Did you say you had dxf's?
And how do they look?
We are looking at about 30 boards so far.
poobah said:Any good board house should be able to work from dxf.
Send them to me and I might convert them...
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.
Pretty many pcb manufactures will if they'll not get gerber.ericallan said:I was hoping to get a number of pcbs from a manufacturer but I apparently need a gerber file to keep costs down.
Why don't you cad them yourself? They seem to be rather uncomplicated.ericallan said:We are looking at about 30 boards so far.
peranders said:
Why don't you cad them yourself? They seem to be rather uncomplicated.
I have them in a CAD format but dont know how to get that into a gerber file.
poobah said:Any good board house should be able to work from dxf.
Send them to me and I might convert them...
Here you go.
Attachments
- Status
- This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.
- Home
- Design & Build
- Parts
- PCBs from pdf files