you go through the tutorial that’s included with whatever
software you choose. Exporting Files
Okay, so you’ve chosen your software (eCAD, for our
purposes here), worked through the tutorials/best practices,
and laid out your circuit board. Now, you’re ready to get
them made. The first thing you have to do is export the
Gerber and NC Drill files. Select the Gerber export option
from the menu (Figure 2), open it (Figure 3), and then click
on the Apertures button (Figure 4). In the Aperture
window, click the Auto button to automatically name
apertures (holes), then close this window. You might want
to double-check your work by selecting a layer and then
clicking the Preview button.
Figure 5 shows the “top” layer which is specifically the
top copper layer. Notice the pads and all of the traces. The
“top paste” layer (Figure 6) will be used for creating a
stencil that we’ll utilize for applying the solder paste in
much the same way silk-screening is done. Finally, select
Export All and save the files (without renaming them) into a
folder. After exporting the Gerber files, you still need to
export the NC Drill file that will tell the board house where
to drill a hole and how big to make it. Just select and open
the NC Drill window, click auto for naming the drill holes
(Figure 7), and export it into the same folder that you saved
the Gerbers. Now, you’re ready to send your files to the
board house of your choice. Ordering Your Boards
There are a number of different board houses that you
can choose from and each has a variety of options. Where
you live, the size of board you’re making, the number you
want made, your timeline, tolerances, and how much
you’re willing to spend all go into deciding which vendor
makes the most sense to you.
I live in the US, normally need less than three boards
(prototyping), and my boards are typically less than 5 x 5
36 May 2014
Figure 4. Aperture window.
Figure 5.
Top copper
layer preview.
Figure 2. Selecting to export the Gerber files with a board layout in the background. Figure 3. Gerber Export, main window.
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