Any PCB designers here?

[RU482]

I've got a PCB that I need to get modified. I requested the gerber files from the original designer, and they sent me the files below.

02/26/2003 02:00 PM 1,505 art_aper.txt
02/26/2003 02:15 PM 202,427 BAT-CON_rb.cad
02/26/2003 02:09 PM 1,737 bat-con_rb.cmp
02/26/2003 02:10 PM 6,051 bat-con_rb.spn
02/26/2003 02:01 PM 65,792 BOTTOM.art
02/26/2003 02:01 PM 47,404 DRILL.art
02/26/2003 02:01 PM 17,656 GND.art
02/26/2003 02:01 PM 17,122 MASK_BOT.art
02/26/2003 02:01 PM 16,666 MASK_TOP.art
02/26/2003 02:01 PM 15,739 PAST_TOP.art
02/26/2003 02:01 PM 26,973 SILK_TOP.art
02/26/2003 02:01 PM 75,077 TOP.art
02/26/2003 02:01 PM 44,777 VBAT.art

Does anyone have a program that can actually read these file types?

 

[krylon]

AutoCAD. Welcome to the internet.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

http://www.pentalogix.com/Download/download.html#item8

 

[RU482]

Pentalogix can read the files, but they are way out of scale.

 

[Fritzo]

I'm a wicked PBJ designer. The secret is to put the jelly in the middle of the peanut butter, not jelly on one side and peanut butter on the other.

 

[ss284]

Cadence Allegro PCB

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Originally posted by: Fritzo
I'm a wicked PBJ designer. The secret is to put the jelly in the middle of the peanut butter, not jelly on one side and peanut butter on the other.

Have you ever tried forming the peanut butter so that the sides are higher to act as a gasket for the jelly?

 

[Fritzo]

Originally posted by: Demon-Xanth

Originally posted by: Fritzo
I'm a wicked PBJ designer. The secret is to put the jelly in the middle of the peanut butter, not jelly on one side and peanut butter on the other.

Have you ever tried forming the peanut butter so that the sides are higher to act as a gasket for the jelly?

I've considered this, but the engineering is a bit complicated due to the viscosity of the peanut butter.

 

[RU482]

If I were to send you the files, would anyone be willing convert them to DXF files for me?

 

[JJ650]

Originally posted by: RU482
If I were to send you the files, would anyone be willing convert them to DXF files for me?

How large are the files?


And what version do you need them saved as?

 

[RU482]

The folder is about 600k. It's a very simple board design, I just need to make the board longer, remove a connector and put solder pads in it's place.

I am probably dreaming, but I am using PCB Artist from Advanced Circuits. It has a function to import dxf autocad files. I am not sure how realistic it is to do, but if it seems possible or if it will be useful, let me know.

All I really need to get from the old board design is the outline, and mounting and connector drill hole placement and hole size.

 

[JJ650]

I can possibly convert them for you this evening once I get home. I still have AutoCad on the puter @ home but not here at work since I no longer need to use it.

 

[Drako]

Originally posted by: ss284
Cadence Allegro PCB

He doesn't have the Allegro board (.brd) file, so that won't help.

 

[Drako]

Originally posted by: RU482
I've got a PCB that I need to get modified. I requested the gerber files from the original designer, and they sent me the files below.

02/26/2003 02:00 PM 1,505 art_aper.txt
02/26/2003 02:15 PM 202,427 BAT-CON_rb.cad
02/26/2003 02:09 PM 1,737 bat-con_rb.cmp
02/26/2003 02:10 PM 6,051 bat-con_rb.spn
02/26/2003 02:01 PM 65,792 BOTTOM.art
02/26/2003 02:01 PM 47,404 DRILL.art
02/26/2003 02:01 PM 17,656 GND.art
02/26/2003 02:01 PM 17,122 MASK_BOT.art
02/26/2003 02:01 PM 16,666 MASK_TOP.art
02/26/2003 02:01 PM 15,739 PAST_TOP.art
02/26/2003 02:01 PM 26,973 SILK_TOP.art
02/26/2003 02:01 PM 75,077 TOP.art
02/26/2003 02:01 PM 44,777 VBAT.art

Does anyone have a program that can actually read these file types?

What do you need to modify?

Those *.art files are the gerber files, so if you have a gerber editor you can do simple modifications that way.

 

[RU482]

I don't have an official gerber editor. I have a demo version of Allegro/OrCAD, but I am not having any luck reading these files.

I want to get these files into a format that Advanced Circuit's software can read (so I can use their free tool and order the boards directly)

All I am trying to do is add about 9mm to the length of the board, and move a 10 pin connector to the new board edge.
The board mates with a laptop battery on one end, and a cable harness connector on the other end. We are removing that cable connector, and replacing it with pads on the bottom of the board. It's a 10pin battery connector, 10 pads on the board, and 4 0603 caps on two of the power lines. Simple job if I had the right tools.

 

[Drako]

Originally posted by: RU482
I don't have an official gerber editor. I have a demo version of Allegro/OrCAD, but I am not having any luck reading these files.

I want to get these files into a format that Advanced Circuit's software can read (so I can use their free tool and order the boards directly)

All I am trying to do is add about 9mm to the length of the board, and move a 10 pin connector to the new board edge.
The board mates with a laptop battery on one end, and a cable harness connector on the other end. We are removing that cable connector, and replacing it with pads on the bottom of the board. It's a 10pin battery connector, 10 pads on the board, and 4 0603 caps on two of the power lines. Simple job if I had the right tools.

Do you have any way of getting this designs source files?

It's going to be hard to do what you want to do with just the gerber and CAD data.

 

[RU482]

what file extensions would the source files likely be in?

The designer is in Taiwan, so I typically have to be EXACT with what I am requesting, or it just gets lost in translation/tangents.

 

[Drako]

Originally posted by: RU482
what file extensions would the source files likely be in?

The designer is in Taiwan, so I typically have to be EXACT with what I am requesting, or it just gets lost in translation/tangents.

Ask him which software tool he used to generate the gerbers. Once you know the tool that was used you will know the extension type.

If they used Cadance Allegro, then the extension is ".brd"

The reason I'm saying you need the source file(s) is becuase you are changing the size of the board, which means you are going to have to regenerated every layer for the gerbers, and the CAD data will also change.

edit: If they use Mentor Graphics PADS, then the extension is ".pcb". Allegro and PADS are the two big PCB layout tools, but there are many more.

 

[shabby]

I should be able to open those and export them to a bunch of formats, let me know.