In this tutorial, we want to present the Gerber Connection function of the program and some of its features that are only available in the paid version. For this tutorial, when you start the program and need to choose which module to use, select GERBER CONNECTION. Usually, we didn’t modify the initial default option because it was the one we needed to use.
1) Gerber Connection
The program easily allows you to generate the necessary documentation from the bill of materials (BOM) and Gerber files, where documentation means things like netlist, component rotation, part numbers, real references, pin geometry, X or Y positions, and all other data contained in the BOM (value, tolerance, etc.). “The latest major functionality that the software designer wants to add is the ability to generate the netlist from Gerber files and BOM. This operation is typically essential for almost all departments within” your electronics production or assembly companies.
2) Opening a Gerber File
To open a sample Gerber file, go to the Main Menu, click on Smart Open and navigate to the folder where your free version of the program is installed. Then open the data-files folder and inside it open the “sample-gerber.ger” file, and you’ll find what you see in figure 4.1.
Figure 4.1 – Opening a Gerber file
After that, you need to check the box “”Add sample-gerber.ger to list of files to be imported””.
In this tutorial, we’ll open just one Gerber file, but you also have the option to open others simultaneously. To do this, go to the top of the screen and click on the thumbnail of the Gerber file you want to import and select “Add sample-gerber.ger” to the list of files to import. Then select the layer type as TOP Silk and click on import file (and select YES in the next window).
Now the top side of the board will be displayed on the screen as shown in figure 4.2.
Figure 4.2 – Top side of the board
3) Generating a Component
In figure 4.2, you can see the Gerber file we just loaded. Now to let the program know the pin configuration of the various components, they need to be entered manually. “The next operation is therefore to generate a component. To do this, select U1 for example (U1 is the component in” the bottom left corner of the board) and click the left mouse button, dragging a rectangle around the 64 pins of the component and release the mouse. The 64 pins should now be selected and will be magnified (see figure 4.3).
Fig. 4.3 – Selecting U1
Now you need to press the Gerber Connection button in the top menu and click on Make Component. In the window that opens, enter U1 in the REFDES field and the others can be left unchanged.
Now we need to select pin number 1 of the component. You need to click on SET PIN 1 from the dropdown menu under Gerber Connection and click with the cursor on one of the pins of the selected component U1 (pin 1 is in the upper left corner of the component). From the dialog box displayed, select the direction to count the other pins in sequence (clockwise, counterclockwise, etc.) For our example, click OK to use the default counter which is clockwise. Component U1 is now defined.
Fig. 4.4 – Component U1
Now there’s also the possibility to identify “within the Gerber file all other components that have the same shape as U1. To do this, select the Select tool in the toolbar (it’s the button called Selection Tool with” the black-yellow-red target icon), click on pin number 1 of U1 (the red one in the top left that was previously inserted) and now component U1 should have turned red indicating it has been selected. Now go to the usual Gerber Connection button and select Find Similar Shape. The software will automatically detect U2 which is located just above U1 and here we can enter the information regarding this second component. Note that the software automatically suggests naming this new component U2. At this point for the purposes of this tutorial, we can either insert all other components manually or select AUTO after finding U2 or U3, to see that the program automatically identifies all other components up to U64, as can be easily seen in figure 4.5.
Fig. 4.5 – Identification of identical components
Now the description of the Gerber connection procedure is practically finished, because for each type of component you can select a sample, modify it and enrich it with information and then copy this data to all other components of the same family.
4) Generating the Netlist (Coming Soon)
As mentioned at the beginning of the tutorial, the designer wants to present this new functionality soon, which is currently not available in your free versions of the program, and when it is presented, we will update this section of the tutorial.
5) other Paid Features
CAD to CAD Translate
The first function not available in the free version is the ability to convert input CAD files into other CAD files in different formats (CAD to CAD translation function). The formats that the program accepts as input are shown here on the left in figure 4.6. A great capability of the software is that it can import very old CAD files, even dating back to the 80s or 90s, such as old versions of PADS files which can consequently be easily updated to more recent versions. From the imported files, you can then convert them into CAD files but in other formats depending on your needs (this conversion is not enabled for all possible combinations of files shown in figure 4.6, but only for most of them and for formats that are coherent with each other depending on the capacity and classifications of the information they contain).
Fig. 4.6 – Input CAD formats
Generation of Files for AOI, Test, or Soldering Machines
Another truly remarkable capability that the paid version of the software has is the ability to generate files for automatic optical inspection, test, or soldering machines (Pronto Selective Soldering, Pronto Test-Fixture, and Pronto AOI functions).
The AOI function, Pronto AOI, is used by electronic board manufacturers to quickly program their automatic optical inspection (AOI) machines and X-ray verification devices. The program is suitable for all common machines such as YESTech, MIRTEC, Orbotech, Agilent, Omron, CyberOptics, Viscom, Quad, Machine Vision Products (MVP), ViTechnology, Landrex Technologies, Christopher Associates/Marantz, Photon Dynamics, Camtek, etc. Thanks to ProntoAOI functionality, input CAD or Gerber files can be converted into files useful for AOI machines to be almost ready to perform optical testing.
The Pronto Selective Soldering function, very similar to the Pronto AOI just discussed, is used to be quickly ready to use this type of machine, greatly reducing programming times. This capability is enabled for the most common selective soldering machines such as ACE Production Technologies, RPS Automation, Vitronics Soltec, APS NOVASTAR, Pillarhouse Soldering Systems, etc.
The Pronto Test-Fixture function shortens programming times for all test machines, whether ATE (Automatic Test Equipment like Agilent/Hewlett Packard “board board x/y”, Teradyne “ipl”, Genrad “.ckt”), Flying Probe technology, or Bed of Nails technology. From the inserted CAD and BOM files, the program quickly generates the necessary files for such automatic stations.
Quality Control (MES)
“The last paid function (to have the complete version with all functions) equally interesting as the previous ones, is the Cells WorkFlow function. This add-on makes traceability simple within” your production processes to make them compliant and easily controllable by the quality department and customers. The software collects numerous real-time data for both electronic productions and products of any other kind. Following a certain procedure or specific standards while respecting timing is one of the aspects that can help companies grow, and with Cells WorkFlow you have the ability to monitor these aspects, trying to make each operation more efficient and disciplined, reducing the number of potential errors and achieving higher yields. All collected data can then be analyzed and managed by quality control, which will thus be able to compare past productions with current ones. In fact, you can obtain a complete MES system. MES stands for Manufacturing Execution System and indicates a computerized system that has the main function of managing and controlling a company’s production function. The management involves order dispatch, progress in quantity and time, warehouse storage, as well as direct connection to machinery to deduce useful information to integrate “production execution and to produce information for production control itself”.
