Excellon CAM .drd files

Here's the problem:  I use the CAM Processor to make the Drill Data files

(excellon.cam).  Whether I look at them through ViewMate or send them to my

board house's (Advanced Circuits / www.4pcb.com) Design for Manufacturability

check (www.freedfm.com), none of the holes line up with the pads.  In fact,

the holes are WAY off -- my board is 1.75" x 2", and the holes are over in the

10" plus range and not to scale.

Note that EAGLE has a

2.4 precision format and many Gerber viewers default to a 2.3 format so the

scaling of the drills/holes is off. Just import in 2.4 precision for the

drills/holes and all should be well, you'll need to advise this to the board

house also.

Regards, Philip Hodgers

"Philip Hodgers" <philip@puresoft.co.uk> wrote in message

news:gt7eh4$7fa$1@cheetah.cadsoft.de...

Here's the problem:  I use the CAM Processor to make the Drill Data files

(excellon.cam).  Whether I look at them through ViewMate or send them to

my board house's (Advanced Circuits / www.4pcb.com) Design for

Manufacturability check (www.freedfm.com), none of the holes line up with

the pads.  In fact, the holes are WAY off -- my board is 1.75" x 2", and

the holes are over in the 10" plus range and not to scale.

 

Note that EAGLE has a

2.4 precision format and many Gerber viewers default to a 2.3 format so

the

scaling of the drills/holes is off. Just import in 2.4 precision for the

drills/holes and all should be well, you'll need to advise this to the

board house also.

 

Regards, Philip Hodgers

 

I am not so sure that that is the solution.  My other PCB software program

used the 2.4 precision format, and it imported into ViewMate correctly.  I

can't find where to change the precision in ViewMate (if it is even

possible) -- I think it just accepts what you send it.

Plus, if it is CAM'd at 2.4 and the Gerber files view correctly, why won't

the Drill file?

Boyd

Boyd Nielsen schreef:

 

"Philip Hodgers" <philip@puresoft.co.uk> wrote in message

news:gt7eh4$7fa$1@cheetah.cadsoft.de...

Here's the problem:  I use the CAM Processor to make the Drill Data

files (excellon.cam).  Whether I look at them through ViewMate or

send them to my board house's (Advanced Circuits / www.4pcb.com)

Design for Manufacturability check (www.freedfm.com), none of the

holes line up with the pads.  In fact, the holes are WAY off -- my

board is 1.75" x 2", and the holes are over in the 10" plus range and

not to scale.

 

Note that EAGLE has a

2.4 precision format and many Gerber viewers default to a 2.3 format

so the

scaling of the drills/holes is off. Just import in 2.4 precision for the

drills/holes and all should be well, you'll need to advise this to the

board house also.

 

Regards, Philip Hodgers

 

I am not so sure that that is the solution.  My other PCB software

program used the 2.4 precision format, and it imported into ViewMate

correctly.  I can't find where to change the precision in ViewMate (if

it is even possible) -- I think it just accepts what you send it.

 

Plus, if it is CAM'd at 2.4 and the Gerber files view correctly, why

won't the Drill file?

 

Boyd

Well, I'm with Philip on this one. It likely is just a scaling problem.

I use GC-Prevue to check the gerbers and it almost always get's the

scaling wrong if i let it 'autoguess' (and the preview looks like you

describe). If i specify the precision, while importing the excellon

file, it's perfectly fine. My board house never seems to get 'confused'

though, i get boards with drills where they belong

The problem is ONLY with the excellon file, not the other cam files,

which use a different structure.

Regards,

Richard

Thanks for both of your help.  Although my previewer was set to 2.4, there

IS an import option that I could select ("All digits present") that allowed

it to preview correctly:

    Zeros

        o    Omit trailing zeros

        o    Omit leading zeros

        .    All digits present

        o    Explicit decimal point

Again, thank you,

Boyd

"Richard Herman" <postbus@het-audio-team.removethis.nl> wrote in message

news:gt7stv$6sc$1@cheetah.cadsoft.de...

Boyd Nielsen schreef:

 

"Philip Hodgers" <philip@puresoft.co.uk> wrote in message

news:gt7eh4$7fa$1@cheetah.cadsoft.de...

Here's the problem:  I use the CAM Processor to make the Drill Data

files (excellon.cam).  Whether I look at them through ViewMate or send

them to my board house's (Advanced Circuits / www.4pcb.com) Design for

Manufacturability check (www.freedfm.com), none of the holes line up

with the pads.  In fact, the holes are WAY off -- my board is 1.75" x

2", and the holes are over in the 10" plus range and not to scale.

 

Note that EAGLE has a

2.4 precision format and many Gerber viewers default to a 2.3 format so

the

scaling of the drills/holes is off. Just import in 2.4 precision for the

drills/holes and all should be well, you'll need to advise this to the

board house also.

 

Regards, Philip Hodgers

 

I am not so sure that that is the solution.  My other PCB software

program used the 2.4 precision format, and it imported into ViewMate

correctly.  I can't find where to change the precision in ViewMate (if it

is even possible) -- I think it just accepts what you send it.

 

Plus, if it is CAM'd at 2.4 and the Gerber files view correctly, why

won't the Drill file?

 

Boyd

 

Well, I'm with Philip on this one. It likely is just a scaling problem. I

use GC-Prevue to check the gerbers and it almost always get's the scaling

wrong if i let it 'autoguess' (and the preview looks like you describe).

If i specify the precision, while importing the excellon file, it's

perfectly fine. My board house never seems to get 'confused' though, i get

boards with drills where they belong

 

The problem is ONLY with the excellon file, not the other cam files, which

use a different structure.

 

Regards,

 

Richard