Is it possible to generate pick & place file from Gerber

[crenyen]

bom file and gerber file software

No, you can not.
You can only get the X-Y loaction file using the layout tool what you used.
The gerber can only give you the film of layout.

 

[sigint]

gerber files pick and place

Crenyan,

What part of my post didn't you understand, I've generated centroid files many times with only gerber info, and ALL of the pick and place software available has the option of doing the same, it's a tedious process but has been common practice for many years - obviously it is better to have the layout software generate it for you but, sometimes that's not an option.

SiGiNT

 

[cyberrat]

gerber files neede forpick and place

I too find this chaps replies to be wrong too.

I have been using Graphicodes GC-Place for a great many years to produce pick & place files from Gerbers only.

In fact, creating them from Gerber data is the ONLY way to accuratly create them.
Fair enough, the PCB design program can create pick & place data for 1 board, but when it's in a panel as they usually are, you need to add offsets, step & repeat etc.
When a board is converted into Gerber data & then read in by the different programs, there are often very small calculation & conversion errors that can make the dimensions slightly different to what was intended.
This is what get's used to make the board, not the original CAD data.

GC-Place takes the panel of data, automatically extracts component footprints & thier centroids form the pads, solder paste, solder resist or plain pads.
Rotations are automatic or easily adjusted, component references can be easily & automatically identified from the silkscreen or smt assembly layers.
Parts information can easily be imported using the BOM import tools & a simple BOM text file or even manually added.

And then there a whole host of output filters depending upon your P&P machine enabling you to create an accurate pick & place file.

So both House_cat & Crenyan are wrong in what they say.

Fair enough, you can output more information from the CAD software, but as the P&P machines usually have extra info like component height programmed into them you do not need it in the P&P software.
Component name, X, Y, rotation, part number are enough to make a board.
Panel fiducials are not available in the CAD software yet can be extracted from the panels Gerber data, component fiducials can too.

SO to answer the original question., the answer is YES.
I usually take about 20 mins to create data for a 12 up panel of board that have 100 components on, so it's not that time consuming.

Now if only I could charge such high amounts for that 20 mins.

 

[spolk]

how to generate pick and place files

https://www.unisoft-cim.com/
Unisoft ProntoPLACE software translates CAD or Gerber and Bill of Materials (BOM) files into real reference designators, X/Y body centers, Theta rotation, part numbers, etc. This data is then used to program SMT and Thru-hole Automatic Assembly Equipment. It cost about 2K or so. The free evaluation version does not have a time limit, but it does have a 300 or 500 net limit.

 

[TraceRouter]

pick and place file

For the guys doing P&P, does the extra information that is contained in ODB++ make you life any easier?

 

[sigint]

gerber file required for pick and place machine

The answer is a qualified yes, if the parts were built with a P&P correct origin then the ODB++ will work fine - as will the output from most PCB design packages, the only problem you might run in to is many assembly houses probably have not updated their software to accept ODB++.

SiGiNT

 

[TraceRouter]

get pick and place from a .pcb file

Thanks SiGiNT, that is what I assumed but it is good to hear it from someone that has some insight on it. With all of the benifits of ODB++, I am surprised that more assembly and test houses (OR at least the ones I deal with) are not taking advantage of it. The people I am dealing with are finally starting to make the move in that direction.

 

[costox]

gerber files for ge pc boards

Hi all,

Have you ever mounted a tiny capacitor 0.3mm x 0.5mm on a circuit board ?

What (cheap) tools would I need to do that ?
Thank you
A.

 

[cyberrat]

gerber data to pick and place data

What has that got to do with the subject?

The cheapest tool I know of for that task is a pair of fine tweezers.

 

[centiago]

loading gerber files into pick and place machine

Yes it is...
If you are using CAM 350, first you have to select pasd, number it & create a component.
Then you can XY locations, it will by default be the centroid of body.

 

[sugvivek]

how to generate centroid file with cam350

No , it is not possible to extract Pick and place info , since gerber describes the layout as only flashes , draws(lines) , so it will not be possible to create.

Regs
Sug

 

[cyberrat]

cad centroid to pick and place

Yet another one that does not know what he is talking about!

please stop telling the original poster otherwise!
It has been clearly explained that it can be done quite easily by several people within this thread. Saying otherwise is just incorrect and misleading.

HOW TO EXTRACT PICK AND PLACE DATA FROM GERBER FILES:

Get GC-Place or similar.
Obtain a solder paste layer (just the pads) RS274-X Gerber file.

This can be for the entire panel or individual board.

Working on a single board within the panel..

Automatically extract the centroid information from this, the programs are clever enough to know what pad arrangements are what footprint (if not they are really easy to teach).

Automatically extract the component names from either the legend layer or SMT assembly drawing.

Then you have a part, with a known X/Y location and reference name.

Then using a BOM, you can import the part numbers.

Then you have a part, with a known X/Y location, reference name and stock code information.

Now all you need are the component rotation from the default that the P&P machine sees.
This can easily be different to that, that is present when you have created the component in your CAD program.

It is essential that you use what is correct to the P&P machine & no other or errors occur.

GC-Place gets 95% of rotations correct, a simple check allows you to ensure that the unknowns are corrected.

Now what else do you need?
Ah, how about a CAD file for the format of your P&P machine.

Simple, export it using the output filters & Wahoo!
you have a Pick and place file that will allow your chosen pick and place machine to correctly place components on your boar, all made from Gerber data.

If you require the height, this is either already programmed into the component spools on the machine (as it can vary from component to component and differing manufactures, so is common to be done at the machine itself) or then (if & only if you need to add this to the data) that can be added.

Please read the explanations that have been put into this thread, they are not lies, falsifications or wrong.


IT CAN BE DONE!

 

[House_Cat]

generate centroid data from gerber file software

Cyberrat-

You say you automatically extract component names from the Gerber legend layer. How do you do that? A Gerber file converts all text to a collection of just line strokes. There is no intelligible text in a Gerber file except the machine code instructions.

I've often wished I could get text information from a Gerber, but I've never found any way to do it except to plot and then reenter the information manually.

 

[cyberrat]

pick&place center map

I don't do it, the software does it.

Get a copy of GC-Place and try it yourself, automatic component ident identification has been around for years, the lines that make up the letters and numbers are recognised by the software for what they mean.

From graphicode.com

Automatic Centroid Extraction (ACE) automatically converts selected pads into SMT parts by calculations based on the centroid of the SMT FootPrints.

The Find Reference Designators (FReD) function performs character recognition on silkscreen data in order to automatically assign reference designators to parts.