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A Gerber File is a standard file format used by printed circuit board (PCB) fabrication houses that contains information necessary for computer controlled machines to draw exact patterns for circuit boards. These patterns are typically used to assemble and electrically connect electronics assemblies. The patterns usually contain features such as land patterns, signal traces, drilled holes, milling and cutting information.
The Gerber file standard is named after the Gerber Scientific Instruments Company, a pioneer in photoplotter manufacturing, and a former division of Gerber Scientific, Inc. These files are produced by PCB designers using specialized Electronic Design Automation (EDA) software, such as OrCAD Layout, Altium Designer, Mentor Expedition, Cadence Allegro, CadSoft EAGLE, TARGET 3001!, Zuken Cadstar or Zuken CR5000.
Since a PCB may have many layers, the older Gerber format EIA RS-274D always assumed a set of command files (one for each PCB layer) and one "tool" description file. The command files (consisting of short commands and X, Y coordinates) were called "Gerber files" and the tool files were called "aperture files". A standard for the latter was never established so every EDA software had its own file format which caused problems for the manufacturers. Often the aperture information had to be re-entered manually.
The newer Gerber format RS-274X, also known as X-Gerber or Extended Gerber, includes the aperture information into the file headers. With embedded apertures, this makes every X-Gerber file complete as to how each PCB layer should look. However, there are still problems with the interpretation of these files, such as on polygons, or the question of which file to use for which layer. Gerber file extensions are often .GBR, .GBX, .PHD, .SPL or .ART. Sometimes extensions such as .TOP and .BOT are used instead.
To get a Gerber file from your Protel99 pcb file, you need to load the file into Protel99. Once the PCB is displayed in the PCB Editor, go to File>CAM Manager. The dialog page will open - right click in the dialog window to add or remove options including "Gerber", then select "Generate CAM Files" or hit F9. Your Gerber files will be generated.
You will have to use either CAMTASTIC2000 that was supplied with Prote99, or some other CAM Editor to view the Gerber and Drill files.
Note that any version of Protel or Altium software newer than Protel99 can also read your PCB file and produce Gerber files from it. Mentor also has a translator to convert to PADS, and PADS can produce Gerber files from the converted PCB.
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