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After I finish my PCB layout with Ultiboard, what files do I have to send to the board manufacturer to have my board made?

Primary Software: Electronics Workbench>>Ultiboard
Primary Software Version: 9.x
Primary Software Fixed Version: 9.x
Secondary Software: N/A

Problem:
After I finish my PCB layout with Ultiboard, what files do I have to send to the board manufacturer to have my board made?

Solution:
To export files for manufacture, select File»Export.

There are two Gerber formats to choose from, 274X and 274D. You should pick 274X, as this is the most widely accepted format. Highlight this option and click on the Properties button. Under Available Layers, highlight Copper Top and press the arrow pointing to the right. This will move the highlighted layer to the Export Layer window. Repeat this step for the following layers:

1. Copper Bottom
2. All inner copper layers
3. Silkscreen Top and Bottom
4. Solder mask top and bottom
5. Board outline
6. Drill symbols (not required but desirable)
7. Paste mask (not required but is used for SMD paste stencil)

When you are finished, click OK and then Export to generate the Gerber files. For each layer, you will get a dialog that allows you to modify the aperture setting. You should click OK to accept the default size.

Once the files are generated, select File >> Export again, highlight NC Drill option and press the Export button. Ultiboard will generate two files: a .rep and a .drl file. The .rep file contains the drill size information and the .drl contains the x-y coordinates of your drill holes.

The Gerber files and the NC drill files are the required files to manufacture your bare board. For automated circuit assembly, you may want to generate the following two files:

1. Part Centroids This file is used by the pick and place machine during assembly. It contains center coordinates of all components and the rotation information.
2. IPC Netlist This file is used for automated test machines such as bed of nails or flying probe.

Related Links:
Products & Services: NI Ultiboard – Printed Circuit Board Layout and Routing
Developer Zone: What is NI Ultiboard?

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Report Date: 11/07/2006
Last Updated: 08/27/2008
Document ID: 4368HUMC

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