A typical conversation with a Chinese PCB manufacturer

Peter · 2019-09-27T09:36:27+00:00

I send them a zipfile containing the gerbers. I've been doing this for 20-30 years. This is a company I last used 2 years ago, with same data format. The source is Protel PCB. Dear Peter, Sorry I can not read the file you sent to me. Regards, Winnie Dear Winnie, It is a zipfile containing the gerbers. Are you familiar with the ZIP format? Kind regards, Peter Dear Peter, Yes, I download the ZIP, but I can not open. What kinds of files are you going to send to me? Regards, Winnie Dear Winnie, I am enclosing a newly made zipfile. If you are not able to read it, please find someone who worked in your company two years ago. Kind regards, Peter Dear Peter, Thanks for the reply Please tell me more details about this document, so I can find some professional people to handle this! Regards, Winnie Dear Winnie, It is a zipfile containing the standard gerber data files; one for each layer. Kind regards, Peter This "polite suggestion" worked with another one yesterday, although asking to find a Chinese who has worked in the same company for 2 years is pushing it a bit... A google on RS274 (which is what everybody is quoting) shows the very stuff I am sending. Has there been some new software which these outfits have bought very recently and which cannot open a zipfile, or is there a new gerber format?

A typical conversation with a Chinese PCB manufacturer - a gerber mystery

Sep 27, 2019 43 Replies

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Peter 6 years ago

I did eventually converge on the answer.

There is RS274D which uses a separate aperture file, and RS274X which embeds the apertures in each layer file.

It looks like some PCB firms in China changed ("upgraded"???) the software they use, and it can no longer read RS274D. The operators are too dumb to look at the actual filenames, and the default position is "computer says no".

Fortunately my 1995 PCB program has a checkbox for "embedded apertures" and that does the job.

Funny it took 20 years for this issue to pop up :)

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DecadentLinuxUserNumeroUno 6 years ago

Peter wrote in news:qn7lne$hkr$ snipped-for-privacy@dont-email.me:

I am sure there are others that experienced the issue that did not dig and resolve the issue. Then you did. Those customers are lost... gone though.

1995 PCB program, sounds like thre same one I used for so long...

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TTman 6 years ago

Protel/ProTrax ? I'm still using it...

This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

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Peter 6 years ago

Yes; Protel PCB 2.8 :)

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