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iOS Gerber viewer?

I like using an iPad in the lab while testing a new design. It is easier t o find a place for it on my crowded bench than the notebook computer I used to use.

Goodreader works well for keeping datasheet PDFs readily accessible.

And my colleagues at NIST introduced me to OneNote as an usable electronic lab notebook. (A large fraction of my lab notes are tables, and it is real ly easy to create tables in OneNote.)

But I have not yet found a satisfactory way to view a PCB design. The obvi ous solution of converting to a PDF does not work because it is necessary t o toggle visibility of the irrelevant layers to make sense of a multi-layer board.

Fundamentally, I just need a vector graphics viewer with decent layer suppo rt. Which seems to be surprisingly lacking on the iOS platform. In theory , PDFs can do vector graphics and layers, but viewers that allow one to tog gle the layers are hard to find for a desktop, and apparently impossible fo r a tablet.

I have played with using a RDP/VNC client to remote into a machine running Altium, but that was about as unsatisfactory as you would expect.

(Before buying this iPad I considered buying a Surface tablet, which would have allowed me to just run Altium to view the design. Which would provide nice benefits like net identification and highlighting. But the demo one I played with in Best Buy crashed every time I handled it, and looking onli ne revealed that Microsoft had serious driver issues.)

Has anyone found a solution I missed?

Steve Quantum Physics Research Instruments

Reply to
steve
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There's a gerbv build available for "Mac OSX using fink."

gerbv - A Free/Open Source Gerber Viewer

formatting link

Thank you,

--
Don Kuenz KB7RPU 
There was a young lady named Bright Whose speed was far faster than light; 
She set out one day In a relative way And returned on the previous night.
Reply to
Don Kuenz

OSX is not iOS.

For OSX, Kicad has a good Gerber viewer. Sorry, I cant help with iOS.

CH

Reply to
Clifford Heath

to find a place for it on my crowded bench than the notebook computer I us ed to use.

c lab notebook. (A large fraction of my lab notes are tables, and it is re ally easy to create tables in OneNote.)

vious solution of converting to a PDF does not work because it is necessary to toggle visibility of the irrelevant layers to make sense of a multi-lay er board.

port. Which seems to be surprisingly lacking on the iOS platform. In theo ry, PDFs can do vector graphics and layers, but viewers that allow one to t oggle the layers are hard to find for a desktop, and apparently impossible for a tablet.

g Altium, but that was about as unsatisfactory as you would expect.

d have allowed me to just run Altium to view the design. Which would provi de nice benefits like net identification and highlighting. But the demo on e I played with in Best Buy crashed every time I handled it, and looking on line revealed that Microsoft had serious driver issues.)

I don't typically bother with Gerber viewers for debugging work on PCBs. I find them to be great for checking the output of a layout program, but I'v e not found one facile enough to be useful in debug, flipping between layer s, searching for components or traces. But my layout program, FreePCB, doe s great! MS Surface is not the only convertible laptop on the market. But doesn't the Surface run Windows? Are you saying the Surface internal driv ers are buggy? Otherwise it should be the same drivers for peripherals eve ryone else uses.

A friend has a small Surface and loves it. So it's hard for me to believe there are fundamental issues. Having no computer skills, she would never b e able to use it if it was that bad.

--

  Rick C. 

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Reply to
Rick C

Yes, a Linux or Win tablet would be an obvious solution. At the time I was looking at it (2017), some Surface units was having a serious BSoD problem . I had the in-store demo unit crash multiple times in the less than one h our I played with it over a few visits. It would crash just from running O ffice apps or when I switched from notebook to tablet mode. When I checked online, it became clear that it was not just one faulty unit--many others were reporting similar issues.

And I agree that having the full CAD tool has its virtues. But everything else I typically to do in my lab or when visiting a client's lab works well on the iPad. Given the abundance of apps to do everything else, it is sur prising to me that I can't find a good vector graphics viewer with layer su pport.

Reply to
steve

On Wednesday, 5 February 2020 16:02:27 UTC-5, snipped-for-privacy@qprinstruments.com wro te:

to find a place for it on my crowded bench than the notebook computer I us ed to use.

c lab notebook. (A large fraction of my lab notes are tables, and it is re ally easy to create tables in OneNote.)

vious solution of converting to a PDF does not work because it is necessary to toggle visibility of the irrelevant layers to make sense of a multi-lay er board.

port. Which seems to be surprisingly lacking on the iOS platform. In theo ry, PDFs can do vector graphics and layers, but viewers that allow one to t oggle the layers are hard to find for a desktop, and apparently impossible for a tablet.

g Altium, but that was about as unsatisfactory as you would expect.

d have allowed me to just run Altium to view the design. Which would provi de nice benefits like net identification and highlighting. But the demo on e I played with in Best Buy crashed every time I handled it, and looking on line revealed that Microsoft had serious driver issues.)

Is an online viewer an option?

Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

Reply to
speff

gerbv.exe re-dude 4 Android?

Reply to
Robert Baer

U beet mi 2 itt!

Reply to
Robert Baer

Maybe use Postscript?

Reply to
Robert Baer

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