Author Topic: Altium Board Cutout in gerber  (Read 18082 times)

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Offline maxpayneTopic starter

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Altium Board Cutout in gerber
« on: February 22, 2015, 08:16:08 am »
How to generate gerber files with board cutout in Altium ?

I can see the cutouts in Altium3d, but it is not showed up in the Gerber files. Is there any special procedure to include cutout information in the Gerber ?

I have attached 3 screenshots here, one is board file, one is Altium generated 3d and other is gerber
 

Offline DerekG

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Re: Altium Board Cutout in gerber
« Reply #1 on: February 22, 2015, 09:49:26 am »
Your second & last screen shots show both the top silk screen & the top copper layer. It is not a production Gerber. (remember, one layer per Gerber).

Take a look at your board Gerber or your mechanical layer Gerber.

You should find the cut out shown on one of those.
« Last Edit: February 22, 2015, 09:52:56 am by DerekG »
I also sat between Elvis & Bigfoot on the UFO.
 

Offline T3sl4co1l

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Re: Altium Board Cutout in gerber
« Reply #2 on: February 22, 2015, 09:51:05 am »
D, S, Generate Primitives From Outline.  There should be a layer you're using as the board outline (usually Keep-Out) for all the board shape to go on.  Mind that other objects (like that keep-out rectangle over your spark gap) don't add confusing or conflicting information.

Also, those slots look awfully thin.  Check with your board house that they can actually manufacture them for you, or consider widening them to 1mm or larger (which is a common tool size for routing).

Tim
Seven Transistor Labs, LLC
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Offline maxpayneTopic starter

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Re: Altium Board Cutout in gerber
« Reply #3 on: February 22, 2015, 10:57:31 am »
Your second & last screen shots show both the top silk screen & the top copper layer. It is not a production Gerber. (remember, one layer per Gerber).

Take a look at your board Gerber or your mechanical layer Gerber.

You should find the cut out shown on one of those.

D, S, Generate Primitives From Outline.  There should be a layer you're using as the board outline (usually Keep-Out) for all the board shape to go on.  Mind that other objects (like that keep-out rectangle over your spark gap) don't add confusing or conflicting information.

Also, those slots look awfully thin.  Check with your board house that they can actually manufacture them for you, or consider widening them to 1mm or larger (which is a common tool size for routing).

Tim

Thanks Tim and Derek. I created the primitives in the keepout layer as per Tim's instructions. cutout is now appearing in the outline file. (.GKO). Also widening the cutout to 1.5mm . HEre is the screenshot-

Will the board manufacturer will be able to know that they are cutouts ?
 

Offline DerekG

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Re: Altium Board Cutout in gerber
« Reply #4 on: February 22, 2015, 12:26:59 pm »
Will the board manufacturer be able to know that they are cutouts ?

He will, once you bring his attention to it.

Slots, oval holes, edge cutouts etc are always best to specifically bring it to their attention. This way nothing "gets missed".
I also sat between Elvis & Bigfoot on the UFO.
 

Offline maxpayneTopic starter

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Re: Altium Board Cutout in gerber
« Reply #5 on: February 22, 2015, 12:40:25 pm »
Will the board manufacturer be able to know that they are cutouts ?

He will, once you bring his attention to it.

Slots, oval holes, edge cutouts etc are always best to specifically bring it to their attention. This way nothing "gets missed".

Thanks I will mark them :)
 

Offline senso

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Re: Altium Board Cutout in gerber
« Reply #6 on: February 24, 2015, 10:11:59 am »
I have made a quadcopter frame with lots of cutouts, I just sent them a couple print-screens from the 3d view in Altium, everything went well.
 

Offline maxpayneTopic starter

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Re: Altium Board Cutout in gerber
« Reply #7 on: February 24, 2015, 10:14:32 am »
I have made a quadcopter frame with lots of cutouts, I just sent them a couple print-screens from the 3d view in Altium, everything went well.

I also did so. Lets see what they can do  :)
 

Online tszaboo

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Re: Altium Board Cutout in gerber
« Reply #8 on: February 24, 2015, 12:01:23 pm »
Will the board manufacturer be able to know that they are cutouts ?

He will, once you bring his attention to it.

Slots, oval holes, edge cutouts etc are always best to specifically bring it to their attention. This way nothing "gets missed".

Thanks I will mark them :)
There is another way to define cutouts, I prefer that. You dedicate a mechanical layer to the milling, and use 1mm or 2mm features on it. Mark it specifically for the manufacturer.
You can specify in the board options to use this layer as milling, unfortunately you get a stupid visual bug in 13/14.
 


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