Electronics > PCB/EDA/CAD

Bottom Sil Screen Text Mirrored on JLCPCB

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bostonman:
I'm using PCAD 2006 and created a two-layer (top and bottom) board. It has about four components on the bottom and separate text (revision, date, etc...).

After uploading the gerber files to JLCPCB, it showed the components on the bottom and their reference designators correct (in PCAD 2006, I press 'F' to flip the component to the bottom, and it changes the ref des text to mirrored so I see it as a mirror image - I don't believe a way exists to view it as looking from the bottom).

I also "flipped" the text on the bottom layer for revision, date, etc... thinking that if the component ref designators showed as mirrored in PCAD, then the text needs to show as mirrored too.

This caused JLCPCB to show the bottom layer with the component ref des correct, but the text was mirrored. I went into PCAD and "flipped" it again. Now I can read it normal in PCAD, however, it still showed as mirrored on JLCPCB.

Does anyone know what I need to do so the text isn't mirrored?

Smokey:
open the gerbers in a gerber viewer like kicad.  check them there before sending them to fab.

PCAD bottom layer silk should look "backwards" in pcad for it to be correct on a bottom layer.

bostonman:
Thanks!

I was just about to provide an update before reading your reply. Seems I needed to select 'mirror' in the gerber (bottom silk) section.

I saw this before, but feared it would mirror the ref des too, so I didn't select it.

bostonman:
The PCBs should be arriving mid week.

From the online viewer on JLCPCB, it looked like no matter if I left the text normal or flipped it in PCAD, it showed as mirrored.

I'm just curious, why did flipping it still cause it to be mirrored, and why did selecting 'mirror' in PCAD did the ref des not change? They are on the same bottom silk layer, so I'm not sure why it chose to invert one but not the other.

bostonman:
Think I spoke too soon about the whole mirror thing.

I swear at one point I "flipped" the text, uploaded it to JLCPCB, and it still showed as mirrored in the gerber viewer. At that point I selected 'mirror' in PCAD 2006 gerbers, didn't "flip" it in PCAD (i.e. it read normal when viewing it), and it showed as normal in the JLCPCB gerber viewer. At that point I kept the text as reading left to right and selected 'mirror' in the gerber options.

Upon receiving the boards today, I noticed all the silk screen was printed normal, but on opposite sites of the board. Also, ironically, I didn't check 'RefDes' on bottom silk screen, so I didn't get any ref des (but I only have three components on the bottom side).

Today I tested things by deselecting 'mirror' in the PCAD gerber options and "flipped" the text. On the JLCPCB gerber viewer, it seemed to appear normal this time. Doubt I'll place another order just because of some misplaced silk screen.

I still lack confidence in the gerber options. Typically I go with the default stuff from my old job (they were tossing PCAD and gave a legal copy to me) in some preliminary designs from them, however, I find discrepancies between boards as for which layers/options were selected.

In one case they had bottom assembly 'mirrored', in another design there wasn't a bottom assembly, etc... The few boards I've had built at board houses usually come out correct, but my layers are basic compared to the elaborate layers in the sample files I reference.

This is the only time a PCB arrived with silk screen in locations I didn't place in that location (although I should have studied the gerber viewer better before placing my order and would have realized the silk screen was opposite).

For future reference, can someone help explain the meaning of the options in the attached (it's a screen shot of PCAD gerber options).

Some is a bit obvious, but what are the differences in all the "top" layers (assembly, silk, paste, mask, and top)? Obviously the bottom will mimic the top, so explaining the top will suffice. Also, what is the meaning of the check boxes on the right?

Silk screen is self explanatory, so that may not need to be explained, but I don't understand things like pads and vias check boxes for all the different layers.

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