14 February 2019


I created these images of existing but tired single sided PCB boards
from photos. Whilst I can use these actual size images to make the
three boards using clear film and my thermal wax printer I am
wondering if it's possible for them to be converted to a format that a
professional PCB firm could make me some boards from? I can drill them
myself. I have images and mirror images and board outlines. They can
be seen here, many thanks:





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Best regards,
Chris mailto:chris@...

开云体育

reaConverter works great.

I just did exactly what you are trying to do and ordered PCBs.



Noting that drill files ARE different than GERBER files
BUT
extremely easy to had craft
AND
I am working up a better way to automate making the drill file
by
painting a red dot in each drill hole in the image in GIMP
and then
select by color ...the red dots... copy then paste a new image
of just the red dots
and then
do the reaConverter conversion to GERBER
then
delete ALL of the GERBER commands EXCEPT the XY co-ordinates of the red dots.
Tadaaaa..... drill file.

Look here and see examples:
?

compare the contents of the
board outline file? audioamp2.gko
with the drill file audioamp2.xln

The gko is GERBER
the xln is EXCELLON

VERY simple stuff. VERY little to learn to pull off this magic.

开云体育

I took a look into your PDF.

You MUST separate all of those images into individual PDFs.

I cropped one page down to one image and called it cw1.pdf then converted it to GERBER

and put them HERE:

named cw1.gbr and cw1.pdf

for you to look at them.

Hello Rob,

That was remarkably kind of you, thank you very much indeed! A cheeky
question I urge you to say no to should you so wish...

Would a Paypal "family and friends" gift payment persuade you to do
the other two boards? I am happy to not have the drill holes
available as only the (to be socketed) IC's are critical and I have
steel drilling jigs to get precise hole spacing for those available.
Whatever, thanks again, great forum!



Best regards,
Chris mailto:chris@...


RvGI> I took a look into your PDF.

RvGI> You MUST separate all of those images into individual PDFs.
RvGI>
RvGI> I cropped one page down to one image and called it cw1.pdf then converted it to GERBER
RvGI>
RvGI> and put them HERE:
RvGI>
RvGI>
RvGI>
RvGI>
RvGI> named cw1.gbr and cw1.pdf
RvGI>
RvGI>
RvGI> for you to look at them.
RvGI>

RvGI>
RvGI>

RvGI>
RvGI>

RvGI>
RvGI>

RvGI>
RvGI>

RvGI>
RvGI>

RvGI>
RvGI>

RvGI>
RvGI>
RvGI>
RvGI> On 02/14/2019 08:31 AM, Rob via Groups.Io wrote:
RvGI>
RvGI>
RvGI> reaConverter works great.

RvGI> I just did exactly what you are trying to do and ordered PCBs.

RvGI>

RvGI> Noting that drill files ARE different than GERBER files
RvGI> BUT
RvGI> extremely easy to had craft
RvGI> AND
RvGI> I am working up a better way to automate making the drill file
RvGI> by
RvGI> painting a red dot in each drill hole in the image in GIMP
RvGI> and then
RvGI> select by color ...the red dots... copy then paste a new image
RvGI> of just the red dots
RvGI> and then
RvGI> do the reaConverter conversion to GERBER
RvGI> then
RvGI> delete ALL of the GERBER commands EXCEPT the XY co-ordinates of the red dots.
RvGI> Tadaaaa..... drill file.

RvGI> Look here and see examples:
RvGI> ?

RvGI> compare the contents of the
RvGI> board outline file? audioamp2.gko
RvGI> with the drill file audioamp2.xln

RvGI> The gko is GERBER
RvGI> the xln is EXCELLON

RvGI> VERY simple stuff. VERY little to learn to pull off this magic.





RvGI> On 02/14/2019 06:11 AM, Chris Wilson wrote:
RvGI> 14 February 2019


RvGI> I created these images of existing but tired single sided PCB boards
RvGI> from photos. Whilst I can use these actual size images to make the
RvGI> three boards using clear film and my thermal wax printer I am
RvGI> wondering if it's possible for them to be converted to a format that a
RvGI> professional PCB firm could make me some boards from? I can drill them
RvGI> myself. I have images and mirror images and board outlines. They can
RvGI> be seen here, many thanks:

RvGI>



RvGI>

I have luck with using the free “image to gerber” converter (free software). It took a while to figure out the scaling concern and after that, the converter worked really well. I did not experience any resolution issue with it. Rather, I was taken aback by the “outline not detected” error when I uploaded the gerbers’ zip file to a PCB fabrication website. After a few days of frustrating attempts to resolve the issue with the outline layer gerber, my efforts paid off and I successfully got the PCBs fabricated. They arrived in my mailbox safely, much to my delight.
Here’s a step-by-step video for anyone who is keen on going the same route.