• Cannot view CircuitMaker 2000 drill files in KiCad

    From Pimpom@21:1/5 to All on Thu Aug 29 22:02:19 2024
    I've been designing and making PCBs for well over 50 years and used CircuitMaker 2000 for about the last 25 years. It's still good enough
    for most of what I do but I thought it's high time to get familiar with
    a more modern software like KiCAD (I tried it out briefly several years
    ago).

    I installed KiCAD again last night and tried to view Gerber files made
    with CM2000. It worked except for the drill file. It threw up the error
    message "Tool definition not supported".

    While searching for a solution, I came across a thread in a web forum
    where the OP reported a similar problem, saying that a PCB manufacturer rejected his CM2000 design because it had no drill file. One reply said
    that manufacturers need the Excellon RS274X format whereas CM2000 uses
    the RS274D version. The reply further said that the D version creates a separate aperture file while the X version embeds aperture sizes in the
    main file.

    The CM2000 manual clearly says that it uses the RS274X format, not the
    D. Moreover, the drill file generator in CM2000 has the option of
    embedding or not embedding the apt data. Neither option works. I simply
    cannot load CM2000 drl files in KiCAD Gerber Viewer.

    Can anyone please throw some light on the matter?

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From john larkin@21:1/5 to All on Thu Aug 29 11:58:43 2024
    On Thu, 29 Aug 2024 22:02:19 +0530, Pimpom <Pimpom@invalid.invalid>
    wrote:

    I've been designing and making PCBs for well over 50 years and used >CircuitMaker 2000 for about the last 25 years. It's still good enough
    for most of what I do but I thought it's high time to get familiar with
    a more modern software like KiCAD (I tried it out briefly several years
    ago).

    I installed KiCAD again last night and tried to view Gerber files made
    with CM2000. It worked except for the drill file. It threw up the error >message "Tool definition not supported".

    While searching for a solution, I came across a thread in a web forum
    where the OP reported a similar problem, saying that a PCB manufacturer >rejected his CM2000 design because it had no drill file. One reply said
    that manufacturers need the Excellon RS274X format whereas CM2000 uses
    the RS274D version. The reply further said that the D version creates a >separate aperture file while the X version embeds aperture sizes in the
    main file.

    The CM2000 manual clearly says that it uses the RS274X format, not the
    D. Moreover, the drill file generator in CM2000 has the option of
    embedding or not embedding the apt data. Neither option works. I simply >cannot load CM2000 drl files in KiCAD Gerber Viewer.

    Can anyone please throw some light on the matter?

    I think the world is going to ODB++ instead of Gerbers. We generate
    both and let the board house decide.

    There are standalone Gerber viewers.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)