Data Sheet

PCB Layout
163
Output for Manufacture
The PCB Layout module provides two main output options for board manufacture:
Traditional Gerber/Excellon (available in all professional versions).
ODB++ Manufacturing Output (available in Advanced Feature Set only).
From a user interface perspective both options are very similar but from a manufacturing
perspective, the ODB++ option provides far more information than the older Gerber formats.
Examples include:
Inclusion of the connectivity information (the netlist) with the output fileset.
Explicit support for plated/unplated specification on pads.
Explicit support for fiducials.
All of this means that when viewing the output fileset from ODB++ the verification process is
simpler and more complete. However, traditional Gerber/Excellon output is still prevalent in
manufacture and would be sufficient for most purposes.
Regardless of your option the basic procedure is the same. When you invoke either of the
output options you will most likely be prompted to run a pre-production check. This runs an
automatic checklist to test for some common design errors and will report either a pass or a fail.
The Pre-production check (PPC) prompt
If your pre-production check reports errors we strongly recommend that you resolve them
before proceeding to the manufacturing output dialogue. Please also note that pre-
production check is an aid to the designer in quality assurance but not a guarantee;
manual inspection of the layout is recommended and a prototype should always be made
and tested before mass production.
More information on the Pre-production Check can be found in the CADCAM Output
section of the online reference manual (Help Menu).
Assuming a pass you will then be provided with the Manufacturing Output dialogue form.