importing gerber files to OrCad

Archiver

Hi,

I'm trying to import the gerber files for the Basic Stamp SX to OrCad
so that I can add the basic stamp to our design and send our PCB to
fabrication. I can't seem to get OrCad to recognize any of the gerber
files for the basic stamp sx. Is OrCad the best tool to use or is
there another tool that will allow me to edit the gerber files.

Thanks
~Hua Ying

Archiver

Hua,

In general, Gerber files cannot be imported into PCB design programs
because component footprint associations are not present. Gerber files are
just simple lists of aperture and draw commands, originally intended to
drive dumb photoplotters.

The better Gerber file viewing tools often have limited editing
capabilities. You wouldn't want to make more than a few minor changes to a
board design with the ones I've seen. Perhaps someone else can comment on
this topic.

I saw somewhere that one of the low-cost PCB design tools (Eagle?) could
import Gerber, but it might be a chore to nurse the job along. Design
bureaus also exist to handle such things, but then the cost would likely be
$trato$pheric. You're probably better off to start over...

>I'm trying to import the gerber files for the Basic Stamp SX to OrCad
>so that I can add the basic stamp to our design and send our PCB to
>fabrication. I can't seem to get OrCad to recognize any of the gerber
>files for the basic stamp sx. Is OrCad the best tool to use or is
>there another tool that will allow me to edit the gerber files.

Mike Hardwick, for Decade Engineering -- <http://www.decadenet.com>
Manufacturer of the famous BOB-II Serial Video Text Display Module!