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Centroid Data (or lack of it) - 12-/15-10 by Dirk Nuendyke

Centroid Data (or lack of it) - 12-/16-10 by robgd3

Centroid Data (or lack of it) - 12-/16-10 by jdengler

Centroid Data (or lack of it) - 12-/16-10 by R. Kondner

Centroid Data (or lack of it) - 12-/17-10 by josh

Centroid Data (or lack of it) - 01-/11-11 by methos1979

Centroid Data (or lack of it) - 01-/12-11 by Vinit

Dirk Nuendyke

#63305

Centroid Data (or lack of it) | 15 December, 2010

We do not have capabilities with our current PCB layout software to generate a pick and place file and/or centroid data.

Consequently, we are teaching all centroids at the machine.

Are there any software tools or utilities that can take a basic gerber file and derive this?

reply »

robgd3

#63307

Centroid Data (or lack of it) | 16 December, 2010

Aegis Industrial Softwares CircuitCAM can import a gerber file, and allow you to establish a pick and place program from it. It can also take a scanned image of the actual board to do this. It's a moderately painful process; but it is doable.

CircuitCAM also takes in CAD ASCII files, to help with creating a pick and place program. The ASCII input method is much easier and faster than the gerber input method. Most CAD files can output an ASCII file with all of the data you need.

I receive no incentives from CircuitCAM, though I am a happy customer.

cheers
..rob

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jdengler

#63311

Centroid Data (or lack of it) | 16 December, 2010

You may want to also check out a cheaper package. They advertise here. Unisoft is a simpler package which makes it cheaper.
http://www.unisoft-cim.com/
Jerry

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R. Kondner

#63318

Centroid Data (or lack of it) | 16 December, 2010

Hi,

I don't know how many boards you do a month but something I have used for up to 10 jobs a day here is a free tool:

http://www.kondner.com/files/bbsetup_Feb_2010.zip
I think it is better than Aegis but then I wrote it. :-)

This is a BIG tools and takes some serious learning. But it allows you to assign "Packages" to BOM Parts and then place them over the gerbers.

Download and install, READ THE MANUAL.

If you need help, or just the manual you can reach me at 1-410-821-1315 or bob at kondner dot com

Bob K.

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josh

#63338

Centroid Data (or lack of it) | 17 December, 2010

Also take a look at vplan from Mentor graphics(Valor) this has very powerful CAD/CAM to centroid capability...can generate Centroid data from Gerber - creates packages , polarities and assigns Refdes with easy to use tool...

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methos1979

#63482

Centroid Data (or lack of it) | 11 January, 2011

I can second the Unisoft Pronto software. We were in the same boat where getting centroid data files to program our AOI system was killing us. The Pronto software takes gerber files and BOMs and marries them into usable centroid data files for AOI programming. It takes me all of 5 minutes to create the files and has been a Godsend for us.

The rep we worked with as incredibly helpful. He's a little laid-back and every time I called him it sounded like I woke him up from a nap, but he was always available, day or night, and even weekends to help answer questions and get us up and running quickly.

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Vinit

#63494

Centroid Data (or lack of it) | 12 January, 2011

We designed a fairly simple software called PROCAM to do exactly that! It takes 2 Gerber layers - Paste/Mask layer and the Silk layer. Within minutes you can extract all the centroids. PROCAM has a standard excel output with all the centroids, fiducial location and size, step and repeat etc. It can also perform CAD and BOM matching if BOM is available. We have also built Yamaha/Philips VIOS output format, Ipulse .csv format and GenCAD .cad and .pnl output.

We designed this software for one of our very good customer and are now selling it to others as well. It is a very low priced tool.

If you need more information, please write to me at vinit.verma@prosemtechnology.com.

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