Engineers use PCB files to design printed circuit boards for various electronics. PCB files are are only a part of the design process. After an engineer completes a design for a printed circuit board, they will send it to a manufacturer. The equipment that prints these circuit boards cannot read PCB files, and instead relies on the Gerber file-type. Before engineers send off their circuit board designs to manufacturers, they must convert their PCB files to the Gerber file-type. PCB files come in a number of different formats that can all be easily converted to the Gerber file format.
Instructions
1 Download and install the program LinkCAD. This program is available for a free three-day trial or full purchase.
2 Open LinkCAD.
3 Select the type of PCB file you will be converting from in the "Import Format" drop-down menu.
4 Select Gerber in the "Export Format" drop-down menu and make sure that the "Skip options dialog" option is unchecked.
5 Check the "Ignore text" option in the "GDSII Import Options" window.
6 Configure your preferred "Export Options" in the menu that appears.
7 Choose the PCB file you would like to convert and click open.
8 Start the conversion process by clicking the next button. Once the process has finished, the converted Gerber file will be available on your hard disk in the same folder as the original PCB file.
