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Releasing a Board for Manufacture (view source)
Revision as of 08:45, 8 October 2018
, 08:45, 8 October 2018Adding DfM section
File:outjob_no_BOM.png|OutJob configured to skip BoM generation
File:outjob_no_BOM.png|OutJob configured to skip BoM generation
</gallery>
</gallery>
[[File:outputfiles.png|thumb|200px|right|An example "Fabrication Outputs" folder.]]
This outjob has the "Generate Manufacturing Files" option selected on the right side and has all three outputs - Gerbers, a drill file, and an Excel bill of materials - enabled. From here, either click the "Generate content" button under "Generate Manufacturing Files" or hit the F9 key, and Altium will produce output files (yes, it is that simple!). Outputs will be placed in your project folder inside of a new subfolder called "Fabrication Outputs." Generating all of the output files takes generally about 1 minute.
This outjob has the "Generate Manufacturing Files" option selected on the right side and has all three outputs - Gerbers, a drill file, and an Excel bill of materials - enabled. From here, either click the "Generate content" button under "Generate Manufacturing Files" or hit the F9 key, and Altium will produce output files (yes, it is that simple!). Outputs will be placed in your project folder inside of a new subfolder called "Fabrication Outputs." Generating all of the output files takes generally about 1 minute.
If you're in a hurry (BoM generation takes about 75% of the output file generation time) or for some other reason just want to generate Gerber and drill files and not an Excel BoM, you can disable BoM generation by clicking the little numbered circle in the Bill of Materials row. Your screen will look like the second image in the above slideshow with BoM generation disabled. To reenable BoM generation, just click the circle again.
If you're in a hurry (BoM generation takes about 75% of the output file generation time) or for some other reason just want to generate Gerber and drill files and not an Excel BoM, you can disable BoM generation by clicking the little numbered circle in the Bill of Materials row. Your screen will look like the second image in the above slideshow with BoM generation disabled. To reenable BoM generation, just click the circle again.
Once your fabrication outputs have been generated, find the new Fabrication Outputs folder and open it in your file browser. Add this folder to the SVN and commit it. You'll see a collection of files like the one shown at the right (with a different base name but the same file extensions). You care about the following files:
* [board].GTL - your board's top copper layer
* [board].GTS - your board's top soldermask layer, which defines what copper is exposed and solderable
* [board].GTO - your board's top silkscreen layer, which will appear as the printed artwork on the top side
* [board].GTP - your board's top solder paste layer, which will not be used to make the board but is needed for stencils
* ''[board].G1 (4-layer only)'' - your board's internal layer 1 (closer to the top side)
* ''[board].G2 (4-layer only)'' - your board's internal layer 2 (closer to the bottom side)
* [board].GBL - your board's bottom copper layer
* [board].GBS - your board's bottom soldermask layer
* [board].GBO - your board's bottom silkscreen layer
* [board].GBP - your board's bottom solder paste layer
* [board].TXT - your board's drill file
* [board].GM32 (sometimes [board].GKO) - your board's outline file
* Bill of Materials-[board].xls
You can safely ignore all of the other files (i.e. [board].apr], which are generated automatically and can't be suppressed but are not needed to manufacture a board.
For fabrication, you'll need to create a ZIP file containing all of the above files, except for the GTP/GTP files and the Excel spreadsheet (.xls). Make sure you specifically check the file extensions; several text files will be generated but there will only be one [board].txt file, which is your drill file. Give the ZIP a presentable, descriptive name that ends with "Gerbers" - it's going to be sent to a manufacturer. Also make sure you add the ZIP specifically to SVN so there's a record of exactly what was sent to the manufacturer.
== Putting It All Together ==
We'll now describe specifically how to get each of the three things you need to assemble your board.
=== PCB Fabrication ===
''This guide assumes you're ordering from Bay Area Circuits. For other manufacturers, some of the process will be different, though you will still ultimately provide your manufacturer with your ZIP of Gerber files''
The first step in getting your board ordered is a manufacturability check, to verify you have all of the required files and the manufacturer can read them and actually make the board they describe. Bay Area Circuits (BAC) has a Design for Manufacturability (DfM) tool that automatically reads and interprets fabrication ZIPs to make sure the boards have a full set of files and can be built. Go to the [http://instantdfm.bayareacircuits.com InstantDfM] page and follow the instructions to upload your fabrication ZIP. Once you submit, you'll have to wait usually around 10 minutes (shorter for simpler boards, longer for more complicated/four-layer boards) for processing. You'll be emailed a link when your board has finished being evaluated. The link will go to a page like the first below:
<gallery mode="slideshow" widths=750px>
File:InstantDfM.png|Passing DfM results.
File:InstantDfMfail.png|DfM missing a file and failing manufacturability checks.
</gallery>
=== Ordering Components ===
=== Ordering a Stencil ===