GENT, BELGIUM -  Ucamco has officially released its second extension for the Gerber format, and the first for image meta-information, with clear information that clarifies the CAD-to-CAM communication process. Gerber X2 was developed by Ucamco with the support of Eurocircuits, LPKF and AT&S.

The company made a draft version available in November 2013, at which time it sought user input. 

"As Gerber's stewards, we at Ucamco put a great deal of work into ensuring that Gerber continues to support fast, unequivocal CAD-to-CAM communication," said Ucamco managing director Karel Tavernier. "X2 is a natural consequence of our commitment to this and to ensuring that Gerber remains a powerful and dynamic format that moves with the times. As Gerber is the de facto standard for PCB CAD to CAM data transfer, we put the draft up for review by the user community. Anyone who knows Ucamco knows that we work closely with, and listen carefully to, our industry, and that we would not be so arrogant as to have committed to the new spec without this consultation."

Ucamco said it reviewed and incorporated feedback as appropriate into the final version of the new format, which is now available through the company website.

The X2 format offers a series of attributes to define parameters such as Gerber file function (top copper layer, top solder mask, etc.), part (single PCB, customer panel), object function (SMD pad, via pad), drill tolerances (locations of impedance-controlled traces), and filled vias.

X2-compatible software is forthcoming from several CAD vendors, Ucamco added, including Graphicode's GC-Prevue viewer by the fourth quarter.

The new format is reportedly upwardly compatible, meaning older software not supporting X2 can generate the correct image. Use of attributes' is not mandatory. Implemention consists of five new commands and a clear list of standard attributes.