GENT, BELGIUM -- Ucamco issued a call for input to its proposal to include fabrication documentation in the Gerber data transfer format.

The company, which owns and maintains updates of the common electronics data exchange format, said the latest draft proposes an "evolutionary extension" of Gerber that enables production parameters to be communicated in a standard, automated format.

The company said the draft is designed to solicit input toward building user consensus on how to handle these parameters. It expects the proposal will undergo several revisions prior to finalizing.

The current version, Gerber X2, describes 2D images such as copper layers, solder mask and drills, and attributes for defining the layer structure, including via and SMD identification, pin numbers and reference descriptions. The company seeks to add parameters about the final PCB, such as production parameters (solder mask color, finish, overall thickness, materials, assembly array definition) which cannot be conveyed effectively by an image.

"Our aim is to create a simple, standard way of conveying this sort of data in a format that can be handled automatically. The standard must be easy to adopt and to implement, it must be compatible with existing workflows, and it must allow for partial implementations as some applications may only 'know' a few production parameters," Ucamco managing director Karel Tavernier said. In doing so, "we hope to to make life easier for electronics design, manufacturing and assembly professionals by facilitating clear, unequivocal communications prior to production.

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