How to Generate Gerber, Drill Files and Centroid File From Eagle 9.6.2

This tutorial will guide you through the process of generating Gerber files and drill files from Autodesk Eagle 9.6.2, a popular PCB design software. These files are essential for manufacturing your custom printed circuit board (PCB).

Generating Gerber Files, Drill Files, and Centroid File (PnP File)

• Launch the Eagle control panel and go to "File" > "Open" > "Board". Select the .brd file that corresponds to your PCB design.

For this example, we're using the built-in Arduino MEGA2560 reference board, which is named "Arduino_MEGA2560_ref.brd".

• Once opened, you'll see the PCB layout displayed in the main window, as shown in the image below:

• Click on the CAM Processor button (the one without the green arrow) on the toolbar, or navigate to "File" > "CAM Processor".

Tips: Before exporting your Gerber files, it's strongly recommended to run a Design Rule Check (DRC) to ensure there are no errors that could affect the manufacturing process.

• Click the document icon next to the CAM file name, then choose "Load CAM jobs" > "examples". Select the appropriate CAM file for your design. For a two-layer board, we'll use "example_2_layer.cam".

• Use the Gerber Previewer on the right side to review each layer of the Gerber output. Make sure to uncheck the "Negative image" option, as shown in the image below, and select "Export as ZIP". Finally, click "Process Job" to generate the files.

Note: The "Negative image" checkbox should be unchecked to avoid incorrect board imaging during manufacturing.

This will create a ZIP folder containing all the required Gerber files for your PCB.

If you want to check the contents of the ZIP folder, simply extract it using any standard archive tool.

You now have all the necessary Gerber and drill files ready for manufacturing. The centroid file (also known as the PnP file) can be found in the "Assembly" folder.

Online Gerber Viewer by PCBWay

After exporting your Gerber and drill files, you can use the PCBWay Online Gerber Viewer to preview your PCB layout before sending it to the manufacturer.

For more information about the PCBWay Online Gerber Viewer, visit their official website or check out their detailed guide on how to use the tool effectively.