Gerber Editing?

[dave_t_lurker]

I've got a design for a little DSP radio I wish to get a PCB made for. However the cheap PCB fab houses can't use one of the drill sizes specced in the gerbers (0.4mm, used for vias on this board). I've checked the design rules and it looks like I can move the vias up to 0.6mm holes and still have 0.2mm copper annulus

Comments

[gerald_duck]

Have you tried sed?

[dave_t_lurker]

That supposes I have more than a vague idea of what I need to do and the gerber or drill file formats.

[gerald_duck]

Have you looked at one? They're textual, and not deliberately obscure.

I suggest taking the file, changing one via and diffing against the original in order to create a sed pattern.

It'd be an evil hack, but it'd probably work.

[nunfetishist]

Can't you just change the data in your CAD software and re-export? Or use another PCB house? I'm sure we use 0.4mm vias all the time.

Also; isn't drill data normally in a different file from the gerber? (The gerber just containing a layer showing them for pictographic reasons only.)

[dave_t_lurker]

It is a design from a contact who has lost the original design files. So the easy option isn't available to me.

To be honest, I've always treated the gerber & drill files as a black box. I usually generate them, DRC check them with another app then mail them off. I've never had to worry about editing them before.

I'd try a different board house, but I can't find one that can do two 6x4" double sided boards with 0.4mm vias for about £60 or less. Changing the via drill to 0.6mm means I can get this price.