DXF to Gerber conversion

[asimpson]

I wish to use a small pcb router that normally takes gerber files from PCB design software to do some simple 2D work from DXF data. Just need tool paths and drill centres.

Any body know where I could get DXF/Gerber conversion done for free?

thanks

 

[MacGyverS2000]

Plenty of free converters on Google... any reason they're not working for you?

Searching on "Gerber translator free" turns up something useful as the very first hit.

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[mcgyvr]

Seems there are a few free plugins for Autocad to convert to gerber..

Plenty of free PCB design programs out there too that obviously export gerber..
I like Diptrace..

 

[asimpson]

Couldnt find any free dxf to gerber conversions on the web.

I am using Solid Edge to generate dxf. There are SE utilities available but at a cost. I only want to experament.

 

[MacGyverS2000]

Wait, you want to go from DXF to Gerber, not the other way around?

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[asimpson]

Yes DXF to Gerber.

My cad system outputs DXF. Router takes Gerber.

I can also export .igs, .pdf, .dgn .dwg in 2D format

 

[MacGyverS2000]

You may have difficulty going in that direction. Gerbers can make shapes based upon a layered approach, e.g., create a circle by starting with a square, then laying a bunch of other squares on top of it until the original approximates a circle. DXF is point-/line-based. I'm sure there are crude translations, but that's not the norm.

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[zappedagain]

I believe LinkCAD can do it but I haven't used that program in several years. As Dan pointed out it may not be a direct conversion; you may need to translate DXF to ??? to Gerber.

Z

 

[kcotton]

Maybe you can look at Eagle, a free electronic cad software... it should be possible to import DXF, and then create Gerbers.
For sure it' doable with Altium, but it's not free, I don't know for Eagle, or other free ecad

 

[MacGyverS2000]

cotton, that would not be an automatic process... he would be tracing by hand.

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[kcotton]

It would be a semi automatic process, if he don't need net name the task is pretty easy, no need to do the tracing, just import on toplayer and bottom layer. I imagine the the PCB is pretty simple, in order to build it entirely with a milling machine.