Helpful Hints and Rules to send your Printed Circuit Board Files:

A. SENDING FILES:
For files of 1meg to 4.9 meg, ALWAYS send via ftp. For files of 5meg or more, call your sales representative.


B. NAMING FILES:
Use 8-characters maximum, and use all 8 to make it unique. Keep every zip file name unique."proto.zip" is not acceptable.


C. FILE CONTENT:
1. Gerber formats ODB++, 274x, or 274d
2. Gerber File using English units (one gerber file per layer). We prefer 2.3 leading format.
3. Max of 8-character names before extention of 3 characters
4. Fabrication print showing board outline with drill pattern and sizes in gerber format.
5. Aperture file (some layout packages need 1 for each layer)
6. CNC Drill File in Excellon format. We prefer 2.4 trailing format.
7. "Read.Me" text file (ASCII text information file)
The Read.Me needs to contain the following text information:
a. List of every file name with a brief description as to what it is.
b. List all non-gerber specs for this job
c. Your contact information (include evening phone if you like)


D. ORDER-HOLD.... COMMON REASONS
1. Corrupt PKZIP file. (Zip file fails CRC check when unzipped, files are damaged)
2. Fabrication print not supplied and/or is missing the following:
a. Drill sizes and locations by shape
b. Overall dimensions (Showing any cutouts, slots, anything unusual, etc)
c. Material type and finished copper weight and thickness
d. Tolerance specifications. (Defaults: +/-.005 Drill, +/-.010 Fab)(Fab print can be GERBER or Fax of Plot)
3. Deviations between Gerber and Fab print
4. Drill file missing or in Tango ASCII even format. (Excellon format, no zero suppression)
5. Drill file missing tool list (ASCII text file)
6. Drill has obviously missing hole or incorrect locations
7. Aperture list corrupt or incomplete (Undefined D-codes)
8. Aperture list is missing. Text list of D-codes used by each Gerber file is required
(shapes/sizes)
9. Gerber files are scaled (We require 1 to 1 size files)
10. Conflicting or missing Right-reading information (Which side is Up/Down?)
11. Thermal connections missing on inner layers (Multi-layer)
12. Copper layers with no pads and/or no traces