There was a thread recently where one of the freaks( I think Brian Fairchild) recommended a freeware gerber viewer, but I cannot recall the thread.
Can anyone recommend such a viewer? I am trying to view a board layout for a friend, but they use a newer version of EAGLE and my copy is very old(v7.5) and I do not have the $$ to update it for a one time freebie.
Hopefully the gerber viewer will do the trick.
Suggestions?
JIm on the east side.
Both KiCad and Geda have their own gerber viewer.
Geda is linux only if I remember correctly, Haven't used it for a long time.
There must be a number of online gerber viewers too.
The obvious:
https://www.avrfreaks.net/search/site/gerber%20viewer?solrsort=ds_created%20desc
Thanks Paul,
Indeed there are many out there, but the one that was mentioned in that thread really stuck with me....not well enough though as I cannot remember the name of the bloody thing 
Jim
EDIT:
I cannot find the post, but I found the software
https://www.pentalogix.com/t/sof...
The search box at the top of avrfreaks does not seem to work properly, but if you try duckduck for searching avrfreaks you only get a handfull of results for 2018:
https://duckduckgo.com/html?q=site%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.avrfreaks.net+%22gerber%22+%222018%22
google has many more results, but a lot of them are very old.
https://www.google.nl/search?q=site%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.avrfreaks.net+gerber+2018
Hi Jim,
Here is another free Gerber File Viewer:
I would say it is functional, but not overly user friendly.
Note well the small button to turn on / off "Draw Mode" in the lower right side of the browser.
This is a browser based viewer.
I used it to view a recent PCB and it worked fine for what I needed it for, (looking for major goof-ups).
JC
There was a thread recently where one of the freaks( I think Brian Fairchild) recommended a freeware gerber viewer, but I cannot recall the thread.
Can anyone recommend such a viewer? I am trying to view a board layout for a friend, but they use a newer version of EAGLE and my copy is very old(v7.5) and I do not have the $$ to update it for a one time freebie.
Hopefully the gerber viewer will do the trick.
If you have room, download the latest v5 kicad RC nightly builds - http://downloads.kicad-pcb.org/w...
That has gerbview Gerber viewer, and they also have a Eagle importer, into KiCad PCB side, so you can load into both, and compare
Thanks for the tips.
I went to download the free version of View Mate and they offered me the next level up for 50% off so,I bought it. I am curious to see what the pcb house they use charges for boards so I might do a trial run and compare them to my usual vendor.
Jim
Jim, in another Thread I think you mentioned you often use PCBWay, and although there was a negative comment or two, there were many satisfied customers.
I just sent them my last PCB design and I was very impressed with the fast turn around and the quality of the board.
The cost was essentially the same as ITead Studio for the boards, but with PCBWay I could chose any color board I wanted, which is an extra cost with ITead.
Everything else was essentially identical, and the cost for 20 boards, (12.5 x 14 cm), was within pennies of each other.
I usually have to wait a long time for the PCBs to arrive when I order them from ITead, but perhaps that is because I have selected Chinese post, and not DHL, when I have ordered from them in the past.
For PCBWay the only shipping option was DHL, and it was a bit pricy, but such is life.
Anyway, not trying to take your Thread off topic, but you'll have to report back on how they compare to PCBWay, as I took your lead and gave them a try with my last board and was quite pleased.
(And to be fair, I've been very happy with all of my boards from ITead Studio, also!)
JC
Edit: Typo
and the cost for 20 boards, (12.5 x 14 cm), was within pennies of each other.
Some time ago I wanted to order my first batch of Chinese PCB's, and I thought, Well, 10 boards would be a nice starter for me.
But for 10 boards the shipping was almost the same price as the boards themselves.
Went a little bit further and filled in 20 boards in the order form.
20 boards was with free shipping, total difference between 10 or 20 boards was < USD7.
Then I got cuious and entered 30 boards on the form.
30 boards was the exact same price as 20 boards.
40 boards was substancially more expensive.
30 boards it was then. Final order of 30 boards (48x49mm) was USD 28.
the next level up for 50% off
50% of of the free version so you bought it before even trying?
Your brain works diffently from mine I guess.
I tend to only donate to projects I like, and after I've given them a thorough test drive.
For PCBWay the only shipping option was DHL, and it was a bit pricy, but such is life.
Not true They always give you the option at checkout time to choose......
See your options:
https://www.pcbway.com/helpcente...
If there are any special considerations as why they need to send something a certain way they will tell you.
I have always used DHL only because of time lines.
JIm
Hi Jim.
I uses http://macaos.no/
very nice and make end documentation a pdf with all layer + spesification.
very usefull to document a project.
Thierry
You know you can LOOK at arbitrary EAGLE boards using the free download, still.
You might want to run it on a vm or burner system; they might supercede your old license in ways that you can't get it back...
I use gerbv on my mac. It works pretty nicely (needs X). If all else fails, upload it to oshpark; they're previewer is ... very nice!
I just used pcbway for a 2nd time, because they had been the quickest. I combined two designs into one order, so 20 boards, about $35 including Dahl shipping. They showed up in one week. https://hackaday.io/project/62511-revive-wiring
Eagles free download requires you set up an account which I am not keen on but thanks....I find Eagle rather clunky to use, and not vey friendly as well.
Jim
