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NNTP-Posting-Date: Thu, 29 Aug 2024 18:58:27 +0000
From: john larkin <jl@650pot.com>
Newsgroups: sci.electronics.design
Subject: Re: Cannot view CircuitMaker 2000 drill files in KiCad
Date: Thu, 29 Aug 2024 11:58:43 -0700
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On Thu, 29 Aug 2024 22:02:19 +0530, Pimpom <Pimpom@invalid.invalid>
wrote:

>I've been designing and making PCBs for well over 50 years and used 
>CircuitMaker 2000 for about the last 25 years. It's still good enough 
>for most of what I do but I thought it's high time to get familiar with 
>a more modern software like KiCAD (I tried it out briefly several years 
>ago).
>
>I installed KiCAD again last night and tried to view Gerber files made 
>with CM2000. It worked except for the drill file. It threw up the error 
>message "Tool definition not supported".
>
>While searching for a solution, I came across a thread in a web forum 
>where the OP reported a similar problem, saying that a PCB manufacturer 
>rejected his CM2000 design because it had no drill file. One reply said 
>that manufacturers need the Excellon RS274X format whereas CM2000 uses 
>the RS274D version. The reply further said that the D version creates a 
>separate aperture file while the X version embeds aperture sizes in the 
>main file.
>
>The CM2000 manual clearly says that it uses the RS274X format, not the 
>D. Moreover, the drill file generator in CM2000 has the option of 
>embedding or not embedding the apt data. Neither option works. I simply 
>cannot load CM2000 drl files in KiCAD Gerber Viewer.
>
>Can anyone please throw some light on the matter?

I think the world is going to ODB++ instead of Gerbers. We generate
both and let the board house decide.

There are standalone Gerber viewers.