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Manufacturing has always been a post-design afterthought. That one activity you do on a Friday evening and expect your boards back the following Tuesday. That was me, until one Friday I managed to clobber together three different Gerbers from three very different versions of my design. I don’t know how I did it, but it happened. Needless to say, I didn’t get my boards back on Tuesday. I got to explain to the boss why I was going to miss the deadline and why it was my fault.

We’ve all made some kind of manufacturing blunder in our careers as I did. It’s not because we don’t care. It’s because we’re left with so little time at the end of our design process, scrambling to meet our deadlines, that the mistakes creep in. We’re changing this story with Autodesk EAGLE 8.6.

It’s time to bring design and manufacturing together where they belong, in your design software.

Ok…How?

The New CAM Processor

Step one, automate the process of generating manufacturing files. No more rounding up individual Gerber files. No more chasing down a Gerber Viewer. The new CAM Processor in Autodesk EAGLE makes it easy to generate manufacturing files at the click of a button. Here are the top 3 things you can do with it:

#1 – Automate Output Jobs with Templates

We’ve added a new Output Template feature that automatically configures all of your required outputs for 1-16 layer boards. Just select a default template, press the Process Job button, and your documentation is zipped up and downloaded.

Are your documentation requirements more complex? Use one of these templates as a starting point, customize your needed output files, and then save your setup as a Local Job that you can reuse it in the future.

We’ve even baked in some manufacturer-specific templates for OSH Park. This is just the beginning.

#2 – View Gerber Files

Wouldn’t it be great if you could verify your Gerber files before making them? Now you can. In the new CAM Processor, you get a preview of each Gerber file as it will look when generated.

You can add new layers to a Gerber file and see the preview updated in real-time. There’s also a way to toggle the display of your board shape and cutouts. No more visual guesswork, and no more 3rd party viewers.

#3 – Export Gerber X2’s

We’re excited to announce support for the latest evolution in Gerber format standards, Gerber X2, in the new CAM Processor. Gerber X2 is becoming the standard in nearly every manufacturing house. If you aren’t using this file format, then it’s time to talk with your manufacturer. The benefits abound. Just to name a few:

• Gerber X2 includes layer stack definition information built-in. Now you don’t have to draw up yet another legend describing your intended layer stackup or layer functions for your manufacturer.
• Gerber X2 includes Drill files. Now you don’t have to keep track of separate Gerber and Excellon files; they’re all included together.
• Gerber X2 includes new attributes. Now that circle pad on your layout isn’t just a pad; it’s a pad in a BGA Land pattern. This provides a whole new dimension of design intent to your manufacturer.

There’s a ton of other gems in the new CAM Processor for Autodesk EAGLE 8.6. Start using it today with an Autodesk EAGLE Subscription!

The New Manufacturing Hub

We’ve got your manufacturing outputs running like a well-oiled engine. But what about seeing your board in its manufactured form before it’s actually made? Hello, Manufacturing Hub. This is the one place for all of your manufacturing needs. Inside you’ll find:

Manufacturing Preview

On the Preview Tab, you’ll see your board as it will look in its physical form with solder mask. You can make a change to component placement or routing, and this preview will update in real-time!

At the bottom of the Preview tab, there are some handy filters for the Top, Bottom, or Drill perspective. Toggle these and quickly take an image for documentation, markup, or your marketing team.

Board Stats

Doesn’t your manufacturer need to know your required board thickness, drill sizes, trace width, or some other data? You’ll find a complete summary in the Board tab.

Drill Stats & Export

Now there’s a quick and easy way to export just a drill list without running through the CAM processor from the Drills. This view also allows you to see how many different drill sizes you’re using on your board. Side note: Having more than 9 drill types will drive your manufacturer crazy.

Bring Your Manufacturing In-House

In this release, we’ve expanded the perspective of your design space with a ton of new manufacturing enhancements! It’s now easier than ever to bring manufacturing and design together, right where they belong.

For those, you already on an EAGLE Subscription, enjoy the new update the next time you start your software.

For everyone else, it’s time to get into the game. Subscribe to Autodesk EAGLE today!