I’m new to this. I created a 4 layer PCB in KiCad 7.02, created all the gerber files and the drill files. Packed them in a zip file and submitted it to PCBWay. They rejected the file with reason “All the layers are duplicated”.
Can anyone explain how this can happen?
Thanks, Russ
We don’t know what happens in PCBWay, and you don’t show us what happened with your work. We don’t for example know if layers were really duplicated. If you want us to help you, you have to give more information. The best would be the whole zipped project with the gerbers etc. At least you have to describe the files and your workflow which may be very difficult because you don’t know what’s relevant.
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Thanks for the reply. I am really stumbling around in the dark here. I wonder if the files I submitted are not compatible with what PCBWay expects. I saw somewhere where the default extensions for gerber files are different than what KiCad creates. I tried to view the gerbers with a tool called Gerbv, and it threw a lot of errors claiming invalid RS-274X extension. However the gerber viewer in KiCad does not seem to have any problems reading or showing the files. One thing I notice when viewing the gerbers is that no matter what layer I select, the view shows all layers. That doesn’t seem right.
I will get the project together in a zip file in a bit and submit it.
Thanks, Russ
Make sure you don’t output the zip file to the same directory as the gerbers. After the first time this has the result of including a previous zip in the new zip, thus creating two copies of each layer.
Thanks, that was not the problem. I erased the entire folder before generating new files, including the previous zip file.
Raptor, thanks. I did try to follow those directions and re-submitted my files. However the directions must be for an older version of KiCad, because two of the options they specify do not exist. One is the option to exclude edge layers, and the other is to use Protel extensions. Now I wait to see if they accept.
Russ
Maybe you have created Gerber X2 files, not compatible with Pcbway.
Chinese fabs often have a mishmash of old and new documentation, some of which are for old versions of KiCad. So the screenshots often look different. Notice the link provided by RaptorUK talks about .pro files and .sch files, that would be v5 or lower. In fact the title bar shows v4.
If you can run plugins, you might want to use the plugin they developed: PCBWay Plug-In for KiCad - News - PCBway
And here’s a tute for v5, see what I mean about mishmash of documentation? Generate Gerber file from Kicad 5.1.6 - Help Center - PCBway
You normally don’t exclude edge layers, or rather the EdgeCuts layer. Is your board outline a single closed shape? You’re not trying to panelise a bunch of boards are you?
That option still exists in KiCad. But you shouldn’t need to use it. PCBWay can handle .gbr files fine. I’ve never had that sort of issue when I sent jobs to them.
At least show us the directory of the zip file so we can see if there are any duplicated files in it.
Ok,
You have a zip in the zip, right at the top, unless that means the enclosing folder. They don’t need .gbrjob. You don’t need *Paste.gbr. And what are *PWR.gbr and *GND.gbr supposed to be?
And many of the .gbrs are suspiciously the same size. You’ll have to show us your workflow.
Yes, that file is the folder/zip file. It holds all the other files, except for itself.
This is a four layer board, the layers are f.cu, Gnd, pwr, and b.Cu.
I will try to get a zip of the project together later today. I have to run out for an appointment right now…
Thanks, Russ
Also, the PCBWay help screen shows to include the paste files.
If you are getting a stencil made you will need the Paste layer(s).
You only need *Paste.gbr if you are also ordering a stencil.
KiCad calls 2 inner copper layers In1.Cu and In2.Cu. Without X2 attributes, fabs use heuristics to work out which layers are which. I’m not sure it’s a good idea to rename them away from In1 and In2.
But I reckon the same size of so many of the layers is suspicious. They are all around 740k which suggests you might have smooshed a whole bunch of layers together before zipping, how I can’t imagine.
Edit: Ha, did you tick any of the boxes under Plot on All Layers? You shouldn’t.
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That was it!. Plot in all files. I did not know what that meant, but since some of them were filled in, I just made them match the include list. Now I see how that would be a problem…
THANKS! - Russ
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