Online Gerber tools provide designers and stakeholders with an open, user-friendly method for viewing and analyzing Gerber files. Online Gerber viewers make the review of even the most complicated layouts simple without the need for any special software. In fact, a study showed that using online collaboration tools can reduce design review time by up to 30%, thus enabling teams to meet tight deadlines more effectively.
The only feature that has made the use of online Gerber viewers so appealing is the ability to view several layers of a PCB design at once. Therefore, it is quite easy for a designer to switch between copper, solder mask, and silkscreen layers with ease for careful analysis of each element. This helps teams double-check all elements for their accurate positioning according to respective design specifications in order to reduce the chances of mistakes that may eventually translate to costlier manufacturing delays. Spacing between traces, for example, can be very quickly confirmed to be least 0.2 mm in many high-density designs with the use of visual tools.
The ability for annotation and markup is supported by a lot of web-based Gerber viewers, giving designers capabilities to comment or suggest something directly on the design. Having this kind of collaboration further improves communication among members because it opens real-time feedback. It has also been proven that teams following active review processes can achieve significant improvements in project quality, such as defect rate reductions of up to 25%. Online collaboration tools allow for more discussion on design decisions, which means better decision-making and alignment.
Also, with Gerber tools online, any version control issues arising due to normal file-sharing techniques will be completely ruled out. Because all materials are held at one central platform, every member of the team will possess the latest version of the Gerber files; hence, no team member will be left behind. On a parallel note, this feature considerably reduces the possibility of using outdated designs, one of the main causes behind many manufacturing errors and increased costs.
Because many of the Gerber online viewers are cloud-based, access can easily be provided from remote sites. This would allow for collaboration between members across different sites. This will really bring out creativity and innovative thinking during the design process. Designs can be discussed in virtual meetings with the teams, and collaboration can be further extended to review cycles remotely, thus bringing quicker review cycles.
As Thomas Edison once said, engineer and inventor, “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.” The efficiency derived through the employment of online Gerber viewer tools speaks well in the hard work that is behind any successful reviews of designs on the PCB. Consider an online gerber viewer for efficient and effective design review processes.