BoardrecordGerber File Reconstruction from an Old Industrial PCB
Boardrecord Engineering · 2026-03-11
Start with authorization and the maintenance goal. A spare lot, a documentation archive, and a partial redesign do not need the same layer set. Write that down before the sample is altered.
Photograph both sides, the profile, and the legend while they are intact. Outer copper can be captured from a bare board or, with more limits, from a populated one. Coatings, potting, and via tents hide features and belong on the open-item list.
Drill data comes from measured holes, not from a remembered annular ring. Group holes by finish size and plating only when the sample shows the difference. If a hole function is unclear, label it instead of assigning it to a net by habit.
Internal layers require an agreed deprocess. Do not begin that work on the last spare unless the owner accepts the loss of that sample. The Gerber readme should state which layers were measured and which were not present.
Hand the fabricator standard Gerber and drill outputs plus the checklist. Their CAM review is part of releasing a lot. Boardrecord can prepare the reconstruction; the factory still confirms manufacturability.