PCB production data format

[KingVita89]

Hi,

I wonder which data format for PCB production I should use in relationship of price and manufacturability. Usually I create as output gerber files, but there are nowadays some PCB manufacturer who doesn't support gerber anymore or for extra price for converting. My experience is that ODB++ is more and more the "new" standard.

Could you please share some experience / advice for best practicable data output format these days?

Thanks a lot!

[robertferanec]

Some manufacturers do not want to use gerbers and accept ODB++ instead. I am not exactly sure what is the reason, but I believe ODB++ includes more information which may help PCB manufacturers with pre-processing the data. Work with gerbers may be more limited.

I keep using same manufacturers and they are still accepting gerbers. But couple of years ago we used to have a manufacturer which only accepted ODB++.

[KingVita89]

I made same experience as you Robert. I was told by manufacturer that hole process is optimized for ODB++ data so gerber format is extra cost (maybe it was just a excuse .. how knows). What do you think is best standard data type to use as fabrication output maybe Gerber X2, IPC-2581 or ODB++?

[robertferanec]

We preferably send out gerbers, only if PCB company requires ODB++, then we send these.