File check
The file check
Twenty-five checks run on your files before you see a price. Each has a fixed id, so a finding can always be traced to its rule.
L1 · 8 checks
The package
Is the upload complete and readable?
- L1-01
The archive cannot be opened safely
Opens the archive in a safe sandbox and refuses broken, password-protected or oversized ones. Nothing else can be checked from a file we cannot open.
- L1-02
A layer is missing
Looks for the layers a board of this kind needs: copper, mask, outline and drill. A missing layer would otherwise be guessed.
- L1-03
A layer is empty or there twice
Finds layers that are empty or sent twice, which usually means a wrong export.
- L1-04
The board outline is missing or not closed
Follows the outline to see that it is one closed shape. A board cannot be routed from an open line.
- L1-05
The units or the scale look wrong
Compares units and scale with a plausible board size, to catch inches exported as millimetres.
- L1-06
Holes do not land on their pads
Checks that drilled holes land on their pads. A shifted drill file ruins the whole board.
- L1-07
The bottom side looks mirrored
Checks that the bottom layers are not mirrored, a common export mistake that no one sees until the board arrives.
- L1-08
A file cannot be read
Reads every file to the end and reports the ones that cannot be parsed.
L2 · 12 checks
Manufacturability
Can the factory build this within its limits?
- L2-01
Tracks thinner than we make
Measures the thinnest track and compares it with the narrowest the factory makes.
- L2-02
Copper closer together than we make
Measures the gap between copper features of different nets. A gap that is too small can short during etching.
- L2-03
A hole size we cannot drill
Compares every hole size with the smallest and largest drill in use.
- L2-04
Too little copper around a hole
Measures the copper ring left around each hole after drilling. Too little breaks the connection.
- L2-05
Holes too close to each other
Measures the wall between neighbouring holes. A thin wall can break during drilling.
- L2-06
Copper too close to the board edge
Keeps copper clear of the board edge, where routing would cut into it.
- L2-07
A hole too close to other copper
Keeps holes away from copper that does not belong to them, so drilling cannot short it.
- L2-08
The board is too large or too small
Compares the board with the smallest and largest size the factory can make.
- L2-09
A hole too small for this board thickness
Compares hole diameter with board thickness. A deep, narrow hole cannot be plated reliably.
- L2-10
A slot or unplated hole we cannot make as drawn
Checks that slots and unplated holes can be routed as drawn.
- L2-11
Solder mask between pads too thin to hold
Measures the solder mask left between pads. A thin sliver peels off and solder bridges the pads.
- L2-12
Silkscreen on pads or too thin to print
Finds silkscreen printed over pads and strokes too thin to print.
L3 · 5 checks
Order against files
Do the files match what you ordered?
- L3-01
The files have another number of layers than ordered
Compares the number of copper layers in the files with the number you ordered.
- L3-02
The files have another size than ordered
Compares the board size in the files with the size you ordered.
- L3-03
The files need a process that is not ordered
Finds processes in the files, such as gold fingers or half-holes, that are not in the order.
- L3-04
An ordered process is not in the files
Finds processes in the order that the files do not contain.
- L3-05
Impedance control needs a stack-up
Impedance control needs a stack-up to calculate against. Without one the check says so.
What the check can and cannot show
The check shows that the files are complete, consistent and buildable by us. It cannot show that the circuit works. An engineer confirms every order before production.
An engineer confirms every order
A passed check means the files are complete and buildable by us. Before production an engineer of the factory looks at the order, and tells you if something needs your decision.