Most engineers are used to sending PCB files directly to PCB Factory for processing after they have designed them. However, the more popular way in the world is to convert PCB files into Gerber files and drilling data, and then hand them over to PCB Factory. Why do you want to "do more than one stone"?

Because electronic engineers and PCB engineers have different understanding of PCB, the Gerber file converted from PCB Factory may not be what you want. For example, when you design, you define the parameters of components in PCB file, and you don't want these parameters to be displayed on PCB finished products. You don't make it clear, so PCB Factory will leave these parameters on PCB finished products. This is just an example. If you convert PCB file to Gerber file, you can avoid this kind of event.

Gerber file is an international standard light drawing format file, it contains rs-274-d and rs-274-x two formats, among which rs-274-d is called basic Gerber format, and it must be accompanied with D code file to completely describe a graph; rs-274-x is called extended Gerber format, which contains D code information. Common CAD software can generate these two formats.

How to check the correctness of generated Gerber? You only need to import these Gerber files and d-code files in the free software viewmate V6.3 to see them on the screen or print them out through the printer.

Drilling data can also be generated by various CAD software, the general format is Excellon, which can also be displayed in viewmate. No drilling data, of course, can not do PCB