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custom pad shape design - probem with copper plate

I created a component that has special pad shape. (a polygon)

I firstly design the pad shape usingthe editor and then integrated it in the part design.

When I using that part in a circuit design and add a power plate, the power plate will cover and connect all the smt pad together.

It looks like I'm missing somewhere speification that would avoid the copper plate to fill under/over the pad.

I tried to increase the clearance to trace in the polygon setting, but no change.

It look like the copper plate is ignoring the pads.

It works fine with predefined pad (rectangle, square, circle), but not with my custom pad.

Can anybody help to work out tis problem !

many thanks 

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Message 1 of 13
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Hi Davista,

 

I created a component with a polygon pad shape, and the clearances I set behave as desired when adding a power plane.

 

If you attach your design I will take a look at it.  Also, what version of Ultiboard are you using?


Natasha Baker
R&D Engineer
National Instruments

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Thanks for your help,

I attached a design with 2 LED parts that I desigh mysef.

You will see the power plane joining all the pads together, including those who are part of a different net

 

regards

 

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Which version of Ultiboard was this file created in?  This will help to be able to pinpoint the source of error.  I am seeing the problem in your file, but am having trouble recreating it by replacing your custom pad with a new custom pad.  When I do this, the copper does cut out at the clearances.  Was the custom component created in the same version?


Natasha Baker
R&D Engineer
National Instruments

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It has been created with ultiboard version 10.1

Created in the same version, no upgrade/downgrade.

When I put a power plane, there are several DRC errors displayed. I can't get rid of these, whateve clearance I set on the power plane or in the component copper layer.

 If you have any suggestion,... 

 

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The issue likely has something to do with the way the custom pad was created and how the clearances were set there.

 

I recreated the custom pad and updated your component.  Too add the updated component to your database, select the component and go to Tools > Database > Add selection to Database.  This should solve your problem.


Natasha Baker
R&D Engineer
National Instruments

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Also, if you have a chance, please send a copy of your database (that contains the custom pad) to natasha.baker@ni.com.


Natasha Baker
R&D Engineer
National Instruments

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Natasha - I am having the exact same problem with my custom pad shapes... no thermal relief to copper areas - I have the same version 10.1   Also, if the custom pads are close together, the DRC thinks they are touching even though they are not touching.  In my design, I have three pads close but not touching, if I try to put a copper area around them and connect it to one of the nets, it runs all three nets together...  Do I have to send them to you to be fixed, or is there a method or software patch I can use to fix this myself...?

 

Thanks!

Alex@CreationAudioLabs.com 615-884-7520

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Here, I attached a quick circuit to illustrate the problem... The parts are close together but it's OK because they are on top and bottom layers.  Net 1 and 2 have traces but net 4 uses the copper area on the bottom...  When I placed the parts close together DRC shows up and says the nets are touching, even tough the parts are not actually touching.  When I created the copper area and connected it to net 4, there is no thermal relief, but there is clearance to net 1 and 2, then when I run the DRC check or close and re-open the software, net 1 and 2 disappear into the copper area.  I can get them back if I remove and re-assign the net of the copper area, but then when I run the DRC check or close and re-open the file the problem comes back again... can you help me solve this issue?

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Hi

 

Have a look at the attached bitmap, notice the thermal relief is not on the pin for J2. In your file, the thermal relief is there but it's outside the board outline and you can't see it I think the problem is that when you created the custom pad, the pad orientation is one way but when you use the custom in the footprint and you rotated the pad and in the background the information for the copper goes one way and the information for the thermal relief rotates and the opposite direction. To get around this problem, create three custom pads and for each pad place the drill reference in a location so that when you create the footprint you don't have to rotate the pad.

The attached Ultiboard file have the footprint I created using the work around and this work.

 

Tien P.

National Instruments
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