Ultiboard: Making track & copper area as 135 angle & defining solder mask

[AA2]

I am learning ultiboard. I have two queries below:

1. While making tracks I want that they should rotate at 135 degree angle only. Is there any provision to do this automatically.

    Similarly I have pour copper area on selectred parts of PCB. So I had used polygon option in it. But I want that its angle should be 135. How to do it.

2. How to define solder mask for each component or each pin sepaately. I have serached and found that it can done in the end while making gerber but it keep solder mask same for all pins. My board has both smd & thru-hole parts.

[Tien_P]

Hi AA2,

Please refer to the following tutorial to learn how to place traces in Ultiboard:

http://www.ni.com/white-paper/6880/en/

If you use the line method, by default the line angle is 45/135 degree. This knowledge base shows how you can place a copper pour http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/allkb/EB6B6EDCB782105386257A0F004CAB1C. 

2. In the Design Toolbox, there is a soldermask top and bottom layer.  When you check the soldermask boxes, the area on the board that will be exposed will be the same color as the soldermask layer in Ultiboard.  All SMT and THT pads are exposed and by default, the soldermask size is the same as the pad size.  If you want to individually over or under size for a pad, you have to edit each footprint in your design.  In the footprint edit mode, make solder top or bottom active the select Place »Graphic, pick a shape and draw it over top of the pad.

http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/allkb/A5936801A148647986257A4D0053006B

If you want to over or under size the solder mask for the entire board there is setting in the Gerber export dialog.

[AA2]

Thanks Tien_P 4 ur reply. It solves my queries except one.

I had used polygon to place copper area. But I want to know if there any method by which its angle can be made sure of 45/135 only. Earlier I used Orcad, in that for copper area I define 15 angle. So when I drae copper area in orcad, its angle automatically adjust to 45/135.

Is there any similar provision for this in ultiboard.

[stressed_user]

Hi, 

What I usually do to get a copper area that needs to be in a 45°/135° angle is this:

I make the outline using a track with its normal width, and the I draw my polygon over the tracks.

In the polygon properties , you can also set the width, I you reduce that, and it's the first track that will define your outer limits.

(this way you don't have to draw the polygon exactly on the tracks)

Good luck

Stressed user