| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| poorchava |
Posted - 24 Jul 2019 : 10:35:03
Is there a way to check for Silkscreen overlapping solder pads? I can't find it in DRC options window.
Problem is quite annoying, as such error can result in following:
-PCB house just cuts out offending silkscreen area, and annotations are lost
-PCB house make an engineering question, which delays production
-PCB house doesn't do anythin, and we end up with silk on pads, which can result in serious problems with assembly.
Neither of those options is any good for staying on schedule with the project. |
| 11 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| feynman |
Posted - 04 Jan 2021 : 21:57:50
Is there some sort of feature preview for version 11? :) |
| lewism@pulsonix.com |
Posted - 02 Dec 2020 : 15:14:33
We are looking to release Pulsonix Version 11 in January.
Lewis |
| feynman |
Posted - 02 Dec 2020 : 12:12:44
Cool, is there an ETA for version 11? |
| Olaf |
Posted - 01 Dec 2020 : 18:58:45
This check will be available in the next version 11.
|
| feynman |
Posted - 30 Nov 2020 : 19:29:25
Any update on this one?
I agree that there should be a way to automatically check for silkscreen (text, doc symbols) being to close to exposed copper or solder mask openings, respectively.
99% of all PCB houses will clip the silkscreen, of course. That is not the issue. The issue is that I would like to make sure that for example all my reference designators will end up readable on the PCB.
The only way right now is to disable display of all layers except silkscreen and solder mask and visually inspect the PCB. |
| jameshead |
Posted - 25 Jul 2019 : 12:29:58
Certainly when I worked as a CAM Engineer for a PCB fabricator removing the silkscreen from exposed copper was one of the tasks you had to complete during the tooling process. It was one of a number of items to go through on the quality-controlled paperwork that you signed your name to at the end!
There were two methods depending upon the CAM software that was being used to tool the particular job.
Method 1 was to use an automatic function that would clip all the silkscreen, removing all the silkscreen entities using the solder mask as the clipping mask. This was the method used in the more expensive Orbotech/Genesis/Valor Unix based CAM stations, used mainly for tooling the more complex and expensive boards.
Method 2 would be to make a copy of the solder mask layer and impose it as a negative above the silkscreen to create a composite silkscreen layer. This was the method used on the much cheaper DOS based GC CAM stations - used mainly for the run of the mill basic double-sided and simple multilayer boards. |
| poorchava |
Posted - 25 Jul 2019 : 11:36:36
I agree, that with parts smaller than 0603 and/or for high volume fully automated production and/or tight cost cutting silkscreen is largely unnecessary (although for example most flat screen TV's do actually have silkscreen on PCBs despite the product definitely being a high volume one)
But on the other hand some of my customers make products in low hundreds per year at best, and the nature of product is such, that those are often brought up largely by hand by technicians.
Also, since the products are largely pretty expensive, the customers send them in for repair rather than throwing them out. Having silkscreen on the PCB (if only for testpoint labelling) is huge for servicability or products. |
| bkamen |
Posted - 25 Jul 2019 : 09:39:01
Same here...
When I'm doing PCBs that in some cases are using mostly 1608 (metric), I may not use silkscreen designators.
Definitely not with 1005 or smaller. There's usually no room.
If someone wants to know the component number, I print them a nice big PDF of the assembly drawing that has all that info.
-Ben
-------------------------------------------
ben@benkamen.net
http://www.benjammin.net |
| jameshead |
Posted - 25 Jul 2019 : 07:10:42
My view is that reference designators on the silkscreen are only there for evaluating and debugging pre-production PCBs, fault-finding PCBs in the field, and for aiding hand-insertion of large through-hole components. I often omit them entirely for Inch 0402/Metric 1005 components and always omit them for anything smaller.
General Placement and Assembly of PCBs should never use the silkscreen reference designator but always a centroid x/y or CPL file together with an assembly drawing that shows the simple outline of the component, it's orientation/polairty if applicable, and the reference designator in the centroid position of the component. |
| poorchava |
Posted - 24 Jul 2019 : 15:36:54
Well, if this doesn't work against text (how is text different from shapes?) this doesn't really help, since reference designators account for like 99% of those errors.
Also, the point is not to remove the offending silkscreen, but to guarantee that there is a designator somewhere near the component.
if this is not possible right now, please consider it a feature request for future updates. |
| jameshead |
Posted - 24 Jul 2019 : 15:00:34
You can automatically remove any silkscreen shapes from component pads when you generate your gerber data.
To do this, Setup > Technology and select Layer Classes
Then for the layer class you use for Silkscreen:
Enable Pad Types: Component Pads
Enable Pad Condition: Surface Mount, Through Hole Plated, Through Hole Non Plated
Enable Break Shapes: Break Around Pad
This will not work against text though. |
