TU0110 Preparing the Board for Design Transfer

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Preparing the Board for DesignTransfer

Summary

Tutorial

TU0110 (v1.4) October 18, 2007

This tutorial shows how to define the board shape, configur

the drawing sheet, setup the layers, and define any keepou

requirements, in preparation for transferring the design from

the schematic editor.

In this tutorial, we will look at what is needed to get started with a PCB design, such as creating and

modifying the board shape and the sheet template, and defining any keepout requirements. We will

also take a quick look at other PCB workspace setups that are required before you start placing

components and routing, such as grids, layer stacks and design rules.

Creating and Modifying Board Shapes

The board shape defines the boundary, or extents, of the board in the PCB Editor. The board shape

may also be referred to as a board outline and is

essentially a closed polygon. It initially displays

as a black area with the visible grid on by default

when you create a new PCB document. It is u

by Altium Designer to determine the extent

the power planes for plane edge pull back, used

when splitting power planes and for calculating

the board edge when outputting design data

other tools, such as the 3D viewer.

When a n

sed

s of

to

ew board file is created by selecting

ils.

ing

Importing a Board Shape

atch the shape defined by a set of objects on one of the PCB

requirements from the mechanical CAD domain into Altium Designer.

File » New » PCB from the menus, a default

board shape is created, sized 6,000 x 4,000 m

The board shape can be resized, or redefined,

using the commands in the Design » Board

Shape sub-menu. PCB documents created us

the PCB templates or the PCB Board Wizard

have the board shape already correctly sized.

You can also set the board shape to m

Editor's mechanical layers. Using this feature in combination with the ability to import DWG or DXF

data from a mechanical CAD package, provides a method of transferring the board shape

TU0110 (v1.4) October 18, 2007



Preparing the Board for Design Transfer

To import a DXF/DWG file into a newly created PCB:

1. Select File » New » PCB.

2. The new blank PCB will open. The black region on the sheet represents the board shape. We will

ape based on data in a mechanical file created as a .DXF (or .DWG)

3.

4. WG).

on Open.

AutoCAD

e AutoCAD ‘0’ layer (left

now redefine the board’s sh

file in AutoCAD. All versions of AutoCAD from 2.5 to 14 are supported. Please note that the shape

to be imported must be a closed shape and internal cutouts are not supported.Select File » Import. The Import File dialog appears.

Select the file format by changing the Files of type option to AutoCAD (*.DXF,*D

5. Navigate to and select the file to be imported and click

6. The Import from AutoCAD dialog displays to allow you to specify how you would like the

layers imported to Altium Designer layers. For example, you could map th

side) to Mechanical layer 4 in Altium Designer (selected from the drop-down list).

7. Check that the other import options are set correctly and click on OK. Track segments forming a

board outline will appear on the nominated layer, e.g. Mechanical Layer 4. The imported data will

Nodef

As mentioned above, you can define an enclosed boundary, using lines and arcs, on a mechanical

layer (or any layer) and use these objects to define the board shape.

automatically be scaled if it is larger than the current PCB workspace.

w that you have a closed boundary defined on a mechanical layer, you can use these objects toine the board shape.

Defining the Board Shape From Selected Objects

2 TU0110 (v1.4) October 18, 2007



Preparing the Board for Design Trans

To define a board shape from selected objects:

1. Create an enclosed boundary on a mechanical layer that will define the board shape you require

Use the placement commands such as Place » Line or Place » Arc to create your new board

3. esign » Board Shape » Define from selected objects and the board shape will be

Mo

ve

the ny placed objects.

shape by selecting Design » Board Layers & Colors [shortc

tc

he entire board shape, complete the following steps.

define Board Shape. The cursor will change to a large cros

ss the SPACEBAR to

shape.

2. Select the new board shape boundary only. Use the Edit » Select » All on Layer command to

quickly select all objects on the current layer [shortcut S, Y].Select D

redisplayed to fit the selected boundary objects.

difying a Board Shape

You can change a board shape by redefining (redrawing) it or by moving the vertices. You can mo

board shape around the sheet as well, with or without a

You can change the color of the board

L] and selecting a new color for the Board Area Color in the System Colors section of the View

Configurations dialog.

Redefining a Board Shape

You can redefine the board shape if it does not already exist or you want to draw it again from scra

If you need to change t

1. Select Design » Board Shape » Re

the background will change to black and the original board shape will be displayed in green.

2. Click (or press ENTER) to create the corners of the new board shape. Pre

change the corner style while you are defining the board shape. The Status bar at the bottom of t

design window helps to locate the co-ordinates of the corners.

3. When you have defined the board shape, right-click or press ESC to finish. There is no need to f

close the polygon, as Altium Designer will automatically complete the shape by joining the first po

to the last point placed.

The visible grid will be drawn to fill the area defined by the new board outline.

TU0110 (v1.4) October 18, 2007




Defining the Shape Using Jump Location

To accurately define the shape based on a set of dimensions, you can use the Jump Location shortcut

keys instead of the mouse. To do this:

1. Set the origin to define the location of the bottom left of the PCB (Edit » Origin » Set).

2. Select Design » Board Shape » Redefine Board Shape and release the mouse.

3. Press the J key to pop up the Jump submenu and then press the O key to jump to the origin you

just defined. Press Enter to define the first corner of the new board shape.

4. Press J, L to display the Jump to Location dialog. The X-Location field will be active, so simply type

in the X location of the next corner of the board (do not touch the mouse).

5. Press the TAB key to move to the Y-Location field in the Jump to Location dialog and type in the

appropriate Y value.

6. Press Enter to accept the values and close the dial he cursor will be at the correct location. Do

7.

press Enter to accept the values and press Enter to define this corner.rigin. Again, do not touch

the mouse; simply press Enter.

diting

.

Moving the Board Shape

An

by

To

ve Board Shape and the board outline will appear floating on

1. pe.

og. T

not touch the mouse; simply press the Enter key again to define this corner.

Press J, L again to display the Jump to Location dialog, type in the next X coordinate, press TAB,

type in the Y coordinate,8. Repeat this process until all corners are defined, finishing back at the 0,0 o

Moving Board Vertices

When modifying a board shape, e.g. resizing it, moving the board vertices will save you from having to

redefine the entire board shape.

with e1. Select Design » Board Shape » Move Board Vertices. The board outline displays

handles and the cursor changes to a large cross, ready to select and move vertices

2. Click on the vertex that you want to move and drag it to its new location.

3. You can create new vertices by clicking on the small crosses that appear midway along the linesegments and dragging the new vertex into position.

4. Right-click or press ESC to finish your board shape.

Using the Move Board Shape command to reposition the board shape will move the board outline only.

y components and connections already placed will not be affected.

If you need to reposition the board shape in relation to the design sheet, make sure the sheet is visible

enabling the Display Sheet option in the Board Options dialog (Design » Board Options). See

Using PCB sheets in this tutorial for more information about using sheets in Altium Designer.

move a board shape only:

1. Select Design » Board Shape » Mo

the cursor.

2. Drag the board shape to its new location and click to place.

To move a board shape along with any components and connections already placed:

Select all (CTRL + A) or select the objects you need to move, including the board sha

4 TU0110 (v1.4) October 18, 2007




2. Click directly on a selected object and the cursor changes to a large arrow. Drag the selection

ve » Move Selection. Click within

on and click to place.

bounding box to the new location on the sheet.

Alternatively, select the objects required and select Edit » Mo

selection to define a reference point, move the selecti

Using PCB SheetsSheets in the PCB Editor are a special drawing feature that represent the printed page and are

controlled using the options in the Board Options dialog. When you create a new PCB file, a default

sheet is automatically created with the default size of 10000 x 8000 mil. It is not shown initially but,

when displayed, it appears as the white shape behind the board outline.

Most of the PCB example files supplied with Altium Designer (C:\Program Files\Altium

Designer 6\Examples) display the board on a white sheet which includes a border, grid referenc

By ical layers and then linking those layers to the sheet, you can create y

that include a border, grid reference

C:\Program

and title block that have been drawn on one of the mechanical layers, Mechanical16.

placing objects on mechan

own drawing templates that can be displayed or hidden. Sheets

and title block can be added to PCB files by copying from the existing PCB templates (

Files\Altium Designer 6\Templates).

The sheet size and location of the sheet can be defined manually by the Size and Location settings

the Board Options dialog. The sheet can be also be resized automatically to fit the objects on linked

mechanical layer(s) when you select View » Fit Sheet or you can use the Design » Board Shape »

Auto-Position Sheet command to recalculate it when the contents of the linked mechanical layers

change.

Displaying the Sheet

To make the sheet is visible in the PCB Editor:

1. Select Design » Board Options and enabling the Display Sheet checkbox in the Sheet Positio

section of the Board Options dialog.

TU0110 (v1.4) October 18, 2007




The sheet can be hidden at any time by disabling the Display Sheet checkbox. All linked

mechanical layers will also be hidden. Click OK.

2. Select View » Fit Sheet to display the sheet [shortcut V, H (View Sheet) or Z, S (Zoom Sheet)]. A

white space appears around the board shape with the default size of 10000 x 8000 mil.

3. You can change the color of the sheet by selecting Design » Board Layers & Colors [shortcut L]

and selecting a new color for the Sheet Area Color and Sheet Line Color in the System Colors

section of the View Configurations dialog. You can save any custom views you create as view

configurations, which you can re-use time and again.

4. If you have drawing template information such as a title block and border grid that you have drawn

or imported onto a mechanical layer, link these layers to the sheet in the View Configurations

dialog. Then select Design » Board Shape » Auto-Position Sheet to automatically match size

sheet to just enclose the objects on the chosen mechanical layers.

6 TU0110 (v1.4) October 18, 2007




Defining the Sheet From an Existing PCB Template

You can define the sheet, including the sheet border, reference grid and title block, at any time by

copying the objects from the supplied Altium Designer PCB template documents and pasting them in

your PCB design document. Altium Designer includes a set of pre-defined PCB templates located at

C:\Program Files\Altium Designer 6\Templates. Use the sheet size templates only, i.e.

A.pcbdoc through to A0.pcbdoc.1. Open the PCB document that you want to add the new sheet size to. Make sure that the existing

default sheet is displayed to help you place the new sheet by pressing V, H (view sheet) or Z, S

(zoom sheet).

2. Open an existing PCB sheet template that will fit all the objects on your PCB, e.g. A2.pcbdoc. T

do this, click on PCB Templates in the New from Template section of the Files panel. If this

option is not visible, click on the up arrows to the right of each section in the Files panel to contra

the other options. The Choose existing Document dialog displays.

Navigate to the PCB templates folder (C:\Program Files\Altium Designer 6\Template

select A2.pcbdoc (for example), and click Open. The template is opened as a new PCB design

document in the design window, named PCB1.PcbDoc.

Select all the contents of the template file (3. and copy (CTRL + C) the contents to the

4. ne

elect Design » Board

ow, Enable and Linked

CTRL + A)

clipboard. Click once to set a copy reference point. Close Pcb1.pcbdoc without saving.

Switch to your PCB document by clicking on its tab at the top of the design window. Paste the

sheet into the existing PCB using CTRL + V. The contents of the template are pasted ontoMechanical16 layer.

5. Now we need to show the Mechanical16 layer and link it to the sheet. S

Layers & Colors to display the View Configurations dialog. Click on Sh

Sheet.

TU0110 (v1.4) October 18, 2007




6. Turn on Single Layer Mode to always show the sheet regardless of the

status of Single Layer Mode as enabled in the View Options tab of the

View Configurations dialog. Click OK to close the dialog.

7.

e the sheet

8.

When you are working with

layer-specific objects, such

as defining the keepout

Single Layer mode to hide

yer mode.

Finally, we can size the sheet to include the sheet border. Press V, H (toview sheet) or Z, S (to zoom sheet). The sheet fits to the extents of the

objects on the layer linked to the sheet, i.e. it fits to includ

requirements on theKeepout layer, switch to

the contents of all other

layers. Press SHIFT + S to

switch to single la

border defined on the Mechanical16 layer.

You can now modify the title block, for example, by switching toPress SHIFT + S again to

restore the display of all

layers.

Mechanical16 layer and adding or deleting objects. The sheet will resize

to include all objects when you press V, H (view sheet) or Z, S (zoom

sheet) again. You can save any custom views you create as view

configurations, which you can re-use time and again.

8 TU0110 (v1.4) October 18, 2007




Track placement mod

are available when

defining a keepout.

Press

e

etween Start

and End modes.

Use BACKSPACE to

remove the last placed

track segment.Press TAB to display th

Line Constraints dialog

and change properties

Keepouts

SHIFT+

SPACEBAR to cycle

through the modes.

Press SPACEBAR to

toggle b

As well as the board shape, you should also define a placement and routing boundary around the ed

of the board. This is done by placing objects on the keepout layer. Objects placed on this layer defin

'no-go' zones for components and routing. Typically, you would define a shape just in from the edge

the board to restrict components and routing from being placed to close to the edge of the board. Yocan also define other routing and component keepouts areas for mechanical objects such as screw

heads, or other mounting requirements.

Keepout boundaries can be defined using any standard objects, such as lines, arcs, fills and regions

A board keepout is also automatically included when using a PCB manufactu

PCB, e.g. AT or Eurocard. The sheet size templates, e.g.

rers’ template to create

new do

If y

kee

• , or clicking on PCB File in the

•

Onl pout has

to be ad

To define a keepout that applies on all copper layers:

1. Click on the Keep-Out layer tab so you will be placing the tracks on this

layer only.

2. Select Place » Line. Click to define the vertex points of the keepout and

create the closed shape.

3. When you have finished placing keepout tracks, right-click or press ESC to exit line placement

mode.

A2.pcbdoc, not include keepouts

Defining an All-layer Keepoutou create a new PCB in the following ways, you will need to define the

pout yourself by:

selecting File » New » PCB from the menus

New section of the Files panel,

using the PCB sheet size templates, e.g. A2.pcbdoc, by choosing PCB

Templates from the New from Template section of the Files panel.

y a default board shape is created by these commands, so the kee

ded once the board shape has been defined.

TU0110 (v1.4) October 18, 2007




10 TU0110 (v1.4) October 18, 2007

er-specific Keepout

e layer-specific keepouts on any copper layer. To do this:

Defining a Lay

You can also defin

1. Click on the layer tab of the required layer.

2. Define the boundary or area of the keepout area by placing layer-specific keepout objects (Place »

Keepout submenu). Layer specific keepouts are simply standard objects with the Keepout attribute

enabled. They are displayed in the same color as the layer, with a keepout colored edge. Note that

layer-specific keepout objects are not included in the Gerber or ODB++ output files.




Setting Up the PCB Workspace

Now you have created your board shape, sheet and any keepout boundaries, we will take a quick lo

des

Gr

You need to ensure that the placement grid is set correctly before you start positioning any

components on the board. Other than the components, all the objects placed in the PCB workspace

are aligned on a grid called the Snap Grid . This grid needs to be set to suit the routing technology th

you intend to use.

To set the grids:

1. Select Design » Board Options [shortcut D, O] to open the Board Options dialog.

at setting up the grids, layers and design rules in the PCB Editor. Then you will be ready to start

igning your board.

ids

2. Set the values of the Snap Grid and the Component Grid using the drop-down lists or typing in

the value. The Snap Grid is usually set to a either a multiple or a fraction of the component pin

pitch, e.g., to route a track between the pins of a component with a pin pitch of 100 mil, a Snap G

of 25 mil could be used. The Component Grid controls the placement of components only.

3. Note that this dialog is also used to define the Electrical Grid. The Electrical Grid operates whenyou place an electrical object; it overrides the snap grid and snaps electrical objects together as

soon as they come within the defined grid range.

4. You could also set two different Visible Grids as well. These are for visual alignment only. Click O

to close the dialog.

5. When you wish to change or override the grids, you can use the shortcut keys, e.g. G to pop up t

Snap Grid menu, or SHIFT + E to toggle the Electrical Grid on or off.

TU0110 (v1.4) October 18, 2007




Defining the Layer Stack and Other NConfiguration

on-electrical Layers in a View

tions

ny 2D or 3D view configurations for use time and again. Select Design » Board

Layers & Colors [shortcut L] to display the View Configurations dialog.

is a multi-layered environment that is ideal for normal PCB design routines such as placing

e and out

u

look at the bottom of the PCB workspace, you will notice a series of layer tabs,

ns you perform will be on a particular layer.

The PCB Editor can display the PCB model in 2D or 3D modes with definitions for layers, surfaces,

colors, visibility and other items, known as view configurations, available from the View Configura

dialog. You can save a

2D mode

components, routing and connecting. 3D mode is useful for examining your design both insid

as a full 3D model (3D mode does not provide the full range of functionality available in 2D mode). Yo

can switch between 2D and 3D modes through File » Switch To 3D or File » Switch To 2D [shortcut 2

(2D), 3 (3D)]. If you

most of the editing actio

There are three types of layers in the PCB Editor:

Electrical layers – these include the 32 signal layers and 16 plane layers. Electrical layers are•

added to and removed from the design in the Layer Stack Manager dialog (Design » Layer Stack

Manager). See Using the Layer Stack Manager below for more information.

• Mechanical layers. There are 16 general purpose mechanical layers for defining the board outline,

placing dimensions on, including fabrication details on, or any other mechanical details the design

12 TU0110 (v1.4) October 18, 2007




requires. These layers can be selectively included in print and Gerber output generation. You

add, remove and

ca

name mechanical layers in the View Configurations dialog. You can save any

's database. Onl

Enable the Linked To Sheet checkbox to relate a mechanical layer to the PCB sheet object.

Related linked mechanical layers are hidden when the Display Sheet option is disabled (Board

Options dialog). They are also used to determine the extents of the sheet when the Auto-positio

sheet option is chosen in the Board Shape sub-menu.

• Special layers. These include the top and bottom silkscreen layers, the solder and paste mask

layers, drill layers, the Keep-Out layer (used to define the electrical boundaries), the multilayer

(used for multilayer pads and vias), the connection layer, DRC error layer, grid layers and hole

layers.

Using the Layer Stack Manager

Simple designs can be routed as a single-sided or double-sided board. If the design is more comple

you can add more layers by using the Layer Stack Manager dialog. Three kinds of layers – signal

layers, internal plane layers and insulation (substrate) layers – can be added to the layer stack. Thes

must be correctly specified if you intend to perform a signal integrity analysis.

1. Select Design » Layer Stack Manager [shortcut D, K] to display the Layer Stack Manager dialo

custom views you create as view configurations, which you can re-use time and again. Enable th

Only show enabled mechanical layers checkbox to limit the list to only enabled layers.

Before a Mechanical layer can be used, it must be enabled. Toggle the checkboxes in the Enabl

column to specifically make that mechanical layer part of the PCB file y enabledmechanical layers can be part of the database. You cannot disable mechanical layers that have

design objects on them. To edit a mechanical layer name, click to select the name and press F2

edit it.

The Show checkbox allows you to control the visibility of a mechanical layer. The Display In

Single Layer Mode checkbox causes that layer to be displayed when Single Layer Mode is used

(SHIFT + S).

2. al and plane layers can be added to the design as required, by selecting an existing lay

and clicking the

New sign

Add Layer or Add Plane buttons respectively. New layers and planes are added

TU0110 (v1.4) October 18, 2007




below the currently selected layer. Once the required layers have been added, use the Move Up

and Move Down buttons to configure the layer stack.

Double-click on a layer name to edit the properties of that layer (alternatively, select the layer and

press the

3.

properties

4. ltr

elect the preferred stack-up style from the drop-down list located at the top-right of the

rm a

ll pairs by clicking on the Configure Drill Pairs button.

5.

Se

Ru

Properties button). Layer properties, such as copper thickness and dielectric

are used for signal integrity analysis.

The stack-up style refers to the order of the insulation layers through the layer stack. Three defaustack-up styles are supported – Layer Pairs, Internal Layer Pairs and Build-Up. Changing the laye

stack-up style changes the way that the core and prepreg layers are distributed through the layer

stack. S

dialog. Defining the stack-up style is important if you plan to use blind and buried vias, or perfo

detailed signal integrity analysis of the design. If you require blind and buried vias, you must define

the allowed dri

Click OK to close the dialog.

For more information about the Layer Stack Manager, press F1 when the dialog is open.

tting up Design Rules

You are now ready to set up your design rules in the PCB Editor (Design » Rules) using the PCB

les and Constraints Editor dialog.

Alternatively, you can use the Design Rule Wizard (Design » Rule Wizard) to get started. By creating

a complete set of design rules at this stage, not only will the online DRC (Design Rules Check) flag you

immediately when violations occur, but you will actually be prevented from creating violations in the firstplace. The autorouter, when running, will look to the design rules you have set up as well.

Once you have created a set of rules that can be reused in similar projects, such as preferred track

widths or a minimum clearance between components, you can import and export individual design

rules by right-clicking in the Design Rule tree in the PCB Rules and Constraints Editor dialog.

For more information, refer to Specifying the PCB Design Rules and Resolving Violations article.

14 TU0110 (v1.4) October 18, 2007




Ready to Transfer the Schematic Design to the PCB?

Before transferring the schematic information from a schematic document to the new PCB, make su

your PCB file is part of the same .PrjPCB project

check to make sure that all the librarie

•

• s required for the PCB footprints are available.

On

erro

tha

g Started with PCB Desig

For more information about using libraries, refer to the Component, Model and Library Concepts article.

ce the project has been compiled (Project » Compile Project) in the Schematic Editor and any

rs in the schematic fixed, use the Design » Update PCB Document command to generate ECO

t will transfer the schematic information to the target PCB.

For more information about updating a PCB, refer to the tutorial, Gettin

Revision History

Date Version No. Revision

9-Dec-2003 1.0 New product release

18-Jul-2005 1.1 Expanded and updated for Altium Designer, and document name changed

12-Dec-2005 1.2 Path references updated for Altium Designer 6

8-Jan-2007 1.3 Incorrect menu reference fixed

18-Oct-2007 1.4 Updates for Altium Designer 6.8

Software, hardware, documentation and related materials:

Copyright © 2007 Altium Limited.

All rights reserved. You are permitted to print this document provided that (1) the use of such is for personal use

only and will not be copied or posted on any network computer or broadcast in any media, and (2) no modificatio

of the document is made. Unauthorized duplication, in whole or part, of this document by any means, mechanica

electronic, including translation into another language, except for brief excerpts in published reviews, is prohibited

without the express written permission of Altium Limited. Unauthorized duplication of this work may also be

prohibited by local statute. Violators may be subject to both criminal and civil penalties, including fines and/or

imprisonment. Altium, Altium Designer, Board Insight, CAMtastic, CircuitStudio, Design Explorer, DX , LiveDesigP

NanoBoard, NanoTalk, Nexar, nVisage, P-CAD, Protel, SimCode, Situs, TASKING, and Topological Autorouting

and their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Altium Limited or its subsidiaries. All other

registered or unregistered trademarks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners and notrademark rights to the same are claimed.

TU0110 (v1.4) October 18, 2007

Documents

TU0110 Preparing the Board for Design Transfer