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PeteJG
United Kingdom
51 Posts |
 Posted - 22 Nov 2017 : 13:35:18
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| I'm trying to get to see the solder resist layer on my PCB layout, but I can't see a solder resist layer option in the Layer options in Design Tech? There are only Solder Mask and Paste Mask layers (aren't they the same thing?) Anyway, if I colour them they both show that colour on the areas which will be soldered (SMT pads, PTHs etc) and not on the areas around, i.e. exactly the opposite of how you might expect. Is one of those layers supposed to be the (green) resist layer, and if so how can I make it look right? |
Edited by - PeteJG on 22 Nov 2017 13:45:07 |
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Iain Wilkie
United Kingdom
1019 Posts |
Posted - 22 Nov 2017 : 13:50:04
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Simply create these are individual layers under the Layers Tab and they will appear.
I suggest to everyone that they do this for all their designs as these days with modern footprints these need to be edited and you really need WYSIWYG.
Iain
https://www.numberone.com/faq.aspx?KB020033
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Edited by - Iain Wilkie on 22 Nov 2017 13:52:04 |
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edrees
United Kingdom
786 Posts |
Posted - 22 Nov 2017 : 13:54:25
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| You are seeing the "negative" of the solder resist. If you saw the "positive" side the whole pcb would be flooded with the solder resist colour masking other colours making editing far more difficult. I'm not sure you can achieve what you are after in the pcb editor. You can see if the solder resist "looks right" in the 3D viewer, or double check the Gerbers with a 3rd party Gerber viewer. |
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PeteJG
United Kingdom
51 Posts |
Posted - 22 Nov 2017 : 13:56:12
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Hi Ian
If you mean the Layers tab in Design Technology, that's where I've been, but you can't create a random layer, you can only choose from what's there, which is what I've tried.
Perhaps later versions of EZPC have better options? I'm still on V19? |
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edrees
United Kingdom
786 Posts |
Posted - 22 Nov 2017 : 14:50:51
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| You can also add extra "Layer Types" as well as "Layers" in Design Tech. |
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PeteJG
United Kingdom
51 Posts |
Posted - 22 Nov 2017 : 15:01:21
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| Thanks yes I see that, but I don't want to generate some strange new layer, I just want to see one that should already be there!! |
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edrees
United Kingdom
786 Posts |
Posted - 22 Nov 2017 : 15:11:37
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Well, do you have "Paste Mask" & "Solder Resist" available in Layer Types?
If so, you should be able to add these as layers in the "Layers" Tab and not just as "random layers".
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Iain Wilkie
United Kingdom
1019 Posts |
Posted - 22 Nov 2017 : 15:26:13
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Wait a minute ... re-reading the OP .... the paste will be shown on top of the pads as you would expect .... and the resist will be shown on top of the pad as well as it is a negative and effectively is displaying the "holes" in the resist mask.
So surely what you are seeing is correct ?
Iain
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PeteJG
United Kingdom
51 Posts |
Posted - 22 Nov 2017 : 15:39:38
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No. I have "Paste Mask" and "Solder Mask" layers but no "Solder Resist" layer as I said. You'd think Solder Mask could be aka "Solder Resist"? I'm happy if it is but it just seems to be a repeat of the paste mask layer - which I assume from its name is what a stencil might be generated from? If the paste mask layer is supposed to just show where paste will go then it's doing its job fine.
All I want to do is display something that looks like your average solder resist layer(s) top and bottom, but currently the best I can get, using the Solder Mask layer, is a layer where all the pads & vias to be soldered are coloured whatever colour I select, and all around is untouched. There is no option to reverse this - if there was I'd probably have something like what I'm after.
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Edited by - PeteJG on 22 Nov 2017 15:41:36 |
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edrees
United Kingdom
786 Posts |
Posted - 22 Nov 2017 : 15:44:46
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Solder Resist layer is a Solder Mask!
Solder "Paste" is for the stencil for smd components.
Solder resist can be made slightly larger than the pad, Solder Paste can be made slightly smaller than pad, -that's the difference, as well as being able to stop putting solder paste down onto through hole pads and vias. Otherwise they might look similar but serve different functions. Hope this is all clear!
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Edited by - edrees on 22 Nov 2017 16:04:35 |
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Iain Wilkie
United Kingdom
1019 Posts |
Posted - 22 Nov 2017 : 16:47:53
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Ok sounds like you have them both set to the same size, as Ed says you would normally oversize the resist and undersize the solder but if you have them both the same they will look identical.
However the resist is a negative (for clarity) but if you create a gerber for the resist you will see the positive where there are "holes" in the mask where the pads are.
I do not think there is a way in EasyPC to show like this in the pcb editor, but why would you want to ?
Iain
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edrees
United Kingdom
786 Posts |
Posted - 22 Nov 2017 : 16:57:12
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| This is exactly what I was trying (-obviously not very well!) to say in my first response regarding Positive & Negative views. However, the OP (and responses) have been made more complicated due to the confusion between Paste and Resist Masks. |
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PeteJG
United Kingdom
51 Posts |
Posted - 22 Nov 2017 : 17:23:15
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| I wanted to simply so it looked like what it's supposed to look like! I didn't think having the option of reversing the colour and see-thru bits would be that much of a task, but apparently it is. I've had resist problems before and just wanted to be able to see it as you would in the gerber but without having to go that far to do it. I guess viewing it in negative will have to do. |
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edrees
United Kingdom
786 Posts |
Posted - 22 Nov 2017 : 17:31:49
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| .....or use an independent Gerber viewer to view each Gerber layer before you order the pcbs! (Highly recommended!) Most Gerber viewers will allow you to "invert" each layer, so you can see your solder resist layer the "right" way around. |
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PeteJG
United Kingdom
51 Posts |
Posted - 24 Nov 2017 : 11:38:20
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| I can indeed use my gerber viewer Ed, but it would be nice if I could do it in the editor where it's a bit easier to make any necessary changes :-) Presuming that's inexplicably not possible I will continue training my eyes to work in negative mode ..... |
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edrees
United Kingdom
786 Posts |
Posted - 24 Nov 2017 : 12:21:27
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| Pete, as I suggested earlier, if you have the top/bottom solder resist layer added in the Tech File you can see if the resist "looks good" in the 3D viewer. Remove unnecessary layers in the 3D viewer "Settings" and the solder resist (or rather lack of it) is clear to see on both surfaces. |
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Iain Wilkie
United Kingdom
1019 Posts |
Posted - 24 Nov 2017 : 13:57:57
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Actually, checking in negative is easier .... as the resist areas are shown over the associated pads. It might be easy to miss a pad inadvertatntly covered b6 resist in positive mode !
As Ed says simply switch off the other layers to make this clear.
Iain |
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Topic |
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Seeing solder resist layer in PCB layout?