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Mike Warren
Australia
124 Posts |
 Posted - 06 Mar 2013 : 06:21:08
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I have just spent a few hours following the information from another thread about creating new layers and exceptions etc. to be able to place fudicials with expanded mask and no paste.
Now my panel plots with no top or bottom copper. The gerbers are empty.
What might I have done to cause this behaviour?
Some observations:
- PCBs using the same Technology file plot as normal.
- The silk screen routing and v-groove layers plot okay.
- The solder mask layer only plots my fudicials
- The solder paste layer plots the PCB names from the panel (PCB1, PCB2 etc.)
- The Mechanical layer, which should only have the board outlines on it, also shows the pads.
Here are the gerbers if anyone is interested:
http://mike-warren.net/tmp/bad_panel.zip (14kB)
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Iain Wilkie
United Kingdom
1022 Posts |
Posted - 06 Mar 2013 : 09:55:46
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Have you tried outputing gerbers simply for the board ? .... I never have used panelisation (manufacturers can do this themselves so never had the need) ...... this might eliminate any problems in the panelisation output.
If its the same for a single board, then you have something wrong in your gerber output set up or your paste mask is wrong .... does the paste mask look ok in the PCB editor ?
Iain |
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Mike Warren
Australia
124 Posts |
Posted - 06 Mar 2013 : 10:03:54
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Thanks for the reply, Ian.
Yes, the board plots to Gerber fine.
I can actually see the problem in the plot preview. The copper layers are blank.
The thing is that before I added the extra layers it was working fine. I'm assuming I've inadvertently done something stupid, but at the moment it's smells like a bug, especially with the pads showing up on the mechanical layer.
I seem to remember having that happen with what ever version I was running about 8 years ago.
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edrees
United Kingdom
799 Posts |
Posted - 06 Mar 2013 : 10:29:21
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| I think it might be down to the "switches" under the "layers" setting when you create the EPJ file under Output/Plotting. You can optionally select layers and remember that your extended resist layer (and paste layer) is another (not the default) layer. Double check your settings, or post your badboard .pcb file and epj files. |
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Mike Warren
Australia
124 Posts |
Posted - 06 Mar 2013 : 11:27:26
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I don't think it has anything to do with that. In the Top Copper plot the Top Copper layer is checked under the Layers tab, and likewise for the bottom copper plot.
And when I click the New Job button the top and bottom copper plots are unchecked by default, which says to me that the program can't see any copper in the file.
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edrees
United Kingdom
799 Posts |
Posted - 06 Mar 2013 : 11:38:18
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| Check your (pcb) Technology file. It sounds to me as if your layers are mis-configured, as PLOT>NEW>All should pick up the appropriate layers correctly. |
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Mike Warren
Australia
124 Posts |
Posted - 06 Mar 2013 : 11:44:55
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This gets weirder.
I just created an new panel with the wizard, deliberately selecting a technology file that came with EPC called "Panel.ptf". I then selected an older board that doesn't use my new technology file and the copper is not visible in the plot preview either.
I don't think I have any choice at this point but to reinstall EPC and try again. I'll go the V16.05 since I did successfully create a couple of panels with that. |
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Mike Warren
Australia
124 Posts |
Posted - 06 Mar 2013 : 11:46:35
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quote:
Originally posted by edrees
Check your (pcb) Technology file. It sounds to me as if your layers are mis-configured, as PLOT>NEW>All should pick up the appropriate layers correctly.
That's what I was assuming, but I can't see where a problem could exist. However, the test in my previous post suggests it is not the technology file.
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Mike Warren
Australia
124 Posts |
Posted - 06 Mar 2013 : 12:05:34
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And the other thing that suggests it's not a layer configuration issue in the technology file is that a PCB using the same technology file plots fine.
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Mike Warren
Australia
124 Posts |
Posted - 06 Mar 2013 : 12:35:03
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This has me beat.
The new installation didn't change the behaviour. The problem is that uninstalling the program didn't remove my preferences from the registry, so reinstalling may not have changed whatever is causing the problem.
The first thing I did after installation was to create a panel based on a PCB I haven't touched in a year, using the default.ptf since none of my created ones were available.
I still got the same problem.
I'll try to find the registry area for my EPC preferences and delete them, but it looks like I'm going to have to email Number One. I need this solved quickly and getting more frustrated by the minute.
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Edited by - Mike Warren on 06 Mar 2013 12:39:24 |
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Iain Wilkie
United Kingdom
1022 Posts |
Posted - 06 Mar 2013 : 12:56:25
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Phone numberone ..... You will get a quicker response to your problem. I have had excellent support in the past getting things like this resolved very quickly. It is this direct support that makes easypc stand out from its competators in my opinion.
Iain
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Mike Warren
Australia
124 Posts |
Posted - 06 Mar 2013 : 13:00:11
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Good idea. I'm half way though drafting an email, but I'll try phoning first.
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Mike Warren
Australia
124 Posts |
Posted - 11 Mar 2013 : 00:25:00
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The problem is solved.
Many thanks to Iain for helping me out with this. Looks like there was something about my technology file upsetting EPC. Starting with a file supplied by Iain did the trick. Even after I had modified it substantially it still worked.
And thanks to Peter Johnson for his help, too.
I'll put this incident in the unexplained phenomena basket and move on.
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Edited by - Mike Warren on 11 Mar 2013 00:26:03 |
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Mike Warren
Australia
124 Posts |
Posted - 22 Jul 2015 : 04:56:44
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Well, this has just come back to bite me again.
This has been working fine for the last couple of years, but 2 weeks ago I had to reinstall Windows 7 on my computer.
Two days ago I needed to create a new panel in EPC, and to my surprise, no data in the copper layers.
I loaded old panels that worked before and they failed too. I tried the technology file Iain sent me, but this time it still won't work.
So, I thought I'd try the demo of V19. That did the same thing.
Lastly, I loaded the demo onto an old XP computer we have here, and without changing any settings at all simply loaded the example panel file that comes with the demo.
That also fails to show any data on the copper layers.
http://www.mike-warren.net/tmp/MissingCopper.jpg
I'll try to remember to phone Number One from home tonight.
http://mike-warren.net |
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Mike Warren
Australia
124 Posts |
Posted - 25 Jul 2015 : 13:46:32
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Okay, this actually does work with my newer technology file.
I had assumed it didn't because of a combination of EPC not showing copper on plot previews (by design) and a small bug that causes the copper layers to be unchecked by default.
So all is good in the world again.
http://mike-warren.net |
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Topic |
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No Copper On Panels