Hi all, I have a quick question. When I create a gnd plane in eagle, I can't get anywhere near the dimension layer. I'm not sure what is causing this because it does it even with the polygon spacing set to 0? I would like to be able to get the gnd plane close to the edge of the board?
Thanks!
Goto Edit > Design Rules, then select the Distance tab and change the default.
Thanks MarkT that is perfect.
One other thing I have just noticed is that the connections between pins and the ground planes (not connections that I have routed)have somehow ended up extremely thin - I'm not sure what I have done. If I open another board file the traces it creates are much bigger?
Thanks
(see top right of attached image)
I draw the ground polygons around the outside of the card, they don't have to line up with the dimension line or something.
You can change the default trace widths.
Edit:Net Classes, add a new Name GND and put some widths in.
Find a board where you like what was used, and view the Net Classes there to get some ideas.
If you use iteadstudio's .dru & .cam files, you will ensure that what you are laying out is manufacturable.
dtokez:
I would like to be able to get the gnd plane close to the edge of the board?
Keep in mind you may want to keep some margin of copper away from the dimension line. When the board goes to get cut, you probably don't want copper where the saw blade is going to be and saw blades do have some width to them.
dtokez:
One other thing I have just noticed is that the connections between pins and the ground planes
Use the INFO command and check the properties of the polygon. Make sure you didn't set WIDTH to 0.
Thanks all for the help. Much appreciated!
I didn't think about copper being at the edges of the board so thanks for pointing that out
As CR pointed out, rather than you manually setting those values, use the fab house's DRU and CAM files. If they don't have them posted on their web site, ask them for it. This guarantees that your design meets their manufacturing specs.