Copper area

I am trying to modify an existing board that has complex copper areas (ground planes) on top and bottom.
When I try to move or place a component the program virtually halts, allowing only spastic jerky component movement while it redraws the copper areas.
How can I disable redraw of the copper areas without deleting them (I can do this in other PCB layout programs but I can't find a way in Ultiboard)?
PRH
Solved!
Go to Solution.

WRONG!!!!!!!!
After I changed the copper area to the outline the program became almost useless.
Every single operation started taking almost a minute!
Click on a part, wait a minute for it to be selected.
Drag the part and wait a minute for it to move.
Open a dialog and click on a tab and wait a minute for the new dialog to open.
Click the OK button and wait a minute for the dialog to close!
Even the component editor took a minute for every operation.
Zoom in/out with the mouse wheel stopped working.
It took about ten minutes to select the copper area, right click to open the pop-open menu, select properties, get to the correct tab, and reselect the solid Fillstyle.
After that the program started working normally again.
This is a nasty BUG!
PRH
V11.0

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How do you connect SMS pads to copper areas in ultiboard?

I have a TQFN part with multiple pads. I want to connect the pads to a copper area I have defined. I gave the copper area the same net number by using properties/vonnect to net. Now the rats nest lead from the pin (net 22) goes to the copper area but everytime I try to connect a line to the area it makes a clearance. I can't figure out how to connect the pin to the copper area. I don't want to use vias. Suggestions?

Press the CTRL key while you move the mouse pointer on top of the pad and at the end of the pop-up label you'll see to which net it is assigned, now do the same to the Copper Area just to confirm that it is indeed assign to that net as well. If both are the same net it should connect without voiding.
Otherwise post your file here so we can check it out, if you don't want to post your file, you may instead contact support.
Nestor
National Instruments

Gerber export problem with copper area's

Hi,
Just had a strange thing on a new design...
I'm using version 10.01 Ultiboard...
I have placed ground tracks and included them into a copper area, connected to the correct net...
So far no problem, but from time tot time the copper area diisapears on my screen.
When doing a DRC check, things get back to normal, all tracks are back into the copper area.
But on this design, when I received the PCB's, the tracks were not connected to the copper area...
probablt because I didn't do a last DRC check before exporting...
So if anyone had this problem, just do a DRC check and it probably gets fine....
By the way, I contacted my PCB producer (Eurocircuits) and they told me that Ultiboard had pretty bad export-data,
Apparently gerbers made by Ultiboard are not very 'production-friendly' , they especially mentioned that Ultiboard had 'weird polygons and copper areas'
I hope the NI designers read this and can try to improve the gerber export....
And I hope that in time there will be a real manual for the program, one that explains all possible option thoroughly...
Best regards from the rainy country

I've seen this export behavior, my fix was in the export > gerber properties : under options. I made sure I had all the option off except "allow Non-convex polygons" only check. I saw what you described if I had "merge polygons (slow)" checked.....so make sure it is UNCHECKED. That solved the problem for me
Message Edited by kittmaster on 08-29-2008 10:03 AM
Signature: Looking for a footprint, component, model? Might be here > http://ni.kittmaster.com

Witing 'negative image' text on copper areas?

Hello,
I am having trouble with text on copper areas.
I was wanting to write in the copper area- but with the text being taken way from the copper (negative image). I dont want the box around the text.
I have attached 2 pictures- one is what I have- the other is what I want.
Is there any way of doing this?
Thanks
Attachments:
Copper text.jpg ‏24 KB
what I want.jpg ‏22 KB

I think I see what you are doing. Placing a picture is placing copper, so you don't need a power plane. If there is a power place, you are essentially placing copper on top of copper, which just gives you combined. You can't 'subtract' the picture from the power plane, but if you turn the power place into a copper area, you can remove the area that has the picture. (To turn a power plan into a copper area, use the polygon splitter. When you remove the area, the power plane becomes a copper area.)
Garret
Senior Software Developer
National Instruments
Circuit Design Community and Blog
If someone helped you, let them know. Mark as solved or give a kudo.

Making radial copper areas in Ultiboard

I am trying to make a circular PCB with radial copper ring areas. My best effort has been to make an octagonal looking circle, but this is not acceptable. Can a circular / radial copper area be made in Ultiboard? Thank you very much for you help. Tod
Solved!
Go to Solution.

1. Select Copper Top (Copper Bottom)
2. Place>>Shape>>Circle
3. Edit>>Selection Filter>>Enable Selecting Traces
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5. Design>>Shape to Area

Create Nice angled copper pour - ultiboard

I want to design nice sharp angled copper pour areas normally at 45,90 or 135 degrees, as shown in attached image.
1. I have seen that there is no such feature in ultiboard for copper pour?
2. Using copper polygon & drawing shapes at it doesn't gives such sharp angles as they are manually rotated , and they looked bad in PCB?
How to do that
Attachments:
images.jpg ‏7 KB

Hi there,
One method to do this is to draw a copper area outline whose angel is 45°/135° first and then draw the polygon over the tracks.
You can press the Space bar while placing a line in a copper layer, this will toggle between orthogonal, diagonal, 45 degree, and any angle lines.
Alternatively, in the Customize dialog box an Any Angle Lines is available, complete the following procedure to add this option to your user interface:
From the main menu select Options» Customize Interface
Select Place from the Categories listbox
Put your mouse cursor on Any angle lines from the Command listbox. Hold the left mouse button down and you should see a small rectangle attached to your mouse cursor
Continue to hold the left mouse button down and drag the rectangle over Place main menu to expand it.
Drop the rectangle in the Place menu
Tip: You should repeat the above steps and add the 45 degree lines to your menu so that you can switch between any angle and 45 degree line while working on the layout.
After you finished the polygon, you can delete the copper ppour outline. In the polygon properties, you can also set the width of it.
Hope this helps!:-)
Regards,
Chen_T
National Instruments

How to remove Copper "Graphics" from copper

Hi!
How do I cut out the copper Plane? When I use the normal Polygon function, there is alway a small copper string all around the polygon and the parts. Using the Keep-In/Keep-out tool, I get errors when I place it over parts/vias/nets....
What is the correct way to do this?
Solved!
Go to Solution.
Attachments:
keepin.png ‏25 KB
polygon.png ‏18 KB

Hi,
To use the keep-out to clear and copper area, you have to tell Ultiboard what to keep-out otherwise everything within the keepout area will give a DRC warning. To specifically tell Ultiboard what to keep-out, do this:
1. Tools»Group Editor»Net Group, click the Add button and assign a group name.
2. Assign the net to the group, in case whatever net the copper area below to and make it appear under Assign Nets
Place»Keep in/out area, draw the keep-out area
4. Double click the keep-out area to open its properties dialog, check the Net Group then Options, check the net group you created
The steps are similar to what is described in this, but you want keep-out instead of keep-in.
Tien P.
National Instruments

Power Plane Problem: Only one layer as an option.

Dear all,
I try to use Create Power Plane tool as usually, but for some reason bottom layer is already selected and it can not be changed. I am using dual layer board, so there should be also top layer. I can draw traces and everything except the power plane on the top layer.
I have made many dual layer boards without any problems with Power Planes. I can't figure out what I am doing differently from the previous boards.
Any ideas?

Hi,
Try this:
1. Select Edit>>Selection Filter, disable all filters except for "Enable polygon", the default toolbars should have the filters option so you don't have to go back to the menu.
2. Select Edit>>Select All to select all copper area and power plane on the work area,
3. Press Delete,
Now try placing the power plane again. If this doesn't work, please send me the file, I will see if I can fix it for you. Create a service request at:
http://sine.ni.com/apps/utf8/niae_asc.main?lang=US
Tien P.
National Instruments

Is it possible to replicate groups in different designs?

I am trying to create a circuit layout template for a set of components which needs to be replicated across a lot of designs. This could be considered similar to the functionality of the 'Group replica place' and 'Copy route' functions but applied across different designs.
I have tried manually copying layouts to a new project but as soon as they are copied they do not get recognized because they are not included in the netlist. Additionally if I try to back annotate from a copied design to Multisim in order to force a netlist creation I get: 'The layout part XX has no corresponding schematic component. Select a component from the database.' and if I try to assign a component from the schematic database I get: 'There are no possible partner objects to select.'
Is there any simple way I can preserve a layout of a subcircuit and inserting it into to a different layout?

Hi,
I think the best way is to copy the schematic part that you need towards your new schematic.
But you should do this first before adding other parts to the new schematic.
this way you'll be able to keep all the refdes the same.
before taking that schematic to Ultiboard, copy the desired layout and components (and vi'as, copper areas etc) to your new layout,
then import your new netlist.
I think that should work (I've done this before on small designs.)
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Good luck!

Partial disconnection of vias

On a 4-layer design with only through-hole vias I'm running in a problem where I didn't find any solution.
I have to place a through-hole vias, which for some reasons has to pass a big/large trace in one of the inner layers. How can I prevent Ultisim 10.1 from connecting the vias to this trace in the inner layer?
Or is there any method for sparing out parts of a trace?
Thanks for your suggestions!

Hi Juergen,
If you place a via over a trace it will short, here are two suggestions you can try: 1. Place a copper area under the via, void around the via will be create and you can run your trace to the copper area. 2. Double click on a via and select the Layer Settings tab, uncheck the copper ring layer that the trace is on. If you use this method, please double check with your manufacture, my concern is if the via is a plated it may short to the trace anyway.
Tien P.
National Instruments

Ultiboard 12 - bug exporting gerber X

Hi,
I believe there is a bug in Ultiboard 12, gerber X handling.
If you export a layer in gerber X format, the files are generated and correctly interpreted by ultiboard 12.
The bug becomes apparent when one opens the created gerber files on third partie software or even on Ultiboard 11.
So far I have seen missing power planes and missing nets when on top of power planes.
In the PDF atached on the bottom layer you can see short circuits between the power plane and some nets
On the top layer PDF the nets are missing.
I share a gerber file, generated on Ultiboard 12 as an example an PDF files for it as seen by Ultiboard 12 and 11.
Any ideias what may be going on?
Attachments:
AmplFinal_2(AmplFinal_2) - Copper Top.gbr ‏32 KB
AmplFinal_2(AmplFinal_2) - Copper Bottom.gbr ‏52 KB
Ultiboard 11.pdf ‏243 KB

Hi Tonitos,
There were changes to the gerber export when Ultiboard 12 was released. In Ultiboard 11 and older, copper areas were created using lines but in Ultiboard 12 and 13, copper areas are created using polygon shapes. The commands used in V12 are standard gerber commands and your tool should support them.
In the old gerber export, your copper top will appear as 1 layer in your gerber tool, but the new format will create multiple layers. For example, the copper top layer you attached previously generates three layers a gerber tool. In attached screen shots, layer 1 shows most of your board covers, layer 2 removes clearances around the pads and traces, layer 3 adds the traces and pad back. I noticed the layer 1 is the same as your pdf attachment screen shot, check with your colleague if all layers are turned on the gerb tool.
If you like me to look at your design, send me a private message with your email address. I will send you an email so that your design will remain private.
Tien P.
National Instruments
Attachments:
layer 1.PNG ‏5 KB
Layer 2.PNG ‏14 KB
Layer 3.PNG ‏18 KB

How to make thermal vias in a part

Hello I am working with some high end LED parts and I need to make thermal vias and a nice heatsink area. I would like to know how to make the copper area and or the vias when designing a part be assignable to a net. That way I can join the thermal relief area to a powerplane if necessary. Currently I am having to manually heatsink each led every time which is dramatically time consuming.
Thanks!

Acidshock,
I would recommend that you create a custom footprint. For the heatsink area, just add a SMT pad (Place >> Pin... select SMD) and configure it to have the shape that you are looking for.
If you want to have it automatically connect to a specific net, then you need to modify or create a custom symbol/component in Multisim and add the extra pin that references the SMT pad you just created in the custom footprint. In this way you will transfer your design from Multisim to Ultiboard with the heatsink pre-configured to a net.
If not, then you will have the SMT pad every time you use your custom footprint, however, you will need to manually use the Netlist Editor to assign that pad to a specific net.
If what you need is a via for this purpose, then instead of SMT pad, use a normal through-hole pin, just configure the pad shape accordingly to fit your heatsink needs... when you place the Pin (remember you are creating a custom component), once placed double-click on it and find the tabs for manipulating the shape of the pad.
I hope that helps,
To get more information on creating custom components in Ultiboard and Multisim check the following tutorials:
http://zone.ni.com/devzone/cda/tut/p/id/5631
http://zone.ni.com/devzone/cda/tut/p/id/3173
Nestor
National Instruments

Why is Ultiboard running so slow???

I've been using Ultiboard v9.1.221 for well over a year now. It's always been slow doing mundane things like deleting traces or components but recently has gotten much worse. Typically, I'd see response times around 20 or 30 seconds. It's very tedious but I've learned patience and was able to make do. Recently, I've had to import a .dxf and it took at least 10 minutes! I just tried to place a via and it took like ten minutes too! My system parameters are as follows:
Windows XP Professional 2002
Service Pack 3
AMD Athlon 64 Processor
2.2 GHz, 1.43 GB of RAM

Hi,
Some designs can run very slowly in Ultiboard, try this and see if it helps:
Option>>Global Preference>>PCB Design, select "no realtime check" and uncheck the "Show Copper area".
Tien P.
National Instruments

Ultiboard - changing layer order

Question, Is there a way to change the order of the copper layers easily? In one layout I have the inner layers done were the power layer is the next layer down or 2nd layer and the 3rd layer is the ground. Then in another file I have the opposite where the 2nd layer is ground and the 3rd is power. I want to merge the two layouts and there will be conflicts with these two inner layers. I would like to set up all my files so that the ground layer is layer 2 and the third layer is power as a standard format. Is there a way to change the files easily do this on the ones that do not have the proper layers for ground and power. I tried once and found I had to physically move my power and ground plans to the layers I wanted them to be and had a lot of tiding up to do with traces that also happen to be on those layers. Had a lot of issues finding and moving traces and trying to keep track of which I was moving and had to group them to off locations so they would not lay over traces on the layer I was moving them to. It was a mess. Seems like there should be a back door way to rename the layers to get them correctly be the right layers without physically having to move the traces and planes.

Hi,
You should not mess with the names of the layers...
The best way seems to copy all copper from on layer to another.
Proceed as follows:
-switch off all layers except layer Inner 1.
-select all copper + copper area's (incl powerplane)
-cut & paste that aside your board ouline
-In the properties, set these tracks and planes to the Inner 2 layer.
leave those next to your board.
Now select only Inner layer 2.
select all copper tracks and area's that are within your board outline.
in the properties, set these to inner layer 1.
Now you have moved all from inner2 to inner 1
Outside the board outline, select all copper from layer 2 (the ones that were copied and pasted)
Place these back and align them with the rest of the copper.
For the powerplanes (not the copper area's) you might have to check the nets those are set to...
But i gues it won't be a problem...
Good luck
Stressed user

Question: Counting certain pixels

Hi
I'm doing a research about copper associated hepatitis in dogs. Now we are trying to set up a new method of diagnosis. The principle is to measure the amount of area that contains copper on a picture of liver tissue as a percentage. The tissue is stained with a chemical which results in a good contrast between copper and no-copper areas.
My question:
Does anybody know some way to count the amount of pixels(or the percentage of area) that exceeds my certain threshold of RGB colors?
Thanks!
Tjebbe Waalwijk

quick and easy method:
(1) set the color picker to point sample
(2) select the magic wand tool, chose a useful tolerance level for your purposes, deselect both anti-alia and contiguous
(2) zoom into the picture
(3) click on a "copper pixel"
(4) click on histogram panel
result: see screenshot. In my example the result would be 37646 pixels.
(don't forget to click on the exclamation mark, otherwise values are rough estimates only)
However I don't think the mere pixel count is very helpful scientifically as it may depend on how dark those pixels are vs. the size of the area, and lots of other factors right?
full size image: http://img140.imageshack.us/f/20110414040146screenhun.png/

Copper area

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