panelize question

Timur Aydin wrote:

Hello,

 

I have designed a small two layer PCB and I am at a stage where I want

to print the PCB onto a sheet of tracing paper.

 

In order to save time and resources, I would like to print three PCB's

onto the same sheet. I also want to print the solder side and the

(mirrored) component side onto the same sheet. How can I do this?

 

I have cut the finished PCB layout from the brd file and pasted 6

instances of it into another brd file. Now I need to display the solder

side for 3 of them and the component side for the other 3. I also need

to mirror the component side. As easy as it sounds, I still haven't

figured out how to do this. It seems displaying layers cannot be limited

to a selection. It affects the whole layout.

 

Any insight is greatly appreciated...

 

The standard procedure for home printing is pretty straightforward.  But you

are making things difficult by trying to print top and bottom at the same

time.  My advice would be to forget this and do them separately which makes

it a simple process. If you are really concerned about using 2 sheets

instead of 1 then cut the paper in half before printing, and ensure that the

vertical position for the print out is set as Top in the page set up dialogue.

Make a fresh copy of the complete board and save under a new name

close the schematic.  This is one of the few times you actually do this but

you'll have found this out already.

Turn on all layers group and copy as appropriate.

For printing you simply select the appropriate layers from the layer menu

and print.

Top side 1 17 18 20

bottom 16 17 18 20  (select mirror option in print dialogue)

For optimum results change options set misc display mode to no drills. This

gives you solid pads in the print out

Run drill-aid ulp which provides a new layer 116 with small holes for all

pads. Turn on layer 116 when printing the bottom layer.  This makes the

printout have solid pads with only a small hole on the bottom to help when

manually drilling.

cheers

David

Timur Aydin wrote:

Hello,

 

I have designed a small two layer PCB and I am at a stage where I want

to print the PCB onto a sheet of tracing paper.

 

In order to save time and resources, I would like to print three PCB's

onto the same sheet. I also want to print the solder side and the

(mirrored) component side onto the same sheet. How can I do this?

 

I have cut the finished PCB layout from the brd file and pasted 6

instances of it into another brd file. Now I need to display the solder

side for 3 of them and the component side for the other 3. I also need

to mirror the component side. As easy as it sounds, I still haven't

figured out how to do this. It seems displaying layers cannot be limited

to a selection. It affects the whole layout.

 

Any insight is greatly appreciated...

 

The standard procedure for home printing is pretty straightforward.  But you

are making things difficult by trying to print top and bottom at the same

time.  My advice would be to forget this and do them separately which makes

it a simple process. If you are really concerned about using 2 sheets

instead of 1 then cut the paper in half before printing, and ensure that the

vertical position for the print out is set as Top in the page set up dialogue.

Make a fresh copy of the complete board and save under a new name

close the schematic.  This is one of the few times you actually do this but

you'll have found this out already.

Turn on all layers group and copy as appropriate.

For printing you simply select the appropriate layers from the layer menu

and print.

Top side 1 17 18 20

bottom 16 17 18 20  (select mirror option in print dialogue)

For optimum results change options set misc display mode to no drills. This

gives you solid pads in the print out

Run drill-aid ulp which provides a new layer 116 with small holes for all

pads. Turn on layer 116 when printing the bottom layer.  This makes the

printout have solid pads with only a small hole on the bottom to help when

manually drilling.

cheers

David