How does a Solder Mask work in Eagle and PCBS in general?

The soldermask 'stop' layers can be defined a literal as they sound.

Mask will be placed over everything, unless you specify in stop layers

(or others) where you have pads. The polygons in the stop layers in

EAGLE are areas where soldermask will not be applied.- ted

ted@markson.us

Fourier wrote:

Hello,

 

I'm new to creating PCBs and also to using Eagle.  From what I understand, a solder stop mask is a coating placed on PCBs to stop solder sticking to copper.

 

When I use the Auto Router in Eagle, does it automatically place solder stop masks over the traces?  I ask because I want to have this board manufactured.  I would like the copper traces to be "burried" underneath a layer (solder stop mask?) that prevents me from getting solder on parts of exposed traces.  I would like to have the traces look "burried" as they would on a professionally manufactured PCB.  Is this look created by a solder stop mask?

 

I plan on having www.pcb-pool.com manufacture my board.  I am using their pre-made .DRU file.  On their web site they say that they use tstop and bstop as their "Soldermask" layers.  When I view these layers after using the Auto Router, I see that Eagle places solder masks on top of surface mount component pads.  This seems backwards to me.  Wouldn't this tell the manufacturer to place a solder stop on the SMD pads thereby preventing me from soldering the SMDs to the pads?  I'm looking to have a solder stop mask on everything except the SMD pads.

 

Thanks

 

Hello,

I understand now.  Thanks for clearing that up for me.

Thanks

On Mon, 01 Jun 2009 08:46:09 -0400

user@domain.invalid wrote:

The soldermask 'stop' layers can be defined a literal as they sound.

Mask will be placed over everything, unless you specify in stop layers

(or others) where you have pads. The polygons in the stop layers in

EAGLE are areas where soldermask will not be applied.- ted

ted@markson.us

 

Fourier wrote:

Hello,

 

I'm new to creating PCBs and also to using Eagle.  From what I understand, a solder stop mask is a coating placed on PCBs to stop solder sticking to copper.

 

When I use the Auto Router in Eagle, does it automatically place solder stop masks over the traces?  I ask because I want to have this board manufactured.  I would like the copper traces to be "burried" underneath a layer (solder stop mask?) that prevents me from getting solder on parts of exposed traces.  I would like to have the traces look "burried" as they would on a professionally manufactured PCB.  Is this look created by a solder stop mask?

 

I plan on having www.pcb-pool.com manufacture my board.  I am using their pre-made .DRU file.  On their web site they say that they use tstop and bstop as their "Soldermask" layers.  When I view these layers after using the Auto Router, I see that Eagle places solder masks on top of surface mount component pads.  This seems backwards to me.  Wouldn't this tell the manufacturer to place a solder stop on the SMD pads thereby preventing me from soldering the SMDs to the pads?  I'm looking to have a solder stop mask on everything except the SMD pads.

 

Thanks

 

--

Fourier <Fourier@none.com>