Ultiboard to do laser printer Method

[kevilay]

Hey guys im new to this program. I got a schematic done, transfered to ultiboard, autoplaced and autorouted. I have a few problems. One I want to use the laser printer method for fabercating the actual board. When I autoroute its placing my copper layer on the top not the bottem. How do I fix that? And also I need to print a mirrored actual size copy of the copper layer. I couldnt find that. Sorry to ask here guys but i spent like 2 hours looking through the help file. Im an electronics student and this is my first board design.

Kevin

[GarretF]

Hi Kevin,

The autorouter is probably routing on the top layer because the top layer is set to be routable. If you only want to route on Copper Bottom, you need to set Copper Bottom as the only routable layer. There are two ways to do this (one is much easier if you have a version that has the Spreadsheet View).

Spreadsheet View

1. Select the Copper layers tab
2. In the Routing column, ensure that Routing is On/Yes only for Copper bottom

No Spreadsheet View

1. Click Options > PCB Properties
2. Select the Copper layer tab
3. For each layer (except Copper bottom) in the Allow routing box, click Properties and ensure that Routing is unchecked

 To print a mirrored actual scale

1. Click File > Print
2. Ensure that Zoom options is set to 100%
3. Ensure that Print reflection is checked

[kevilay]

I did what you said and selected it. When I click autoroute It just blinks and doesnt do anything. at the bottem it says,

"Rounting completed with a partial solution.

0 of 24 connections (0%) routed with 0 vias. Time: 0.01"

It didnt even try anything.  I can manually route it but the auto would save me alot of time.

Kevin

[GarretF]

Hi Kevin,

I would guess that the nets are set to not route on Copper bottom, so the router ultimately fails to route. Again, there are two ways to do this (the spreadsheet is easier if you have a version that has the Spreadsheet View).

Spreadsheet View

1. In the spreadsheet, select the Nets tab
2. Check the Routing Layers column, and ensure that the value ends with 1. (The value is a list of layers from top to bottom, where 1 means the net is allowed on the layer, and 0 means the net is not allowed. So "01" would mean not routable on copper top, and routable on copper bottom.)
3. For any net that is not routable on Copper bottom, select the value and change the routing. You can select multiple rows and edit more that one at a time.

No Spreadsheet View

1. Clicks Tools > Netlist Editor
2. Select the Misc tab
3. For each net, verify that the box next to Copper bottom is checked

It this isn't it, the best option is then to post your file so I can take a look.

[kevilay]

Getting there, thanks alot for the help btw. Now It started and I had this pop up.

 
"The object "trace: width(0.0300000 inch)Layer(Copper Top)Clearance(0.0300000)inch Net( 1 &4) " Is on a layer that is not allowed by the net settings"

Do I just uncheck routable on these to layers? 

Also Is there a way to select which layers are visiable on the main screen, ie components, txt, copper etc.

Kevin

[GarretF]

This DRC error means that a trace (piece of copper) for a net is on a layer (Copper Top) that is not permitted by the net settings.

Double click the DRC error or have a look in the design for the red circle that indicates where these traces are located. Either remove the copper, or change the layer settings as I described in the last two posts to enable the net to exist on Copper Top.

You can change layer visibility from the Design Toolbox on the Layers tab. The toggle check box to the left of the layer name to change the visibility of a particular layer. There isn't a way to to turn off the visibility of particular types of objects.

[kevilay]

Ok I went to tools --> netlist editor --> misc and went through net 0 to 9 and checked the copper bottem box, which is the only box.

I also went to pcb properties -->copper layers -->allow rounting -->copper bottem  and check routable. (copper bottem is only selection)

When I try to auto route its putting copper on the top then giving that error for having coppy on the top layer.

Kevin

[GarretF]

Could you post the file? It would make it much easier for me to figure out what is going on here.

[kevilay]

I just deleted the board and made a new one and it worked. I Think it was because I clicked single sided board. Anyways I have another question if you dont mind. So far you guys are very helpful i really appriceate it. In my test circuit. i ran 5v to 2 resistors in parralel that each run to a LED to ground. So it just turns the LEDS on. On the resistor on ultiboard there is a circle pad and a sqare pad. On the LED their both circile.  How do I change this so the LED has the square pad?

Kevin

[GarretF · Accepted solution]

Hi Kevin,

That was the missing piece of information. Single-sided boards had issues, and were removed in the latest version to avoid problems such as this. Of course it is still possible to create them (it is just a double-sided where one is not used).

For your second question, you can change the shape of the pad directly in Ultiboard.

1. Ensure that the selection filter's Enable Selecting Pads and Enable Selecting SMD Pads are both enabled (I don't know if this particular part is THT or SMD, so this covers both cases)
2. Select the pad, and click Edit > Properties (double click also works)
3. You can change the shape in the dialog that shows on the Pad tab. If this is a THT part, you will need to change the shape on each layer of the board.

One final suggestion (care of nestor) is to ensure that everything fits once your are done. You can do this by printing the board with the footprint to paper, and doing a visual check with the part.