Stopping routing between pads or too close to pads?

[randychase]

An issue about setup in PowerPCB.

When you set the design parameters to allow routing between surface mount pads, you end up with a very close clearance on certain other items, perhaps closer than you would like.

For example, mounting holes. On most boards, I don't want traces running that close to a large pad or mounting hole. My solution, though crude, is to swell the pads prior to dumping the design into the router. Then when the job is fully routed, I reduce the padsize again.

How about parts like 0603s where if space is available, you would rather the router did not run traces between the two pins? How would you set this up for small discrete parts to not get traces under them?

[ltrakal]

well in the other programs i just put a small line between pins as a route keepout area in the part in my library, i don't know how pads work but maybe we can do the same here in the keepout tab and put a line between those two pads in the top layer, and still can use the other layers for routing.

[petehouwen]

I didn't realize this thread was moved.

Routing keepouts. That's why PADS made them. If you don't want to route between pads for just this one board, don't put the keepouts in the library. Select the decal, Edit Part, add a keepout, but don't save the part to the library. It will add the keepout to the current job only.

[ltrakal]

great, but wht do you think about having a default keepout are for 0402, 0603 and sammll components?

[petehouwen]

That would depend on your companies preference.