How to panelise?

[kenelmlopes]

Hi there,

I work with PowerPCB 4.To avoid drill problems while panelling in CAM350,we are trying to make panels in PADS itself.We complete a design and save it as a reuse.We then import copies of the same reuse as well as other design reuses and arrange them to form a panel.

However we face two major problems,

1)The reference descriptors change with each reusei.e.PADS seems to automatically assign them later descriptor values.Hence we have to copy the silkscreen of the original design and seperately make an approximate panel in Coreldraw.This is a LOT of work.Any wy around?

2)When the reuse is imported the fill outlines have to be filled again.However each PCB now shows a different ground net and the outlines have to be re-associated with the NEW ground net.This is most annoying when many PCB's have to be pannelled and the no. of reassociations are many.

Would appreciate a quick reply.


Regards,


Kenelm

[Mark Larson]

Yup, you have a good grasp of the problem of panelizing in the design program, also there is the problem of respin, you have to change all circuits exactly the same, a nightmare.

PPCB is not intended for panelising, CAM350 is.

Draw your own conclusions.

[randychase]

What Mark said.

I *have* to do panelization for certain customers. But my recommendation to you (as it is to them), is to spend the time defining your panels in a drawing that you supply to your pcb vendor and let them panelize the gerbers. Otherwise, you should be using CAM-350.

The funny thing someone reported, was one board house taking the gerbers that someone stepped and repeated, and routinely deleting all the copies so they could do their own step and repeat.