Protel99 Import 1206 Resistor funkiness - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: iamdink
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: February 15, 2014, 12:03:57 pm
content: Hi EEVblog members, first time poster but just starting reading and watching Dave's videos.I've just transitioned to Altium Designer for a project and I am having a rather weird problem. I've inherited this project and have not been given anything more than the .DDB file.I've converted a .DDB PCB layout from Protel99 using the Import Wizard. The .DDB file does not include the schematic but just the PCB file which is fine.The problem I'm having is that the 1206 resistors that were placed on the bottom copper layer have some kind of weird top copper outline causing the DRC to fail because of shorts. It seems to only affect the R1206 part as a 1210 capacitor part C1812K has no apparent top copper outline. I've attached photos below from the layout to show what I mean:R1206:C1210:Is the problem arising because the layout has no clue what the R1206 part is? There is no library with a R1206 part. I can replace the 1206 with a modern Panasonic 1206 but this is rather tedious. Kind of scared to do this because this is a board that's already through manufacturing revisions and so I'd like to avoid uncertainty in any change I make.I know the 1206 resistor artifact is real as I exported a gerber for the top copper, soldermask, etc. and visibly see the top copper outline.Can anyone suggest what they would do or if they have seen this problem before?Much appreciated and thanks for your help!

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 15, 2014, 12:43:16 pm
content: The outline looks like its meant to be on a mechanical layer.Does the import wizard let you change any settings about the layers?

author: peter.mitchell
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 15, 2014, 01:41:09 pm
content: When you imported the board it would have just made you a board file.What I suggest you now do is, export the footprints from that board file to a PCB Library (Design -> Make PCB Library).Open your board, open the properties for the component and see what footprint is used.Go back to the PCB library, edit the footprint (move the outline from the top layer to the appropriate mechanical layer), save the library.Go back to the board, click Design->Update from PCB Library, that will scan the board and your library for differences and you can approve or disapprove changes to your board, and then apply the approved ones. This will change all the violating footprints to your new, edited footprint. Hopefully, no more violations.

author: iamdink
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: February 16, 2014, 10:45:40 am
content: Psi: Indeed, I think this somehow got mixed up in the import.peter.mitchell: brilliant! worked like a charm. thanks for your help and instructive guide. Looking at it now seems like such an obvious solution and certainly something I could do in EAGLE but bit of a learning curve on Altium. I really appreciate the help!Thanks again to both of you, I'll check this forum and try contributing some information back! Cheers!

author: peter.mitchell
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 16, 2014, 12:16:51 pm
content: Quote from: iamdink on February 16, 2014, 10:45:40 amHahaha, oops, i only just realized you were using Protel 99SE, the menus are different but the concept is the same.Also, the same sentiment is true about Eagle and Altium but in reverse, gosh Eagle is a learning curve!

author: iamdink
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: February 18, 2014, 03:10:10 am
content: Hi Peter,I've run into a subtle rotation problem when performing the import. I'm going to work around this by manually adjusting the rotation but it's rather annoying. The problem is that I the component R4 was originally rotated at a weird angle, like 211 degrees.The import works fine for components with a 0 degree or 90 degree offset but this odd angle import flips up the orientation to something like 138 degrees. I've attached a photo below:Can you think of what is causing this problem?I'm actually using Altium Designer 14 but I have access to Protel 99 as well.I used Eagle for my research in graduate school and fell in love. I like the stability of it. Things that worked in 5 work in 6. I'm kind of disappointed in that regard with Altium. The interface is slick but the more I read about Vaults and that nonsense the more I'm turned off to the tool. I'd prefer backward compatibility to glitter any day of the week.Much appreciated on your help so far!

author: peter.mitchell
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 18, 2014, 06:28:26 pm
content: Quote from: iamdink on February 18, 2014, 03:10:10 amThe link you provided was to a picture from the original post. This doesn't seem correct?

author: iamdink
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: February 19, 2014, 07:36:42 am
content: Hi Peter,Thanks for the help. I ended up resolving the issue by manually rotating the part -180 degrees. Something weird with the update for parts that weren't aligned 0 or 90 degrees.Really appreciate the help you provided. Take care!

author: Richard Head
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 24, 2014, 10:14:07 am
content: I use Protel99SE and have an issue with the saved files.The program keeps creating back-ups and back-ups of back-ups and back-ups of back-ups of back-ups!It also creates back-ups of just the .PCB file and the .SCH.Now I like auto created back-ups but this is getting ridiculous. Am I doing something wrong?Dick

author: ludzinc
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 24, 2014, 10:37:57 am
content: Nope,IIRC that's a *feature* of Protel99SE. Hated 99SE, and there's a reason they dropped the database when they moved to DXP.