Problems with altium generated NC drill file.  - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: markus.dnd
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2014, 01:33:43 pm
content: Hello again.After working with altium for a year, i got myself a new interesting problem.The fab gave me an error report that i am unable to find with altium tools.Even the nc drill file does not show anything out of the ordinary (checks etc are all fine).does anyone have experience with cam350 (which seems to be the software that fab uses) and can give me a hind about the error in the attachment ?I am absolutely clueless... no info online what so ever and I have no idea what to do with this error...

author: tszaboo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2014, 01:55:35 pm
content: By the looks of it you maybe created a 0 mm hole on the board?

author: markus.dnd
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2014, 02:12:09 pm
content: Not that i know of, but this is a good place to start.I will update as soon as i find something.EDIT:Nope, nothing. Drill file report is ok. It has quite many different sizes but smallest is 0.3mm hole as is standard for that specific fab.

author: Rufus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2014, 03:24:31 pm
content: Quote from: markus.dnd on May 15, 2014, 01:33:43 pmThe report is about a gerber aperture file - nothing to do with drills.Your board probably has zero sized pads or tracks somewhere or something that rounds down to zero.

author: tszaboo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2014, 03:36:49 pm
content: I'm thinking the same, something must be 0 size. You should check the board design for this, use the PCB list, that is really the only way (V W P L on the PCB view).

author: markus.dnd
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 15, 2014, 03:47:09 pm
content: Ok, I tested the function on my hobby projects. I wonder how I have not heard of this before.Anyway, since I am not at work anymore I can continue on this problem tomorrow.

author: markus.dnd
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 16, 2014, 10:38:38 am
content: I have still found nothing.The factory said that the problem is double aperture. They also said that they fixed the problem. I still am clueless.Will continue research on this to find the actual reason for the problem.Thank you guys for replying. I have learned quite few things about altium by now.

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 18, 2014, 03:15:23 pm
content: Double aperture means you have two vias or two pads stacked on top of each other.And CAM350 ? No serious board house uses that crap.

author: DerekG
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 19, 2014, 01:59:02 am
content: Quote from: free_electron on May 18, 2014, 03:15:23 pmCorrect. Remember this can also happen if you're a bit sloppy designing a library component. Altium sometimes needs a screen refresh (F5) to actually display everything placed on the board. Without the screen refresh, you may lose some items that make up a component (on the screen only), thereby leading you to place another item (a 2nd pad in this case).Altium have got better at this in later versions, but it is still possible. Some of this may relate to how Altium interacts with your video card of course.

author: Rufus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 19, 2014, 02:27:37 am
content: Quote from: DerekG on May 19, 2014, 01:59:02 amTwo pads or vias stacked would produce a plot with a flash the size of the larger - no issue at all. They wouldn't be happy about two holes but the sceenshot indicates a problem with the aperture file not drill file.That said a zero size aperture is the easiest thing in the world to plot with, maybe Altium will generate zero sized apertures for example when -ve mask expansion exactly tents a via and other CAM packages plot it correctly instead of barfing.

author: markus.dnd
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: May 21, 2014, 01:05:26 pm
content: For now I got the problem sorted out. Still a little mystique for me, but it works.free_electron, why would no serious board house use CAM350? As far as my board house capabilities are, they are best for the buck (locally) They can handle everything except flex pcb. Also if there are problems, I can just drive there and use their Xray machine etc-etc.