Is there any way to place a component over another component without getting a component to component error. In one instance I have a through hole component placed on the bottom layer of the board and and a small surface mount part that I want to place on the top layer. I get a Cm to Cm error when I try to place the surface mount component on the opposite side of the board as the through hole component. In another instance I have a radio that needs a surface mount RF shield to cover all of the electronics but when I place the RF Shield I am unable to move any of the components inside the RF shield footprint without getting Cm-Cm errors. How do I component over other components without getting these Placement errors?
In the case of your surface-mount or through-hole component you can use the VARIANTS feature to have a single component with two different variants, and two intances for the two differnet footprints.
In the case of the shield can I would create a footprint where the "body" area were the metal part of the shield can and then the "placement" area surrounded the "body" so that the centre of the shield can was not part of the component body area, nor placement area.
The area therefore snakes along the path that the metal wall takes and snakes back the other side.
An alternative method would be to do the shape of the shield can and then use CUT OUT to cut out the centre area.
In both case though I'd put a non-placement and non-body area in the centre with a height rule, i.e. no components over a certain height - if you're putting a lid on the shield can, which is usually the case.
The "snake" method is also useful to draw a polygon on a layer which you use for IDF output to mechancal cad software.
Thanks for the help but I can't figure it out. May I add that I can't figure it out with Push-mode enabled.
Here's one of my attempts. I want to put C2 inside the area where the RFshield is. The finished board will have about 65 parts under the can. When I have push mode enabled C2 hits the can area like a brick wall.
The can has been created as a component and for push and shove its whole area is used, so you cannot push a component outside through to its inner area. So parts will have to be placed without the push mode on.
Posted - 23 Jul 2014 : 16:16:38
SHIELD_EXAMPLE.pfp