Paste mask not updated correctly from pattern editor to PCB

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mpaalanen
Posts: 47
Joined: 21 Jul 2010, 10:05

Paste mask not updated correctly from pattern editor to PCB

#1 Post by mpaalanen » 23 Jan 2022, 23:10

I have created a footprint for a Würth 3670223 EMI shield enclosure, with an open solder mask and a segmented paste mask. The resulting footprint appears to be OK in the pattern editor.
I then associate the footprint with a component - no issues there. Then use the component in a schematic that is turned into a PCB, so far so good.

However, when i verify the gerbers to be exported, the shield footprint solder mask is NOT segmented but continuous. This will not work with a normal style stencil as there would be no support for the central part of the mask.
Whatever i do, the segmentation never appears in the final gerber regardless of what i see in pattern editor. I can modify and refresh the component, or attach the patterrn directly, always with the same incorrect result.

I have imported the actual solder pad as a DXF file where the pad is a track-like shape with the track ends almost touching (i.e. the shape is NOT 2 concentric rings). This kind of shape turns into a pad with no problems and there is no issue with winding. So, apparently everything works in the pattern editor but the result is not carried correctly to PCB editor.

Should this be done in some other way or is there a bug somewhere?
Attachments
Wurth-3670223_gerber_preview.png
Wurth-3670223_gerber_preview.png (11.71 KiB) Viewed 524 times
Wurth-3670223_paste_mask.png
Wurth-3670223_paste_mask.png (16.02 KiB) Viewed 524 times

mpaalanen
Posts: 47
Joined: 21 Jul 2010, 10:05

Re: Paste mask not updated correctly from pattern editor to PCB

#2 Post by mpaalanen » 24 Jan 2022, 01:24

UPDATE: When i insert the pattern on a newly created, empty PCB, the resulting solder mask is correct!
I need to investigate more to ensure that my original PCB doesn't have some other issues that cause the apparent error.

mpaalanen
Posts: 47
Joined: 21 Jul 2010, 10:05

Re: Paste mask not updated correctly from pattern editor to PCB

#3 Post by mpaalanen » 24 Jan 2022, 01:35

OK, mystery solved. The EMI shield needs to be grounded and doing that causes the copper fill to flood the segment gaps. For some reason this affects the paste mask so that segmantation disappears. I may be able to solve this by tweaking keepouts or something.

Update:
Nope, that was not it. Looks like the pattern simply does not update. The only thing that worked was to delete the component from the schematic and re-insert another instance. Luckily there are no traces related to this one so it was easy.
Byt maybe DT developers would like to look into this, there seems to be a definite bug-ish behavior here.

Tomg
Expert
Posts: 2028
Joined: 20 Jun 2015, 07:39

Re: Paste mask not updated correctly from pattern editor to PCB

#4 Post by Tomg » 24 Jan 2022, 03:03

Play around with the component's solder mask swell setting to see if that helps. As for the update process, this thread may provide some insight into how DipTrace handles mask changes - viewtopic.php?f=9&t=13927&p=30192
Tom

mpaalanen
Posts: 47
Joined: 21 Jul 2010, 10:05

Re: Paste mask not updated correctly from pattern editor to PCB

#5 Post by mpaalanen » 24 Jan 2022, 08:11

I did that and tweaked all the other settings as well. That did not help at all. Even very small reductions in the mask size caused the whole thing to collapse so that nothing was produced, or a couple of mask fragments in the corners.
In the end i got the impression that component refresh in the schematic did not work here, although it normally does . Only when i replaced the component with itself did it work.

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