[PCB_FORUM] Re: Strange solder paste mask creation... how to??

  • To: <icu-pcb-forum@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Wed, 17 Nov 2004 11:55:03 -0800


Gene,

If you don't' care if all the "little" shapes are connected, then you
can make a .ssm (shape symbol) with whatever topology you want and then
call it in your 'slug' padstack. The only thing with an .ssm is that it
can only be one shape so you would need to draw all the little shapes
with 'trails' connecting them.

Hope this helps,

Natalie DeGennaro
Tool Design Engineer
Intel

The content of this message is my personal opinion only and although I
am an employee of Intel, the statements I make here, in no way represent
Intel's position on the issue, nor am I authorized to speak on behalf of
Intel on this matter.
 

-----Original Message-----
From: MAILER-DAEMON@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:MAILER-DAEMON@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] 
Sent: Wednesday, November 17, 2004 11:42 AM
To: icu-pcb-forum@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [PCB_FORUM] Strange solder paste mask creation... how to?? 

OK here is one for the group...  

We work with some rather strange shaped parts in the RF world... things
that are built the way they are built, due to physics, not some IPC or
JEDEC suggested "standard" footprint. (you digital folks are lucky...  )


These footprints often have large odd shaped center "slugs" in the
middle of the package that needs to be soldered for RF ground and
heatsink reasons.  Rather than put an equal amount of solderpaste on the
slug (in other words a 1:1 solderpaste "pad" equal to the component
"pad") we have found that smaller solder paste shapes work better... the
part will then not "float" on the huge center pad, which can cause the
outer, smaller pads to not solder correctly.  Making smaller solder dots
and stripes on the center "slugs" roughly the same size as the other
connection pads works best.  

Well, the problem with this is defining what ends up as several "pads"
for pastemask verses one (odd shaped) "pad" for the slug.  

It looks as though the best solution, at this point, is to put the paste
mask on a new subgroup layer:  package geometry pastemask_top and
pastemask_bottom...  this permits us to add any unusual hourglass
shapes, dots or stripes, or whatever as recommended by the manufacture
as needed.

I am just wondering, are there any other better solutions? 

Gene Carman
gcarman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
-----------------------------------------------------------
To subscribe/unsubscribe: 
        Send a message to icu-pcb-forum-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
        with a subject of subscribe or unsubscribe

To view the archives of this list please login at
//www.freelists.org. Our list name is icu-pcb-forum
or go to //www.freelists.org/archives/icu-pcb-forum/

Problems or Questions:
        Send an email to icu-pcb-forum-admins@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Want to post a job listing ?  DON'T DO IT HERE!  
Better yet, join our jobs listing forum.

SUBSCRIBE:  icu-jobs-forum-subscribe@xxxxxxxxxx
POST:       icu-jobs-forum@xxxxxxxxxx
-----------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------
To subscribe/unsubscribe: 
        Send a message to icu-pcb-forum-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
        with a subject of subscribe or unsubscribe

To view the archives of this list please login at
//www.freelists.org. Our list name is icu-pcb-forum
or go to //www.freelists.org/archives/icu-pcb-forum/

Problems or Questions:
        Send an email to icu-pcb-forum-admins@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Want to post a job listing ?  DON'T DO IT HERE!  
Better yet, join our jobs listing forum.

SUBSCRIBE:  icu-jobs-forum-subscribe@xxxxxxxxxx
POST:       icu-jobs-forum@xxxxxxxxxx
-----------------------------------------------------------

Other related posts: