> Thanks for all the suggestions.
> I'm sure now I'll find a way to count my SMD-Pads approximatly. Most
> propably by the "calculate" way. I don't need the exact count.
>
> Do you agree that the report reports a wrong number of Pad Paste Mask
Count?
> Or have I misunderstod something? I think a bug.
>
> Edi
>
> At 16:51 22.05.01 +0200, you wrote:
>
> >I try to find out how many SMD-pad I have in my design.
> >
> >I generated a report (Reports|Board Information|Report) for the primitivs
> >"Pad solder mask", "Pad paste mask" and "Via solder mask"
> >
> >The report:
> >
> >Specifications For 10341500.pcb
> >On 22-May-2001 at 16:41:59
> >
> > Pad Solder Mask Count
> >----------------------------------
> > 0.1016mm (4mil) 1307
> >----------------------------------
> > Total 1307
> >
> >
> > Pad Paste Mask Count
> >----------------------------------
> > 0mm (0mil) 1307
> >----------------------------------
> > Total 1307
> >
> >
> > Via Solder Mask Count
> >----------------------------------
> > 0.1016mm (4mil) 342
> >----------------------------------
> > Total 342
> >
> >Now am I a bit puzzled. Protel counts the same amount of Pad Solder and
> >Past Mask, but I have a mixed SMD/TH board. I assumed the Paste Mask
count
> >should be smaller as only SMD pad are having paste maks openings????
> >
> >Anybody an idea what's wrong?
> >
> >I need the Paste Mask cout for an offer for an Laser Stencil
> >(www.schablone.de).
> >
> >Edi
The report file is buggy in the sense that the "Pad Paste Mask" section of
this, which reports the Paste Mask Expansion value for *every* pad in the
PCB file, should arguably report these values *solely* for those pads which
are located on the outside copper layers. (A not dissimilar observation
could be made about the "Pad Solder Mask" section of the same file as well,
and to some extent, the "Via Solder Mask" section, because some vias could
be of a "buried" nature.)
However, a Solder Mask Expansion value can be set for *every* pad and
*every* via in the PCB file, and a Paste Mask Expansion value can be set for
*every* pad in the PCB file. As such, the report file is summarising these
settings for *all* pads and vias, even though these settings are of no
practical relevance for those pads and vias which can not be "imaged" on the
Solder Mask and Paste Mask layers.
Bear in mind that knowing the value of a particular pad's Solder Paste
Expansion value does not, by itself, tell you whether the corresponding pad
will be "imaged" on a Paste Mask layer though. The other factor which
determines this is the pad's dimensions, as some pads could have a Solder
Paste Expansion value of sufficiently negative magnitude to "mask" the pad
on the Paste Mask layer. So even if the "Pad Paste Mask" section of the
report file did list *just* pads on the external copper layers, it still
wouldn't necessarily match the number of pads on the Paste Mask layers. (And
don't forget about pads which might be on the Paste Mask layers themselves,
as opposed to being "imaged" on these layers.)
There is merit in the proposition that report files that can be produced by
Protel could be improved, both in what data is provided, and in the
presentation and relevance of these.
The suggestions offered previously by others will give a faster answer, but
will not necessarily provide an exact answer (and for the reasons I
described). What I suggested in my previous post will provide an exact
answer, but it is not as fast or as user-friendly as the alternative
suggestions.
Regards,
Geoff Harland.
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