Tutorial For PCB Design On The Use Of “Solder Mask Ink” And “Solder Mask Opening” Distinction

With regard to the point of “solder mask ink” and “solder mask opening” (the difference between VIA and PAD usage), many customers and design engineers often ask what this means when placing orders on the system, which option should I choose for my document?

Here is the explanation of this issue as follows:

Often encounter such problem, serious is not standard, design is simply can’t distinguish the pad, it is via usage, sometimes properties of conductive hole with pad, insert key hole and sometimes use via attributes, via properties and pad design chaos, cause error processing, this also is often one of the problems, complaints for the circuit board factory, in addressing the CAM data, some processing film engineer, because the customer is not standard, design documents and throwing, help customer to modify files, do non-standard design, with its experience to handle the engineering data,

This will lead to and promote the customer’s design is not standard, XPCB is hereby stated: the last time you do right, does not mean that your file is right!

All engineers must pay attention to the design standards and specifications!

XPCB will once again strictly require all processing film engineers, as far as possible to keep the customer file status!

As far as possible to do according to the design specification and standard processing, not according to the so-called experience processing!

To reflect the problem, so that you can give the design engineers to do a reference, improve the design quality and reduce the occurrence of problems!

This article mainly explains the connection between the conductive hole, keyhole, and Protel/Pads/and Geber files.  Conductive hole: VIA keyhole: Pad is particularly prone to several problems:

First, Pad and VIA used together, resulting in a problem.

When your file is pads or protel sent to the factory, asked hole cover oil, be sure to note that you have to carefully examine your plug-in (pad) is also useful to the via hole, otherwise your plug-in holes on the meeting also on green oil which can lead to can’t welding sticking point: the plugin hole to affirmation is to spray tin above, how do you cover oil, how do I use, in saying this you please check the file, use pad design or via design!

When your file is pads or protel send the file to the factory, the order is a hole cover oil, there are a lot of customers with pad (plugin hole) to represent the conductive hole, resulting in conductive hole open the window, you may have what you want is oil hole cover, then maybe sticking point is that I want is conductive hole cover oil, why to open a window, then please check your file design!

XPCB to this point, again as follows, if you are VIA press VIA processing, if it is PAD press PAD processing! Because no one will know you that is the conductive hole, that is the plug-in hole, and the VIA and PAD are the only identification, please clear!

In the process of VIA conversion, the design is not standard or you are not clear about the conversion gerber setting rules, which leads to problems. When you send Gerber files, the factory cannot tell which ones are through holes and which ones are key holes, and the only thing that can be identified is processing according to the files, which helps the solder layer and then opens the window! Sticking point: I’m going to the hole cover oil, you open the window for me now, I could lead to short circuit, then please check your file, you have the gerber file is film, the factory is no way to check your conductive hole or keyhole, please check the gerber file, isn’t it help to weld layer, so just open the window, if not cover oil three, how to design had holes in the protel or pads cover oil! This is the most standard approach, if the design standard, it will not be wrong!

In protel via properties have a tenting option, if ticked up, the oil must be covered so you turn out to is all cover oil, in pads, the pads file is to via (via) cover oil methods: as long as the check when output soldermask or layer resistance welding and solder mask top – via below, on behalf of all via open the window, no check the hole cover oil to summarize: If you provide the original file, you will be allowed to choose when placing the order. If you provide the Gerber file, please check whether the Gerber file meets your requirements.