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 Copper Pour issues
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gorcook

USA
4 Posts

Posted - 12 Dec 2011 :  18:56:17  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
I seem to have a great deal of trouble with copper pour. I am using V15.04 on a Windows 7 pro system. This has always been the case even on a different machine and Windows XP.
When I get a complex board and am trying to fill in with copper pours, I often get a pour that returns a "No copper area was large enough to be retained" window. This typically can be fixed by clearing an adjacent pour first, then pouring the original problem area. So the pours have some sequence dependence.
Another problem is when a pour area will have one small section filled in, but not the majority of the area.
Does this sound familiar and is there a problem with what I'm doing or any other hints?
Thanks,
G. Cook

G Cook

Iain Wilkie

United Kingdom
1015 Posts

Posted - 12 Dec 2011 :  19:50:15  Show Profile  Visit Iain Wilkie's Homepage  Reply with Quote
You can "order" your copper pours .... especially if you are using multiple pours on different nets on the same plane ...

The error is usually due to a pour which has no (or no significant) copper area, sometimes caused by not allocating a net to a particular pour.

Iain
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gorcook

USA
4 Posts

Posted - 12 Dec 2011 :  20:59:50  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Thanks Iain,
Ok, I see the order option in the shapes properties. That should be helpful and allow me to pour everything at once.

When I have problems the pours are all allocated to nets and usually work fine until I fill in other areas around them. Then the same outline and net will give me the mentioned error until I clear the offending adjacent pour.
So what's happening doesn't appear to be caused by no net assigned or too little copper area issues. It doesn't seem to matter when all the pours are done at once.
Might you have any understanding or experience with this?

In any case it makes it more difficult to put the finishing touches on a large design when all this happens.
Thanks,
Gordon

G Cook
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Iain Wilkie

United Kingdom
1015 Posts

Posted - 12 Dec 2011 :  22:40:50  Show Profile  Visit Iain Wilkie's Homepage  Reply with Quote
Hi Gordon,

Not quite sure what your problem is .... I use multiple pours an multiple layers and never really had an issue. The "order" is important when pouring multiple areas on a single layer particulary when there are "islands" of pour within a main pour. Get the order wrong and they all blend together. Only other thing to watch when pouring is to make the pour outline something like 5 thou, I have had funny results if this is set too thick.

Iain
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NilsUppsala

Sweden
7 Posts

Posted - 22 May 2012 :  11:51:53  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
I had the same problem, after two days of swearwords I removed the copper pour areas and started new. It then worked! But after a few pours the same problem. Removal and new area solved the problem again! I used a "very" old IC device taken from one old (Easy-PC 5 or so) schematic DIRECTLY via Ctrl-C- Ctrl-V. It might be the reason for the behavior? (Using EPC-14.4 now)
Keep cadding!
Nils

Nils in Uppsala
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