What's Good About Allegro Router and ARKs? You’ll need the SPB16.3 Release to See!

22 Dec 2010 • 1 minute read

The SPB16.3 release of Allegro PCB Router is now aligned with Allegro PCB Editor's approach for verifying mechanical hole objects.

Antipad as Route Keepout (or ARKs)

The Antipad as Route keepout option can be enabled in pad_designer:

The ARK on option is translated to a SPECCTRA dsn file as shown in example below:

(padstack PAD125
   (plating nonplated)
   (ark on)
   (type thrupad)

The new behavior of Allegro PCB Router with respect to mechanical holes can be described as:

1. When the Antipad Keepout Behavior is enabled
AND
Antipad geometry is defined for that layer
THEN
Antipad Geometry of mechanical pin is used as keepout defining area for the check.

2. When the Antipad geometry is undefined
OR
is smaller than the drill diameter
THEN
the drill hole check is executed employing the drill hole diameter plus the provided design level mechanical spacing value to evaluate spacing violations.

3. When the Antipad Keepout Behavior is disabled, the mechanical antipad keepout constraint check is suppressed. Only a conventional PIN/VIA to element check is performed as follows:
a. If a regular pad is undefined, the drill-hole check will be executed employing the drill-hole diameter with the provided nhole spacing value to evaluate spacing violations.
b. In cases where regular pad definitions exist and the drill-hole diameter is smaller than the defined regular pad geometry, the drill-hole constraint check will be suppressed and the pad will be checked using the appropriate clearance.

I look forward to your feedback on this capability!

Jerry "GenPart" Grzenia