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Need Help with power planes in Orcad PCB Designer 16.3

robrmcc

I have a problem with power planes in Orcad Designer 16.3.  I am pretty sure I know what I did wrong but I don't know how to fix it.  I created a board with 2 layers.  Part way through I decided to add ground and power planes.  I did this with the stackup editor.  Everything there seems fine.  So I finished the board.  I can view the two power planes okay, I poured them with the thermal reliefs and that all looks good too. Problem is the S/W does not seem to know they are there for some purposes.  When I try to do the gerber artwork I only have films for the top and bottom layers.  I also get some errors that make me think the layers are not being seen in the DRC.  I am sure I just have to set something somewhere or edit a file but I don't know where or what.  I am also working on a 4 layer board which I set up from scratch as a 4 layer board and it seems fine.

Help anyone??  Please don't tell me I have to start over again with a 4 layer tech file or template.

Thanks, Rob McC

  • eDave
    Hi Rob, Did you remember to add the artwork films when you added the etch layers? Manufacture/Artwork/Film control. Dave
  • robrmcc
    When I go there, under Available Films I have Top and Bottom only, no inner layers.  Do I have to add them in here somehow?  I can't see how to do that.  Under Add button I have nothing I don't know what to do with that.

    Thanks for any help you can provide.

    Rob McC
  • Prasanna

    Don't use Add button in the artwork window.

    Under Film Control tab Just right click on Top or Bottom folder (which contains subclasses), then select Add.

    By doing this it will add one more folder under that and you can rename it as power planes name. Expand the new folder structure by clicking + mark beside that. remove unwanted subclasses using right click option. To add subclasses, right cleck on any subclass and select add. ( For adding subclass, Do not right click on folder and add, this will create one more folder). Then add required power plane subclasses. After finishing both planes, right click on the folder and select Display for Visibility. This shows only selected layer over the board. Using this you can check your power planes fdetails over the board. if you miss anything on any layer just add related subclass to that folder using right click option.

     Hope this helps.

    Regards,

    Prasanna

  • robrmcc
    Thank you, this seems to have cleared up the problem, much appreciated.

    One other issue.  II had to route three short traces in the power plane.  When I do a "Dangling Lines" report it reports the short traces and vias on the top layer as dangling vias.  Is there any way to eliminate this issue?

    Thanks,

    Rob McC
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