Silk Screen Checks

The Silk Screen Checks action is a read-only action intended to find potential manufacturing defects in silk screen layers, and generate statistics.

The check can operate only on silk screen layers because it relies on the job matrix to find the related external copper, solder mask and drill layers against which to check. It uses the associated solder mask, external copper and drill layer to test against.

Tests

The following tests can be applied to silk screen layers.

1.      SM Clearance - reports close distances between silk screen features and solder mask clearances.

2.      SMD Clearance - reports close distances between silk screen features and SMD pads.

3.      Pad Clearance - reports close distances between silk screen features and pads.

4.      Hole Clearance - reports close distances between silk screen features and drills.

5.      Rout Clearance - reports close distances between silk screen features and rout features.

6.      Lines Width - reports line width violations and length to width ratio violations.

Limitations

Silk Screen Analysis that is run on a single-sided board, where the silk screening is at the bottom bare laminate, will exit without checking.

Attributes

A summary of Feature and Component attributes used during Silk Screen Checks is shown below:

Feature Attributes

Attribute Name

Description

.smd

This attribute should be attached to outer layer pads that are lands for SMD components. This is set by the Set SMD Attribute Cleanup Action.

.drill

This attribute is attached to hole features in drill layers. It defines the type of the drill and is used extensively during fabrication analysis.

.nomenclature

This attribute defines a feature as a nomenclature legend feature. This attribute affects the fabrication analysis by directing spacing checks between such features into a new category (Text to Text).

.pattern_fill

This attribute is attached to features that are added during a pattern fill operation, either manually or through the Copper Balance DFM action.

Result Attributes

Result Attribute

Description

dra_sm

DRA for SM clearance category

min_sm

Min value for SM clearance category

typ_sm

Typical value for SM clearance category

dra_smd

DRA for SMD pad clearance category

min_smd

Min value for SMD pad clearance category

typ_smd

Typical value for SMD pad clearance category

dra_thp

DRA for PTH pad clearance category

min_thp

Min value for PTH pad clearance category

typ_thp

Typical value for PTH pad clearance category

dra_vp

DRA for Via pad clearance category

min_vp

Min value for Via pad clearance category

typ_vp

Typical value for Via pad clearance category

dra_npthp

DRA for NPTH pad clearance category

min_npthp

Min value for NPTH pad clearance category

typ_npthp

Typical value for NPTH pad clearance category

dra_undrlp

DRA for undrilled pad clearance category

min_undrlp

Min value for undrilled pad clearance category

typ_undrlp

Typical value for undrilled pad clearance category

dra_npth

DRA for NPTH clearance category

min_npth

Min value for NPTH clearance category

typ_npth

Typical value for NPTH clearance category

dra_pth

DRA for PTH clearance category

min_pth

Min value for PTH clearance category

typ_pth

Typical value for PTH clearance category

dra_via

DRA for via clearance category

min_via

Min value for via clearance category

typ_via

Typical value for via clearance category

dra

Minimum of the following: dra_sm, dra_smd, dra_thp, dra_vp,dra_npth, dra_pth, and dra_via

min_line

Minimal width of lines

num_line

Number of lines in layer

typ_line

Typical line width