Favorite Interactive Via Sizes

Modified by Susan Riege on Aug 14, 2018
Contents
Other Related Resources
PCB Editor - Interactive Routing (Preferences)
Interactive Routing (Dialog)
Edit Net (Dialog)

Interactive Routing

Favorite Interactive Routing Widths (Dialog)

Parent page: PCB Dialogs

The Favorite Interactive Via Sizes dialog

Summary

This dialog provides controls to predefine your favorite via size to use when interactively routing a board using the Interactive Router.

While interactively routing, you can switch to the next available signal layer and drop a via to that layer using the * keyboard shortcut. The size of the via is taken either from your preferred via size or the applicable routing via style design rule. The former is referred to as User Choice and it is this dialog that provides the cornerstone of this feature.
When using the User Choice feature and predefined via sizes, you still have the full protection of the rules system. If a chosen predefined routing via style is outside the applicable min-max rule setting, the hole size and/or diameter will be clipped back to the minimum or maximum, whichever is appropriate.

Access

The dialog is accessed from the PCB Editor in the following ways:

  • Click the Favorite Interactive Routing Via Sizes button on the PCB Editor - Interactive Routing page of the Preferences dialog.
  • Click the Favorite Interactive Routing Via Sizes button in the Interactive Routing dialog, which is accessed while interactively routing by pressing the Tab key.

Options/Controls

  • Via Sizes List - the left-hand region of the dialog lists all currently defined favorite via sizes (the default set are shown in the image at the top of this page). Each entry consists of a name and the system units used at the time the size was created and defined. The name reflects the Diameters mode; either Simple or T-M-B (for Top-Middle-Bottom), and the defined values for Diameter(s) and Hole Size. The possible name formats are:
    • Simple <Diameter>/<HoleSize>
    • T-M-B <TopLayerDiameter>-<MiddleLayerDiameter>-<BottomLayerDiameter>/<HoleSize>

Click on an entry in the list to access controls for editing its Diameter(s) and Hole Size.

  • Via Size Definition - the right-hand region of the dialog presents the following controls for defining the size of the via currently selected in the left-hand region:
    • Diameters - use this field to choose the Diameters mode, either Simple (the via diameter is the same for all routing layers), or Top-Middle-Bottom (the via diameter can be different for the Top Layer, all internal signal layers, and Bottom Layer).
    • Hole Size - use this field to specify the size of the hole in the via.
    • Diameter - if the Diameters mode is set to Simple, use this single field to define the diameter of the via. If the Diameters mode is set to Top-Middle-Bottom, use the available fields to define the diameter of the via on the Top Layer, Middle Layer and Bottom Layer.
  • Add - click this button to add a new routing via size to the list. Use the controls on the right-hand side of the dialog to define the constraints of that size as required.
The units used for the via size will be in accordance with the the actual measurement unit employed for the board as determined by the  and  buttons in the Home | Grids and Units area of the main menus.
  • Delete - click this button to delete the currently selected via size from the list.

Using Favorite Via Sizes

An incarnation of the Favorite Interactive Via Sizes dialog is accessed when you want to change the current routing via style to one of the predefined favorites. Press Shift+V while interactively routing to access the Choose Via Sizes dialog.

The Choose Via Sizes variation of the Favorite Interactive Via Sizes dialog

Select an entry then click OK to switch to using that routing via style (in accordance with the boundaries of the applicable min-max Routing Via Style rule).

 

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