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Date: Mon, 19 Mar 2012 04:37:20 -0400
From: Dave McGuire <mcguire AT neurotica DOT com>
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To: geda-user AT delorie DOT com
Subject: Re: [geda-user] soldermask and edge connectors
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On 03/19/2012 04:30 AM, David Griffith wrote:
>>>>> I'm trying to make an edge connector footprint. First, I want to
>>>>> make sure that the soldermask is clear of the fingers except at the
>>>>> root where traces connect.
>>>>
>>>> Do the connector footprint with two pads per finger. Reduce mask size
>>>> of one pad to zero vie the command line interface.
>>>
>>> I tried this and the result was soldermask going everywhere but the
>>> finger. I want the entire area where the fingers are clear of
>>> soldermask. I can do that by increasing the mask clearance, but I get
>>> scalloped edges.
>
> I think I garbled myself with this one. When I converted the buffer to
> an element, I then changed the pins from round to square. This cured the
> problem of scalloped edged of soldermask. I still have a problem with
> the need to cover part of the fingers with soldermask. There's also an
> issue with soldermask. Two fingers are longer than the rest, extending
> to the very edge of board whereas the other fingers are set back
> slightly. How can I make sure the empty area between the fingers and the
> edge is kept clear of soldermask?

   This is just an off-the-wall idea, but would it make sense to use an 
unused layer, place a polygon on it, tell pcb to clear the soldermask 
around that polygon, and then just don't use that layer for anything 
else?  Make it a sort of "soldermask keep-away layer".  Then just don't 
send that gerber file to fab.

             -Dave

-- 
Dave McGuire, AK4HZ
New Kensington, PA