Re: [PROTEL EDA USERS]:More trouble with P99SESP5 and gerber read back

[Jon Elson <jmelson@artsci.wustl.edu>]

Tony Karavidas wrote:

> OK, now I've generated my gerbers and I've read them back in using gerber
> batch into a blank PCB file. The layers look fine, BUT the 'Bottom Pad
> Master' is coming back in on some screwball 'InternalPlane11 ((NoNet))'
>
> Isn't that odd!???!?! That layer didn't even exist before I read in the
> gerbers.

Well, a pad master is not really a PC board layer, it is just a drawing.
and, there needs to be space for more than one, in the case of buried/blind
vias.  So, it is not surprising that the drawing comes up on a strange, unused
layer.  I've never used pad masters or drill guide drawings.  None of the
board shops I use has any need for such a drawing, as everything is better
specified by the Gerber plot specifically made for that layer.  Pad master
drawing were used for manual 'bombsighting' of the hole locations and for
'bleeding' the pad sizes for solder mask layers.  It is a great relief that
these processes are no longer done, even by garage operations.

I turn all these unneeded plots off to reduce confusion.

Jon