SoloPCB Designer Users Guide

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SoloPCB Design Version 1

FABStream SoloPCB Design Users Guide


December 2012

DownStream Technologies, LLC.

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SoloPCB Design Version 1

2012-2013 DownStream Technologies, LLC. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America 2012-2013 DownStream Technologies, LLC. All rights reserved DownStream Technologies, LLC., 225 Cedar Hill Street, Marlborough, MA 01752. Trademarks: Trademarks and service marks of DownStream Technologies, LLC., (DownStream) contained in this document are attributed to DownStream with the appropriate symbol. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders. Restricted Print Permission: This publication is protected by copyright and any unauthorized use of this publication may violate copyright, trademark, and other laws. Except as specified in this permission statement, this publication may not be copied, reproduced, modified, published, uploaded, posted, transmitted, or distributed in any way, without prior written permission from DownStream. This statement grants you permission to print one (1) hard copy of this publication subject to the following conditions: 1. The publication may be used solely for personal, informational, and noncommercial purposes 2. The publication may not be modified in any way; 3. Any copy of the publication or portion thereof must include all original copyright, trademark, and other proprietary notices and this permission statement; and 4. DownStream reserves the right to revoke this authorization at any time, and any such use shall be discontinued immediately upon written notice from DownStream. Disclaimer: Information in this publication is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of DownStream. The information contained herein is the proprietary and confidential information of DownStream or its licensors, and is supplied subject to, and may be used only by DownStreams customer. DownStream does not make, and expressly disclaims, any representations or warranties as to the completeness, accuracy or usefulness of the information contained in this document. DownStream does not warrant that use of such information will not infringe any third party rights, nor does DownStream assume any liability for damages or costs of any kind that may result from use of such information

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SoloPCB Design Version 1

Contents
Chapter 1 Before you begin ................................................................................................................................. 4 Welcome ............................................................................................................................................................. 4 How to Use this Guide ......................................................................................................................................... 4 Related documentation....................................................................................................................................... 5 The SoloPCB Design User Interface ..................................................................................................................... 6 Chapter 2 Using SoloPCB Design .......................................................................................................................... 7

Starting SoloCapture and SoloPCB ...................................................................................................................... 8 Opening an existing design file or the most recently used design file ................................................................ 8 Creating a PCB design file using the PCB Wizard ................................................................................................ 9 Contact us with Defects and Enhancements ..................................................................................................... 10 Visit the SoloPCB Design Support Forums ......................................................................................................... 11 Navigating the Manufacturers or SoloPCB Design websites ............................................................................. 11 Checking for Updates ........................................................................................................................................ 12

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SoloPCB Design Version 1

Chapter 1
Welcome

Before you begin

FabStream is an integrated printed circuit board (PCB) design and manufacturing solution developed by DownStream Technologies. It is designed for small businesses, inventors, students; hobbyist and other Do-it-Yourself (DIY) electronic engineers needing a PCB designed for their project but cant justify the cost of commercial design software. At the heart of FabStream is our SoloPCB Design Software, consisting of schematic capture, PCB layout, and integrated routing. Solo PCB Design delivers unrestricted full featured capability, and supports small single sided to large 30 layer PCBs with advanced technologies. We partner with industry leading PCB manufacturers around the world to give you the largest selection of manufacturing options for your PCB project. We integrate each manufacturing partners design rules right into the software and automate the transfer of your manufacturing data to help ensure your PCBs are built without delay or defect.

How to Use this Guide


This guide is designed to make the most of the advantages of online books. The table of contents and index make it easy to find the information you need. The PDF format is easily searched. If you find printed paper helpful, print only the section you need at the time. When you want a quick reminder of a procedure, print the procedure.

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SoloPCB Design Version 1

Related documentation
In addition to this guide, you can find technical product information in FABStreams technical web site, as well as other books. The table below describes the types of technical documentation provided with SoloPCB Design.

This documentation part This Guide SoloPCB Designers Users Guide SoloCapture Users Guide SoloPCB Users Guide

Provides this A comprehensive guide for understanding and using the features available in SoloPCB Designer. A comprehensive guide for understanding and using the features available in SoloCapture A comprehensive guide for understanding and using the features available in SoloPCB A series of self-paced interactive lessons. You can practice what youve learned by going through the tutorials specially designed exercises that interact directly with SoloCapture and SoloPCB.

FABStream Tutorials

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SoloPCB Design Version 1

The SoloPCB Design User Interface


The SoloPCB Design user interface follows MS Windows 8 standards for ribbon menus and groups. The main content window is a html browser that allows you to view the SoloPCB Design website, the manufacturers website as well as other internet destinations.

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SoloPCB Design Version 1

Chapter 2 Design

Using SoloPCB

The SoloPCB Design application is your starting point for the design and fabrication of printed circuit boards. You can start a new design by invoking SoloCapture and SoloPCB from SoloPCB Design. You can also find and open existing designs. SoloPCB Design allows you to open and browse the SoloPCB Design website and the manufacturers website from within its main content window. This chapter describes how to: Starting SoloCapture and SoloPCB Browse to open a Design file or the most recent Design file. The PCB Wizard Navigating the Home Manufacturers or SoloPCB Design websites Check for Updates

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SoloPCB Design Version 1

Starting SoloCapture and SoloPCB


SoloCapture is a schematic capture front-end program with a direct interface to SoloPCB for circuit board layout. SoloPCB is a powerful printed circuit board layout tool that makes it easy to place, route and prepare printed circuit boards for fabrication.

To start SoloCapture
1. From the SoloPCB Design menu, select the SoloCapture button on the SoloApps ribbon. The SoloCapture application will appear. See the SoloCapture Users Guide for information on how to create a schematic design.

To start SoloPCB 1. From the SoloPCB Design menu, select the SoloPCB button on the
SoloApps ribbon. The SoloPCB application will appear. See the SoloPCB Users Guide for information on how to create a printed circuit board design.

Opening an existing design file or the most recently used design file
If you have already created a design you can browse to find and open that file from SoloPCB Design. You can also quickly open the most recently saved design file.

To open an existing design file 1. From the SoloPCB Design menu, select the Open button on the Files
ribbon. The File Open dialog will appear.

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SoloPCB Design Version 1

2. Browse to find and select the design file you would like to open. Select the
Open button on the dialog. SoloPCB Design will automatically open the appropriate application (SoloCapture or SoloPCB) and load the design file.

To open the most recently saved design file 1. From the SoloPCB Design menu, select the Recently Used button on the
Files ribbon. SoloPCB Design will automatically open the appropriate application (SoloCapture or SoloPCB) and load the most recently saved design file.

Creating a PCB design file using the PCB Wizard


The PCB Wizard takes the guess work out of design setup by allowing you to automatically select and setup your PCB design with your chosen Manufacturers rules pre-loaded. The PCB Wizard will guide you through the creation of a new PCB design file. The Wizard will help you to accomplish the following: Define the PCB board size, origin, and tooling locations Select a PCB technology configuration based on your chosen manufacturer that defines layers, trace widths, and spacings. Information defined in this wizard will be used to automate the PCB pricing process

To create a PCB design file using the New PCB Wizard


1. From the SoloPCB Design menu, select the PCB Wizard button on the Files ribbon. The New PCB Wizard will start. 2. On the Welcome page, review and accept the disclaimer, then select Next to continue.

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3. On the Step 1 page, specify the PCB size and units using the Form Factor Wizard, or by importing a DXF form factor, or choosing to manually create a form factor in SoloPCB. You can also enable or disable tooling holes and specify their location and size. Select Next to continue. 4. On the Step 2 page, choose a PCB technology. You can choose a Standard 2, 4, or 6 layer technology file. These Standard technology files have fixed parameters that meet the manufacturers requirements and cannot be changed. For advanced technologies, such as blind and buried or micro vias, laser drilling, controlled or matched impedence and dielectrics, gold fingers, exotic finishes, and wider choises for silkscreen and solder mask colors, use the Full Feature technologies option. Select Finish to continue. 5. Specify a file name and location. Select the Save button. SoloPCB Design will invoke SoloPCB and load the design file.

Contact us with Defects and Enhancements


You can contact us with SoloPCB Design defects or enhancement request by using the Email Defect button on the SoloPCB Design menu.

To report Defects and Enhancement requests


1. From the SoloPCB Design menu, select the Email Defect button on the FabStream ribbon. A SoloPCB Design information dialog will appear with tips on what information to provide to us. 2. After you read the tips, select OK to close the dialog. The FABStream Submit Software Defect page will appear in SoloPCB Designs main window. 3. Enter the appropriate information. Select the Submit button.

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SoloPCB Design Version 1

Visit the SoloPCB Design Support Forums


Communicate with SoloPCB Design Software users. Submit questions. Search for answers. Create your own discussion topic. Post helpful information for other users.

To visit the SoloPCB Design Support Forums


1. From the SoloPCB Design menu, select the Support Forums button on the FabStream ribbon. The FABStream Support Forums page will appear in SoloPCB Designs main window. 2. If you are a first time forum user, register so you can access the forum. If you have already registered, login.

Navigating the Manufacturers or SoloPCB Design websites


The SoloPCB Design content window is a html browser control that allows you to view the manufacturers website or the SoloPCB Design website, by using the buttons on the FABStream menu ribbon.

To view the Manufacturers website


1. From the SoloPCB Design menu, select the Home Page button on the FabStream ribbon. The manufacturers website will appear in the SoloPCB Design content window.

To view the SoloPCB Design website


1. From the SoloPCB Design menu, select the Home Page button on the FabStream ribbon. The manufacturers website will appear in the SoloPCB Design content window.

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SoloPCB Design Version 1

Checking for Updates


SoloPCB Design allows you to check to see if there is an update available on the SoloPCB Design website. If there is software newer then your installed version, SoloPCB Design will notify you and direct you to the download page.

To check for updates


1. From the SoloPCB Design menu, select the Check For Updates button on the FabStream ribbon. If there is software on the SoloPCB Design website which is newer then your installed version, SoloPCB Design will notify you and direct you to the download page.

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