Contents
What is a PCB polygon pour?
Polygon pours are used to create a solid or hatched (lattice) area on a PCB layer. Also referred to as copper pours, polygon pours are used to fill irregularly shaped areas of a board, automatically pouring around existing objects, connecting only to objects on the same net as the polygon pour.
How do you split a polygon in Altium?
Polygon Pour Cutout
- Click Place » Polygon Pour Cutout.
- The cursor will change to a crosshair, starting inside the boundary of the polygon.
- Move the cursor across the polygon.
- Continue to click and move the mouse to define the cutout outline.
- Right-click to exit polygon cutout placement mode.
Where to place a polygon pour in a PCB?
On a signal layer, you can place a solid polygon pour to define an area for carrying large power supply currents, or as a ground-connected area for providing electro-magnetic shielding. Hatched polygon pours are commonly used for ground purposes in analog designs. Polygon Pours can only be placed in the PCB Editor.
How are polygons defined in a PCB editor?
An alternate approach to using outlines during design changes is to Shelve the polygons, where they are retained in the PCB file, but removed from view. In Altium Designer’s PCB Editor the process of how you define any multi-sided polygonal object, such as a Solid Region, the Board Shape or a Polygon, is the same.
How to pour polygons on a PCB in Altium?
Pour Over Same Net Polygons Only – pour the polygon in free space and also pour over existing polygons that belong to the same net. Remove Dead Copper – if this option is enabled, any area of the polygon that does not include at least one connection to another net object (such as a pad or via) is automatically removed.
How are polygon pours used in copper wiring?
A Polygon Pour (Place » Polygon Pour) placed on a signal layer creates a polygonal (multi-sided) area of copper, which can either be solid or hatched. As they are poured, Polygons automatically allow for clearances around electrical objects belonging to a different net, connect to objects of the same net, and fill irregularly shaped areas.