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ican7 , 12-21-2016, 09:39 AM

HI Everybody. I am having problem setting up clerances for each polygons connecting to different voltages. How do I go about it ? Altium keeps ignoring the rules I set for each polygons. I use ''belongs to polygon'' command and choose the net its connected. I also set the priorities but no use....I have 24V,5V and GND.( I am not using a ground or power plane) Its a 2 layers prototype board.

robertferanec , 12-21-2016, 02:28 PM

Please, could you add screenshots of your rules? I think, normally I use "IsPoly" (old altium) or "IsRegion" (new altium), but the best is always to test it.

ican7 , 12-21-2016, 02:57 PM

Hi Robert what are you referring to with the 'IsRegion' command on the second object matches box? Also Is PWR the name of your polygon?

robertferanec , 12-21-2016, 05:11 PM

"IsRegion"-> IsRegion = Polygon to Polygon

'L5 (PWR)' is layer name. The rule applies on all polygons on specific layer.

For your specific case you will need to update it, but "IsRegion" is probably the key word which you will need to use in the rule. In your case it may look like this:

ican7 , 12-21-2016, 05:37 PM

It didin't work Robert. I must be doing something wrong.Here are my screenshots.

robertferanec , 12-21-2016, 06:34 PM

What exactly doesn't work? Could you zoom in the part of PCB which is wrong, so we can see the polygons and net names (same as I did in my screenshot, you can clearly see, that between PHASE_1V375 and +1V375 polygons is bigger gap 0.2mm comparing to polygon vs track, that is 0.1mm gap).

BTW: you rules look unusual, you may be missing a general clearance rule All - All.

ican7 , 12-22-2016, 04:21 AM

Robert please see the pictures before and after the GND polygon. As you will see the polygon for +5V net is missing after I pour GND . I also added a general clerance rule but no use still...

robertferanec , 12-22-2016, 12:22 PM

How do you create the polygons, are they on top of each other?

If yes, you may need to create a cut out (a hole inside the GND polygon) for the 5V polygons.

ican7 , 12-22-2016, 12:41 PM

Yes there are some +5V polygons through out the board and on top of them there is a Ground polygon. .. Ill do the cut outs. By the way do I need to name each +5V polygons seperately or is it ok to keep them with the same name ?

robertferanec , 12-22-2016, 12:52 PM

I do not really name polygons - so I am not sure if you can use same names. Only what is important is the net where it is connected.

ican7 , 12-22-2016, 01:34 PM

I used the cut outs and selected copper then It kind of worked. But I can't still manipulate the clerances independently. I also got an error on one of the cut out as there are two ground vias inside it connecting a large cap to the bottom ground but Altium doesn't create clearance around the vias. Please see the picture.

robertferanec , 12-23-2016, 10:42 AM

How did you setup the ALL-ALL clearance rule? Play with its priority.

ican7 , 12-23-2016, 10:55 AM

Still not doing anything. I am just wondering how did you create that polygon in the picture for the 28 pins project. Its surrounded by ground polygon with a proper clearance and its also showing in the polygon manager as a polygon. Using cut outs? If so how ? the ones that I created didn't show in the polygon manager and not behaving as the usual polygon.

robertferanec , 12-23-2016, 11:55 AM

Yes, this small polygon is done through cutout. If you have downloaded the 28pins, you can click through it. There is nothing special:
1) Create big GND
2) Create cutout in the GND
3) Draw +5V/3V3 polygon inside the cutout

ican7 , 12-23-2016, 11:59 AM

I just noticed this reply Robert thank you it works now.

robertferanec , 12-23-2016, 12:05 PM

Is not your polygon too small? When you double click on a polygon, double settings in "Remove Islands Less Than XYZ". Try uncheck this option or make the XYZ smaller.

ican7 , 12-24-2016, 07:01 AM

HI Robert I am still having problem with the polygon within polygon. I followed the steps you have outlined above but I still cannot pour a +5V polygon inside the ground polygon. Altium doesn't let me poor a polygon in the cut region. I am using altium 16.1 by the way.

robertferanec , 12-25-2016, 06:34 PM

Did you try it on 28Pins? Did it work?

am just trying to figure out if there is something unusual in you board/project or it is something more generic (e.g. settings or a bug (?))

ican7 , 12-26-2016, 05:29 AM

Hı Robert I actually found the problem. It was because of the buggy Altium. After I reinstalled it the rules I set worked correctly and Altium set the proper clearances for each polygons. But I am still wondering though How can you draw a polygon in a region where you place cut outs..By the way Is Cadance Orcad more stable than Altium? The Altium designer crashed on me many times with an error called AVDCPP.dll and sometimes when I delete a polygon its still visible on the board and many other weird problems.I am waiting for your Orcad course please make it available soon.

robertferanec , 12-28-2016, 03:38 PM

Hi @ican7. I added comment to my old answer. Actually I do not use cutout when I need to place a polygon inside another polygon (maybe that is not possible(?)). In case of drawing polygon inside of polygon, the priority (go to PCB: Tools -> Polygon Pours -> Polygon Manager) is important (let Altium draw the small polygon first and then the big one, or the other words, keep priority of the small polygon higher than priority of the big polygon) - see the picture below. PS: Very often Altium crashes when it doesn't like something - so it keeps crashing on the same thing until you correct the thing in your PCB or until you do not find a different way how to do it (or until you do not upgrade and get new bunch of bugs

ican7 , 01-10-2017, 02:21 PM

) I see..so I better keep the old version too then. Thank you for the above tip about the priorities. Now I see..