Creation of footprints with irregular shaped pads

Updated 4-5-2005 J. Marketos Separate note: For coverage of how to create your own custom footprint folders, and how to create your own custom footprints, see other posts: how to create a custom footprint folder http://forum.eagleware.com/viewtopic.php?t=1460 how to create custom footprints http://forum.eagleware.com/viewtopic.php?t=1461 The above links cover the basics for how to create basic custom footprints. The text that follows below offers discussion on advanced use of footprints with irregular pad shapes and how they are viewed by the EM analysis. The discussion that follows is really only important if EM analysis is planned. If the only desire is to create footprints for the purpose of exporting a Gerber image, then one need not adhere to the specific footprint rules- anything is acceptable so long as it produces the desired output image for Gerber, etc. It is prudent in the vast majority of cases to understand and adhere to the rules for creation of a footprint because very often the desire is to capture the footprint effect in EM analysis- if not immediately, the need usually arises eventually. Lets begin with a quick review of the difference between regular metal and pads: Regular metal is drawn in layout by using any of the red drawing icons to the left of the EM Port icon. Pads are drawn in layout by using the Pad icon, which exists to the left of the yellow ruler icon. (This is often missed because the Pad icon is round and can be overlooked by someone wishing to draw a square or rectangular pad. Once placed, the Pad entity allows the user to specify round or X-Y dimensions) The bottom line is: In order for the metal area in a footprint to be seen by the EM discretizer, the metal area must consist of a pad, and must have an EM port placed on it. In a footprint, metal area thats composed of regular metal wont be detected by the discretizer even if it is combined with a pad and an EM port. What the EM interpreter is seeing (ie. how the structure is being digitized) can be viewed by looking at the listing file in the EM simulation. (Typically, right-click EM1 and choose show listing file).

1) To start, lets view the EM listing file of an SMD device connected with a short length of transmission line on each side. This is the default 1206 SMD inductor.

EM ports 1 and 2 can be seen at the far left and right. The profile of the SMD pads can be seen, and the cosimulation linking to the SMD device itself shows up as item a, between the two SMD pads. The footprint was constructed (properly) using pads, with an EM port on each pad. This is proper setup and will operate properly in the simulation environment. (Technically, a single port has two electrical connection nodes).

2) Next, lets look at the result when a footprint is constructed improperly, using metal rectangles instead of pads.

Note that the footprint appears correctly in the layout, but the EM simulation has trouble because the entities that should represent the SMD mounting areas are not picked up by the discretizer. An open circuit results.

3) To illustrate the idea of pads are seen, but regular metal is not, consider a further experiment: A footprint was constructed properly using two pads of

identical size, then the pad on the right was augmented in size by placing a regular area of metal around it. Note the difference between what is seen in the layout versus what the discretizer sees; the discretizer sees only the pads.

4) In a footprint, a pad must also have a corresponding EM port on it, in order to be seen. To illustrate this, consider the image below. View the layout. Note that the right-hand portion of the footprint is composed of three square metal

areas (they are pads). In the footprint, of those three pads on the right side, only the upper most and the lower right pad have EM ports on them. The lower left pad (on the right side of the footprint) has no EM port on it. Consequently, the pad without the EM port is not seen by the discretizer.

Note that the footprint above contains 3 EM ports. If it were linked to a component (from the schematic) that had only two connection nodes, a warning message would result that identified recognition of the difference, with an indication that Genesys will leave the remaining port unloaded. (Ports are used in ascending numerical order). In such an instance, as in the vast majority of such instances, leaving the unused port unloaded is exactly the desired approach.

5) Following from item 4, lets progress to making a footprint with irregular shape

The right side of the footprint (viewed in layout) consists of three pads.

6) Lets do one more exercise, now with two EM ports on the same pad

Footprint shown in the layout above was constructed using a total of only two pads, with the pad on the right side being dimensionally larger. In this footprint, the (larger) pad on the right side has two EM ports placed on it (hence the source of the two green dots). Note that the listing file sees only one EM port on the right-side pad; The discretizer sees only the EM port placed at the geometric center of the pad (the green dot). Even when making a conventional footprint with two pads and two ports, the EM ports must be placed at the geometric centers of the pads (green dots). In summary- Its possible to create footprints with arbitrary metal shapes. For registration in EM analysis, the metal contained in a footprint must be comprised solely of pads, and each pad must have an EM port on it. For even more arbitrary shapes, simple metal rectangles, arcs and polygons can be used, but these wont be recognized for EM simulation (however they will be exported in Gerber images, etc.) Depending on specific application, it may be perfectly acceptable to form footprints with pads augmented by more specific polygonal metal shapes, acknowledging that the additional metal will present only minor effects for EM analysis.