Using, Eagle 5.4.0 Light edition, I cannot edit the automatically generated solder stencil shapes on the tCream layer. I cannot group them, select them or anything.
The reason I am trying to do this is in trying to create the package for Texas Instruments TPS61042 which is a QFN with a thermal pad underneath. The recommended solder stencil is smaller than the copper pad.
I used SMD objects to create the thermal pad, this is where the problem starts because such pads forces automatic shapes on tCream. I guess the alternative is to create the thermal pad on layer 1 using Rectangle which then allows free editing on layer tCream. Is this the right way to do this? Or should I be able to freely edit the automatically generated shapes on tCream layer?
RadioRon:
“I used SMD objects to create the thermal pad, this is where the problem starts because such pads forces automatic shapes on tCream. I guess the alternative is to create the thermal pad on layer 1 using Rectangle which then allows free editing on layer tCream. Is this the right way to do this? Or should I be able to freely edit the automatically generated shapes on tCream layer?”
Using the ‘info’ tool, click on the SMD pad in question and uncheck it’s “cream” box.
You can then use the ‘rectangle’ or ‘polygon’ tool, change the tools layer to “31 tCream” and width to “0” and draw.
You can also use the tool technique above in the board editor.
But for production work, you should create the cream layer in the part’s library.
Thanks, that is an alternative I did not think of. So it seems that I have the choice of using the automatically generated tCream shapes, or creating my own using Polygon etc. There is no middle ground of editing the automatic shapes. Got it.
thanks
