Panel with Eagle

[John80]

I want to make my first PCB panel using Eagle. Until now I was only producing no-panelized PCBs but now I thing it's time to make the first panel. (My preferred manufacturer is PCBCart).

As far as I know after the final design of the PCB I have to select all layers and then runt the panelize.ulp. Then I am copying the full PCB and I am placing it in a new *.brd file as many times as I want (for example 4 times in the X axis and 5 in the Y axis).

If I want to use only v-scoring between the PCBs I’m just using a tDocu layer or a tTest layer in order to draw the lines where the v-scoring will be (and the manufacturer will recognize this and make the lines) or I have to do something else? Do I have to use a special layer for those lines? Do I have to make somehow with an ulp (or any other library / technique) the V-Scoring by myself?

As for PCBCart, they need any special guidance or any special need in order to make a panel with them?

[free_electron]

you need to find out how wide the score actually is , and how far you need to keep the copper away from the cut line.
they will NOT score through copper as it dulls the blade ...

the typical clearnace aroudn the score is 10 mils as tfor the score width thatcan be 15 to 25 mils.

Code: [Select]




==--  --==
    \ /

    / \
==--   --==

= : copper and pcb
- : pcb only

-- : distance = 10 mils

\ to / distance : 15 to 25 mils


the blade has a 45 degree angle. the board is 62 thick so a scoe of 35 mils cuts slightly over half the board thickness ( 1/4 top and 1/4 bottom )

[John80]

Thanks for the reply free_electron!

So, I just have to say to the PCB manufacturer to use v-scoring between the PCBs. I will have in mind the info that you gave me.

Any other considerations that I should know? 

[Pack34]

Is there typically a price break when ordering by panel instead of by board? Or is the main benefit is with assembly?

[John80]

I was watching this video the other day EEVblog #239
and around 33:13 and latter Dave says that we adding panelization information for the manufacturer. Those informations are in the mechanical layer just as drawing lines and nothing more. I was thinking that somehow there is a special technique to design the v-grouvings or routing for the panel. Something like a drawing tool that you can specify from the CAD software the distances and the depths of the scorings etc... and all of those informations are transmitted somehow at the gerber files and you don't have to inform the manufacturer about anything

It seems that there is not tool like that and by using any CAD software you just have to draw lines at a layer that is recognisable by the manufacturer. After that you just telling him that those lines a v-grouving or routing or any combinations of those and thats all. Is that correct?