Carrier tape orientation?

[jesuscf]

Anybody knows what is most often considered zero degrees orientation for carrier tape? a, b, c, or d?

[Styno]

This question seems ambiguous to me. Do you want to know the tape orientation in the PnP? If so, C is the answer is you assume the machine picks from the top of the picture. If you want to know which quadrant of the pocket is the first then that depend on which ipc standard the supplier is adhering to. For a lot, e.g. passives, 0 degrees is top left quadrant. But I think I’ve seen all quadrants used. Why you ask?

[jesuscf]

Why you ask?

I am working on a simple/cheap pick and place machine using a Silhouette Curio craft cutting machine.  You can see the working progress here:



Now I am adding part rotation using a micro-servo (attached picture).  I wanted to make sure what is 'zero' rotation for the carrier tape.  I'll just pick (a) for now and modify it later if needed.

[48X24X48X]

Usually is C. Most footprint library also follows that. In my case, that also coincides with my machine orientation.

[Kean]

Yes, I believe IPC specification is per C in your diagram.

http://ohm.bu.edu/~pbohn/__Engineering_Reference/pcb_layout/pcbmatrix/Component%20Zero%20Orientations%20for%20CAD%20Libraries.pdf

[jesuscf]

Excellent! I'll set zero degrees to option (c).

[Matt-Brown]

Slightly off topic
Orientation of components in tape and customer pick and palce files are one of my biggest issues.
I have seen pick and place files with a rotation of 360 for resistors, or 180 also. if the part is per ption c (almost always 100% are) and the board is in the same orientation then have 0 in the pacik and place file. Then we get to sit23-3 packages. the center lead is usually (depending on the option of the taping you buy) will have the center lead toward C sprocket holes. Customers pick and place will almost always use pin 1 though ( lower right away from sprocket).

[SMTech]

Slightly off topic
Orientation of components in tape and customer pick and palce files are one of my biggest issues.
I have seen pick and place files with a rotation of 360 for resistors, or 180 also. if the part is per ption c (almost always 100% are) and the board is in the same orientation then have 0 in the pacik and place file. Then we get to sit23-3 packages. the center lead is usually (depending on the option of the taping you buy) will have the center lead toward C sprocket holes. Customers pick and place will almost always use pin 1 though ( lower right away from sprocket).

Technically the rotation value in the pick and place file should follow the IPC standard for component zero rotations in CAD, these may in some cases align with how they are presented in tape but tape alignment has IIRC two competing standards (yay!). While some machines do link part rotation relative to how it is presented to the machine (which is very annoying), most modern systems instead store two numbers for a given part, for the tape and the placement, relative to the CAD defined zero. By doing it that way, it doesn't make all your files wrong if you switch from tape to a tube for instance which would rotate an SOIC through 90degrees.