Chapter 4 – PCB Design Editor 51

Design Rules Checking

Before sending your design for manufacture, you must run the Design Rules Check option. This dialog contains check boxes that enable various checks to be made. The checks are made against the Spacing rules defined. This is also used to check various manufacturing rules have been obeyed.

When errors are found Error Marker letters are added to the design on the appropriate layer to help you find and correct the actual error.

 To run a Design Rules Check

Select the Design Rule Check option from the toolbar.

A dialog is displayed that allows you to control which items are included in the check. Click Check to run the DRC.

 To locate DRC error markers

After running a design rules check, you can find the error markers in the design using the Goto browser. This is available on the Interaction bar by pressing the F9 key.

When the Goto browser is displayed, from the list of available Goto options, drop the list down and Select Error.

This list is used to view all the design error makers as a sorted list. It is displayed in an 'active' browser, click to select an error, you can locate the error maker in the design. If the error marker is off the screen, it will be brought into the centre of the display so it can be seen.