Connect traces to planes

beginners
1

I would like to create a custom shaped “copper plane” that i can then use as a “bus”, that will have traces terminated to the bus along its length. I’ve had success using the copper blocker feature to create the ‘bus plane’ by trapping the fill between blocked zones, but i cannot figure out how to route traces to the plane along its length. I do see the red dot in the corner of the plane, and i can connect to that. Is this the only place i can connect to the plane? I could add a via, but that seems odd, since i really dont need a hole, i just need connections to the copper fill at a convienient locations. Perhaps there is another feature i need to add in combination with the copper fill?

Thanks Chip

2

Yep, that is the way you do it… You can set the “connect to” N, E, W, S, and center… You can also drag the trace through the copper plane and come out any where you want, the trace and copper plane all blends in…

EDIT: Not sure if you were calling the copper pad or copper fill the copper plane… The copper pad you can set to N, E, W, S, and center…

3

Thanks for the advice. I was referring to a copper fill as a plane. So the workflow would be to drop a ‘copper pad’ onto the pcb, size it as a long rectangle to mimic my bus. Where i’m a bit fuzzy is how to run traces to it along its length. I can edit where the single connection point is (N,S,E,W). i wasnt aware the trace would connect to a plane/pad by dragging a trace thru an existing pad. does that work even if i dont terminate the trace to the NSEW connector point of the pad? Does dragging a trace thru an existing copper fill have the same connection behavior?

Chip

4

Yep, copper is copper… it is just all one layer, it does not make any difference if it is a pad or fill… if it connects in the view then it will connect when fabricated. WYSIWYG…

5

You don’t necessarily have to connect to the pad. You can run the trace normally and put a pad on top of it, or put via at each end and connect with a trace set to it’s maximum 128mil.

6

Very much appreciate the advice in these replies. Very helpful indeed.