How to properly layout PCB components in a pattern? Pattern tool does not work

[Anonymous]

Hello,

I am having trouble figuring out how to do something seemingly very simple, and there seems to be no resource out on the internet to show how to use the pattern tool for laying out components on a PCB document. So what is the correct way to do this? I have a very basic circuit that is a circular LED board consisting of 10 resistors and LED's. The pattern tool works on the schematic document and sketches, however I don't care about that. I need it to work for the PCB document so I can evenly distribute 10 LED's in a circular pattern on the circuit board. Every time I try and do it I get an error that says "Can't backannotate this operation. Please do this in the schematic!". See attachment pictures. I don't understand this at all. there is absolutely no reason for me to  layout the schematic symbols in a circular pattern, that is completely redundant for my purposes of a very simple LED circuit. Even doing so has no effect on the PCB document. If I break the link between the PCB and schematic, the pattern tool will magically work but then fusion will not allow me to layout any routes on the PCB, so once again it is useless. 

I am stuck on this simple task and don't know what am I doing wrong. How are you all able to layout components in a circular pattern on the PCB doc?

[rbeyerCLBSZ]

It should work the similar to the way it does in Eagle. First you have to define your components in the schematic, then in the board view you use the Pattern tool to lay them out. 

See this Eagle video and let me know if it helps, this is Eagle (and the sound quality is horrible but there is no commentary):

You may have to select the components before you use the Pattern tool, it doesn't have as many dialog options as Eagle did in the video above.

[Tehnik_spb]

Video doesn't help at all. I try many times and it looks like pattern feature in fusion 360 electronics design are totally broken. 

[panpan_fan · Accepted solution]

Hi @Tehnik_spb   @Anonymous 

I hope you are doing well. Sorry for the confusion here.

The Pattern command in Fusion Electron is a command that can array the part form 1 to 1+. So It will copy the part rather than use the existent parts. In this way, the PCB can't allow you to do it because add part can only be done in Schematic when schematic and PCB is consistent.

To Solve your problem, please try the following steps:

1. In Fusion 360 2d PCB  -> Type 'Run' in the command line to open the ULP dialog (You can also open ULP dialog by click in the menu bar Automate -> Choose RUN ULP)

2. In the ULP dialog -> Choose Component Array

3. Then the Component Array dialog will show up, then you cloud use Circular Array to finish your LED layout. Don't forget to insert the prefix/Radius/Components here

I hope it will solve your problem. If you still have any issue, please let us know. Thank you very much!

Best Regards 

Panpan Fan

[Tehnik_spb]

Thanks! This works fine. 

[panpan_fan]

Hi @Tehnik_spb 

I'm glad it helps you. If you have any problems when using Fusion 360. Please let us know. Thanks!

Hope you enjoy Fusion 360!

Best Regards 

Panpan Fan

[mathis.kolodzig]

Hey,

I'm having the same problem and the tool you showed does in fact work to arragne the objects in the array but there is no control over the relative rotation of the parts. The only option I have is to point them in the middle which is not desired. I want each part rotated by 90 degrees off from the center. Is there a way to do this without manually editing all the angles?

[jorge_garcia]

Hi @mathis.kolodzig ,

I hope you're doing well. I'm not aware of any script that will automatically rotate the parts individually but there is one thing you could try. Form a group that only contains the objects in the array. In the inspector you'll see an angle parameter. Modify it and you should see each member of the group rotate individually.

Let me know if there's anything else I can do for you.

Best Regards,

[PhilBiehl]

OK my turn. I'm building one of those clocks that have 60 LEDs arranged in a circle for seconds indication. I have a 10" diameter circular PCB and the LED footprints (from schematic) in the PCB window. When using component-array, I set it for the 60 components, arranged around a 4.75" radius, 0 to 360, and rotating footprints. When I run it the LEDs are indeed arranged in a circle with the first (or lowest reference designator) starting at the right side of the circle going counterclockwise. The LEDs should be located each at 6 degree intervals, however, it appears they are at 6.1 degree intervals. This may not seem like much of an error but it accumulates with each component until it reaches the last component (LED60) where the total error reaches 6 degrees which for me is a problem.

I have gone over the messages in this thread but nothing seems to help. In fact, when I watched the referenced video I saw the same error! Look at the top of the circle and see where the top LED is located. It is off by the same amount I'm seeing.

[panpan_fan]

Hi @PhilBiehl 

I hope you are doing well!

For the issue you meet, please set the End Angle as 354.

Then I think it will show the expected result.

Please have a try, thanks!

Regards,

Panpan Fan

[jorge_garcia]

Hi @PhilBiehl,

I hope you're doing well. @panpan_fan is right, there is a bug in the ULP now that you bring it up. Panpan could you log a ticket for this and assign it to me. I wrote this ULP and I think I could fix it without much problem.

Best Regards,

[panpan_fan]

Hi @jorge_garcia 

I have logged a ticket for you. 

Please check, thanks a lot!

Regards,

Panpan Fan

[PW_VOX]

@jorge_garcia 

Why do think that is a bug.  I suspect that is the way that the programmer intended it to work.  If, for example, you were arranging four parts in a circular pattern, you would want the first at 0 degrees and the fourth at 270 degrees. 

[jorge_garcia]

Hi @PW_VOX ,

I hope you're doing well. As the programmer of that ULP, I at least owe the user the time to investigate what's going on. Maybe I can implement an option that handles both use cases and that would cover most of the use cases.

I haven't touched it in a little while and it likely does behave as I intended but, I'm going to take a look to see if I can cover both scenarios.

Best Regards,