Creating a PCB layout in Proteus involves translating your electronic circuit schematic into a physical board design ready for manufacturing. This process is primarily handled within the Proteus PCB Layout software, known as ARES (Advanced Routing and Editing Software).
Here's how you typically create a PCB layout in Proteus:
The PCB layout process in Proteus generally follows the completion of the schematic design in Proteus ISIS. Once your schematic is finished and error-checked, you move to the layout phase.
1. Launching the PCB Layout Editor (ARES)
Proteus integrates the schematic capture (ISIS) and PCB layout (ARES) environments. After completing your schematic:
- You typically export the netlist or directly switch to the ARES environment from within the ISIS software. This transfer brings your component information and connectivity data into the layout tool.
2. Setting Up Your Board
In ARES, you begin by defining the physical characteristics of your PCB. As mentioned in the reference, you have options here:
- Using Default Styles: Proteus provides default board styles and layer setups that you can use directly.
- User Definition: You can also create your own user definition for the board in ARES. This allows you to specify the board dimensions, shape, number of copper layers, layer stackup, and design rules (like minimum track width, clearance, via styles, etc.) tailored to your specific project requirements and manufacturing capabilities. The reference specifically highlights this capability: "...allowing for user definition of the board in Aries [ARES]."
3. Importing the Netlist
Ensure the netlist from your schematic is loaded into ARES. This list contains all the components and how they are connected, forming the basis of your layout.
4. Component Placement
This is a critical manual step:
- Place Components: Arrange your components within the defined board outline. Consider factors like:
- Signal flow
- Heat dissipation
- Minimizing trace lengths
- Accessibility for testing or assembly
- Placement of connectors and mounting holes
5. Design Rule Checking (DRC) Setup
Before routing, set up or verify the design rules that govern clearances, trace widths, etc. These rules ensure manufacturability.
6. Routing the Connections
Routing involves drawing the copper traces that connect the pads of the components according to the netlist.
- Manual Routing: You can draw traces manually, giving you full control.
- Auto-Routing: Proteus ARES includes an auto-router that attempts to route connections automatically based on your design rules. You can run the auto-router and then manually clean up or optimize its results.
7. Adding Labels and Silkscreen
Add reference designators (like R1, C2), component outlines, logos, and other necessary information to the silkscreen layer.
8. Final Design Rule Check
Run a final DRC to catch any violations of your design rules (e.g., traces too close together).
9. Generating Manufacturing Outputs
Once the layout is complete and verified, you generate the files needed by PCB manufacturers.
- Gerber Files: These are the industry standard files that describe each layer of the PCB (copper layers, solder mask, silkscreen, etc.).
- Drill Files: These specify the locations and sizes of all holes.
- Bill of Materials (BOM): A list of all components used in the design.
By following these steps within the Proteus ARES environment, utilizing either default settings or custom user definitions for your board, you can successfully create a PCB layout from your schematic. As the reference notes, "And like the schematic you can create your own for the purposes of this design the default style... will be used allowing for user definition of the board in Aries [ARES]."
