I’m trying to create a board that will use an Arduino Mega2560 as the microprocessor for various other circuits and input and output devices. I’m going to physically mount the Mega2560 on female pin header sockets, so it will be up about 1cm above the board.
I’d like to place components in the area between the two 2xXX rows of headers, underneath the Mega2560 board. I used the symbol and footprint of a Clone_Mega2560_Pro_Socket on my board.
Whenever I try to move components in the PCB editor between the pins of the Mega2560, it turns red, telling me that components can’t be located in the ‘keep-out’ area of the Mega2560, I think.
Is there any way to get around this? I can go back and replace the symbol and footprint for the Clone_Mega2560_Pro_Socket with individual 2xXX headers, and name the pins the same as the Mega footprint. Is this the way to go? Does there already exist a symbol and footprint for the sockets for a Mega2560 (I was kind of led to expect that that was what I was getting when I chose this symbol)?
it turns red, telling me that components can’t be located in the ‘keep-out’ area of the Mega2560
yes, this is the purpose of this “red shadow”. But this is only a “hint”, you are free to ignore this. Despite the “overlapping courtyard” shadow you still can place the desired components beneath your Arduino daughter board.
Additionally you can:
disable Preferences–>pcb editor–>Editing options–>Show courtyard collisions during drag/move
disable “conflicting courtyard shadows” in the appearance panel–>objects section
Be prepared that later the DRC also has a special check for courtyard errors. In your case it could be useful to turn off that DRC check also
You can also edit the courtyard (in your copy of the footprint) to be only around the two rows of pins thus allowing you to place other footprints in between. It’s then up to you to ensure the components underneath the Arduino are not too tall.
I agree with the other bald engineer and the old cat.
You are not mounting the Arduino on the PCB. You are mounting the Arduino onto rows of pins. Your PCB design should show what is mounted to the board, not what is added later, after the board is finished.
Treat this the same way as ICs with sockets. The sockets are mounted to the board, not the ICs. The ICs are added later.
Yes.
Your Arduino has pads for pins to allow it to be fitted to a breadboard, so the pads are 1/10 inch apart (2.54 mm).
You will need: Connector_Pinheader_1xXX_P2.54mm_Vertical_ThroughHole.
To keep the ERC happy, finish the schematic at the pins. Name the pins to match the Arduino.
Maybe, for ease of reading the schematic, instead of (eg 2 rows of 20 pins) you may use combinations of smaller rows that equal the (eg.2 rows of 20 pins). On the PCB, these smaller rows of pins are butted up against each other to form the (eg 2 rows of 20 pins), however you still just place a single strip of pins in each of the 20 hole rows.
@mf_ibfeew, I didn’t try to place the components when I saw the ‘red shadow.’ Now that I’ve tried it, it works great. I didn’t have to change the Mega2560 board into header strips.