As there is bounding boxes for the 3d models of parts. Are there any thoughts in having the DRC check if 2 models are intersecting. I realise the courtyard should accomplish a similar role already. But that assumes that the person set it up correctly (thinking check the simple green boxes first. If they intersect compare the more complex grey bounding boxes)
Checking 3d models for intersection requires a full 3d library in the backend. It also requires models to be fully valid (and i guess in step format).
A lot of models you get from manufacturer websites to not fulfil these requirements (a lot of them are invalid geometries)
Also 3d models do not include space for tooling. So in the end the courtyard really is the better way to go here.
Courtyard should not just bound the component, but also the space required by the pick and place macine.
This varies between machines, so the courtyard is actually a guess
I would not say a “guess”. After all there are industry standards available that seem to work quite well. (PCB manufacturers including assembly fabs give input into how these standards should be defined. And yes the standard will be conservative.)
There is however one usecase where one needs to make a personal guess. If you hand solder your PCB or if you want to make it easy to repair stuff then you will need a lot more space than the industry standard defines.
But here you can take the suggestion for BGAs as they include a lot of extra space for rework (one does not need 1mm of space just to solder a BGA. This massive space is left for being able to desolder the BGA without affecting nearby parts.)
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