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DFM Analysis Result View Help

DFM Analysis Result View Help


Main Interface

The detailed results of the analysis can be viewed through the interface window shown below. The functions are divided by layout areas as follows:

1. Section A: Title bar, with the format "[Analysis Module Name] > [Analysis Item Name]". In this example, the module name is "Routing Layer Analysis" and the analysis item name is "Trace Spacing".

2. Section B: A brief description of the function of this analysis item.

3. Section C: Layer selection. Many analysis items are categorized and summarized by layer. Each layer name is followed by the number of reports for this analysis item. For example, "Top Layer (50, 0, 0)" shows three numbers in red, orange, and green respectively, indicating (Danger: 50, Warning: 0, Good: 0). More details on this grading can be found in Section H.

4. Section D: Individual points of analysis for the current check, displayed in a list. More detailed information can be found in Detailed Explanation of Section D.

5. Section E: Display control for the main graphic area. If "Smart Display" is selected, unrelated layers will automatically turn off when locating each measurement result. If "Auto Fit View" is selected, each measurement result will automatically be displayed at an appropriate zoom level on the screen.

6. Section F: Detailed description of the function of this analysis item, focusing on the potential production risks if there is a violation.

7. Section G: Diagram illustrating the function of this analysis item.

8. Section H: Alert level guidance rules. The values in Section D belong to different levels defined by these rules. Most analysis measurements are length values, some are unitless raw values (e.g. percentages), and some analysis items are represented by no value (e.g., dangling wire ends, which are always either warnings or dangers).


Detailed Explanation of Section D

This section functions like a table, explained by column:

1. The column with "All" is the alert level, which is selectable and used for filtering display.

2. The Value column: Most analysis item results are based on measurements between two points and are length values. Some are unitless raw values (e.g. percentages), and some analysis items have no value (e.g. dangling wire ends, which are always either warnings or dangers).

3. Object 1 and Object 2 represent the two objects measured for the analysis item. For example, in trace spacing analysis, each result involves two parallel traces. Object names are usually geometric primitives built into the DFM engine (e.g., r3.93701 represents a circle with a diameter of 3.93701 mils; if the object is a trace, it indicates a trace width of 3.93701 mils). Other examples include rect20x30 for a rectangle and oval20x50 for an oval. However, some complex custom primitives might display as nonsensical strings. For component inspection, this will show reference designator names (e.g., R10, R11, R12). Some analyses involve only one object, with the other displaying as null.

Below the table, several buttons allow selecting and viewing each measurement result as needed.

Note: In some cases, there can be a large number of analysis item results, making the data volume larger than the Gerber file itself. Each analysis item typically has common characteristics, and reviewing more than a certain number can lead to audit fatigue, losing the value of manual inspection. Therefore, we ultimately choose to retain only the 50 lowest-level results.

Last updated on June 1, 2024