Stuart Brorson wrote:
Putting testpadding directly into PCB is a little tricker since PCB needs to know that the testpad is a non-netlist structure which shouldn't cause DRCs by itself (but should be checked for shorts to other nets, just like a polygon region or a via). One way to do it is to make a testpad a differentt type of via -- just like a non-plated through-hole is a different type of via. That is, you place a testpad, then click on it to edit its properties: Select "testpad", and it turs off the drill hole, and puts a metal disk on only the top (or bottom) layer.
I disagree. I think testpads _are_ a netlist structure. After all you care about the connectivity. What I'm thinking of is an action which adds a test pad to each net in the connectivity database and instantiates test pads. Perhaps there should be a mode where you can simply start placing test pads by clicking and as you do so they are added to the netlist. Then have a some manufacturing rule check which verifies that you have a testpad on every net.
-Dan
