Hi all, Yes, agreed, and yes again. I am using a component that is just put into the schematics and appeears on the PCB. So far I am following the - normally - recommened approach to have the design consistent. When trying to make things "the right way" it comes to also following the manufacturers recommendation which is to have a pad of ~1mm diameter with a no-solder-mask area of about 3mm diameter. Yes, they usually can cope with other things, I just wanted to know what's possible in Kicad. Plus I am using a new manufacturer this time... The inner pad is no problem at all, just an unconnected pad wich is perfectly avoided by the copper fill. But when it comes to the ring, Kicad does not support pad-stacks or keep-out areas. Means, I can not create an area of no copper fill in the footprint (module). Yes, to avoid copper flooding, I can manually create zone cut-outs for each pad. There are only 2 drawbacks to this. Firstly, they have to be done one by one and not only once at footprint (module) desing level. And secondly, they are not round because there is no circular shape available for zone cut-outs. All in all, it is of course not holding me back from making that PCB and having fiducials, the original question was more about whether there is an easier way that I didn't see.
One word about workarounds and fighting/using a software package: One normally does not change CAD packages like underwear. Once you have commited to a particular one you soon start putting lots of effort into it to get your design working. In the case of Kicad, I put quite some time into generating a library that is suitable for my needs in supporting unique part stock numbers. Which means, that for the next issue I will go for a workaround instead of dropping Kicad and going to the next CAD package. Cheers, Heiko --- In kicad-users@yahoogroups.com, Pedro Martin <pki...@...> wrote: > > Hi all, > > My fiducials are smd modules with only 1 round pin. > There are added into pcbnew from add module on the rigth menu. > They are not in the netlist. When creating a zone they are avoided. > > Try and see how it works. > > Pedro. > > > > On Tuesday 10 March 2009 23:37:16 oecherexpat wrote: > > > Hi Dan, > > > > > > > When designing the ring, see to that it is "connected" to an unused > > > > component part. This way, the zone filler will avoid it. > > > > > > You mean like a pad? How can I connect it to a signal? It is not a pad but > > > just a "drawing" on the copper layer so Kicad wouldn't let me connect it > to > > > a signal. Originally, I was thinking of just adding another pad but it > must > > > be a ring and the only way to do this from what I can see is to have a > hole > > > in the middle :-( > > > > > > Cheers, Heiko > > > > If you DON'T want to connect it, fine - but you still need to define it for > zone > > filler to avoid it. > > > > If you DO need to connect it, either turn off the design rule check - or do > it > > as it should be done: Design it as a pad with a connection on your > component. > > If you don't want/need a connection, "invent" a "dummy" connection in the > > library/module editor for you component. > > > > > > > > Trust me! ( I'm not a doctor ) > > > > If you start tweaking the design checks and do a lot of workarounds, it > > WILL(!) come back and bite you in the proverbial rectum! > > > > If you run into a small problem like this, solve it the right way - it > > takes > > the same amount of time doing it correct compared to the time spent on a > > tweak. > > > > Finally, use KiCad, don't fight it! > > > > //Dan, M0DFI > > >
