Hi Pedro, As Mihai explains in the next post, it's recommended/advised for optical recognision. Again, the solder-mask free area is easy to do, it's the copper filling that had to be done by a cut-out
Actually, I am happy with Kicad. Such a great piece of software, extremely good value for money. My other option would have been Eagle, not bad but I used it some years ago and I think I outgrow it a bit ;-) Cheers, Heiko --- In kicad-users@yahoogroups.com, Pedro Martin <pki...@...> wrote: > > Hi, > > I cannot understand why a mask clearance of 3 mm around the fiducial. > > I have fiducials of 1 and 0.8 mm. > I create a zone with no cut-outs, I include the fiducials into the zone and > kicad avoid the fiducials with the zone clearance value stated in the zone > settings. > > And I set the standard (for my manufacturers from 0.1 mm) mask clearance. > > In fact, fiducials are placed closer than 2 mm to some components. > > Excuse me, are you sure than the no-solder-mask area is 3 mm and not fiducial > diametre + 0.3 mm? > > Good luck with kicad, > > Pedro. > > > 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 <pkicad@> 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 > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
