kicad-developers team mailing list archive

[Mikk Leini <mikk.leini@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hello all,

I have a proposition to add a stitching / individual vias placement option
into pcbnew.
It is based on the following bug report and wishes, but mostly on my own
wish to see such a function in KiCad.

https://bugs.launchpad.net/kicad/+bug/999057
https://blueprints.launchpad.net/kicad/+spec/pcbnew-add-via-without-track
https://blueprints.launchpad.net/kicad/+spec/zones-with-via-pattern

I just joined the team so please review the idea. I divided the plan into
following steps.

Step 1:
Add a new "Place -> Via" menu item to main menu and to right-click popup
menu.
With left mouse click the via is placed. If position is over zone then via
will get zone net name, otherwise it's "nameless". This via is the same
object as is used in the track sequence. It just don't have any connecting
traces.

Step 2:
When two vias have been placed in sequence (without "End tool" in between)
the system will calculate the via placement grid based on these two (grid
size = diff on X / Y axis). Third and following vias can only be placed
onto the that grid. This makes it easy to equally place stitching vias
across the edges or areas of PCB.

Step 3:
Create a dialog box for vias (just like pads have) to be able to set net
name, change diameter, and type (buried, blind), etc.


I did a quick & ugly implementation of step 1 so now i know it can work.
Also it looks like there's an bug that some actions (e.g. Undo) cause
individual vias to loose their netname and it makes this feature quite
pointless.

Some questions also:
1. Is it possible to get a different bitmap image for Via menu item?
Current Via image displays two traces.
2. It seems bit odd that VIA inherits from TRACK. Are there any side
effects or corner cases which could pop up when using VIA alone. Or should
individual via be more like a PAD ?


Best regards,
Mikk Leini