kicad-developers team mailing list archive

["Thor-Arne" <lp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello,

I think the most easiest way to place vias is to have a single pad footprint with GND as netname designed as a via.
It would be quite easy to add these as the add footprint dialog remembers the last ones used.
This approach need no programming at all, and we are in a feauture-freeze right now.

On the other hand, it would be nice if we could have a configurabe toolbox (floating, dockable) where the most
used footprints could be (via, mounting-hole, etc.), ability to assign a hotkey to each footprint would be nice. 

Regards,
Thor-Arne

From: Mikk Leini 
Sent: Wednesday, July 29, 2015 3:06 PM
To: kicad-developers@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
Subject: [Kicad-developers] Stitching vias

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








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