kicad-developers team mailing list archive

[jp charras <jp.charras@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Le 22/07/2019 à 06:03, Jeff Young a écrit :
> This flag tells us that there’s no physical object for a pick-n-place machine.  But is it also true that there’s no corresponding symbol in the schematic, or are there some virtual footprints that would have a symbol?
> 
> What about some microwave elements, for instance?  Do they have symbols?

"Virtual" footprint means the physical "component" is made only by the
drawings on the board.

Therefore:
- These fp have (usually) no 3D shapes, and the component should be not
in BOM.
- They of course have a symbol in schematic.

In fact any footprint connected to a at least one net *should* have its
corresponding symbol in schematic.
(I am thinking all footprints should have a corresponding symbol because
in many cases these fp need a unique refdes: for instance to import them
to a .dsn file)

Microwave elements, and edge connector cards are often virtual, if only
a drawing is enough to create them.
Net ties are virtual and *need* a symbol.

However, Microwave elements and Net ties connecting 2 or more different
nets are not easy to use in Pcbnew:
See this thread
https://lists.launchpad.net/kicad-developers/msg24455.html
to know what is missing in Pcbnew (the Tomasz's proposal is exactly what
is needed in Eeschema/Pcbnew).


Mechanical holes can be virtual or not:
A mechanical hole with a screw inserted inside it should be not virtual.

-- 
Jean-Pierre CHARRAS