Error: Drilled holes too close together (pin header)

[grelle]

So I’m creating my first PCB with KiCad 8.0.3 and have created my own first footprint for a TMC2208 steppermotor driver, it uses PinSocket_1x08_P2.54mm_Vertical and my own footprint has 8 through-hole pads with exactly 2.54mm hole-center to hole-center.

My issue is that when i align the PinSocket on top of my row of pads and run the DRC I get all these errors that i can not have a hole so close to another hole and this is because it is on top. If i remove it and rerun the DRC the error goes away.

Sure my board setting is hole to hole 0.25mm so yes, I know where the setting is, but shouldn’t it disregard this when stacking a pinsocket on top ?

What am I doing wrong ?

I have also avoided the violation when the nets were not the same on the same pin/hole.

[teletypeguy]

Welcome to the kicad forum!

You can’t put a hole over another hole – that is a double drill hit and drc tells you 0 clearance between holes.

You should make a socket and separate module, perhaps like this:

Advise one choosing components

When I do a module, I make two components: The socket and the actual module. The socket has the main schematic symbol with all the pins, and has a 3d model with the socket(s). If it is a single sip socket it is easy enough, if it has a couple of sip sockets I build it in freecad. The module symbol for the schematic is just a little box, and the footprint is also just a box (on user drawings layer, not on silk) the size of the module. The 3d model is the actual module, elevated in z to the l…

I presume you are trying to do something like this:

[grelle]

Thankyou! Fun to be here. Although I’m not sure I get the picture on how to move forward, are you saying that using the PinSocket found in base lib will not do ? I’m referring to the

“The 3d model is the actual module, elevated in z to the level it will sit in the socket. The module can be dragged into final position over the socket, or just off to the side of the board to show what is on the pcb under the socket.”

and that you say that you sometimes design it in FreeCAD.

I get that i can not stack holes on top of each other but am I on the right path to first design my footprint for the TMC2208 driver ? Or should i abandon that ?

I will try to read and understand more but at first glance I did not really understand.

[grelle]

hey, think I’m on the right path here
no errors, I embedded the PinSocket right into the symbol.

[teletypeguy]

It’s not too complicated and you can do it in two parts.

Part 1: If you look at my schematic above, the main symbol has all the connections, and the footprint is simply made with two rows of pads. Add to this the 3d model, which will simply be two 1x8 SIP sockets. I mentioned that I would make that in freecad (and did here) but I now find that it is easy in kicad as you can simply bring two sip sockets into the footprint editor and scoot them into place.

[teletypeguy]

@grelle

hey, think I’m on the right path here
no errors, I embedded the PinSocket right into the symbol.

Yeah, there you go. That is enough to design the board.

Part 2 (optional): For the eye-candy of adding the module (if you find a step file online as I did) you can add that as a part that does not connect on the board. I just add a little rectangle on the schematic (this also gets the module on the bom which is important) and make a footprint to contain it (a bounding-box-sized rectangle on a user layer, not silk, so I can see it and drag it around). I “elevate” the 3dmodel in Z as needed to fit the height of the sip sockets.