Fiducial Markers

Hi sir/Madam
I am currently designing 4 layer board. I would like to add the fiducial marker in my board for pick and place components. Our manufacturing machine used 1mm for bare copper and 2mm for solder mask. In my design components are both sides how to place the fiducial marker in my design and also pls mention the do’s and don’ts and also in that drop down menu with one is suitable.Please suggest me

I assume you have both schematic and layout made with KiCad.

In the official KiCad libraries you can find Fiducial symbol and several Fiducial footprints. You can handle them as if they were normal components, execpt that they are not populated (they are like for example mounting holes).

If you don’t like having them in the schematic, you can add them directly to the board and lock the footprints so that they are always kept when the board file is synced with the schematic.

Some websites about PCB design have guidance rules about fiducials.
Some general rules:
Put at least 2 fiducials (Bare copper) on each side that has components.
This enables the machine to detect rotation of the board.

Sometimes extra fiducials are used. For example near to fine-pitch components to compensate for local deformations.

When you have complete boards manufactured they look pretty stiff and strong, however, this is only true after manufacturing. During manufacturing the PCB is made out of much thinner sheets and the “prepress” as it it called is also not cured and may be pretty soft. Then when layers are pressed together they usually deform and this can cause all kind of production problems.

Euro-pcb (and probably others) have put some nice video’s on youtube with details of the production process as you’re interested…

Yes I have done in both schematic and layout made with kicad. But I have a doubt in fiducial marker there are different types of fiducial marker in kicad. which one i have to choose because our pick and place machine have 1 mm bare copper 2 mm solder paste. I have enclosed the picture. Pls suggest me and give some guidelines for fiducial marker. I have reference some guidelines that is to use keep out area because no copper or solder near the pad. In case fiducial marker lie at component means what will happen

Creating a new footprint library
How can i make a footprint (from scratch)?

Just create your own fiducial footprint. After you have copied an old footprint to a new library, you can modify it, and it will take some seconds to change the sizes of certain items.

Do you mean 1mm bare copper and 2mm solder mask?

Just look at the names of the footprints, and/or load each and measure. FWIW, the “Fiducial_1mm_Dia_2mm_Outer” seems to describe your requirements. But, it is up to you to either evaluate the options against your needs or to draw your own.

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