This is the first time I have used KiCad and like compared with other pc board layout software I have used.
My question concerns the fabrication information on pcb editor. When I turn on fabrication view, some of the fabrication information does not line up with the parts. For instance, the fabrication information for the labeled wire holes (IFBK, Vct, DRA, etc.) is off the board. Do I need to move the info to the part?
If you mean the F.Fab and B.Fab layers, they are not wanted or used by the manufacturer.
Here’s what the KiCad library doc says about them: F5.2 Fabrication layer requirements - Library Conventions | KiCad EDA
Wow, that was fast. Thanks.
So all of this information comes from the footprint, and the manufacturer doesn’t use this info? It is purely a mechanical drawing outline to visualize the pc board and components?
If I disable the fabrication board editor layers in Board Setup, I get a warning there are some items on the layers, which is odd. It asks if I want to delete them, but warns me it can’t be undone. Any ideas about that?
I just always have the layer disabled in my PCB editor and ignore it
Edit: I have it disabled in the appearance panel, not in the layer editor
I’ve never turned off Fab in board setup. Footprints contain items there and I don’t know what happens to them if there’s no layer, probably they have nowhere to go. that’s probably what the warning is saying. And if you do want to see them, they’re not there any more. I just don’t generate the Gerber files for those layers.
Well, not by the PCB manufacturer, but if you are having your boards assembled, those layers can be useful for the assembly notes they provide. But - you probably don’t need to generate Gerber’s for them, just print them to a PDF and give them to the assembler.
