Handsoldering footprints narrowed?

Is it my impression or the “handsoldering” versions of the footprints for 0805 resistors (and possibily other similar components) have had their pads narrowed between v4 and v5? As they are now, they are not that much easier to hand solder wrt their non-handsoldering counterparts.

The normal footprints have got their pads increased to fit IPC specifications. The handsolder ones are made with respect to that and increase the pads towards the outside by 0.35mm each side. (or was it 0.35/2 i am no longer sure)

They are scripted and you can easily increase it by even more: https://github.com/pointhi/kicad-footprint-generator/tree/master/scripts/SMD_chip_package_rlc-etc

The line responsible is for example this: https://github.com/pointhi/kicad-footprint-generator/blob/70248b2212816f8e29a0d8a9c710abec87769fdb/scripts/SMD_chip_package_rlc-etc/SMD_chip_devices.yaml#L46

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Thanks for the info.

I’m not sure they’re any useful like this, though. 0.35 hardly makes a difference with hand soldering, IMHO.

The 0.35/2 (i just checked) is in addition to the normal fillet sizes (which are 0.15). It is there to give enough space for a typical fine tipped soldering iron.
Meaning it is not there to make the part solderable with your run of the mill cheap soldering iron or for inexperienced people. Just to make it easier for experienced people using proper tools. (I decided on that size by checking how large my personal handsoldering footprints where for years and used that.)

You can edit the pads and save a new footprint that suits your needs. I’ve started doing this with through hole parts as I get older.

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Of course I can edit the pads, but I try to use out-of-the-box components as much as I can.

I have proper tools and decent skills. I can even solder on the non-handsoldering pads. I am just trying to say that as they are now, I don’t feel those footprints are really any easier to solder wrt their standard counterparts, so they could just as well be removed from the standard library. If you name something “HandSoldering”, IMHO it should be MUCH easier to solder.

Just my 0.02€, of course :slight_smile: .

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Sorry. I guess I misunderstood the purpose of your post.

If you tested both with the same tools and parts then this is valuable input. So did you or was this just a guess?

I did, at least for the 0805 resistor and capacitor footprints. Whenever I solder something made with the Kicad 5 footprints I always think “Oh, I must have forgotten to use the HandSoldering footprint!”, then I check and sometimes I did, sometimes I didn’t, but I always have the same feeling.

The question was: “Did you test the non soldering vs soldering footpirnts” not “Did you test the handsoldering footprints on their own”

I did, read my answer again :).

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