How to create teardrops in PCB Editor?

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1

Hi

I’m using Kicad 9.0.2 and wondering how to create teardrops, specifically track-to-track teardrops in neckdown areas.

I can’t workout how to access the tool and I’m not finding anything online.

Thanks!

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In KiCad V8 it’s also well hidden in PCB Editor / Edit / Edit Teardrops.

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Thanks. That setup is there in 9 as well. What I’m missing is how to actually create one.

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This is a bit inconsistent with the rest of the KiCad, but you create and remove the teardrops with that same dialog.

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Thanks for that. I see it applies to the whole PCB. I just wanted to apply it to one track where I had to neck it down.

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Cosmetic only in this case really.

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However, I’m not sure how this is expected to work with track to track connections. There may be some bug, I can’t combine Track to track with “Selected items only” checkbox.

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If you just want one teardrop for that easier pad, then it’s probably simpler to just draw a small (triangular?) copper zone.

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Thanks. That’s what I’ll do.

I couldn’t get the teardrops dialog to work either for track to track.

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Teardrops are covered in the user manual:

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10

Track to track is not really a teardrop. I would call that tapering, for which I have used the RF-Tools plugin in V7 times.
Not sure that this works fully with V9 yet

11

Thanks. Don’t know how I missed that.

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The documentation doesn’t tell why the Filter pane goes disabled when I select Track to track.

The documentation also has a small deviation from how KiCad actually works:

Teardrops can be shown in filled or outline mode using the zone display controls in the left toolbar.

This doesn’t seem to work. Maybe KiCad tries to show them as part of tracks even though they are technically certain kind of zones – setting for example Appearance → Objects → Tracks transparency affects teardrops.

I also noticed another small difference with normal zones: when KiCad adds teardrops they may be filled so that they violate clearances with nearby items. When all zones are refilled, they avoid other items correctly. Maybe the algorithm should be changed. On the other hand, re-filling zones should be always done as the last thing before the final checks and export – but the user doesn’t necessarily know that teardrops need re-filling.

Also, teardrops can’t be selected at all. This means also that they can’t be copied, moved etc.

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OK, there’s definitely a bug. I can add track to track teardrops if I leave the Filter Items checkboxes unselected. But if I first leave “Track to track” unselected to be able to use the Filters, then check “Selected items only”, then check “Track to track”, using Apply doesn’t create track to track teardrops. Whether or not tracks are actually selected on the board doesn’t affect. Creating track to track teardrops works again when I uncheck “Selected items only”.

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Thanks. Would you like to create the bug report or shall I?

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Please do if you can!

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Hmm, offhand I don’t know why it should do that. The filter options still seem relevant for track-to-track teardrops. I’ll look into whether this is a bug.

Thanks for pointing this out. I think the statement in the docs was true when teardrops were initially added (as you say they are zones under the hood) but it seems that control doesn’t affect teardrops any more. I will also look into whether this is a bug and update the docs accordingly.

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Thanks. I’ll leave the bug reporting to you.

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There is a V9 compatible track taper tool mentioned in this thread, forked from RF-Tools plugin

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19

Thanx, I see if I can merge it.

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20

Put an onion symbol in the schematic? Sorry, joke. :crazy_face: