Is it okay to place component footprint at backside of pcb board to remove courtyard overlaps error if we are trying to place to below some floating component?

Charu123 · July 17, 2020, 12:54pm

Hey guys,
I have requirement to make PCB board size of 100*100mm. I tried to place all the components inside the board of 100 * 100 mm, though it’s a little bit crowded, I make sure that there is no overlap and error. But the one issue that I faced while inserting buzzer below esp32 inside burg strip space is that whatever component inserting below that space it has error courtyard overlaps. So I placed that buzzer footprint on the backside of the PCB after that error has been removed but I want to confirm from you that it’s okay or not?

pedro · July 17, 2020, 1:07pm

The DRC coutyard error is due to the fact that the DRC performs a 2D test.
If you are sure there is enough room (volume) to fit the buzzer under the esp32, go ahead.

Piotr · July 17, 2020, 1:28pm

The footprint should be at the layer were the component is to be assembled. If you assume that buzzer be at top and only footprint (as THT) you placed at bottom it is for me a bug. When you will be doing documentation it will be telling to assemble the buzzer at bottom what I understand is not what you wont.
I would just ignore the DRC error (or switch it off if it is possible).

Charu123 · July 17, 2020, 2:09pm

Is it possible to turn off the DRC ?

kenyapcomau · July 17, 2020, 2:13pm

If the buzzer is only attached to the board by wires, then it isn’t on the board and you shouldn’t put its footprint on the board. This may mean you replace the footprint with that of a 2 pad connector.

hermit · July 17, 2020, 2:13pm

Simply don’t run it. It can be configured. At the end of the day it is YOUR JOB to make sure everything is OK. This can mean EVERY aspect of your footprint, every DRC setting, etc… Just be sure of what you want and what you do. Not that hard sometimes.

Piotr · July 17, 2020, 2:59pm

I was thinking about switching off checking the elements CrtYd overlapping only and not the whole DRC.
I don’t know if it is possible in V5 - didn’t searched.
I think I have seen the info that in V6 it will be possible.
Typically I place elements ‘on contact’, but it happened that I had a serie of SMB transils and not enough place so I just placed them with overlapped CrtYd by 5 mils (the program I used didn’t checked this, KiCad V4 also didn’t checked, I think).

Charu123 · July 17, 2020, 5:25pm

thank you so much for your response @Piotr @pedro @hermit @kenyapcomau .

system · October 15, 2020, 5:37pm

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