Hi all, appreciate this may be a daft question from someone just familiarising with the software but hope you can point me as I can’t really describe my problem easily for a search engine to understand.
I am building a 4 layer board, with the two layers inside used for GND and 5v, and the top/bottom used mostly for signal routing between IC’s. I have managed to use filled zones to create these power planes per se, and I am now on the almost final stages of routing signal paths.
I do have a problem that due to the complexity I might have to pass some signals on the underside/bottom copper, rather than top copper using vias - however when I try and create one I get a pop-up asking me which Net I want to assign it to - 5v or GND. I actually want neither as I don’t want it connecting to either as I just want to use it for routing with the default. I presumed there would be a way to just have a via isolated (and it would isolate it from the filled zone) but it seems thats not how Kicad expects me to do it.
There has to be a way to route traces underneath other traces by swapping layers with VIA despite having power planes between?
You are right. But it can be done that way. Place a via (without routing a trace). Assign the unwanted net GND. Then hit E to edit that via. Select the net you want. It is extremely cumbersome, as you need to know the net name.
Since V9, it happened to me a few time that hitting V didn’t place a via. Until I found out that after hitting V, you need to slightly move the mouse. Can’t remember that this happened to me in previous versions.
Hi both, just to say both your answers are appreciated - I would never have actually thought you could add vias ‘on the fly’, but it works wonders (as does post editing them, for some reason I didn’t think to try that either! Problem solved I think, thank you both very much
I’m not experienced with signal track vias as I practically don’t use them. I think (suppose) that with using V during routing there is a problem if you can’t find enough space to let it be placed (I think that other traces are not pushed to give you space for via at that moment).
Placing via and then editing its net by writing/selecting one of KiCad generated names looks for me also tiring.
If I were to use signal via my way would probably be to place it at pad having the wanted by me net and then move the via to correct position (I’ve just checked - in V8 it works).
Don’t scare people.
Reading this I got afraid that it is not described in Getting Started manual. But looked there (Circuit Board - Routing Tracks chapter) and I calmed down.
In most of my PCBs all signal/power tracks are on top and whole bottom is GND so I have only GND vias connecting GND pads + GND zone islands at top with GND at bottom. I place them using via place tool from right toolbar.
