[Solved] How to increase the soldering part of a pad?

[Simeon]

I hereby certify that I am not simply asking someone else to design a footprint for me.

Hello,
I would like to increase the size of the soldering part of the footprint of my component (the yellow disk, see below). When I click on the properties of the pad and I change the size, it looks like it is also changing the drill size.

How can I increase only the soldering part? I am quite new with KiCAD, especially the footprints that I usually download.

Thanks in advance.

[paulvdh]

@Simeon

it looks like it is also changing the drill size.

This is probably an optical illusion.
Have you used the ruler to measure the actual hole size?
Size of the pad and size of the hole are separate entries in the Pad Properties dialog. Hole shape and size is in the top of the second column, just above the Layers part.

[Simeon]

Indeed, it was an optical illusion! The hole kept the same size!

Sorry, and thanks!

[dchisholm]

@Simeon

When I click on the properties of the pad and I change the size, it looks like it is also changing the drill size.

In my KiCAD, the little “Preview” box scales itself as you adjust the pad properties. (I believe the nightly builds, as well as the forthcoming V6, continue this behavior ) This could give the illusion that pad size and hole size are somehow coupled, but in fact they are quite independent.

To convince yourself of this, find some part with several through-hole pads, and plunk it down on a board. (A multi-pin header strip, or a thru-hole IC socket will do just fine.) Then edit several of the pads. Make one pad larger, and another smaller. Change the size of the holes. (And don’t be wimpy about your changes - change a hole to, say, half of its original size. Make a pad 40% or 50% larger. Ignore what you see happening in the preview window.)

Be sure to close out the pad-editting dialog, then use the Ruler tool to measure the sizes of the features you changed. The Ruler should confirm that the sizes comply with the entered values, not the appearance in the preview window. (That’s an interesting characteristic of computers. They do exactly what you tell them to do -which may be, but often is not, what you want them to do.)

Dale