Standard via between front and inner copper layer - wrong layer setup, or buggy indication?

[sdaau]

Hi all,

Thanks a ton for your answers!

@Rene_Poschl

A via always connects all copper layers. It is the same as a through hole pad.

@pedro

A through via goes from top to bottom. Always.

Thanks again - I was actually unaware of this, I thought a “via” is a generic term for a “plated hole” connector between any two layers of a multi-layer (> 2) board; good to learn that is not the case.

@Rene_Poschl

(Talk to your manufacturer which pairings would be possible.)

@pedro

Ask your manufacturer.

Again, many thanks for this warning, otherwise I would have still thought that generally any manufacturer that advertises multi-layer board fabrication, has also the capability to implement “hole” connections between any two arbitrary layers.

However, my problem here is slightly simpler: I’m working on a double-sided board, which has some zones on the back layer. However, those zones increase my cognitive load while routing other things, so I’d like to hide them - but if I “unfill” the zones, then the ratsnest lines routed to those zones appear again, again increasing my cognitive load… But there’s no default way to hide just zones in Pcbnew, and so I’ve seen in Hiding nets in Pcbnew - Layout - KiCad.info Forums:

This workaround that I just developed may help you…
Create zones on unused layers with the net that you want to hide. You can hide the visibility and fill the zone and the net should disappear. Works for me so far

So, I just moved the zones to the In2 layer, and the cool thing is that even if I hide the In2 layer, the ratsnest of the through-holes routed to those zones, do not reappear, which is exactly what I wanted. So I came to the point in the design where I should place vias from front to the zones - which will ultimately be on the back layer; but are now on In2 so I can hide them.

And I thought, in the end when done, I could just edit all vias properties, and change the F.Cu-In2.Cu pairing, back to F.Cu-B.Cu (and of course, change the zones back to the bottom layer), and I’d easily get back to the intended double-sided design. That was my hope, at least

@bobc

It’s a little confusing, but you have to select “Allow blind/buried vias” in Global Design Rules, otherwise you only get through vias, then you get appropriate options. With a through via you can route it on any layer.

Heh, I had done this in my actual project - but not in the example above; so I tried it again.

However, even if I check “Allow blind/buried vias” in Global Design Rules, when I do the exact same routine as in the OP, I get the exact same properties for the via placed by right-click/“Place Through Via” - the properties shown say “F.Cu/B.Cu”, and the layer dropdowns are disabled,

I have also tried with right-click/“Place Through Blind/Buried Via” - and that one’s properties indeed indicate “F.Cu/In2.Cu” (but the layer dropdowns are still disabled, so I cannot change them via GUI). In any case, that will cause me the extra trouble of changing the types of vias back…