Strategies for pad stack: "F. Cu, B. Cu and connected layers"

Layout Footprints
1

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

This is an auto-generated message that is in place on the “footprints” section of the KiCad.info forum. If I remove it and ask for a footprint to be designed anyway, I understand that I will be subject to forum members telling me to go design my own footprint or referring me to a 3rd party footprint site.

In V6.99 nightly, in the Pad Properties dialog box, in Copper layers for a through hole pad type one can chose:

  1. All copper layers
  2. F. Cu, B. Cu and connected layers
  3. Connected layers only
  4. None

How are people managing between 1 and 2?

For example, for a connector, are you creating two footprints - one with every pad as #1 and the other with every pad as #2?

2

In general, do not use V6.99 if you don’t know what you’re doing.

KiCad V6.0 has a partial pad stack, in which pads can be turned off on layers it does not have a connection.

One of the goals for KiCd 7 is to implement a full pad stack, in which the shape of a pad can be different on different layers.

KiCad V6.99 is under active development, and there may well be a periods in which it has serious bugs or some parts do not work properly.

In the second half of 2021 the nightly version (Then V5.99) was nearing completion. It had already entered a feature stop and all changes were mostly bug fixes.
At the moment the situation for V6.99 is completely different.

3

Thank you for pointing out that the pad stack question is also applicable to V6. So, let’s ignore the V6.99 part.

I was interested in a different idea: How are people managing the pad stack in V6?

4

You can just have footprints set up for (1) and then use Tools > Remove Unused Pads to convert those used on a board to (2).

Not saying that you should do this…

5

@JeffYoung thank you for that info.

I have a follow up question but I’ll do the work and reply. The follow up question is:

Are the planes repoured if I remove the unused pads?

6

Not automatically. Hit B to repour all zones.

7

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