Vias being Covered with Soldermask

I’m running KiCAD version 5, and I’m noticing an issue with GERBER files. It’s an issue with Soldermask on Vias. It seems the topic has been approached before, but I’m noticing something strange when I’m generating my files.

When I generate my files, I check the box marked ‘Do Not Tent Vias’, so naturally, I expect that the vias on my board will not be covered with soldermask. However, once I examine the GERBER files through the GERBER viewer by viewing the copper layer and the soldermask layer, the areas where the vias are located at are covered with soldermask. Once I try this again, unchecking the ‘Do Not Tent Vias’ box and viewing them in the GERBER viewer, the soldermask covering the vias are gone.

Does anyone else find this issue strange? It feels like that this option is doing the exact opposite of what it is supposed to do.

Are you sure you have understood what the solder mask gerber layer does? It’s a negative, the areas which are colored will not have the physical solder mask resin in the board.

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Thanks for your reply. After reading your comment, I’m slowly kind of understanding what you mean. I’ve always used KiCAD version 4, so this new version of KiCAD is very different to me in terms of how it handles vias. So, checking that option, it will put that negative space around the vias so that green soldermask won’t surround it?

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