As you can probably tell I am totally new to this and am teaching my self KiCad by watching a lot of -Youtube videos.
I am presently watching a tutorial by eapbg and if he accepts Paypal I will send him a few $$$ as he is the best so far.
So, while he was doing routing, he routed a pin from an IC to a pad over the top of the IC.
When he got about 1/2 way there he pressed I think “V” and showed me how easy it was to draw a “via”.
Why did he do that, what are Vias used for, does the trace go on the other side of the board, what criteria would I use that would tell me that I need a Via ?
I tried a google search with no luck.
A pcb (typically) is a stack of multiple copper layers separated by isolating layers. (This isolating layers double as the mechanical support of the pcb.)
Vias allow you to connect two copper features on different layers such that there is an electrical connection.
To expand on what Rene said, yes, the trace goes to the other side of the board when he places the via. (I am going to assume you just have a two layer board, although boards can have more than two layers, and vias can be used to go from any layer to any other layer.)
Physically, the via is a through-hole (similar to the holes used for through-hole components). The fab will drill a hole in the board, and then plate the hole with copper. This will create an electrical connection from one side of the board to the other.
The reason to use a via is simply a matter of geometry. On a given side of the board, different traces can’t cross each other (because then you’d have a short). So if you are routing a trace, and you run into an “obstacle” (i. e. another trace), the way to solve that is to go over to the other side of the board and “hop over” the obstacle. And that would be done with a via.
He can’t be that good if you have to come here and ask what a via is.
You might need to be a little more specific, such as “pcb via” etc. but there is surely plenty of info regarding vias on the net. What they are, when to use them, when not to use them, size limitations, etc.
Well, yes he is. His Youtube videos dont lend themselves to questions, hence I came here. I have tried at least 5 different tutorials and he has been the best. I finally found out that the mouse wheel, when centered on a component, will snap that component to the center while magnifying.
Before, It has been so frustrating to magnify a component and see it disappear off the screen.
You did notice the “wink”? I’m sure his video was more about using KiCad than it was about PCB design. Did he mention pressing “?” for a list of keyboard shortcuts?
I push the cursor up where I want the new screen-center position to be, then zoom in or zoom out by a click or two on the mouse wheel. Repeat as needed. This is a “charming idiosyncrasy”, not an annoying quirk, and you eventually accept it. Sort of like my list of “Things My NEXT Wife Won’t Do”, now up to volume 3 or 4 after almost 44 years.
