I have a problem on a RF board where I need to put stitches at many points of the layout. I realize that stitching in KiCad (I am using 5.0.2) is not the easiest thing to accomplish but it is do-able. The exact problem is that, try as I might, I cannot fill the In1.Cu zone (second copper layer) if I use Earth as the net name which is the name I used in schematic (it is defined as a power plane). It fills fine with any other net that I have and even if I select the “no net” choice but when I put the stitch in, it makes a via around it. The fill for the F.Cu layer works fine but I need to stitch to he earth plane In1.Cu. It should be noted that the other planes In2.Cu and B.CU do not fill either when Earth is selected as the net to fill.
I have tried all the suggestions i can find in other posts but all for naught. This would be my first post and I do not know what other information to include.
Anyone have any ideas?
Thanks,
Don
I think I guess what is happening.
A zone to be filled needs a pad, a track or a via of its net.
Only a through-hole pad belongs to an inner layer, so I guess you have smd pads.
You need a via of the earth net connected to the zone in In1.Cu before filling the zone.
Via stitching in KiCad V5.0.2 is pretty trivial, but it does some getting used to figure out some of the details.
1). Start by drawing a via.
2). Make an array of them.
3). Put them in a zone.
Vias in zones are only connected to the copper if their net name is the same.
I just tried, and this does not seem to work with the “<no net>” net name.
So start by giving your zone a net name, and giving your via’s the same net name.
Don’t forget to recalculate the zone boundaries with “b” after you changed anything in a zone.
You can change the net a via belongs to by hovering over it and pressing “e”-dit.
pedro, you are right, all the pads are surface mount; something I did not notice.
paulvdh, I made a footprint of a via.Is that OK? how do I name a via earth and should it be solid?
Sorry for the delay guys; lunch time here.
If you put a via on the zone, with the “route tracks” tool selected press “v”, is enough.
Edit the via, click on the via and press “e”.
Assign the net in the Net field (pop up)
Thanks Pedro. That worked!!!
I don’t have 5.0.2 on this machine anymore, but isn’t there an Add Vias button on the tool bar? Or did that appear in the nightlies?
I haven’t used it that often to fully understand the properties, but the via will automatically connect to zones that they are dropped in or to traces they are dropped on. (I’m not sure what happens if there is a conflict, but I imagine which ever net the feature on the currently selected layer would take precedence.)
The Add Vias tool is available if you use the accelerated or fallback tool set. It is not available in the legacy tool set (see Preferences tab).
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