How do I add a Solder Pad to a Schematic in CS?

Question

Hi all,

This seems to me to be something that should be simple but I just can't seem to figure it out.

Hopefully someone out there can point me in the right direction please!

I have a task to make a small 2 sided PCB that will have a 6 pin SMD socket on one side with a few filter components and 6 through-hole pads to allow me to solder wires to the board from either side depending on application.

So all is fine until I want to show the through-hole pads on the schematics.

I can't find anything in the circuit elements that seems to suit, or anything in a library or the vault.

I assume it shouldn't be in a library or the vault as it would then become a component and appear in the BOM etc. where it isn't actually a component as such.

I seem to remember reading somewhere in my previous Circuit Studio learning that I can place them on the PCB sheet and then update the schematic and they will show up, but that doesn't seem to have happened.

I found if I add a Wire to the component that the (physical) wire will connect to and give it a Net label I can then place a Pad on the PCB and manually route a connection to it.

Electrically I seem to have achieved a result, but I don't have a designator with the name of that solder pad.

So I added a text label, and have a result (I think).

It seems using the round Power Port on the schematic gives me a symbol on the schematic and I can manually connect a pad on the PCB but no designator shows on the overlay.

I can't help thinking I've missed the easy way to do this.

The other place I want to do this is to add test connections, where I just want to add a plated or solder pad on one side of a board to be able to get a meter or cro probe on it.

Thanks in advance,

Andrew

batuu · Answer

In my workfolw I usually create pure solder pads, test points or even plated mounting-holes as components with a symbol and a footprint. In the properties of the component you cann choose the type. If you set it to "mechanical" it should not appear in the BOM.

With this approach you can organize these "special" components in a library and use them in the same way as your other "regular" components. Place the symbol in the schematic, connect your nets, update your PCB and place your pads.

Best regards,

Oliver

tarribred61 · Answer

To clarify what the responder suggested, make or use an existing test point schematic library symbol, put it on the schematic and link to a corresponding PCB library land pattern to meet the need of your PCB. I don't think it can auto-generate a schematic symbol from the PCB feature you put on the board design. The mechanical properties he mentions are done at the schematic library symbol level and not on the PCB library.

I suggest using the IPC naming conventions for test point land patterns (you can Google that) and build a library of PCB patterns for future use as single pin test points, pads, and mechanical holes.