Paste pads disappear

Hi,

I have used the same method to modify the paste layers on footprints and have not seen the behavior you report.  For example, I might do this if there is a large exposed pad on a power IC and I want to make the paste stencil into a window pane shape to prevent scoop out of the solder paste. This might appear as below.  The paste layer opening feature is drawn as a fill on top paste and I do not lock it.

The pad does have a negative value expansion override.

I have not experienced any problems saving and closing and opening the instantiated part on a PCB design.

Something to check might be to select the part on the PCB, unlock the primitives and then select the pad that has changed and see if the settings have indeed changed.

Hi

Thanks for your reply.  I see that you use fills.  I placed pads on the paste layer.  If you will, please see what happens if you use paste pads instead of paste fills?  Just to confirm the behaviour please?

I see you posted the same question in another thread but it is good you made a new one for your problem.  I am also using the same CS version as you report.

In your post it isn't clear to me exactly what behavior you are seeing.

Is the pad expansion override not sticking and so the paste layer is appearing the same as the pad or are the added fills on the paste layer disappearing but the pad expansion override is there are you get no paste opening?

I'm pretty sure you don't want to put a pad on the paste layer.  Use fills, lines, arcs, circles and such but not pads.

If you want a complicated shape then I suggest making it using a solid region type object and draw the outline. Then select the properties of the region and change kind property to copper and layer to top paste.

Hi

No, that paste override comes through correctly.  CircuitStudio just loses the paste pads after save, close and open.  So at the end, there is no paste at all on the pad.

It seems like this is the only option.

I'd like to add that there is no problem at all doing this in Altium Designer.  Never in all the years I've used Altium Designer have I had this problem.  This is the first I see of it in CircuitStudio.

I also used AD for about 8 years and Protel SE99 before that and I did not put pads on anything but an outer copper layer.  Pads are by definition a multilayer object.

Though I would agree it would be better if the software prevented you from putting pads on other layers or at least gave a warning.  Others can correct me if I am wrong.

I noticed same behavior.

When adding pads only on past layer in my component.

They disappear after "repour all" operation.

Then I open the component .pcblib -> view -> library -> right click on component name -> update PCB and get back my custom thermal pad design.

But I have to be very careful before sending gerber to manufacturer so in my point of view this is a bug that should be fixed.

I agree that is is probably better way to do this but sad thing is that we can't do nice rounded corner this way ;(