Re: gEDA-user: Thermal for SMD pads

[jeanluc <jeanluctux@numericable.fr>]

Le Dimanche 22 Août 2004 13:14, vous avez écrit :
> Hello
>
> I have discovered that trying to toggle a thermal of a SMD pad results in
> nothing. Is this intentional? Is there a reason why SMD pads shouldn't have
> thermals?

I'm not a good expert of PCB as a lot of people seem to be here.
While reading this list, I occasionnly maintain a personnal FAQ even if I sometimes
don't get the full point by the hope to understand better one day.

Here is one extract ... hope this will help you even if I may be not able to 
answer further questions ... try to get the thread in archive maybe.

Thread: Re: gEDA-user: Thermal for a "line" pin
Q:
    I made a custom footprint for a DB25 connector (the 2 ranges of pins
    are solded one on each layer). The pins for this connector are made with
    lines.

    Now on my pcb, i made a ground plane, and toggle thermal for the pins of
    certains composants, all work fines except for my custom DB25 footprint.

    I can't have these pins connected to the ground plane by using the
    thermal feature. :(

A:
    Pads don't carry an internal concept of thermals the way pins and vias do.
    You can just draw lines from the pads to the plane to make the connection.
    You can change it so that new lines touch the plane by unchecking
    new lines arcs clear polygons" in the Settings menu. (otherwise just use the
    "j" key to change them afterwards). If you make a cross with two lines so
    configured, you can copy them to the buffer and use the buffer tool to place
    these "thermals" over each pad in question.

Jean-Luc.