In your Flux project, to keep the through-holes (pads) of a header connector J1 but remove the physical header component itself, you would have to adjust the element footprint of the component. This process involves removing or hiding the parts of the footprint that represent the header while keeping the through-hole pads.
Here are the steps you would generally follow:
Open the Part Editor: Right-click on the J1 header on your schematic and select 'Edit Part'. This will open the Part Editor where you can modify the component's footprint.
Identify the Header and Pads: Inside the Part Editor, you will see different identified elements that make up the component. Identify the elements representing the physical header (the plastic body and the metal pins) and the elements representing the through-hole pads (the holes in the PCB where the header pins would go).
Remove or Hide the Header Elements: Click on each element that represents the physical header and press delete. This should leave you with only the through-hole pads.
Save the Component: Once you have removed all unnecessary elements, save the component. The footprint of J1 in your schematic and PCB layout will update to reflect your changes.
Please note that this will not remove any existing connections to the pads of J1 on your schematic or PCB layout. Also, be sure that you are okay with this change affecting all instances of this header in your project and any future projects that use this edited component from your library.
This process is based on the common footprint editing options of CAD tools. In some complex cases or specific tools, additional steps could be required, but generally, this approach should suffice.
[1]
I apologize for any confusion earlier. In Flux, you don't have direct access to the part editor to modify the components like removing the physical header while keeping the through-hole pads from the user interface itself. It's possible my previous advice was more fitting to other CAD tools that provide this functionality.
Here's an alternative approach in Flux:
Choose a Part That Only Has Holes: You can choose a "bare" footprint from the library that simply includes the mounting holes you need without any associated component. This can effectively serve as a placeholder for the header.
Adjust Part Properties: After placing this part on your schematic or PCB layout, you can change the designator to "J1" to match the original header part you're replacing. To do this, click on the part to select it, and the "Properties" menu will appear on the right-side panel. From there, you can edit the designator[1].
Manually Routing: If this "bare" part doesn't have the exact pins as the original J1 header, you'll need to manually route the traces from these holes to other components in your design where the original header was connected.
Please note the change to the part will not automatically transfer the existing connections in your PCB layout or schematic. You need to reconnect the traces manually to this new part.
By using this workaround, you will only maintain the holes on the board without the physical header part in your production files.
Finally, remember that when you order your boards, make sure to communicate clearly with your manufacturer that you intend these to be simple through-holes without any component connected.
jferguson8
copilot
jferguson8
copilot