PCB design glossary
Courtyard
The keepout area around a component footprint — reserves space for the body and adjacent components.
The courtyard is a non-electrical layer in a footprint that defines how much PCB area a component reserves around itself. It accounts for the part's body, mechanical tolerance, and a small assembly margin.
Courtyards prevent components from colliding mechanically and give assembly machines room to place parts without clashing.
Designing a board that uses courtyard?
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