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Blog KiCad 6 Unofficial Quick Start Training / Guide Video
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  • Author Author: shabaz
  • Date Created: 17 Jan 2022 1:29 AM Date Created
  • Views 14625 views
  • Likes 8 likes
  • Comments 3 comments
  • kicad 6
  • kicad
  • pcb
  • schematic
Related
Recommended

KiCad 6 Unofficial Quick Start Training / Guide Video

shabaz
shabaz
17 Jan 2022

Table of Contents

  • Introduction
  • Video Contents
  • PCB Editor Configuration Screenshots
    • File->Board Setup->Design Rules->Constraints
    • File->Board Setup->Design Rules->Pre-defined Sizes
    • File->Plot
    • File->Plot->Generate Drill Files
  • Creating Multi-Element Symbols

Introduction

Thanks to the productive KiCad time at Xmas with fellow element14 members helping work through understanding KiCAD 6.0, I've put together a video. It is a lot longer (50 minutes) than I wished, so I wasn't happy about that however it is all split into 30 clickable segments (there is a chapter list in YouTube), so at least the average is 90 seconds per topic I guess.. This might be better than 30 separate videos anyway since then there's the risk of a YouTube advert with each one.

Video Contents

Click to jump to the appropriate section:

00:00 - Start 00:27 - KiCad Control Panel 00:59 - Schematic Editor 01:12 - Preferences Configuration for Schematics 01:59 - Schematic Editor Shortcut Keys 02:27 - Schematic Editor Basic Usage 07:22 - Component Symbol Editor 08:29 - Component Symbol Editor 15:33 - Component Footprint Editor 22:03 - Shaped Pads 24:09 - Through-Hole Pads 24:38 - Plated Through-Hole Slots 25:14 - Shaped (Routed) Cuts or Holes 26:58 - Holes (Non-Plated-Through) 28:11 - Schematic Electrical Rules Check 29:10 - PCB Editor 33:38 - Shortcut Keys 37:29 - PCB Design Rules (Constraints) 37:40 - JLCPCB Design Rule Settings 37:49 - Copper Pours and Ground Planes 38:52 - Track Length Tuning 40:53 - Iterative PCB Layout Improvements 41:48 - Via Stitching 42:03 - Removing Solder Resist 42:27 - Checking for Unrouted Nets 42:37 - Running the PCB Design Rules Checker 44:01 - 3D Viewer 44:37 - Generating Gerber Files (CAM Files) 45:25 - JLCPCB Gerber File Settings 47:08 - Gerber Viewer 49:02 - Preparing the Zip File for the PCB Manufacturer 49:16 - Getting Help and Contributing

Naturally, it is still missing a lot (and totally missing everything on Python programmability and 2D/3D CAD) and, not all the content may be best practice, or I may have chosen longer/inefficient ways to do things, but this video is just an option to perhaps save newcomers a few hours hunting around for initial bits of info to get started.

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PCB Editor Configuration Screenshots

Here are screenshots of some of the important configuration windows in KiCad:

File->Board Setup->Design Rules->Constraints

The settings here are for JLC PCB:

image

File->Board Setup->Design Rules->Pre-defined Sizes

The settings here are convenient for tracks and vias:

image

File->Plot

The settings here are suitable for JLC PCB:

image

File->Plot->Generate Drill Files

The settings here are suitable for JLC PCB:

image

Creating Multi-Element Symbols

The video is missing this information, but it's useful so it is described here. Sometimes there is a need to have separate symbols for different bits of functionality within the same device. An example would be a quad logic gate, or a DPDT relay where the coil, and the two poles are better represented as separate symbols. The procedure to have these separate sub-symbols is straightforward, it is just a slight modification to the symbol creation method already described in the video.

When creating a symbol, enter the number of units (i.e. sub-symbols), and check the box shown if each of the sub-symbols have fixed pins that cannot be swapped (this will normally be the case, i.e. you will want to check that box):

image

The symbol editor will now have a Unit box at the top:

image

Draw your first sub-symbol, and then select Unit B from that top drop-down box, and draw the next one, and so on. You can copy-paste from one unit to another, or from any symbol into your unit, so that can speed things up when creating and editing symbols.


Use File -> Symbol Properties and set the Footprint parameter to a default existing one if you wish.
Finally, click on Inspect -> Symbol Checker to confirm there’s no issue with the symbol.


Press Ctrl-S to save the footprint.

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Top Comments

  • rsjawale24
    rsjawale24 over 3 years ago +1
    Great tutorial! This covers the entire PCB design using KiCAD. Loved it!
  • shabaz
    shabaz over 3 years ago

    I finally got the PCB, this is what it looks like.. first purple PCB I've attempted from JLC PCB. The color is noticeably lighter than OSH Park boards, and the traces are more visible.

    image

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  • rsjawale24
    rsjawale24 over 3 years ago

    Great tutorial! This covers the entire PCB design using KiCAD. Loved it!

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  • shabaz
    shabaz over 3 years ago

    I didn't think it would work, but the segment links in the blog were surprisingly easy to get functioning. if anyone is curious, the procedure is to type the text below in the YouTube video description, in the format:

    00:00 - Start
    xx:xx - My segment title
    yy:yy - My next segment title
    

    (the first one has to start at 00:00 for this to work), and then once the video is published, on the normal user YouTube view, the description can be copy-pasted into the blog, and the links still function. I think I'm going to use that capability a lot more from now on.

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