I need to be able to lay out breadboards in KiCad, because I have health challenges that make it difficult to transpose the information from the schematic to the breadboard. (Another place this is a real aggravation is in trying to mentally flip the board image to solder up a perf board. It was great, when the board flip function was added to KiCad.)
I have thought of a way to do it, but I do not have the necessary skills. My idea is to create the breadboard image to scale in some type of editor that can save to bmp. (This is the lack of skills.) Then, use the KiCad bmp import function to add it to the comment layer of a board page.
Then, the components can be laid out to fit the board and all the KiCad functions will work⌠Such as checking the connections. And, the image will not be an active part of the board layout, as a footprint would be. See following.
I have laid out a custom (no schematic) scaled breadboard in KiCad, using pads and traces. I can append it, but it does not work well⌠Because, the pads and traces are not assigned to any net, they will not mate to the components, when the component list is brought onto the board.
Yes, I know about Fritzing. I donât find it friendly and it is a duplication of the work.
In searching for an existing solution, I found that a good many other people have inquired about this. Maybe my suggested procedure is a solution?
Start by making a PCB project for your âbreadboard layoutâ. This can also be strip board, or those more complicated boards such as for example the old âElexâ mini layout.
Then set the grid to 2.54mm (0.1") because that is very likely your breadboard (matrix board) pin spacing and draw the layout itself. You can do this as simple tracks, or you can create custom footprints with pads, (or use them from a sill footprint library). If you want to combine footprints with tracks, then draw a scheamtic too. Just use regular connectors, short them together and then make a bunch of copies.
When your âPCBâ looks reasonable, use PCB Editor / File / Fabrication Outputs Gerber**. Then set Plot Format to SVG. Select a single (arbitrary) layer for the âInclude layersâ (each check mark here will create an extra output file) and set the layers that you want in your drawing in the Plot on All Layers list.
(Edit: do not that the proposed layer combination is a bad choice for the image. So use your own wisdom here)
After that you can use PCB Editor / File / Import / Graphics to import the image you created into another KiCad project.
The most difficult thing will probably be to decide what sort of info you want exactly on you image. Itâs probably best to not think too hard about this in the beginning and just try some different variants and then choose which works best for you.
Another approach is to draw the real physical track layout of the breadboard (matrixboard, etc) in a KiCad project, and then use that as a template for your other projects.
A BreadBoard in Kicad has different aspects you (the user) needs to want to have, such as:
⢠Similarity to a Real âBreadboardâ with each Column being Electrically connected
⢠Similarity to a âProtoBoardâ with only Un-nnected Contact Pads in Columns
⢠A 3D-Image of the results for Graphics only that can have a 3D-STEP model (or, .WRL) linked to the Footprint
In either case, the DRC/ERC will Error but, knowing this, user can ignore those errors (I never DRC/ERC any of my work unless Iâm de-bugging something)
Attached image shows: #1 - a ProtoBoard with independent, un-connected Pads #2 - a BreadBoard with connected Pads in Columns (like a real BreadBoard)
(both have a 3D-STEP model for Graphic representation) #3 - a larger ProtoBoard with independent, un-connected Pads (no 3D-STEP)
NOTE: Naturally, with Connected Pads in Columnâs, they would Not be correct way to place the Chip. Would need to rotate it 90 deg and bridge it across the rectangular recess. I only placed it as shown for GraphicâsâŚ
Thanks, folks! These are wonderful replies! @BlackCoffee - Your board layouts #1,2,3 are very similar to the ones that I had developed. Not only would the ERC complain, the pads simply would not connect with traces. Two reasons: 1) The traces and pads I had drawn in the appended breadboard do not have any networks assigned to them. 2) When a component is placed, its pads rest on top of the existing appended breadboard pads, i.e. duplicate pads. @paulvdh - You have a wonderful solution! I do believe that I will be able to work through your excellent directions. Thank you so much for writing out each step! I will give it a go and post back, as to its (Edit: Meaning the bmp image) usability and usefulness. I imagine that this is going to be a rather helpful image, for lots of people. Iâm pumped, as the kids say⌠Well, used to say, anywayâŚ
FYI #1) You can assign Netâs by different methods. #2) I set the Pads to âNoneâ when using Footprints on those BreadBorads (double-click the Pads on a footprintâŚ)
Yes indeed. You can work this way, but if you want to go this way, then only draw the tracks in your âtemplate projectâ. And then, (in the âreal projectâ) you can drop footpinrs on the existing tracks. All tracks in the template will not have a net name (or be part of the âno netâ group), and at the moment you put pads of a footprint on top of those tracks, then they will assume the net names of those pads. This could be a handy method if you want to work with the (old) âElexâ PCB layout. You can just try out some things, and shift footprints around to try to find an optimal combination.
But this method also has some advantages. In real life wired resistors have a âvariable pitchâ and you will have to fiddle a bit with footprint assignments to mimick that on a PCB like that.
Have you looked at VeeCad or LochMaster ? If you are only planning to use stripboard type layouts and are not going to be making a pcb, you might find they work more effectively for your use case than KiCad.
Thanks, John, for the lead on the links. I have not tried those apps, specifically, but I have used Fritzing. They are good, for the use for which they are intended.
I do create advanced circuits and I do have the PCBs manufactured. I do this in KiCad.
I use a breadboard to prove the circuitâs concept. I noted that I have trouble transposing the circuit from the schematic to the breadboard. I have worked long and hard to climb KiCadâs learning curve, lol. (I really love it.) So, I need this âtoolâ to work within the KiCad environment. Paulâs solution seems to be the winning âChicken Dinner.â (grin)
Those apps probably have other uses that are very much worth knowing about. I look forward to investigating them. Thank you, again, for sharing them.
I had a very short look at Lochmaster years ago, and apparently there is no connection with a schematic. You canât do ERC / DRC to verify your final artwork is the same as the schematic. That makes it very inferior to KiCad. I donât know about VeeCAD. Maybe it does have some verification built in. But why bother?
KiCad has grown quite mature over the last years, and it can do all that those other programs can, and much more. The only part that is more difficult in KiCad is how to limit the PCB design to something that fits your strip (matrix) board. And that is mostly a bit of practice and some self control.
This is an interesting consideration. Some thoughtsâŚ
If the bmp image is made true to scale at 1/10th", then it should just be a matter of setting the board grid to the same scale. Two traps, for that:
a) It used to be very difficult to import a bmp and get it sized properly on the board. Well, at least for my limited skills, in this area. Maybe it is quite easy, now. I donât know. @paulvdh Will your method handle the scaling to re-import the bmp image, or do we need some more instructions?
b) The holes on the power rails on some breadboards are offset to the main matrix by 1/2 of a hole. The board grid can be set to 1/10"/2 to accommodate for that. My layout does address this. See pix @ Green Arrow. The user just has to remember this (non-intuitive?) difference in the setup.
Again: Why make a bitmap? Just create an SVG from KiCad with scale 1:1. You can set a scale factor during import, (Use: PCB Editor / File / Import / Graphics) but apparently you canât a scale factor afterward.
Why? Whatâs your problem? I never had problems with this. After using PCB Editor / Place / Add Reference Image, you can drag the image around, scale it by dragging a corner, or edit itâs properties and add a scale factor directly. Sure, it can be improved, but itâs âadequateâ for most purposes.
Sure, you can work on an 1.27mm grid (1/20 of a banana), but do such small details really matter? Once youâre building your circuit on a breadboard, you just stick the resistor / capacitor / wire, in the closest hole that âlooks rightâ. It does matter when you are designing a PCB such as the âpower adapterâ for a breadboard. When you do that, you will notice that the distance between the âpower stripsâ on a breadboard is also not standardized.
On a side note. There is quite a lot of quality difference between breadboards. Most are ok-ish, while some are so bad that I just threw them away. Recently I bought some from âBusboardâ, and they are of a very nice quality, but Iâm not sure yet whether they are worth the extra cost for me.
Here, I was speaking of working with bitmaps. Scaling used to be a know issue. I havenât used one in years, so perhaps it is much easier to use one, now. I was getting terms crossed up, as I can do. So, my bitmap thoughts do not apply to SVG, which I have not used, as of yet.
Yes, I was designing my power adapter, when I discovered this issue. So, for me, it is something to address.
I researched boards, too, and I ended up buying the Global Industries brand at Mouser. As you say, no breadboard is great, but the GI boards have been rather descent. They are reasonably priced.
I think I have seen the Busboard brand boards. If they are the ones that I am thinking of, they came with a base and they were somewhat expensive?
Thanks for your continued participation and input. Cheers.
Busboard appears to be Canadian (or at least an office in Canada). They also have battery boxes, wires and prototype PCBâs, but I do not see BBâs with back plates on their web site. https://busboard.com/breadboards
