I’ve taken one of the library symbols for a relay and modified the pinouts to match the manufacturers pinout (and intend to make a footprint to match later once I start the PCB layout).
Can someone kindly walk me through the process - I want to save the symbol in a global library that I’ll call for example Andrew_Symbols where I will add all my symbols in the future as well.
Once you have your Personal Libraries, the below quote explains the easiest way to copy a Kicad symbol into a Personal Library so you are able to modify that symbol.
Not a great idea.
You will probably regret that decision by next year. The more you use Kicad, the more items you will need to create, modify or import. One library will soon become unworkable: it will look like the Kicad “Device” Library.
Instead, make many libraries. eg: caps, electros, resistors, pots, transformers, ICs, connectors, etc.
The problem is; if you decide to change your library system later, because it is now inadequate, everything you have done up to then, if you want to re-use parts, will have the wrong library paths. ERC and DRC, as well as possibly you, will go hysterical.
I wholeheartedly agree. There can of course be too many libraries, but I still recommend too many rather than too few from the very beginning. If you think you may have two or more parts which can be classified together and separate from other parts, add a library. For example, instead of one Resistor library you could have Resistor, Potentiometer, ResistorArray… More generic libraries tend to become messy kitchen sinks quickly, and I haven’t even had many parts compared to many other users.
If remember well (can’t check now) there are different behavior when you right click on the symbol name in library and a little to the right - on its description.
If you wish to place a Kicad library symbol into a personal library so you are able to modify that symbol:
Open the Symbol Editor, find the symbol in the library from the list on the left of your screen. Highlight that then File > Save as.
If you wish to place a symbol that you have already modified, but only now exists on your Schematic, you need to place it back in the Symbol Editor by Right click on the schematic symbol and then choose “Edit in Symbol Editor”. When it is showing in the Symbol Editor, then use File >Save as.
Well, my first KiCAD 7 PCB is back from the PCB house. Hopefully I made no errors with the routing. Clearly the component references have not come out so I’ll need to work on that on the next spin.
Are you doing these by hand ? or with a stencil and solder paste ? generally via in pad is a bad idea unless it’s filled, but then the cost goes up . . . had soldering will be OK.