Hi everyone,
This is my first post.
I want to make something like this:
Obviously, there are no components. It’s a prototype boards. I have watched a few tutorials and was able to make some PCB designs from schematics. But this one has no schematics for an obvious reason. It’s just shapes and via holes.
I am not sure how to approach to make something like this. Any tips or reference to read/watch would be appreciated. I intend to send the design to JLCPCB or similar.
Like everything always. It depends…
If you want to add features that “naturally fits” with footprints, (such as pads for a few SOIC IC’s) then I would use footprints for those. For “GND” at the bottom, a simple GND zone is still the simplest. For other features you can either draw graphics on a copper layer, or design one or more custom footprints.
If you want to make something that requires tracks (such as breakout from a BGA to pads) then I would create a schematic that connects pads of the two footprints to each other. The netlist can be built inside the PCB editor, but doing this in the schematic is probably simpler and quicker.
I suggest you do some experiments with different approaches, just to see whether which method works best for you. After that it’s easier to make an educated guess for a “real” design and then you can shift your focus to that.
I think my first attempt would be to create footprint containing one square pad and then place array of them. I have never used array feature but I suppose after placing one footprint and selecting it you should be able to make array of selection.
This may help…
I did Not bother with your desired Dimensions and Details and there are other ways to do the various steps shown…
It should be enough to get you started. I placed Screenshots of the PCB for reference though I did Not use them…
Notes:
I should have made the Origin’s Lines and Holes thicker (difficult to see them in video)
I did Not assign GND Net to the Plane
I made One Rectangle for a Pad but did Not use it
I placed a Terminal and changed it’s details then, Array’d it
Good Luck and welcome to Kicad
amazing. This gives me some good idea for a starting point. Thanks so much!
Showing how to setup the PCB’s material and thickness… Thickness is additive and final value shown at bottom…
