Eeschema for Dummies? :)

Ok, so instead of creating a printed circuit board, you are more interested in creating a system wiring chart?

It is unlikely that any schematic program will have all the symbols (your so-called squares and rectangles) you want to use. Creating new symbols in KiCad is fairly easy. Check out this FAQ entry on creating symbols from scratch:

Unfortunately, currently KiCad doesn’t support color coding the wires in schematics like you have drawn here. Fritzing might, but if what I remember from the last time I used it, generating new symbols can’t be done in the tool. (I think it needs to be done in Inkscape or similar programs to create SVG files.) Though that may have changed…

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Hi, MaXinist1

One software package to look at is ExpressPCB Classic. It is a very basic free schematic capture and PCB layout software package. I have been using it for years and I think that its standout characteristics are simplicity and relative freedom from bugs. The issue with it is that the software is captive; a new board design can only be purchased from ExpressPCB. Once you do that I think that they now provide gerber files for free. But if you change your board design then you need to order it from them again. In both KiCad and ExpressPCB I mostly edit my own footprints and schematic symbols; often starting with the standard ones provided. It is pretty easy to do with either software package.

Yes although I have never worked on an electric scooter: The motor power would most likely be applied through 3 wires. it is reasonable that these 3 wires would be heavy because 4000W/48V = 83 Amps from the battery. (Given the 3 wires this is only a very rough figure.) For that much current I would expect the wire diameter to be at least a few mm. One thing which I have been doing in Eeschema (although I am pretty green with KiCad) is to attach global labels to many of my schematic wires because I generally find the Eeschema default netnames to be uninformative. So you could have a global label called “FAT_RED” for one heavy wire for example unless you do not have a red one.

Paulvdh I sort of agree with you about “dummies”. But sometimes one can get into some sort of “help” material where one then finds it necessary to get help to read the help book. So I think the idea is that the books are targeted at beginners.

Have a look a qelectrotech https://qelectrotech.org/index.html
This is quite a useful FOSS electrical diagram application.

Nice. I’ll have to check it out. You wouldn’t happen to know off the top of your head if it will do industrial style ladder diagrams?

Sorry - I’ve only used it in a limited way for documenting a wiring harness so can’t help there. There is a fairly comprehensive gallery and wiki. The forum is active and there is a recent release. Worth checking out - sure it’s not eplan but is rather more affordable. There is also Elwin (windows only) http://www.3xm.se/index_eng.html which might also be worth exploring.

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