Exporting and Importing in Eeschema

Schematic
1

Hi all,
I have what I hope is a simple question and pray for a ‘yes’ answer and simple answer. I am designing a new PCB and have already done 80% of this before in another PCB. Is there any way I can create a template from an Eeschema plan I make so that I can import it into a new one later on?
For example, I want to import a design from a ATMEGA328P-PU chip from one old project and another one from a WiFi device and then some other parts from a different old project. I don’t want to have to keep drawing the schematics for all components each time I have a new project even though I have done them many times before in old projects.
I can only pray there is an option and I just can’t find it.
Could somebody please put me out of my misery.

Thanks all
Alan

2

I assume you keep your projects in separate folders, with each folder containing the eeschema files (.sch) for the various schematics?
If so, just create a new project and copy the relevant .sch files into that folder.
If you open the new projects base schematic just create hierarchical sheets and reuse the names of the copied .sch files and answer ‘yes’ to the question if the editor should use the already existing .sch files…

So yeah, the magical words are hierarchical sheets.

2 Likes
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@Joan_Sparky thank you so much. Took a few minutes to work out how to use the hierarchical sheets, but got there in the end.
This is going to save me a LOT of time.

Again thank you my saviour!

Alan
4

I am loosing it. I managed to work out how to do it, but now 28 days later I can’t remember how to do it.
So, I did copy the .sch file to my project folder and that added a hierarchical sheet and gave it the file name of te original eeschema file. Then when I switch to it I can see the wiring diagram I did. How though do I put that into the ‘root’ document? I tried to copy paste it, I tried Saving it but can’t figure out how I once did it before.
Please can somebody tell me how once I have added the hierarchical sheet that I can ‘transplant’ or import my work from the previous project.
I am quite literally banging my head on my keyboard.

Thank you in advance for any help that you can give me.

5

IMHO there currently is no option of copying parts of a schematic into another sheet (within eeschema) but I think the developers have that one high on their really-want-features list.

With hierarchical sheets you group functional groups that you can reuse and connect them with global labels or hierarchical sheet pins.
The root-sheet then is just there to organize your schematic ‘collection’ of functional groups. You can have a pretty far fetched trunk/tree structure by doing this…

However, you can REPLACE the root sheet OUTSIDE of eeschema (file explorer) with the one you want to have there from another project… just make sure you got backups. All you have to do is this:

  1. create a new project, open eeschema (so you get a .sch file created)
  2. save project
  3. close KiCAD
  4. with a file explorer copy the .sch file from another project into that folder and replace the ‘empty’ .sch file
  5. restart KiCAD and open eeschema…
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Thanks @Joan_Sparky, I could have sworn that I did copy one from another (must have been drinking that day!).

I will give it a shot with the Global Labels.

Thank you again for your help.

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Actually you can probably copy to the top sheet without overwriting it. You need to edit the .sch files as text and copy each component.
Make sure to backup your project before you do that, this is error prone.