Have you simply followed the link from KiCad web page? If yes, you have been reading a document which is for later version. You can try this, it corresponds better with 4.0.6:
http://docs.kicad.org/4.0.7/en/getting_started_in_kicad.html
My document has a July 18, 2018 date on the second page. Thanks I’ll try your link. Mike
But there is in the latest version on the download page (v5.0.1). I’ve heard about some parts of the documentation that isn’t up to date, but I don’t think there are that many places anymore. I, personally, haven’t validated this.
It will be easier to get help here if you get stuck if you upgrade to 5.0.1, as many of the more active people here are on at least the latest version. (Some of us are playing with the nightlies, helping to find issues and highlight bugs to squash before the 5.1, release coming soon.)
I will update after I run through the present version. I have made many schematics of my vintage computer boards, or I should say hacked them. I want to try and learn the proper way. All my boards are wire wrapped so I never needed more than a schematic. As long as the schematic was wired correctly, it didn’t matter whether or not the rest was OK. Now I am considering making a PCB, so I want to go slow. Someone advised me that updating will effect my lib’s. Since I’m not that sure about them I want to experiment a little first. 5.0 can wait a few days first.
Having the correct Starting document made it a little easier. Still my old mind took a little time to get wrapped around some of the words. I’m up to the creating the NetLIst file. Maybe tomorrow I’ll continue Thanks Mike
I have read Eeschema and PcbNew current pdfs, but not siiting at computer to check everything. I think there are many places not up to date.
Four months ago, Mike, I was in the same boat. Luckily I found a youtube video by BuildElectronicCircuits that shows the step-by-step directions needed to create a schematic, assign footprints to packages, build the netlist for the circuit, and then lay out traces on copper clad board.
The URL for the video is listed at
The through-hole circuit is about as simple as you can get–an LED, a resistor, and a battery.
I first created this demo. in kicad 4.0.7.
Then later I upgraded to kicad 5.0.0 and then to 5.0.1. The thread I mentioned is my question about finding existing packages. Several package names changed from 4.0 to 5.0. They became longer and more descriptive of the actual geometry.
The main thing, however–the work flow between 4.0 and 5.0 changed only minimally.
Rene_Poschl and Sprig guided me out of the woods and onto the sunlit meadow of success.
So you might want to give it a whirl too. The circuit should turn out the same regardless of what OS you are using.
I later made a prototype of that PCB.
Thanks Russ, I’ll take a look. Right now I’m thinking how best to arrange my folders. Currently I have all my projects on NAS and the KiCaD program on my C:. I think this is OK, but what should I do with the libraries that I have made? Should they stay with each project or should they stay with the KiCad libraries. Seems to me that they should be in one place. Then is there any other organizational things that would make using this easier? Thanks Mike
Well… ran into some more problems. When making the NetList I could not find the Discret:R1 foot print, so I just picked one that looked OK. Saved that.Next was the BOM. I could not find the plug in bom2csv.xsl on my computer, so I copied the one from Github. After setting the plugin I press generate and this is the result
Run command:
xsltproc -o “Z:/KiCAD/tutorial1/tutorial1” “F:/Program Files/KiCad/share/kicad/scripting/plugins/bom2csv.xsl” “Z:/KiCAD/tutorial1/tutorial1.xml”
Success
Looks good.
Geeezzzz… this time when I run PCBnew I don’t get the same errors as the first time. Must have done something wrong, never mind. Mike
“Discret” library here is some historical baggage, it doesn’t exist anymore, not even in 4.0. It will be replaced with Resistor_THT:R_Axial_DIN0207_L6.3mm_D2.5mm_P2.54mm_Vertical in future version of the Getting Started Guide.
OK, thought maybe something like that. I got through the board design and saved it. No Errors. But, when looking at the board in 3D viewer, I do not see the traces. Did I do something wrong? Mike
Apparently I didn’t make a mistake. The traces are almost the same color as the top of the board, which makes it difficult to see them, but they are there. Mike
Well… I think I have the routine down. I’m sure that I do not remember all of it, but at least I’ve gone through it. Next I’m going to look at some ytubes. Then maybe tomorrow update to version 5.x and do the starting started again with that version. I do have one question. If I have a pre determined size of PCB that I will be using, can I start with that and then fill it. Or should I say how is that done? Thanks Mike
I’m sorry, but the Getting Started document isn’t up to date with 5.0, if that is what you meant by doing it again with that version. You can of course follow the document and find out how to do the same steps with 5.0. Actually it could be a good experiment, making you to learn by yourself, which is more effective than just following instructions slavishly.
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I know almost NOTHING about the 3-D viewer (have only used a time or two when I did demos or tutorials) but it may be that the viewer is simulating the board’s appearance when the traces are covered by soldermask. In the real world, sometimes the soldermask DOES make the traces almost imperceptible.
Dale
Most of my boards start by defining the outline (the “Edge.Cuts”, in KiCAD parlance) before I start placing components. Assuming the board has enough acreage to contain all of the components, the only reason you may not want to start by defining the board’s outline is when the tutorial you are following tells you to place a component at a location that is outside the board’s boundary.
Currently (in my opinion) the Edge.Cuts are one of the weakest parts of PCBNew. You can teach yourself about some of these limitations by defining an outline that is not a simple rectangle. For example, add a notch in one of the corners, define a radius at each of the corners (both concave and convex corners), make the board outline a trapezoid or parallelogram, etc. When you are finished, make certain the outline is a closed contour (each of the segment end points are coincident with the end point of the next segment).
Dale
It does try to simulate reality. But only in “realistic” rendering mode. If this is turned iff one gets the same colors as in pcb new.
Viewed a number of ytube videos regrading KiCad last night. I am just amazed at how complex this program must be. I was particularly impressed with the DigiKey videos. I use Mouser as a parts vendor. I’ll have to find out if they also provides similar libraries. One of the items that has me concerned to some degree is once a design is finalized and a PCB is sent to the maker (OshPark for example) what if the circuit does not work as planned. How are mistakes handled, especially if the board is large (S-100 size). From my own experience, I have made many wire wrapped boards and always have made mistakes. But Wire Wrap has a certain amount of forgiveness built in. I have an idea for my first board and will most likely begin by making a new schematic with the methods shown. Actually my circuit has two distinct purposes, a serial interface and a parallel interface. I was wondering can I make one schematic for each and then combine them as I layout the board. It would make the rats nest a little more workable. Thanks Mike
Work flow is going to be personal in your case. I do small circuits but I find what works best for me is to lay out sections as I go. This helps me keep things laid out physically and logically as I go and the rats nest never gets too overwhelming. I can then move sections around as a group as needed. No need to lay them out within a board outline either though if you know your final outline, like 100mm X 100mm no harm laying it out as a reference point.
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I will give it a try. I updated to 5.0.1 and started a new schematic. Since the program does not have a S-100 edge connector, I started to make one to add to my library. I defined all 100 pins and then started to arrange them in a logical order and KiCad crashed. Rats… Now I have to start over. Mike
I have may symbol for the S-100 edge connector made, organized and saved. I have a foot print library ready for the footprint of this symbol. My question is do I make two footprints? One for the top and one for the bottom of the board? Or do they both reside on the same foot print? Mike