How can i integrate a completed design into a larger PCB?

Layout
1

Hi all,

I have some PCBs completed with what are effectively modules that can be re-used as parts of new designs. I want to include one of those (around 3 x 6 inches, maybe 60 components) into a new, larger PCB that includes input switching and logic control. What is the best way? I’d like to use more than the schematic - i spent a lot of time laying out a nice physical layout and making the routing logic work…

Can it be embedded as a loosely coupled object? Do i need to lay out the PCB again (easy, i guess, to copy and paste the schematic, but that’s so clunky and wastes my time investment).

TIA,

G

2

This is also mentioned in Modules with Kicad , so Save/restore action plugin is a possible solution

3

I posted this video snippet awhile back - should give you an approach to use… halfway down the page

4

When I want to reuse some layout block, I do strip my exising project from unnecessary parts and then save the remaining part (the one to be reused) in a separate file.
Then for target project I do open it in PCBNew standalone window (invoked directly, no through KiCad project manager) and use File > Append board to append my layout-to-be-reused.
Schematic copy+paste, keep designators.
Dirty, but works.

5

Thanks Fred. Sounds a lot better than “do it over”. I’m not exactly sure how it works and what I’ll get, but i will try. when you append, what happens?

6

thanks - i’ll try to get to this soon.

G

7

I haven’t checked so this may be nonsense but I wonder if it could be done like this:

Ensure that the module has unique net names. (But common nets like power can be the same.)

Append the module to the larger board using standalone pcbnew and place it where you want.

Use net ties to connect the module to the surrounding circuit where the nets are district. Can this be done in pcbnew without invoking eeschema? Or can it be done in Python? Or maybe instead of net ties, Python could merge net IDs that need to connect.

Alternatively can traces be drawn between the module and the surrounding circuit?

Naturally this doesn’t work with BoMs.

8

Thanks BlackCoffee. I need to read and play a bit before i can fully understand what i don;t know …

9

When you append, the appended layout part comes up selected so it floats over with your mouse and can be positioned on the target PCB.

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Hi fred -

It did nto come up floating. It seemed to be static and totally overlapping the existing schematic to the point i could not figure out what was what. I did this via “file/append schematic sheet content”. Now did i need to previously make sure that every symbol in the appended schematic had a unqiue ID/number? I ask because there are > 100 of them. TIA, G

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By the way, you and others have talked about “standalone eeschema”. What exactly do you mean and why?

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I just went in and created a new “test” schematic files (save as… to new folder). Then i appended the circuit i wanted. It comes in but:

  1. does not float
  2. is not grouped

So i have a jumble of 100+ components to individual select adn move. This can’t be right… HELP! :slight_smile:

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You mentioned layout, and I was explaining “standalone PCBNew” invoked by typing “Pcbnew” into desktop search. If you append layout block, it will be attached to mouse cursor and floating until you click it.

1 Like
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oops, sorry. So how do i first bring in the schematic, then the PCB, then associate them?

15

For parts of the schematic I do “copy/paste”, but then need to manually restore original designators to connect it to my layout-to-be-reused.
Definitely not the best way to deal with the issue, the only advantage is: it works for me.

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