Hi, I’m looking to import a .gif / .bmp / .jpg or any graphic file format into Pcbnew to reproduce a PCB route from an image, in my case I’ve, long time ago, realised a PCB with photo-film method, I don’t have the schematic and the netlist.
Is there a solution to do that with Kicad ?
Thanks & Regards.
Vincent.
Yes; such a feature was introduced early this year. Use the ‘bitmap2cmp’ tool and select the option to put the image on the Eco1 or Eco2 layer. The output will be a ‘footprint’ which you can put into a footprint directory which is searched by the project and then add the footprint, do the routing, and then delete the footprint. Ensuring a sane scale and minimizing skew in the image is your responsibility (pre-processing with an image editor to reduce skew + selecting an appropriate ‘pixels per unit’ to control scale).
Thanks Cbernardo for the information, that’s very good to know that !
It works fine, first you need to scan your original PCB design and save it as a .bmp file,
then you need to adjust the size by editing it to change eventually the pixels/mm to be sure the size is correct, then using the tool Bitmap2Component (6th icon on the main Kicad 4.0.0 program) you create a new module and save it into your modules directories, from my side is it : C:\Program Files\KiCad\share\kicad\modules\NewMod.pretty
Finally you start Pcbnew and select Eco1.User layer, on top menu select Place and click on the PCB field a menu ask to put a module name, select by viewer and on the new Library Viewer select into your new directory the translated PCB. Now you get into your design an image of your PCB.
Now the question is to place Pads and Tracks, for Tracks it’s Ok except to change the width I try to add differents classes into the Concept Rules editor but I don’t find how to select it into my design, then I need to place Pads, how to do that without any netlist and components imported into my current design ?
Thanks for the help !
I’m curious how you use a scanned image or bitmap file and end up with accuracy good enough for surface mount devices?
You just place the footprints for the devices?
In PCBnew you can free hand place any footprint you want from the repos.
The only problem you have is that DRC won’t let you connect them up to other nets (unless deactivated in preferences/general) and that overall it’s a bad idea to run without schematic, as you are really on your own for everything:
I’m playing with PTH devices not SMD.
To clarify my question, this is the specific step/statement I’d like more detail on
Are you “adjusting the size” by entering a different DPI in the Bitmap2Component tool?
Thanks!
No, first I scan my original PCB to duplicate it, then I use my old Paint Shop pro 4 to adjust and resize and save as .bmp file. Using Kicad Bitmap2Component tool I just import to my project the image to draw manually the PCB (using tracks, Pads en filled area) then I printout using the Approx. Scale set to Accurate Scale 1.
I hope that help you ?
Thanks. That’s kind of what I envisioned.