KIKIT export to JLCPCB not showing panelized board - just single pcb

[Stealthrt]

Hey all this is the first time I’ve done anything with panelizing.

I created my panel via the KIKIT plugin. This is what my output looks like:

kikit panelize^
    --layout "hspace: 2mm; vspace: 2mm; rows: 20" ^
    --tabs "type: fixed; vcount: 3" ^
    --cuts "type: mousebites" ^
    --framing "type: railstb; width: 8mm" ^
    --tooling "type: 4hole; hoffset: 3mm; voffset: 3mm" ^
    "C:\Users\Blah\Documents\KiCad\8.0\myStuff\storageOrg\storageOrg.kicad_pcb" "C:\Users\Blah\Documents\KiCad\8.0\myStuff\storageOrg\panel3.kicad_pcb"

When I do my normal build for JLCPCB (Gerber, BOM and CPL files) using the JLCPCB plugin:

When I go to upload it to JLCPCB it only shows 1 pcb out of the 20?

What am I doing incorrectly here?

[paulvdh]

What does your PCB look like when you view it in the Gerber Viewer? Did you create new Gerberfiles after KiKit?

Also, your Panel does not look like it’s going to be manufactureable. It is probably too weak, and will break apart in the machines during production. Maybe you can leave the panelization to JLC. They have some extra settings on their website to let them do the paneliziation.

[Stealthrt]

How do I create the gerber within the KiKit GUI for JLCPCB?

[paulvdh]

I have not used KiKit, but if you have gerbers, you can open them in a Gerber viewer. Either directly in KiCad’s own gerber viewer, or with any of the online viewers.

[greg_m]

You don’t create Gerber files using KiKIT. KiKIT only creates a panel for you.
You open the created panel PCB in the KiCAD PCB Editor and export Gerber files from there (or if you use one of the JLC plugins - you can export it from there).

[Stealthrt]

That’s how I did it (JLCPCB plugin). See my screen shots in my OP.

[greg_m]

I use the same method as you and never had any issues.
Perhaps it’s just a JLC viewer not showing correctly?
I’ve noticed it’s sometimes not accurate. Are you chooses PCBA as well? If so, then the preview there is usually correct.
Alternatively check in another Gerber Viewer. If shown all good there, then speak to JLC support chat.

[Stealthrt]

Am I doing the steps correctly?

1. Load up standalone PCB Editor.
2. Launch the KiKIT plugin
3. On KiKit GUI choose the board as the input file.
4. On KiKIT GUI choose a output file name.
5. Configure as I need:

{
    "layout": {
        "hspace": "2mm",
        "vspace": "2mm",
        "rows": "20"
    },
    "tabs": {
        "type": "fixed",
        "vcount": "3"
    },
    "cuts": {
        "type": "mousebites"
    },
    "framing": {
        "type": "railstb",
        "width": "8mm"
    },
    "tooling": {
        "type": "4hole",
        "hoffset": "3mm",
        "voffset": "3mm"
    }
}

6. On KiKIT GUI push the Panelize button.

7. Wait until KiKit says its done.

8. Panelized board shows up on the PCB Editor screen.
   

   

9. Close KiKIT.

10. On PCB Editor I select the JLCPCB plugin.

11. In JLCPCB plugin:
    

    
    
    …More KiKit_MB_X_X
    
    

12. In JLCPCB plugin push the Generate button.

13. Wait for it to populate the needed files for JLCPCB.

2024.07.19 16:17:12 - INFO - generate_geber - Successfully plotted Top layer
2024.07.19 16:17:12 - INFO - generate_geber - Successfully plotted Silk top
2024.07.19 16:17:13 - INFO - generate_geber - Successfully plotted Mask top
2024.07.19 16:17:13 - INFO - generate_geber - Successfully plotted Paste top
2024.07.19 16:17:13 - INFO - generate_geber - Successfully plotted Bottom layer
2024.07.19 16:17:13 - INFO - generate_geber - Successfully plotted Silk top
2024.07.19 16:17:13 - INFO - generate_geber - Successfully plotted Mask bottom
2024.07.19 16:17:13 - INFO - generate_geber - Successfully plotted Paste bottom
2024.07.19 16:17:13 - INFO - generate_geber - Successfully plotted Edges
2024.07.19 16:17:13 - INFO - generate_geber - Successfully plotted V score cut
2024.07.19 16:17:13 - INFO - generate_excellon - Finished generating Excellon files
2024.07.19 16:17:13 - INFO - zip_gerber_excellon - Finished generating ZIP file
2024.07.19 16:17:15 - INFO - generate_cpl - Finished generating CPL file
2024.07.19 16:17:15 - INFO - generate_bom - Finished generating BOM file

14. Close JLCPCB plugin.
15. I then proceed to upload that gerber file that the JLCPCB plugin created.
16. This is where it just shows the single pcb. I have selected
    
    
    
17. Looking at the gerber view it also only shows 1 pcb:
    
    

[Stealthrt]

Anyone know if I am doing this correctly?

[gschelotto]

I’ve never used JLCPCB plugin but I’ve used KiKit without problems. In your point 8) just generate the gerber files and then send them to JLCPCB. I suggest you to ask JLCPCB support if needed.

[retiredfeline]

I think you should understand what each plugin does instead of blindly clicking. Here’s what I suspect:

The JLC plugin does what one would do by hand with the GUI: generate the manufacturing files and zip then up.

The kikit plugin generates a new set of production files that are the panel and zips then up.

Therefore you should not run the JLC plugin but look for result from kikit and submit that.

[greg_m]

The steps @Stealthrt listed above look correct.
I use both (KiKIT and JLCPCB plugin) with no problems following pretty much the same steps (except my own KiKIT panel configuration).

I’d check first how the panelized PCB looks in alternative Gebrer Viewer (no KiCAD and no JLC). If all looks correct, then upload as a new order and speak to JLC support.
If doesn’t look OK in the Gerber Viewer then think how to solve it in KiCAD / KiKIT / JLC plugin.

[retiredfeline]

Remember it’s not necessary to use the JLC plugin to submit jobs to JLC, it’s just a convenience. People have been generating the manufacturing files by hand and zipping for ages before JLC provided a plugin. So you should work out on where KiKit left its output.

[greg_m]

Agree. However it’s a great convenience, especially for PCBA. Just a couple of clicks and it’s done
BTW. That plugin is not provided by JLC. I think there is one provided by them, but this one is from the link below and it’s really good:

GitHub - Bouni/kicad-jlcpcb-tools: Plugin to generate BOM + CPL files for...

I still don’t think it’s a plugin problem anyway.

[Stealthrt]

After creating the panel I did just the normal gerber creation within kicad and it looks to have worked just fine when I uploaded it to JLCPCB.