Just yesterday I down loaded Ki Cad as a replacement for an OLD Or cad program I was using for many years. I stumbled around for a while, but eventually found out how to make a useable drawing, my own library of stuff and generally use the eeschma program. I’d like to ask two questions. How can I print my drawing? I have a HP Laser Jet 2100 that only uses 8 1/2 by 11 paper. I’d like to print my drawing in full size. I realize that I’ll have to tape the sheets together, but that’s not a problem. My drawing is a ‘B’ size and when I print it, it is compressed onto the 8 1/2 by 11. I can read it, but I’m getting old and it is not easy. Can you point me to some documentation regarding printing. Second. I tried Ki Cad on a Windows XP machine. I have a NAS on my network and I’m keeping the schematics on that so that other machines can see them. I have one machine that runs Ubuntu, are the resulting files (drawings and libraries etal) readable on the Linux machine? Thanks Mike
This may not be a wholly satisfying answer, but you do have the option to Plot To Clipboard under File->Plot. Pasting the result into an image editor like paint might yield the results you want. I don’t really know of an automatic multi-page (for a single page) printing option. The files generated on either OS should be compatible with the other OS.
EDIT: You could also alternatively use multiple sheets via the Hierarchy Sheets tools, sized down to A4, which is usually legible.
Hi,
You can export the schematics into pdf first (File > Plot > Format: PDF) and then print it from whatever pdf viewer you have. This will work better than Kicad’s own print function.
You can share Kicad projects between Window and Linux machines, there should be no problems. Whenever you use shared libraries, configure the paths as relative, this way your projects will have no problems in finding libs even if absolute paths differ (and they certainly will between windows and linux)
Thanks for responding. Yes, after I posted the question, I was horsing around with the ADOBE and figured out how to print. I used the poster option and I can print the large drawing, although I have to tape it together, but that not a problem for me. Not sure what you mean by shared libraries and relative paths. I’m an old (OLD) retired steam electric plant engineer, who is just starting out in electronics. I’ve built an 8080 computer and have a couple of dozen drawings that I made in Or Cad. But the Or Cad is also very old (DOS) that I have a hard time printing with that. Also it is hard to share the drawings with other people who are helping me. I’ve been using Microsoft stuff since DOS 2, but they are losing favor with me. I’m learning Ubuntu. Linux is a little odd (compared to MS), but I’m getting the hang of it.I like it because it’s free and it’s pretty flexible. I appreciate the help the forums provide, although I’m still adverse to reading on the computer (I like paper books). Anyway, while I still can, I want to learn about computer hardware basics and some of the new languages. Ki CAD is a really good program. Thanks for the help. Mike
When you create in eeschema your own libraries that you’d like to use in multiple projects, you add the path to the library in each project. When you do so, Kicad asks you to use full or relative path: it is better to choose relative in my experience, because absolute path will be different between unix and windows, but relative stay the same.
Thank you for the help. I saw the dialogue box regarding the absolute/relative path when I made my library. And I have seen where you add the path so that each drawing that uses those new items can be found. You have told me why I should use relative, but I don’t understand the difference between Linux and Windows, yet. Why would the paths be different?
See, everything in windows starts from the disk name (c,d, …) like c:\some_folder\its_subfolde\file.txt
You’ll never see this on linux where every path starts from the root and not the disk like /home/user/something
Say, you store your project on windows in c:\electronics\kicad_projects\my_project_1\my_project.prj
and your shared library in c:\electronics\kicad_shared\libs\mylibrary.lib
On linux you may store your project in \home\mike_z\electronics\kicad_projects\my_project_1\my_project.prj
and the lib in \home_mike_z\electronics\kicad_shared\libs\mylibrary.lib
If you define c:\electronics\kicad_shared\libs\ as absolute path on windows, this will have no meaning at all for linux and the project will not find its lib. However, for both systems the relative path from project to the lib folder stays the same (it will be …/…/kicad_shared/ for both by the way).
Whew, I am afraid this explanation wasn’t as clear as I hoped to, sorry 
Well… I have secussfully redrawn a couple of dozen old OrCad schematics and they look great. I have started to make some board layout drawings. I could not find a 16 DIP symbol in eeschema so I tried pcbnew. Here I started to make a board layout drawing, but could not make a PDF file for printing. Now I am wondering if I am workingin the right place. I have no intention of making these drawing connection diagrams or PCB boards. All I want to have is a chip and parts layout diagram. Am I in the pew here or even the right church? Mike
If you’re not making pcb boards, you won’t need the bcbnew.
What is your 16 pin device by the way? It can be easyer (and faster) to draw one in your custom library than search it during long hours
That’s correct, no PC Boards. I am wire wrapping. I’m working on vintage computing. My goal is to get an 8080 computer up and running (which has been achieved) and to connect a couple of 8 inch disk drives and to run CPM 2.2 operating system. I have a bunch of 14 and 16 pin gates, Flip Flops, counters etc. I did what you suggested. I made some symbols in my custom library. Thanks for responding. Mike
Oh, that’s interesting!
Are there any existing commercial EDA packages targeted specifically at wirewrap design? I know literally nothing about wirewrapping tech
Wire Wrap relies on each IC having a socket that has square pegs as terminals. The wire is special 30 awg round wire that is applied with a tool. The wire is wrapped around the square peg and the corners of the peg dig into the wire and make a connection. It must be a good connection, because I have thousands of them and never have had a problem. Mike.
I’ve heard both Mars rovers are like 99% wirewrap, no idea if it’s true or not.
Well… I’m not sure whether or not it had, but I know it makes for easy proto-typeing and also seems to be pretty reliable in the long run. Mine has lasted nearly 40 years. But it does make me think about what Scott Carpenter had in his Friendship 7 Mercury capsule. I can still remember listening to the flight on the radio back in '62. Mike