Pcbnew can't read netlist

Layout
1

Hi,

I have done quite a number of circuits but had a break for some months due to other thinks. Now, I went back doing some more design and found problems reading the netlist into pcbnew.
It looks like Kicad can’t find the footprints anymore. Doing the test “testing footprints” says there are not footprints, although they are all in the netlist.
Then I took an old project from more than six months ago, deleted one footprint and tried to read the netlist. Although this worked in the past I got the following error message:

I should say that I hold libs in a local directory, both symbols and footprints.
Any ideas what’s wrong?

2

Are you connected to the internet?
Can you reach https://github.com/KiCad/Air_Coils_SML_NEOSID.pretty with your browser?
What is the setup for KIGITHUB? (kicad main window->preferences->configure path)

I generally would suggest you setup local libs. Either follow the tutorial by @bobc or use the lib download script found in the kicad library utils repo. (The later has the advantage that you can checkout specific commits. As soon as my latest addition is merged you can add your own tags an checkout existing tags.)

3

Obviously, your library table is messed up. It’s trying to access an online library, and KIGITHUB is probably not defined, or is not a github URL.

If you are not using github libraries, delete them from the library table.
If you are using github libraries, delete all of them and restore them.

4

The default lib setup uses KIGITHUB. So i don’t think the fp-lib-table is messed up.

Might be true but again the default setup should point to the correct location.
@KiCADsmktec KIGITHUB should be set to: https://github.com/KiCad

5

I have tried to follow your suggestions as much as I understand.
I cleared all entries in the lib table and put in my local lib

717×410 40.8 KB

Then I looked for the fp-lib-table. It’s contents is:

(fp_lib_table
  (lib (name _SMK)(type KiCad)(uri "F:/Elektronik W7/KiCAD/library/footprints/_SMK.pretty")(options "")(descr ""))
)

The project’s location is as shown at the environment variable KIPRJMOD

the kicad_common file contains:

WorkingDir=C:\\Program Files\\KiCad
ShowEnvVarWarningDialog=1
kicad_fplib_url=https://github.com/KiCad
[EnvironmentVariables]
SMK_LIB=F:\\Elektronik W7\\KiCAD\\library\\footprints\\_SMK.pretty

Maybe I should also add that after envountered the problem I downloaded the latest version of KiCad for Windows 64bit and installed it.

6

change the kicad_common file to this:

WorkingDir=C:\\Program Files\\KiCad
ShowEnvVarWarningDialog=1
kicad_fplib_url=https://github.com/KiCad
[EnvironmentVariables]
SMK_LIB=F:\\Elektronik W7\\KiCAD\\library\\footprints

Then change the content of fp-lib-table to this:

(fp_lib_table
  (lib (name _SMK)(type KiCad)(uri "$(SMK_LIB)/_SMK.pretty")(options "")(descr ""))
)

In future, if you got more than one footprint lib, put it into the F:\Elektronik W7\KiCAD\library\footprints folder and add a similar entry to the fp-lib-table, either manually or via the PCB Bibliothekstabellen Optionen fuer Bibliotheken hizufuegen oder entfernen :wink:

And then please modify the Schrittmotor02.net file AND/OR check the footprint associations with CvPCB.
For the netfile, scroll all the way down till you come by a (libraries … ) entry.
This should contain the problematic entries that cause trouble.
Though, if you regenerate this file via netlist export from a schematic, this work will be lost, thus the AND/OR above.
You need to regenerate the symbol/footprint associations in CvPCB again, so they can be stored in the .sch file(s), depending on how many sch sheets your project is compromised of.

Viel Erfolg.

7

Did you even look at the tutorial i linked?

8

Hi, thanks for all your hints.

The good part is: now it works, after I uninstalled KiCad and made a new installation and a fresh project
the bad part is: I don’t know, what caused the problem. With the working version, I tried the corrupted project and it still failed. Then I step by step I deleted all components until it didn’t crash anymore. With a new component added the problem still arrised.
Anyway, it seems that I have a good version now.
I found Joan_Sparky’s hint interesting. Is there any doc, so that I can understand the proposal on Kicad_common file and the ft_lib_table.

9

If you are able to post the project, I am sure we could identify the problem.

Unfortunately while the new KiCad features are great for “power users”, there is plenty of rope to trip over.

10

I am happy to forward the project to you and I am curious about the outcome.
(probably a stupid mistake on my end:slight_smile:)
Schrittmotor02.kicad_pcb (2.2 KB)
Schrittmotor02.bak (13.0 KB)
Schrittmotor02.pro (1.5 KB)
Schrittmotor02.net (16.5 KB)
Schrittmotor02-cache.lib (5.9 KB)
Schrittmotor02.sch (13.5 KB)

11

I checked your .sch file… and to quote myself:

This is your problem atmo in regards to old projects netlists trying to access old footprint library definitions:

…
STEP
$Comp
L R 10k1
U 1 1 599D35A3
P 3950 4000
F 0 “10k1” V 4030 4000 50 0000 C CNN
F 1 “R” V 3950 4000 50 0000 C CNN
F 2 “_SMK:R_0603” V 3850 3900 50 0000 C CNN
F 3 “” H 3950 4000 50 0000 C CNN
1 3950 4000
0 -1 -1 0
$EndComp
$Comp
L GND #PWR03
U 1 1 599D3630
P 2850 1750
F 0 “#PWR03” H 2850 1500 50 0001 C CNN
F 1 “GND” H 2850 1600 50 0000 C CNN
F 2 “” H 2850 1750 50 0000 C CNN
F 3 “” H 2850 1750 50 0000 C CNN
1 2850 1750
1 0 0 -1
$EndComp
…

There is a couple like these all over that file.
Open CvPCB AFTER you have set up the footprint library (SMK-LIB) correctly in PCBnew via that library manager and REASSIGN those footprints.
Then a fresh export of the netlist + fresh import should work flawlessly.

All else that @Rene_Poschl and @bobc wrote in regards to your footprint lib setup still applies and needs to be solved first.

1 Like
12

thanks a lot for your analysis.