I dragged the MOSFET out of the way to show the net/birdsnest.
I just want to correct the pinout.
There are several considerations when components are produced, but a big concern for TO220 devices is the lead frame. The center lead is often integrally connected to the power tab, and due to the design of the chip the drain is also connected to the power tab. The packages are produced in numbers which far exceed that for any one MOSFET.
This is the part pinout, which I have been trying to change, for far too much effort, research, and discourse. The UI needs work in this area.
I always hate datasheets that do not show the pin numbers.
Go fetch a decent datasheet first.
Also:
There is no IRL640 in KiCad’s default libraries, so whoever made that match made the error.
That is the official data sheet.
In your custom symbol; assign gate to pin 1, drain to pin 2, and source to pin 3. That is the most important piece of it. This much can be done in 1-2 minutes.
And I should do this…how? LOL!
Use the Symbol editor.
- Select the symbol on your schematic.
- Press: [Ctrl + E] to load it in the Symbol Editor.
- Edit the pins directly by manipulating their properties (pin number), or use Menu / Edit / Pin Table.
- Just close the Symbol Editor when done, It asks you whether to put the changes in the schematic.
If you also want it in an external library, that is an extra step.
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So far, the Pin Table is where we need to see the part footprint. I made Pin 1 the gate, and took a guess as 2 being the Drain, and 3 Being the Source.
The part on the schematic is still not right.
If @BrendaEM has a library TO220 MOSFET symbol with the gate at pin2, then it may be wise to edit the source library (whatever library that is) so as to reduce the odds of it causing future errors. I am not sure what MOSFET package would normally have the gate at pin 2. I cannot think of any.
It errors stating Symbol is not derived from another symbol.
Also, the part I really modified 2D and properties is no where to be found in the list. : (
Apparently, Kicad hates you to create parts to share with others. : (
Bobs Symbol Libraries.zip (232.2 KB)
Here are mine. I am not certain that you will like them, but I think it avoids the pinout error you are fighting with.
Thank you Bob, but I am not supposed to ask for parts.
I want Kicad to do well, and I strongly think that to do well, the UI in this area, needs work.
We should see a list of all of our custom parts. Perhaps it’s in here, where it slipped under the couch-cushions of the UI.
Perhaps I should have filed a bug report.
I did not make anything for you. Sharing a library is not a problem. Have you tried Licecap? It records a GIF. Maybe you can show us what you are trying to do.
Ever thought of getting a bigger and/or more monitors?
With that you can have all kinds of different parts of KiCad open at the same time, and also a few extra monitors for viewing PDF datasheets and browsing the internet.
It’s quite easy to open the Footprint Editor, to browse though footprints while you’re editing the pin table in another part of KiCad.
@paulvdh, I could ask where you thought that I disclosed my monitor size, but that would sliding further off topic.
The part I modified and saved–now does not show in the parts chooser.
Even if you have all three showing on your monitor, that doesn’t give you context, which is vitally important in a UI. In the case of Kicad, the UI is made in such a way, that you could reference 2 different parts, for different operations.
On a single form, it would be better if the user could see and align:
This Symbol, These Properties, This 3D Model.
[Click to Share]
@BrendaEM : Perhaps I should have filed a bug report.
Please look and work through a tutorial and/or the documentation first. Expecting to master a CAD-software in less than 24hours is too much.
Also try to use the nomenclature used by kicad, this will make it easier to help you. For instance kicad has no “part” (currently), there are symbols and footprints. It’s not always obvious (for the reader) what you want to express with your sentences.
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I was interrupted by dinner and other serious concerns. 
For some reason you are “looking at” this issue in some way that is different from almost everyone else on this forum. And I judge that almost everyone else on this forum uses (or has used) other EDA software and appreciates KiCad. So my impression is that you tend to criticize that which you do not understand. As @paulvdh inferred, many (most?) people laying out pcbs use 2 or more monitors. And the points raised above by @mf_ibfeew are also very valid. In my opinion this forum beats the help available for most other EDA software. I am not so great at learning software and I started using KiCad around 2015 without a lot of difficulty. So best to focus on learning that which you do not understand. The software is much better than you think.
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In the PCBCAD software I use I would load in a schematic symbol similar to what I want.
Edit it, then save it under new name.
Then do same for pcb symbol, edit it then save it under same new name.
However, my software works opposite to kicad, it has minimal libraries but includes a component wizard to make adding new components easier than just make them by hand.
I have to agree, change schematic side pin numbers and leave footprint as is.
But then you need to save new component somehow without messing up original.