Is there a schematic symbol for an arduino-type logic-controlled mechanical relay board module? I intend to use a 5V logic-controlled (optoisolated) mechanical relay type SRD-5V-SL-C module assembly that’s common. That mine will be 5V logic-controlled, optoisolated and have control logic polarity selection doesn’t need to be indicated by the symbol. The symbol just needs power/common, control, N-O and N-C pins.
On top of that, I highly recommend you teach yourself how to use the symbol editor (and the footprint editor) in KiCad. They are both easy to learn and use. It may take a few hours at first, but then you can design custom symbols and footprints in probably less time then it takes to find them on the 'web. You can design a (simple) completely new symbol or footprint in 5 to 10 minutes, and also make modifications to all the parts that are already available in KiCad’s libraries. Modifications, such as changing the pin numbers of an existing relay to a custom relay that is not in any existing library can be done in less then a minute.
It also gives you the power to create symbols that are not anywhere on the internet. I have for example created a custom symbol for a connector to interface modules with a custom backbone. This symbol has all pin names for power and signal names in it for all 40 pins, and I never have to look up such things in external documentation. In fact, the symbol that I designed is the only reference and documentation in itself.
Another example is with microcontrollers. Pin layout for microcontrollers in default symbols is rarely easy to use inside a project. Each project has specific requirement for input and output pins, and how these fit inside the schematic. In the symbol editor you can very simply drag and rotate the pins so they are on different locations in the symbol. In itself this does not change any functionality (both pin numbers and pin names are not changed), but having pins show up on a different location on the symbol can make schematics much easier to read. And such a modification can be done in around 10 seconds.
Yup. I like the one that has all screw terminals and trigger polarity selection.
You’re right. I created an empty project library and loaded an existing symbol. When I tried to save it I was told the part is ‘read-only’.
There’s no new library creation information in the main Kicad docs. I used to do this often years ago with Eagle. Is there a detailed library/symbol creation/editing doc available?
Or chapter 4 of the Getting started in KiCad tutorial:
Schematic editor documentation also has a chapter on creating and editing symbols:
https://docs.kicad.org/9.0/en/eeschema/eeschema.html#creating-and-editing-symbols
Perfect! Thanks so much.
Just what I need, Thanks!