Hi,
I’m still very much a KiCad amateur which means I know enough that I think I know everything 
Of course, I jest.
I’ve been making a series of videos where I use KiCad from a vintage computer hobbyist’s perspective … simple circuits, transferred to the computer and then resulting in a PCB. I try to cover new topics in each video. I’m learning as you learn, in some cases, which is maybe interesting, maybe not.
No doubt a long-time KiCad user would pick up multiple issues within a few minutes, which is fine. I learned new things doing the videos, and also from my viewers in their comments (the main rule for my comments section is, “don’t be a dick, no-one was born an expert”).
The main thing is to show KiCad newbies how they can quickly go from schematic to an actual PCB. We’re designing boards for vintage computers.
This is the playlist link if you’re interested - there’s currently (20-Apr-2025) four videos:
[1] Simple Kicad For Simple Vintage Computer Hobbyists: Part 1 (Schematic to PCB) [TCE #0579]
This deals with designing a simple cassette input circuit for a Soviet/post-Soviet Sinclair ZX Spectrum Clone. We have the schematic, let’s design it in KiCad and produce some PCBs!
[2] Simple Kicad For Simple Vintage Computer Hobbyists: Part 2 (PCB Ordering) [TCE #0580]
This is a continuation of Part 1 in which I actually order the PCBs, using two PCBWAY plug-ins to generate the fabrication files (can be used anywhere) or to upload directly to their website. Note that PCBWAY is my channel sponsor, and PCBWAY will donate a portion of the proceeds to the KiCad project if you use the plug-in.
[3] Simple Kicad For Simple Vintage Computer Hobbyists: Part 3 (Replacement Keyboard Design) [TCE #0586]
This covers designing a new keyboard for a Soviet-era 8080-based computer. The original keyboard is a membrane-type using a Soviet material called “lavsan” (фольгированный лавсан) … after 30+ years I suspect it has broken down, so let’s just create a nice, Cherry MX based keyboard to replace it! The PCB actually arrived last week so I’m currently (20-Apr-2025) working on it.
[4] Simple KiCad For Simple Vintage Computer Hobbyists: Part 4 (ROM Cartridge Design) [TCE #0589]
Here I design a cartridge for the French Exelvision range of computers. I cover creating a custom symbol and footprint for the cartridge edge connector.
