V9.0.0 Multi Channel layout - How?

Layout
1

Hi - following on from a previous post, I am trying to use the new Multi Channel Layout.
I won’t document what I’ve tried, save to say, I’ve tried everything I can think of, without success.

So I’d like to keep this simple: How DO you do a multi-channel layout?
The manual, understandably as it’s a new feature, seems to be missing a complete process that I can follow - or I’m doing it wrong…

So what I’ve done is mock up a trivial case in a public gitlab repo below:

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  1. Make a hierarchical sub sheet
  2. Add 2 addressable LEDs and connect with hierarchical labels.
  3. Add sheet pins to “module box” in root sheet.
  4. Update PCB layout from schematic.
  5. Do a simple layout with tracks for D1+D2.

Now what? I observe if I Copy and Paste the module in root, it seems to do the right thing and make me a second module box in root, a second hierarchical sheet D3,D4 connected like D1 and D2.

But I am absolutely unable to work out how to replicate the layout for D1+D2 to D3+D4.

Any chance of a walk through please :slight_smile:

Many thanks - this will be a great feature if I can find out how to use it.

2

Hi,
my example has five replicas of this sheet:
image

I choose one as “master”, place parts and route.

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Then “Tools / Multi-channel / Generate placement rule area”.
In the dialog, pick the “master” sheet, OK.
Result is a rule area, highlighted below:
image

Now I adjust this rules area as needed, then copy it for the target sheets (e.g. Ctrl-D or CTRL-C/V).
For each of the replicas, press “E” and adjust the “place items from sheet” dropdown box to the sheet it shall represent. Also edit the name to identify the sheet as this will show in the next dialog (not strictly necssary though)

At this point, it looks like this:

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Now without anything selected: “Tools/Multi-Channel/Repeat layout”. KiCad asks to “select a reference rule area to copy from”. Click on the “master” area.
In the dialog, confirm that all target rule areas have checkboxes enabled (we should have assigned them unique names to reflect the target sheet, but it doesn’t seem to be necessary).

And here is the result:
image

At this time there is a known bug with replicating sheet-internal zones (you may get duplicates, can delete manually)

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3

Sir/Madam - you are a genius!

OK - the steps I was missing:

“E” on the rule areas - this is critical. Also important to rename the 2nd RA otherwise it remains named as the Master and that causes weirdness (the 2nd copy gets the tracks copied from the Master, but the tracks then get removed from the Master layout RA leaving them correctly only on the target copy)

And the sequence of steps around the MultiChannel menu option was key too - I was not doing that right…

I would have to read the docs again to say if it’s a docs problem or a me problem, but your explanation worked and repeatably worked - and I can see the critical steps above that make it work.

Thank you so much for taking the time - solved my problem. This is an incredibly powerful tool.
And if I edit the Master Layout RA, I can do Repeat Layout again to replicate changes, which is very cool.

Thank you again - KiCAD is amazing (I’m not a pro, just a hobbyist).

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