Getting Started in KiCad

Getting Started in KiCad
Getting Started in KiCad ii
September 5, 2015
Getting Started in KiCad iii
Contents
1 Introduction to KiCad 1
1.1 Download and install KiCad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.2 Under GNU/Linux . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.3 Under Apple OS X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.4 Under Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.5 Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2 KiCad Workflow 3
2.1 Forward and backward annotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
3 Draw electronic schematics 6

3.1 Bus connections in KiCad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
4 Layout printed circuit boards 20

4.1 Generate Gerber files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
4.2 Automatically route with FreeRouter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
5 Make schematic components in KiCad 28

5.1 Export, import and modify library components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
6 Make schematic components with quicklib 31

6.1 Make a high pin count schematic component . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
7 Make component footprints 34
8 Note about portability of KiCad project files 37
9 Forward annotation in KiCad 38
10 More about KiCad documentation 39

10.1 KiCad Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Getting Started in KiCad iv
Essential and concise guide to mastering KiCad for the successful development of sophisticated electronic printed circuit boards.
Copyright
This document is Copyright 20102015 by its contributors as listed below. You may distribute it and/or modify it under
the terms of either the GNU General Public License (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html), version 3 or later, or the Creative
Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/), version 3.0 or later.
All trademarks within this guide belong to their legitimate owners.
Contributors
David Jahshan, Phil Hutchinson, Fabrizio Tappero, Christina Jarron, Melroy van den Berg.
Feedback
Please direct any comments or suggestions about this document to:
Fabrizio Tappero: fabrizio.tappero<at>gmail.com, David Jahshan: kicad<at>iridec.com.au, or Melroy van den Berg: webmas-
ter1989<at>gmail.com
Alternatively, submit comments or your new version to:
https://github.com/KiCad/kicad-doc
Acknowledgments
None
Publication date
2015, May 16.
Note for Mac users
The KiCad support for the Apple OS X operating system is experimental.
Getting Started in KiCad 1 / 39
Chapter 1
Introduction to KiCad
KiCad is an open-source software tool for the creation of electronic schematic diagrams and PCB artwork. Beneath its singular
surface, KiCad incorporates an elegant ensemble of the following stand-alone software tools:
Program name Description File extension

KiCad Project manager *.pro
Eeschema Schematic editor (both schematic and *.sch, *.lib, *.net
component)
CvPcb Footprint selector *.net
Pcbnew Circuit board board editor *.kicad_pcb
GerbView Gerber viewer All the usual gerbers
Bitmap2Component Convert bitmap images to components *.lib, *.kicad_mod, *.
or footprints kicad_wks
PCB Calculator Calculator for components, track None
width, electrical spacing, color codes,
and more. . .
Pl Editor Page layout editor *.kicad_wks
Note
The file extension list is not complete and only contains a subset of the files that KiCad works with that is useful for the basic
understanding of which files are used for each KiCad unique application.
KiCad can be considered mature enough to be used for the successful development and maintenance of complex electronic
boards.
KiCad does not present any board-size limitation and it can easily handle up to 32 copper layers, up to 14 technical layers and up
to 4 auxiliary layers. KiCad can create all the files necessary for building printed boards, Gerber files for photo-plotters, drilling
files, component location files and a lot more.
Being open source (GPL licensed), KiCad represents the ideal tool for projects oriented towards the creation of electronic
hardware with an open-source flavour.
On the Internet, the home of KiCad is:
http://www.kicad-pcb.org/
1.1 Download and install KiCad
KiCad runs on GNU/Linux, Apple OS X and Windows. You can find the most up to date instructions and download links at:
http://www.kicad-pcb.org/download/
Important
The current KiCad stable builds have not been updated since 2013. As such they are missing many new features that
have been added to KiCad. It is suggested that you install the unstable nightly builds which occasionally introduce new
bugs, but are updated frequently and generally stable.
1.2 Under GNU/Linux
Stable builds Stable releases of KiCad can be found in most distibutions package managers as kicad and kicad-doc.
Unstable (nightly development) builds Unstable builds are built from the most recent source code. They can sometimes have
bugs that cause file corruption, generate bad gerbers, etc, but are generally stable and have the latest features.
Under Ubuntu, the easiest way to install an unstable nightly build of KiCad is via PPA and Aptitude. Type the following into
your Terminal:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:js-reynaud/ppa-kicad

sudo aptitude update && sudo aptitude safe-upgrade
sudo aptitude install kicad kicad-doc-en
Under fedora the easiest way to install an unstable nightly build is via copr. To install KiCad via copr type the following in to
copr:
sudo dnf copr enable mangelajo/kicad

sudo dnf install kicad
Alternatively, you can download and install a pre-compiled version of KiCad, or directly download the source code, compile and
install KiCad.
1.3 Under Apple OS X
Stable builds There are currently no stable builds of KiCad for OS X.

Unstable nightly development builds can be found at: http://downloads.kicad-pcb.org/osx/
1.4 Under Windows
Stable builds Stable builds of KiCad can be found at: http://downloads.kicad-pcb.org/archive/

For Windows you can find nightly development builds at: http://downloads.kicad-pcb.org/windows/
1.5 Support
If you got ideas, remarks or questions / you need help. . . Either:
Visit the Forum

Join the #kicad IRC channel on Freenode
Watch Tutorials
Chapter 2
KiCad Workflow
Despite its similarities with other PCB software tools, KiCad is characterised by an interesting work-flow in which schematic
components and footprints are actually two separate entities. This is often the subject of discussion on Internet forums.
The KiCad work-flow is comprised of two main tasks: making the schematic and laying out the board. Both a components library
and a footprints library are necessary for these two tasks. KiCad has plenty of both. Just in case that is not enough, KiCad also
has the tools necessary to make new ones.
In the picture below, you see a flowchart representing the KiCad work-flow. The picture explains which steps you need to take,
in which order. When applicable, the icon is added as well for convenience.
For more information about creating a component, see the section of this document titled Make schematic components in KiCad.
And for more info about how to create a new footprint, see the section of this document titled Make component footprints.
On the following site:
http://kicad.rohrbacher.net/quicklib.php
You will find an example of use of a tool that allows you to quickly create KiCad library components. For more information
about quicklib, refer to the section of this document titled Make Schematic Components With quicklib.
2.1 Forward and backward annotation
Once an electronic schematic has been fully drawn, the next step is to transfer it to a PCB following the KiCad work-flow. Once
the board layout process has been partially or completely done, additional components or nets might need to be added, parts
moved around and much more. This can be done in two ways: Backward Annotation and Forward Annotation.
Backward Annotation is the process of sending a PCB layout change back to its corresponding schematic. Some do not consider
this particular feature especially useful.
Forward Annotation is the process of sending schematic changes to a corresponding PCB layout. This is a fundamental feature
because you do not really want to re-do the layout of the whole PCB every time you make a modification to your schematic.
Forward Annotation is discussed in the section titled Forward Annotation.
Chapter 3
Draw electronic schematics
In this section we are going to learn how to draw an electronic schematic using KiCad.
1. Under Windows run kicad.exe. Under Linux type kicad in your Terminal. You are now in the main window of the KiCad
project manager. From here you have access to eight stand-alone software tools: EESchema, Schematic Library Editor,
PCBnew, PCB Footprint Editor, GerbView, Bitmap2Component, PCB Calculator and Pl Editor. Refer to the work-flow
chart to give you an idea how the main tools are used.
2. Create a new project: File New Project New Project. Name the project file tutorial1. The project file will automat-
ically take the extension ".pro". KiCad prompts to create a dedicated directory, click "Yes" to confirm. All your project
files will be saved here.
3. Lets begin by creating a schematic. Start the schematic editor Eeschema, . It is the first button from the left.
4. Click on the Page Settings icon on the top toolbar. Set the Page Size as A4 and enter the Title as Tutorial 1. You will
see that more information can be entered here if necessary. Click OK. This information will populate the schematic sheet
at the bottom right corner. Use the mouse wheel to zoom in. Save the whole schematic project: File Save Schematic
Project
5. We will now place our first component. Click on the Place component icon in the right toolbar. The same function-
ality is achieved by pressing the Place component shortcut key (a).
Note
You can see a list of all available shortcut keys by pressing the ? key.
6. Click on the middle of your schematic sheet. A Choose Component window will appear on the screen. Were going to
place a resistor. Search / filter on the R of Resitor. You may notice the device heading above the Resistor. This device
heading is the name of the library where the component is located, which is quite a generic and useful library.
7. Double click on it. This will close the Choose Component window. Place the component in the schematic sheet by clicking
where you want it to be.
8. Click on the magnifier icon to zoom in on the component. Alternatively, use the mouse wheel to zoom in and zoom out.
Press the wheel (central) mouse button to pan horizontally and vertically.
9. Hover the mouse over the component R and press the r key. Notice how the component rotates.
Note
You do not need to actually click on the component to rotate it.
10. Right click in the middle of the component and select Edit Component Value. You can achieve the same result by
hovering over the component and pressing the v key. Alternatively, the e key will take you to the more general Edit window.
Notice how the right-click menu below shows shortcut keys for all available actions.
11. The Component value window will appear. Replace the current value R with 1k. Click OK.
Note
Do not change the Reference field (R?), this will be done automatically later on. The value inside the resistor should now
be 1k.
12. To place another resistor, simply click where you want the resistor to appear. The Component Selection window will
appear again.
13. The resistor you previously chose is now in your history list, appearing as R. Click OK and place the component.
14. In case you make a mistake and want to delete a component, right click on the component and click Delete Component.
This will remove the component from the schematic. Alternatively, you can hover over the component you want to delete
and press the del key.
Note
You can edit any default shortcut key by going to Preferences Hotkeys Edit hotkeys. Any modification will be
saved immediately.
15. You can also duplicate a component already on your schematic sheet by hovering over it and pressing the c key. Click
where you want to place the new duplicated component.
16. Right click on the second resistor. Select Drag Component. Reposition the component and left click to drop. The same
functionality can be achieved by hovering over the component and by pressing the g key. Use the r key to rotate the
component. The x key and the y key will flip the component.
Note
Right-Click Move component (equivalent to the m key option) is also a valuable option for moving anything around,
but it is better to use this only for component labels and components yet to be connected. We will see later on why this
is the case.
17. Edit the second resistor by hovering over it and pressing the v key. Replace R with 100. You can undo any of your editing
actions with the ctrl+z key.
18. Change the grid size. You have probably noticed that on the schematic sheet all components are snapped onto a large pitch
grid. You can easily change the size of the grid by Right-Click Grid select. In general, it is recommendable to use a
grid of 25.0 mils for the schematic sheet.
19. Repeat the add-component steps, however this time select the microcontrollers library instead of the device library and
pick the PIC12C508A component instead of the R component from it.
20. Hover the mouse over the microcontroller component. Press the y key or the x key on the keyboard. Notice how the
component is flipped over its x axis or its y axis. Press the key again to return it to its original orientation.
21. Repeat the add-component steps, this time choosing the device library and picking the LED component from it.
22. Organise all components on your schematic sheet as shown below.
23. We now need to create the schematic component MYCONN3 for our 3-pin connector. You can jump to the section titled
Make Schematic Components in KiCad to learn how to make this component from scratch and then return to this section
to continue with the board.
24. You can now place the freshly made component. Press the a key and pick the MYCONN3 component in the myLib library.
25. The component identifier J? will appear under the MYCONN3 label. If you want to change its position, right click on
J? and click on Move Field (equivalent to the m key option). It might be helpful to zoom in before/while doing this.
Reposition J? under the component as shown below. Labels can be moved around as many times as you please.
26. It is time to place the power and ground symbols. Click on the Place a power port button on the right toolbar.
Alternatively, press the p key. In the component selection window, scroll down and select VCC from the power library.
Click OK.
27. Click above the pin of the 1k resistor to place the VCC part. Click on the area above the microcontroller VDD. In the
Component Selection history section select VCC and place it next to the VDD pin. Repeat the add process again and place
a VCC part above the VCC pin of MYCONN3.
28. Repeat the add-pin steps but this time select the GND part. Place a GND part under the GND pin of MYCONN3. Place
another GND symbol on the right of the VSS pin of the microcontroller. Your schematic should now look something like
this:
29. Next, we will wire all our components. Click on the Place wire icon on the right toolbar.
Note
Be careful not to pick Place a bus, which appears directly beneath this button but has thicker lines. The section Bus
Connections in KiCad will explain how to use a bus section.
30. Click on the little circle at the end of pin 7 of the microcontroller and then click on the little circle on pin 2 of the LED.
You can zoom in while you are placing the connection.
Note
If you want to reposition wired components, it is important to use the g key (grab) option and not the m key (move)
option. Using the grab option will keep the wires connected. Review step 24 in case you have forgotten how to move a
component.
31. Repeat this process and wire up all the other components as shown below. To terminate a wire just double-click. When
wiring up the VCC and GND symbols, the wire should touch the bottom of the VCC symbol and the middle top of the
GND symbol. See the screenshot below.
32. We will now consider an alternative way of making a connection using labels. Pick a net labelling tool by clicking on the
Place net name icon on the right toolbar. You can also use the l key.
33. Click in the middle of the wire connected to pin 6 of the microcontroller. Name this label INPUT.
34. Follow the same procedure and place another label on line on the right of the 100 ohm resistor. Also name it INPUT. The
two labels, having the same name, create an invisible connection between pin 6 of the PIC and the 100 ohm resistor. This
is a useful technique when connecting wires in a complex design where drawing the lines would make the whole schematic
messier. To place a label you do not necessarily need a wire, you can simply attach the label to a pin.
35. Labels can also be used to simply label wires for informative purposes. Place a label on pin 7 of the PIC. Enter the name
uCtoLED. Name the wire between the resistor and the LED as LEDtoR. Name the wire between MYCONN3 and the resistor
as INPUTtoR.
36. You do not have to label the VCC and GND lines because the labels are implied from the power objects they are connected
to.
37. Below you can see what the final result should look like.
38. Lets now deal with unconnected wires. Any pin or wire that is not connected will generate a warning when checked by
KiCad. To avoid these warnings you can either instruct the program that the unconnected wires are deliberate or manually
flag each unconnected wire or pin as unconnected.
39. Click on the Place no connect flag icon on the right toolbar. Click on pins 2, 3, 4 and 5. An X will appear to signify
that the lack of a wire connection is intentional.
40. Some components have power pins that are invisible. You can make them visible by clicking on the Show hidden pins icon
on the left toolbar. Hidden power pins get automatically connected if VCC and GND naming is respected. Generally
speaking, you should try not to make hidden power pins.
41. It is now necessary to add a Power Flag to indicate to KiCad that power comes in from somewhere. Press the a key, select
List All, double click on the power library and search for PWR_FLAG. Place two of them. Connect them to a GND pin
and to VCC as shown below.
Note
This will avoid the classic schematic checking warning: Warning Pin power_in not driven (Net xx)
42. Sometimes it is good to write comments here and there. To add comments on the schematic use the Place graphic text
(comment) icon on the right toolbar.

43. All components now need to have unique identifiers. In fact, many of our components are still named R? or J?. Identifier
assignation can be done automatically by clicking on the Annotate schematic icon .

44. In the Annotate Schematic window, select Use the entire schematic and click on the Annotation button. Click OK in the
confirmation message and then click Close. Notice how all the ? have been replaced with numbers. Each identifier is now
unique. In our example, they have been named R1, R2, U1, D1 and J1.
45. We will now check our schematic for errors. Click on the Perform Electric Rules Check icon . Click on the Test
ERC button. A report informing you of any errors or warnings such as disconnected wires is generated. You should have
0 Errors and 0 Warnings. In case of errors or warnings, a small green arrow will appear on the schematic in the position
where the error or the warning is located. Check Write ERC report and press the Test ERC button again to receive more
information about the errors.
46. The schematic is now finished. We can now create a Netlist file to which we will add the footprint of each component.
Click on the Netlist generation icon on the top toolbar. Click on Netlist then click on save. Save under the default
file name.
47. You can now quit the schematic editor. From KiCad, click on the Run Cvpcb icon on the top toolbar. If a missing file
error window pops up, just ignore it and click OK.
48. Cvpcb allows you to link all the components in your schematic with footprints in the KiCad library. The pane on the left
shows all the components used in your schematic. Here select D1. In the pane on the right you have all the available
footprints, here scroll down to LEDV and double click on it.

49. It is possible that the pane on the right shows only a selected subgroup of available footprints. This is because KiCad is
trying to suggest to you a subset of suitable footprints. Click on the icon to deselect this filter.
50. For J1 select the 3PIN_6mm footprint. For R1 and R2 select the R1 footprint. Select DIP-8_300 for U1.
51. If you are interested in knowing what the footprint you are choosing looks like, you have two options. You can click on
the View selected footprint icon for a preview of the current footprint. Alternatively, click on the Display footprint
list documentation icon and you will get a multi-page PDF document with all available footprints. You can print it
out and check your components to make sure that the dimensions match.
52. You are done. You can now update your netlist file with all the associated footprints. Click on File Save As. The default
name tute1.net is fine, click save. Otherwise you can use the icon . Your netlist file has now been updated with all the
footprints. Note that if you are missing the footprint of any device, you will need to make your own footprints. This will
be explained in a later section of this document.
53. You can close Cvpcb and go back to the EESchema schematic editor. Save the project by clicking on File Save Whole
Schematic Project. Close the schematic editor.
54. Switch to the KiCad project manager.
55. The netlist file describes all components and their respective pin connections. The netlist file is actually a text file that you
can easily inspect, edit or script.
Note
Library files (*.lib) are text files too and they are also easily editable or scriptable.
56. To create a Bill Of Materials (BOM), go to the EESchema schematic editor and click on the Bill of materials icon on
the top toolbar. By default there is no plugin active. You add one, by clicking on Add Plugin button. Select the *.xsl file
you want to use, in this case, we select bom2csv.xsl.
Note
The *.xsl file is located in plugins directory of the KiCad installation, which is located at: /usr/lib/kicad/plugins/.
Or get the file via:
wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/KiCad/kicad-source-mirror/master/eeschema/ -
plugins/bom2csv.xsl
KiCad automatically generates the command, for example:

xsltproc -o "%O" "/home/<user>/kicad/eeschema/plugins/bom2csv.xsl" "%I"
You may want to add the extension, so change this command line to:
xsltproc -o "%O.csv" "/home/<user>/kicad/eeschema/plugins/bom2csv.xsl" "%I"
Press Help button for more info.

57. Now press Generate. The file (same name as your project) is located in your project folder. Open the *.csv file with
LibreOffice Calc or Excel. An import window will appear, press OK.
You are now ready to move to the PCB layout part, which is presented in the next section. However, before moving on lets take
a quick look at how to connect component pins using a bus line.
3.1 Bus connections in KiCad
Sometimes you might need to connect several sequential pins of component A with some other sequential pins of component B.
In this case you have two options: the labelling method we already saw or the use of a bus connection. Lets see how to do it.
1. Let us suppose that you have three 4-pin connectors that you want to connect together pin to pin. Use the label option
(press the l key) to label pin 4 of the P4 part. Name this label a1. Now lets press the Ins key to have the same item
automatically added on the pin below pin 4 (PIN 3). Notice how the label is automatically renamed a2.
2. Press the Ins Key two more times. The Ins key corresponds to the action Repeat last item and it is an infinitely useful
command that can make your life a lot easier.
3. Repeat the same labelling action on the two other connectors CONN_2 and CONN_3 and you are done. If you proceed
and make a PCB you will see that the three connectors are connected to each other. Figure 2 shows the result of what we
described. For aesthetic purposes it is also possible to add a series of Place wire to bus entry using the icon and bus
line using the icon , as shown in Figure 3. Mind, however, that there will be no effect on the PCB.
4. It should be pointed out that the short wire attached to the pins in Figure 2 is not strictly necessary. In fact, the labels could
have been applied directly to the pins.
5. Lets take it one step further and suppose that you have a fourth connector named CONN_4 and, for whatever reason, its
labelling happens to be a little different (b1, b2, b3, b4). Now we want to connect Bus a with Bus b in a pin to pin manner.
We want to do that without using pin labelling (which is also possible) but by instead using labelling on the bus line, with
one label per bus.
6. Connect and label CONN_4 using the labelling method explained before. Name the pins b1, b2, b3 and b4. Connect the
pin to a series of Wire to bus entry using the icon and to a bus line using the icon . See Figure 4.
7. Put a label (press the l key option) on the bus of CONN_4 and name it b[1..4].
8. Put a label (press the l key option) on the previous a bus and name it a[1..4].
9. What we can now do is connect bus a[1..4] with bus b[1..4] using a bus line with the button .
10. By connecting the two buses together, pin a1 will be automatically connected to pin b1, a2 will be connected to b2 and so
on. Figure 4 shows what the final result looks like.
Note
The Repeat last item option accessible via the Ins key can be successfully used to repeat period item insertions. For
instance, the short wires connected to all pins in Figure 2, Figure 3 and Figure 4 have been placed with this option.
11. The Repeat last item option accessible via the Ins key has also been extensively used to place the many series of Wire to
bus entry using the icon .

Chapter 4
Layout printed circuit boards
It is now time to use the netlist file you generated to lay out the PCB. This is done with the PCBnew tool.
1. From the KiCad project manager, click on the PCBNew icon . The PCBNew window will open. If you get an error
message saying that a *.kicad_pcb file does not exist and asks if you want to create it, just click Yes.
2. Begin by entering some schematic information. Click on the Page settings icon on the top toolbar. Set paper size as
A4 and title as Tute 1.
3. It is a good idea to start by setting the clearance and the minimum track width to those required by your PCB manufac-
turer. In general you can set the clearance to 0.25 and the minimum track width to 0.25. Click on the Design Rules
Design Rules menu. If it does not show already, click on the Net Classes Editor tab. Change the Clearance field at the top
of the window to 0.25 and the Track Width field to 0.25 as shown below. Measurements here are in mm.
4. Click on the Global Design Rules tab and set Min track width to 0.25. Click the OK button to commit your changes and
close the Design Rules Editor window.
5. Now we will import the netlist file. Click on the Read Netlist icon on the top toolbar. Click on the Browse Netlist
Files button, select tute1.net in the File selection dialogue, and click on Read Current Netlist. Then click the Close button.
6. All components should now be visible in the top left hand corner just above the page. Scroll up if you cannot see them.
7. Select all components with the mouse and move them to the middle of the board. If necessary you can zoom in and out
while you move the components.
8. All components are connected via a thin group of wires called ratsnest. Make sure that the Hide board ratsnest button
is pressed. In this way you can see the ratsnest linking all components.
Note
The tool-tip is backwards; pressing this button actually displays the ratsnest.
9. You can move each component by hovering over it and pressing the g key. Click where you want to place them. Move all
components around until you minimise the number of wire crossovers.
Note
If instead of grabbing the components (with the g key ) you move them around using the m key you will later note that
you lose the track connection (the same occurs in the schematic editor). Bottom line, always use the g key option.
10. If the ratsnest disappears or the screen gets messy, right click and click Redraw view. Note how one pin of the 100 ohm
resistor is connected to pin 6 of the PIC component. This is the result of the labelling method used to connect pins. Labels
are often preferred to actual wires because they make the schematic much less messy.
11. Now we will define the edge of the PCB. Select Edge.Cuts from the drop down menu in the top toolbar. Click on the Add
graphic line or polygon icon on the right toolbar. Trace around the edge of the board, clicking at each corner, and
remember to leave a small gap between the edge of the green and the edge of the PCB.
12. Next, connect up all the wires except GND. In fact, we will connect all GND connections in one go using a ground plane
placed on the bottom copper (called B.Cu) of the board.
13. Now we must choose which copper layer we want to work on. Select F.Cu (PgUp) in the drag down menu on the top
toolbar. This is the front top copper layer.
14. If you decide, for instance, to do a 4 layer PCB instead, go to Design Rules Layers Setup and change Copper Layers to
4. In the Layers table you can name layers and decide what they can be used for. Notice that there are very useful presets
that can be selected via the Preset Layer Groupings menu.
15. Click on the Add Tracks and vias icon on the right toolbar. Click on pin 1 of J1 and run a track to pad R2. Double-
click to set the point where the track will end. The width of this track will be the default 0.250 mm. You can change the
track width from the drop-down menu in the top toolbar. Mind that by default you have only one track width available.
16. If you would like to add more track widths g o to: Design Rules Design Rules Global Design Rules tab and at the
bottom right of this window add any other width you would like to have available. You can then choose the widths of the
track from the drop-down menu while you lay out your board. See the example below (inches).
17. Alternatively, you can add a Net Class in which you specify a set of options. Go to Design Rules Design Rules
Net Classes Editor and add a new class called power. Change the track width from 8 mil (indicated as 0.0080) to 24 mil
(indicated as 0.0240). Next, add everything but ground to the power class (select default at left and power at right and
use the arrows).
18. If you want to change the grid size, Right click Grid Select. Be sure to select the appropriate grid size before or after
laying down the components and connecting them together with tracks.
19. Considering, for instance, that a 0.8mm BGA component has a pin to pin distance of about 30 mil (0.8mm), it is generally
commendable to set a grid size of 5 mil when you route.
20. Repeat this process until all wires, except pin 3 of J1, are connected. Your board should look like the example below.
21. Lets now run a track on the other copper side of the PCB. Select B.Cu in the drag down menu on the top toolbar. Click on
the Add tracks and vias icon . Draw a track between pin 3 of J1 and pin 8 of U1. This is actually not necessary since
we could do this with the ground plane. Notice how the colour of the track has changed.
22. Go from pin A to pin B by changing layer. It is possible to change the copper plane while you are running a track by
placing a via. While you are running a track on the upper copper plane, right click and select Place Via or simply press the
v key. This will take you to the bottom layer where you can complete your track.
23. When you want to inspect a particular connection you can click on the Net highlight icon on the right toolbar. Click
on pin 3 of J1. The track itself and all pads connected to it should become highlighted.
24. Now we will make a ground plane that will be connected to all GND pins. Click on the Add Zones icon on the right
toolbar. We are going to trace a rectangle around the board, so click where you want one of the corners to be. In the
dialogue that appears, set Pad in Zone to Thermal relief and Zone edges orient to H,V and click OK.
25. Trace around the outline of the board by clicking each corner in rotation. Double-click to finish your rectangle. Right
click inside the area you have just traced. Click on Fill or Refill All Zones. The board should fill in with green and look
something like this:
26. Run the design rules checker by clicking on the Perform Design Rules Check icon on the top toolbar. Click on
Start DRC. There should be no errors. Click on List Unconnected. There should be no unconnected track. Click OK to
close the DRC Control dialogue.
27. Save your file by clicking on File Save. To admire your board in 3D, click on View 3D Display.
28. You can drag your mouse around to rotate the PCB.
29. Your board is complete. To send it off to a manufacturer you will need to generate all Gerber files.
4.1 Generate Gerber files
Once your PCB is complete, you can generate Gerber files for each layer and send them to your favourite PCB manufacturer,
who will make the board for you.
1. From KiCad, open the PCBNew software tool and load your board file by clicking on the icon .
2. Click on File Plot. Select Gerber as the Plot Format and select the folder in which to put all Gerber files.
3. These are the layers you need to select for making a typical 2-layer PCB:
KiCad Layer Name What it is Gerber File Extension

Copper Bottom Layer .GBL
Component Top Layer .GTL
SilkS_Cmp Top Overlay .GTO
Mask_Cop Bottom Solder Resist .GBS
Mask_Cmp Top Solder Resist .GTS
Edges_Pcb Edges N/A
1. Proceed by clicking on the Plot button. To view all your Gerber files go to the KiCad project manager and click on the
GerbView icon. On the drag down menu select Layer 1. Click on File Load Gerber file or click on the icon .
Load all generated Gerber files one at a time. Note how they all get displayed one on top of the other.
2. Use the menu on the right to select/deselect which layer to show. Carefully inspect each layer before sending them for
production.
3. To generate the drill file, from PCBNew go again for the File Plot option. Default settings should be fine.
4.2 Automatically route with FreeRouter
Routing a board by hand is quick and fun, however, for a board with lots of components you might want to use an autorouter.
Remember that you should first route critical traces by hand and then set the autorouter to do the boring bits. Its work will only
account for the unrouted traces. The autorouter we will use here is FreeRouter from freerouting.net.
1. From PCBNew click on File Export Specctra DSN or click on Tools FreeRoute Export a Specctra Design
(*.dsn) file and save the file locally. Launch FreeRouter and click on the Open Your Own Design button, browse for the
dsn file and load it.
Note
The Tools FreeRoute dialog has a nice help button that opens a file viewer with a little document inside named
Freerouter Guidelines. Please follow these guidelines to use FreeRoute effectively.
2. FreeRouter has some features that KiCad does not currently have, both for manual routing and for automatic routing.
FreeRouter operates in two main steps: first, routing the board and then optimising it. Full optimisation can take a long
time, however you can stop it at any time need be.
3. You can start the automatic routing by clicking on the Autorouter button on the top bar. The bottom bar gives you infor-
mation about the on-going routing process. If the Pass count gets above 30, your board probably can not be autorouted
with this router. Spread your components out more or rotate them better and try again. The goal in rotation and position of
parts is to lower the number of crossed airlines in the ratsnest.
4. Making a left-click on the mouse can stop the automatic routing and automatically start the optimisation process. Another
left-click will stop the optimisation process. Unless you really need to stop, it is better to let FreeRouter finish its job.
5. Click on the Tools Export Specctra Session File menu and save the board file with the .ses extension. You do not
really need to save the FreeRouter rules file.
6. Back to PCBnew. You can import your freshly routed board by clicking on the link Tools FreeRoute and then on the
icon Back Import the Spectra Session (.ses) File and selecting your .ses file.
If there is any routed trace that you do not like, you can delete it and re-route it again, using the del key and the routing tool,
which is the Add tracks icon on the right toolbar.

Chapter 5
Make schematic components in KiCad
Sometimes a component that you want to place on your schematic is not in the KiCad libraries. This is quite normal and there is
no reason to worry. In this section we will see how a new schematic component can be quickly created with KiCad. Nevertheless,
remember that you can always find KiCad components on the Internet. For instance from here:
http://per.launay.free.fr/kicad/kicad_php/composant.php
In KiCad, a component is a piece of text that starts with a DEF and ends with ENDDEF. One or more components are normally
placed in a library file with the extension .lib. If you want to add components to a library file you can just use the cut and paste
commands.
1. We can use the Component Library Editor (part of EESchema) to make new components. In our project folder demo1
lets create a folder named library. Inside we will put our new library file myLib.lib as soon as we have created our new
component.
2. Now we can start creating our new component. From KiCad, start EESchema, click on the Library Editor icon and
then click on the New component icon . The Component Properties window will appear. Name the new component
MYCONN3, set the Default reference designator as J, and the Number of parts per package as 1. Click OK. If the warning
appears just click yes. At this point the component is only made of its labels. Lets add some pins. Click on the Add Pins
icon on the right toolbar. To place the pin, left click in the centre of the part editor sheet just below the MYCONN3
label.
3. In the Pin Properties window that appears, set the pin name to VCC, set the pin number to 1, and the Electrical type to
Power output then click OK.
4. Place the pin by clicking on the location you would like it to go, right below the MYCONN3 label.
5. Repeat the place-pin steps, this time Pin name should be INPUT, Pin number should be 2, and Electrical Type should be
Power input.
6. Repeat the place-pin steps, this time Pin name should be GND, Pin number should be 3, and Electrical Type should be
Power output. Arrange the pins one on top of the other. The component label MYCONN3 should be in the centre of the
page (where the blue lines cross).
7. Next, draw the contour of the component. Click on the Add rectangle icon . We want to draw a rectangle next to the
pins, as shown below. To do this, click where you want the top left corner of the rectangle to be. Click again where you
want the bottom right corner of the rectangle to be.
8. Save the component in your library myLib.lib. Click on the New Library icon , navigate into demo1/library/ folder
and save the new library file with the name myLib.lib.
9. Go to Preferences Library and add both demo1/library/ in User defined search path and myLib.lib in Component
library files.
10. Click on the Select working library icon . In the Select Library window click on myLib and click OK. Notice
how the heading of the window indicates the library currently in use, which now should be myLib.
11. Click on the Update current component in current library icon in the top toolbar. Save all changes by clicking on the
Save current loaded library on disk icon in the top toolbar. Click Yes in any confirmation messages that appear. The
new schematic component is now done and available in the library indicated in the window title bar.
12. You can now close the Component library editor window. You will return to the schematic editor window. Your new
component will now be available to you from the library myLib.
13. You can make any library file.lib file available to you by adding it to the library path. From EESchema, go to Preferences
Library and add both the path to it in User defined search path and file.lib in Component library files.
5.1 Export, import and modify library components
Instead of creating a library component from scratch it is sometimes easier to start from one already made and modify it. In this
section we will see how to export a component from the KiCad standard library device to your own library myOwnLib.lib and
then modify it.
1. From KiCad, start EESchema, click on the Library Editor icon , click on the Select working library icon
and choose the library device. Click on Load component to edit from the current lib icon and import the RELAY_2RT.
2. Click on the Export component icon , navigate into the library/ folder and save the new library file with the name
myOwnLib.lib.
3. You can make this component and the whole library myOwnLib.lib available to you by adding it to the library path.
From EESchema, go to Preferences Component Libraries and add both library/ in User defined search path and
myOwnLib.lib in the Component library files.
4. Click on the Select working library icon . In the Select Library window click on myOwnLib and click OK. Notice
how the heading of the window indicates the library currently in use, it should be myOwnLib.
5. Click on the Load component to edit from the current lib icon and import the RELAY_2RT.
6. You can now modify the component as you like. Hover over the label RELAY_2RT, press the e key and rename it
MY_RELAY_2RT.
7. Click on Update current component in current library icon in the top toolbar. Save all changes by clicking on the
Save current loaded library on disk icon in the top toolbar.

Chapter 6
Make schematic components with quicklib
This section presents an alternative way of creating the schematic component for MYCONN3 (see MYCONN3 above) using the
Internet tool quicklib.
1. Head to the quicklib web page: http://kicad.rohrbacher.net/quicklib.php

2. Fill out the page with the following information: Component name: MYCONN3 Reference Prefix: J Pin Layout Style:
SIL Pin Count, N: 5
3. Click on the Assign Pins icon. Fill out the page with the following information: Pin 1: VCC Pin 2: input Pin 3: GND
4. Click on the icon Preview it and, if you are satisfied, click on the Build Library Component. Download the file and rename
it demo1/library/myLib.lib.. You are done!
5. Have a look at it using KiCad. From the KiCad project manager, start EESchema, click on the Library Editor icon ,
click on the Import Component icon , navigate to demo1/library/ and select myLib.lib.
6. You can make this component and the whole library myLib.lib available to you by adding it to the KiCad library path.
From EESchema, go to Preferences Library and add both library in User defined search path and myOwnLib.lib in
Component library files.
As you might guess, this method of creating library components can be quite effective when you want to create components with
a large pin count.
6.1 Make a high pin count schematic component
In the section titled Make Schematic Components in quicklib we saw how to make a schematic component using the quicklib
web-based tool. However, you will occasionally find that you need to create a schematic component with a high number of pins
(some hundreds of pins). In KiCad, this is not a very complicated task.
1. Suppose that you want to create a schematic component for a device with 50 pins. It is common practise to draw it using
multiple low pin-count drawings, for example two drawings with 25 pins each. This component representation allows for
easy pin connection.
2. The best way to create our component is to use quicklib to generate two 25-pin components separately, re-number their pins
using a Python script and finally merge the two by using copy and paste to make them into one single DEF and ENDDEF
component.
3. You will find an example of a simple Python script below that can be used in conjunction with an in.txt file and an out.txt
file to re-number the line: X PIN1 1 -750 600 300 R 50 50 1 1 I into X PIN26 26 -750 600 300 R
50 50 1 1 I this is done for all lines in the file in.txt.
Simple script
#!/usr/bin/env python
simple script to manipulate KiCad component pins numbering
import sys, re
try:
fin=open(sys.argv[1],r)
fout=open(sys.argv[2],w)
except:
print "oh, wrong use of this app, try:", sys.argv[0], "in.txt out.txt"
sys.exit()
for ln in fin.readlines():
obj=re.search("(X PIN)(\d*)(\s)(\d*)(\s.*)",ln)
if obj:
num = int(obj.group(2))+25
ln=obj.group(1) + str(num) + obj.group(3) + str(num) + obj.group(5) +\n
fout.write(ln)
fin.close(); fout.close()
#
# for more info about regular expression syntax and KiCad component generation:
# http://gskinner.com/RegExr/
# http://kicad.rohrbacher.net/quicklib.php
1. While merging the two components into one, it is necessary to use the Library Editor from EESchema to move the first
component so that the second does not end up on top of it. Below you will find the final .lib file and its representation in
EESchema.
Contents of a *.lib file

EESchema-LIBRARY Version 2.3
#encoding utf-8
# COMP
DEF COMP U 0 40 Y Y 1 F N
F0 "U" -1800 -100 50 H V C CNN
F1 "COMP" -1800 100 50 H V C CNN
DRAW
S -2250 -800 -1350 800 0 0 0 N
S -450 -800 450 800 0 0 0 N

X PIN1 1 -2550 600 300 R 50 50 1 1 I
...
X PIN49 49 750 -500 300 L 50 50 1 1 I

ENDDRAW
ENDDEF
#End Library
1. The Python script presented here is a very powerful tool for manipulating both pin numbers and pin labels. Mind, however,
that all its power comes for the arcane and yet amazingly useful Regular Expression syntax: http://gskinner.com/RegExr/.
Chapter 7
Make component footprints
Unlike other EDA software tools, which have one type of library that contains both the schematic symbol and the footprint
variations, KiCad .lib files contain schematic symbols and .mod files contain footprints, or modules. Cvpcb is used to successfully
map footprints to symbols.
As for .lib files, .mod library files are text files that can contain anything from one to several parts.
There is an extensive footprint library with KiCad, however on occasion you might find that the footprint you need is not in the
KiCad library. Here are the steps for creating a new PCB footprint in KiCad:
1. From the KiCad project manager start the PCBnew tool. Click on the Open Module Editor icon on the top toolbar.
This will open the Module Editor.
2. We are going to save the new footprint in the footprint library connect. Click on the Select working library icon
on the top toolbar. Select the connect library, though you can choose a different location if you want.
3. Click on the New Module icon on the top toolbar. Type MYCONN3 as the module reference. In the middle of the
screen the MYCONN3 label will appear. Under the label you can can see the VAL* label. Right click on MYCONN3 and
move it above VAL. Right click on VAL*, select Edit Text Mod and rename it to SMD. Set the Display value to Invisible.
4. Select the Add Pads icon on the right toolbar. Click on the working sheet to place the pad. Right click on the new
pad and click Edit Pad. You can otherwise use the e key shortcut.
5. Set the Pad Num to 1, Pad Shape to Rect, Pad Type to SMD, Shape Size X to 0.4, and Shape Size Y to 0.8. Click OK. Click
on Add Pads again and place two more pads.
6. If you want to change the grid size, Right click Grid Select. Be sure to select the appropriate grid size before laying
down the components.
7. Considering, for instance, that a 0.8mm BGA component has a pin to pin distance of about 30 mil (0.8mm), it is generally
commendable to set a grid size of 5 mil when you route.
8. Move the MYCONN3 label and the SMD label out of the way so that it looks like the image shown above.
9. When placing pads it is often necessary to measure relative distances. Place the cursor where you want the relative
coordinate point (0,0) to be and press the space bar. While moving the cursor around, you will see a relative indication of
the position of the cursor at the bottom of the page. Press the space bar at any time to set the new origin.
10. Now add a footprint contour. Click on the Add graphic line or polygon button in the right toolbar. Draw an outline
of the connector around the component.
11. Click on the Save Module in working directory icon on the top toolbar, using the default name MYCONN3.
Chapter 8
Note about portability of KiCad project files
What files do you need to send to someone so that they can fully load and use your KiCad project?
When you have a KiCad project to share with somebody, it is important that the schematic file .sch, the board file .kicad_pcb, the
project file .pro and the netlist file .net, are sent together with both the schematic parts file .lib and the footprints file .mod. Only
this way will people have total freedom to modify the schematic and the board.
With KiCad schematics, people need the .lib files that contain the symbols. Those library files need to be loaded in the Eeschema
preferences. On the other hand, with boards (.kicad_pcb files), modules (footprints) can be stored inside the .kicad_pcb file.
You can send someone a .kicad_pcb file and nothing else, and they would still be able to look at and edit the board. However,
when they want to load components from a netlist, the module libraries (.mod files) need to be present and loaded in the Pcbnew
preferences just as for schematics. Also, it is necessary to load the .mod files in the preferences of Pcbnew in order for those
modules to show up in Cvpcb.
If someone sends you a .kicad_pcb file with modules you would like to use in another board, you can open the module editor,
load a module from the current board, and save or export it into another module library. You can also export all the modules from
a .kicad_pcb file at once via Pcbnew File Archive Footprints Create footprint archive, which will create a new
.mod file with all the boards modules.
Bottom line, if the PCB is the only thing you want to distribute, then the board file .kicad_pcb is enough. However, if you want
to give people the full ability to use and modify your schematic, its components and the PCB, it is highly recommended that you
zip and send the following project directory:
foxy_board/
|-- foxy_board.pro
|-- foxy_board.sch
|-- foxy_board.kicad_pcb
|-- foxy_board.net
|-- lib/
| |-- foxy_board.lib
| \-- foxy_board.mod
|
\-- gerber/
|-- ...
\-- ...
Chapter 9
Forward annotation in KiCad
Once you have completed your electronic schematic, the footprint assignment, the board layout and generated the Gerber files,
you are ready to send everything to a PCB manufacturer so that your board can become reality.
Often, this linear work-flow turns out to be not so uni-directional. For instance, when you have to modify/extend a board for
which you or others have already completed this work-flow, it is possible that you need to move components around, replace
them with others, change footprints and much more. During this modification process, what you do not want to do is to re-route
the whole board again from scratch. Instead, this is how you do it:
1. Lets suppose that you want to replace a hypothetical connector CON1 with CON2.
2. You already have a completed schematic and a fully routed PCB.
3. From KiCad, start EESchema, make your modifications by deleting CON1 and adding CON2. Save your schematic project
with the icon and c lick on the Netlist generation icon on the top toolbar.
4. Click on Netlist then on save. Save to the default file name. You have to rewrite the old one.
5. Now assign a footprint to CON2. Click on the Run Cvpcb icon on the top toolbar. Assign the footprint to the new
device CON2. The rest of the components still have the previous footprints assigned to them. Close Cvpcb.
6. Back in the schematic editor, save the project by clicking on File Save Whole Schematic Project. Close the schematic
editor.
7. From the KiCad project manager, click on the PCBNew icon. The PCBNew window will open.
8. The old, already routed, board should automatically open. Lets import the new netlist file. Click on the Read Netlist icon
on the top toolbar.

9. Click on the Browse Netlist Files button, select the netlist file in the file selection dialogue, and click on Read Current
Netlist. Then click the Close button.
10. At this point you should be able to see a layout with all previous components already routed. On the top left corner you
should see all unrouted components, in our case the CON2. Select CON2 with the mouse. Move the component to the
middle of the board.
11. Place CON2 and route it. Once done, save and proceed with the Gerber file generation as usual.
The process described here can easily be repeated as many times as you need. Beside the Forward Annotation method described
above, there is another method known as Backward Annotation. This method allows you to make modifications to your already
routed PCB from PCBNew and updates those modifications in your schematic and netlist file. The Backward Annotation method,
however, is not that useful and is therefore not described here.
Chapter 10
More about KiCad documentation
This has been a quick guide on most of the features in KiCad. For more detailed instructions consult the help files which you can
access through each KiCad module. Click on Help Contents or Manual.
KiCad comes with a pretty good set of multi-language manuals for all its four software components.
The English version of all KiCad manuals are distributed with KiCad.
In addition to its manuals, KiCad is distributed with this tutorial, which has been translated into other languages. All the different
versions of this tutorial are distributed free of charge with all recent versions of KiCad. This tutorial as well as the manuals can
be found in the following directories:
/usr/share/doc/kicad/en/
/usr/share/doc/kicad/help/en/
/usr/local/kicad/doc/tutorials/en/
kicad/doc/tutorials/en/
10.1 KiCad Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
A very good and frequently updated source of information is the KiCad FAQ list available.

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Getting Started in KiCad

Getting Started in KiCad ii

3 Draw electronic schematics 6

4 Layout printed circuit boards 20

5 Make schematic components in KiCad 28

6 Make schematic components with quicklib 31

7 Make component footprints 34

8 Note about portability of KiCad project files 37

9 Forward annotation in KiCad 38

10 More about KiCad documentation 39

Program name Description File extension

1.1 Download and install KiCad

1.2 Under GNU/Linux

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:js-reynaud/ppa-kicad

sudo dnf copr enable mangelajo/kicad

1.3 Under Apple OS X

Stable builds There are currently no stable builds of KiCad for OS X.

1.4 Under Windows

Stable builds Stable builds of KiCad can be found at: http://downloads.kicad-pcb.org/archive/

If you got ideas, remarks or questions / you need help. . . Either:

Visit the Forum

2.1 Forward and backward annotation

Draw electronic schematics

(comment) icon on the right toolbar.

assignation can be done automatically by clicking on the Annotate schematic icon .

footprints, here scroll down to LEDV and double click on it.

KiCad automatically generates the command, for example:

Press Help button for more info.

3.1 Bus connections in KiCad

bus entry using the icon .

Layout printed circuit boards

4.1 Generate Gerber files

KiCad Layer Name What it is Gerber File Extension

4.2 Automatically route with FreeRouter

which is the Add tracks icon on the right toolbar.

Make schematic components in KiCad

5.1 Export, import and modify library components

Save current loaded library on disk icon in the top toolbar.

Make schematic components with quicklib

1. Head to the quicklib web page: http://kicad.rohrbacher.net/quicklib.php

6.1 Make a high pin count schematic component

Contents of a *.lib file

S -450 -800 450 800 0 0 0 N

X PIN49 49 750 -500 300 L 50 50 1 1 I

Make component footprints

Note about portability of KiCad project files

Forward annotation in KiCad

on the top toolbar.

More about KiCad documentation

10.1 KiCad Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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