KiCad Things

This repository is a collection of all my commonly used settings/symbols/packages and selfmade footprints/symbols among with a page layout containing CERN Open Hardware Licence information. These can be used in the schematic editor and PCB layout program KiCad.

Table of Contents

• KiCad Things
  • Table of Contents
  • 1 - Tips & Tricks
  • 2 - Keyboard shortcuts
  • 3 - Board Setup
  • 4 - PCB design
  • 5 - Gerber generation
    • 5.1 - PCBWay (Quick-turn PCB as of 21/11/2019)

1 - Tips & Tricks

• Watch out for top/bottom views on mechanical drawings!!
• Ohm sign: Ω
• Select X7R capacitors if possible
• Use VDD instead of VCC
• PLOT the schematic so the text becomes selectable!

• Draw the PCB in inches!
• Use rounded PCB corners with a diameter of 75 mils (0,0750 inch).
• Use Lock Footprint to make sure manually placed footprints stay on the PCB when the netlist is refreshed.

• PCB thickness: 1,6 mm
• Copper weight: 35 µm (1 oz)

	Grid size		Usage	Shortcut				Standard board information
Schematic	50 mils		Standard					< project title >            v1.0
PCB layout	25 mils	(0,6350 mm)	Standard	Alt + 1				Licensed under CERN OHL v.1.2
PCB layout	5 mils	(0,2540 mm)	Fine	Alt + 2				github.brechtve.be     01/2020

Resistor package	Power dissipation	Usage		Diode package	Other name	Size
0603	1/10 W = 100 mW			DO-214AC	SMA	Small
0805	1/8 W = 125 mW	Hand soldering		DO-214AA	SMB	Middle
1206	1/4 W = 250 mW	Power sensing (0,1 Ω)		DO-214AB	SMC	Large

2 - Keyboard shortcuts

• Snap component/symbol to grid: m (move) & ctrl + shift
• Mouse left click = RETURN
• Mouse left double click = END

Shortcut	Function (PCB layout)	Shortcut	Function (PCB layout)
Alt + 3	3D Viewer	W	Switch Track Width to Next
Ctrl + U	Switch Units	Shift + W	Switch Track Width to Previous
B	Fill or Refill All Zones	Del	Delete Full Track
Ctrl + B	Remove Filled Areas in All Zones	Back	Delete Track Segment
O	Add Footprint	G	Drag Item
X	Add New Track	C	Copy Item
/	Switch Track Posture	M	Move Item
D	Drag Track Keep Slope	T	Get and Move Footprint
TAB	Drag Block	Ctrl + M	Move Exactly
V	Add Through Via/Switch Layer	F	Flip Item (front/back)
Ctrl + Shift + V	Add Vias	R	Rotate Item
Ctrl + Shift + Z	Add Filled Zone	L	Lock/Unlock Footprint
Ctrl + Shift + K	Add Keepout Area	Ctrl + F	Find Item
Ctrl + Shift + L	Draw Line	E	Edit Item
Ctrl + Shift + C	Draw Circle	PgUp	Switch to Component (F.Cu) layer
Ctrl + Shift + A	Draw Arc	PgDn	Switch to Copper (B.Cu) layer
Ctrl + Shift + P	Draw Graphic Polygon	+	Switch to Next Layer
U	Select Single Track	-	Switch to Previous Layer
Ctrl + Shift + T	Add Text	N	Switch Grid to Next
Ctrl + Shift + H	Add Dimension	Shift + N	Switch Grid to Previous
I	Select Connected Tracks

TODO: Move the bulk of the shortcuts to another file and add schematic shortcuts?

3 - Board Setup

See THIS file.

4 - PCB design

Commonly used symbol	Commonly used package	Dimensions
SparkFun-PowerSymbols: XXXX	VDD, GND, VDDA
power: XXXX	PWR_FLAG, GNDA, GNDPWR, +15V
Device: R/C/L_Small	XXXX_SMD: X_0805_XXXX_HandSolder	Pads: 1,15 mm x 1,40 mm
Device: Jumper_XX_Small	Connector_PinHeader_2.54mm: PinHeader_1x02_P2.54mm_Vertical	Diameter hole: 1 mm - Pads: 1,7 mm x 1,7 mm
Jumper: SolderJumper_3_Bridged12	Jumper: SolderJumper-3_P1.3mm_Bridged12_Pad1.0x1.5mm_NumberLabels
Connector: TestPoint	TestPoint: TestPoint_THTPad_D2.0mm_Drill1.0mm	Drill: 1 mm - Pad: 2 mm
Connector_Generic: Conn_XXxXX	Connector_PinHeader_2.54mm: PinHeader_XXXX	Diameter hole: 1 mm - Pads: 1,7 mm x 1,7 mm
	Connector_Phoenix_PTSA_extra: PhoenixContact_PTSA_1,5_2-G-3,5_1x02_P3.50mm_Angled	2 Contacts - Spacing pads: 3,5 mm - Diam. wire: 1,5 mm
Mechanical: MountingHole	MountingHole: MountingHole_3.2mm_M3	Diameter hole: 3,2 mm
Switch: SW_Push	Button_Switch_SMD: SW_SPST_FSMSM	Pads: 2,18 mm x 1,60 mm - Distance between pads: 7 mm
BrechtVE_DebugHeader: DebugHeader_Cortex-M_SWD_UART_10p	Connector_PinHeader_1.27mm: PinHeader_2x05_P1.27mm_Vertical_SMD
BrechtVE_DebugHeader: DebugHeader_Cortex-M_SWD_UART_10p_TagConnect	Connector: Tag-Connect_TC2050-IDC-NL_2x05_P1.27mm_Vertical
BrechtVE_DebugHeader: DebugHeader_UART_4p	Connector_PinHeader_2.54mm: PinHeader_1x04_P2.54mm_Vertical (_SMD)
BrechtVE_Aesthetics: Symbol_OSHW-Logo_11.4x12mm	BrechtVE_Aesthetics: OSHW-Logo_5.7x6mm_SolderMask
	BrechtVE_Aesthetics: KiCad-Logo2_SilkScreenMaskTop_5mm	Height: 5mm

Connector	Usage	Commonly used package
Molex KK 254	Dupont but polarized	Connector_Molex: Molex_KK-254_AE-6410-02A_1x02_P2.54mm_Vertical
JST-XH	Lithium batteries	Connector_JST: JST_XH_B2B-XH-A_1x02_P2.50mm_Vertical
JST-PH	Small LiPo packs (1+ 2-), STEMMA, Grove	Connector_JST: JST_PH_B2B-PH-K_1x02_P2.00mm_Vertical
JST-SH	STEMMA QT, Qwiic	Connector_JST: JST_SH_SM02B-SRSS-TB_1x02-1MP_P1.00mm_Horizontal

UART	Color		Cortex-M SWD	Color
RXD	White		01. VTREF (3.3V)	Red
TXD	Green		02. SWDIO	Orange
GND	Black		03. GND	Black
3.3V	Red		04. SWCLK	Purple
			05. GND
DTR	Blue		06. SWO	Grey
RTS	Purple		07. (key) JL.RX	White
CTS	Grey		08. (nc) JL.TX	Green
			09. (nc) GNDdetect
			10. nRESET	Blue

5 - Gerber generation

5.1 - PCBWay (Quick-turn PCB as of 21/11/2019)

• Check the Use Protel filename extensions box
• Drill files:
  • Check the suppress leading zeros and minimal header boxes
  • Uncheck the PTN and NPTH in single file box