This document introduces the KiCad EDA software as an alternative to paid EDA tools. It summarizes KiCad's key features and advantages over similar free software like Eagle, provides a basic workflow overview and some tips. The document demonstrates KiCad's schematic design, PCB layout, and library management capabilities. It highlights KiCad's active development and stability compared to commercial tools.

1. Why (and how) to switch to

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Pronunciation
• Official: Kee-Cad, Most people: Kye-Cad
• Tribute to Chris Gammell
Why I choose KiCad
• I don’t want to be limited
• I can’t afford any paid software
• I want to share my design

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KiCad Myth Burst
KiCad is amateur software that is not meant for professional design
Check Michael Ossmann’s Daisho project
KiCad is into endless development
The recent “stable” version 4.0.2 is release on Feb. 2016 for
Win/Mac/Linux. http://kicad-pcb.org/download/
KiCad is not stable
KiCad crashes much less than Altium (for me, but still annoyances here
and there)
You get what you paid for
You get more than what you paid for because it is free!

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Compare with Eagle (Free edition)
Advantages:
Hierarchical schematics
No limitation on size/layers
3D view
Freedom of editing PCB footprints
Disadvantages:
Some UI annoyances
Not as huge library collections

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Basic workflow of KiCad
Eeschema
Schematic Design
Schematic library
editor
Pcbnew
PCB Design
PCB footprint
editor
cvpcb
.sch
.net
.kicad_pcb
gerbers
GerbView

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Demo

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Some UI tips
KiCad UI is a bit anti-human especially for those familiar with Eagle/Altium. It
is very normal to get frustrated at the beginning.
De-frustrating tips:
In Eeschema: Preferences->Hotkeys->List Current Keys
In Pcbnew: Preference->Hotkeys->List Current Keys
Remember Edit, Drag, Move, Delete hotkeys
Mouse context menu is very context sensitive:
Context menu is always depended on where the mouse pointer (not cross) is
pointing to

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Some important concepts
• Schematic library and PCB footprints are separate
• Components symbol does not contain footprint
information, e.g.,
• This is very convenient for quickly drawing out the
schematic. Also good for reusing schematic symbols.
• A cache library is generated so the schematic can be
opened by a machine that does not have the same library
installed.
This is a generic resistor. The schematic library does not
mandate its packaging being 0603, 0805 or axial

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• Schematic symbols are associated with PCB footprint
using Eeschema or cvpcb
• Symbol may contain
“footprint filter” to
ease association

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• Pick correct symbol according to footprint is
sometimes necessary
E B C

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• PCB layers
F/B.Cu – Front copper (Top/Bottom)
F/B.Adhes – Front /Back adhensive (tGlue/bGlue)
F/B.Paste – Front/Back solderpaste (tCream/bCream)
F/B.SilkS – Front/Back silkscreen (tNames/bNames)
F/B.Mask – Front/Back solder mask (tStop/bStop)
*.User – misc user defined information
Edge.Cuts – Board outline (Milling)
Margin - ?
F/B.CrtYd – Front/Back CourtYard for components
F/B.Fab – Fabrication comments (tDocu/bDocu)

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Useful Resources
• Contextual Electronics
https://www.youtube.com/user/contextualelectronic
• KiCad Forum http://kicad.info/
• Lots of libraries https://github.com/cpavlina
• More 3D modules
http://smisioto.no-ip.org/elettronica/kicad/kicad-en.htm
• Tutorials http://kicad-pcb.org/help/tutorials/
• CircuitHub https://circuithub.com/