KiCad [Creating PCBs]

Start by opening the PCB Editor by double-clicking the [fileName].kicad_pcb file

Then import the schematic you created by clicking Tools → Update PCB from Schematic.

After importing your schematic, you'll see all your components appear in the PCB Editor. They will initially be clustered together and need to be arranged.

Click and drag each component to position it within your board outline. Consider the physical layout and how components will connect.

Use the white connection lines (ratsnest) as guides to see which components need to be connected. This helps optimize component placement before routing.

Layer types

• F. = Front
• B. = Back
• Cu = Copper
• Adhesive = where the glue has to be applied.
• Paste = Solder paste layer for onboard soldering
• Silkscreen = print on board
• Mask = Anywhere copper is to remain exposed for soldering
• Edge.Cut = online to be cut
• Courtyard = buffer space for component

Next we will customize our PCB further by giving the a custom design and shape. In this demo we will make PCB’s shaped like the TPZ Monster, Tubs.

File for Silkscreen:

File for Edge.Cut:

• We will start with the Silkscreen [Figure 17] File - Import - Graphics
• Select desired svg file for silkscreen.
• Make sure the correct Layer is selected that we will import png too. In this example we will import this to layer F.Silkscreen

• Drag and drop png in desired location. Image can be moved later if needed.
• Left click to add image to layer

• Now we will do this again for the Edge.Cut layer.File → Import → Graphics
• Select the outline file

• Make sure the correct Layer is selected. This time the image should be exported to Edge.Cut.

• Like before drag and drop png in desired location. Image can be moved later if needed.

Update PCB with schematic

• In this example we will switch our LEDs from surface mount to through hole
• To start we will head back to schematic editor

• From here we can go back to assign footprint and update the LED to through hole LED_THT:LED_D5.0mm and save schematic.

• From here head back to the pcb editor

• From here update the schematic with the new footprint

• Once updated the LEDs footprint will be displayed. Move components in desired location

Once components are in the desired position we will now need to connect them with a router. First decide what layer the router should go on. in this example we will keep routes on the back B.Cu

Click on the router tool and then on a copper plate. Connect the router with one of the highlighted copper plate.

Following the thin guidelines connect the copper plates with the router. Do with with remaining paths.

Once the routes have been connected future routes can not cross over. If you click on a copper plate and then hover over where you would like to connect to the route will automatically suggest a path.

Because we are keeping the routes to the back we will need to update the battery pack to the back of the board. Double click on the pad and update the copper layer to be on B.Cu and the mask to be on B.Mask.

Once the routes have been all connected you will see on the bottom that unrouted is set to 0.

With our components connected we can finalize our board with details on the back. Here I will add the TPZ logo and sign our PCBs.

Here I import our graphic and select the Back Silkscreen (B.Silkscreen). I also scale down the design (50%) to fit.

Place design in desired location. All designs on the back must be flipped. This will allow for the design to be facing the correct direction. Right click on the design and select Change Side/ Flip.

Last we will add our signature to the back of the board. Open the text tool and type in your name or initials. Since this is on the back we will reflect it by clicking on the backwards R. I add this signature on the B.Cu layer in order to make it subtle.

With that we are finished with our design.

To export our PCB for manufacturing we will need to create a Gerbers file. Head to File-Fabrication Outputs-Gerbers.

First we must make sure our PCB has no errors.

To do this we will Run DRC.

After running the DRC we see that we do have a couple violations and 1 error stating that there is an unconnected item. Violations in our case state that the silkscreen are being clipped. Because the silkscreens in our case are cosmetic, we will ignore these violations.

With this we will draw our attention to the unconnected error. Here we are alerted that pad1 is not connected.

We will now connect the pad1 to pad1 as suggested.

Once all connections are made we can rerun the DRC. We now see that all errors are gone. With this we can now generate Drill File and Plot.

Before creating the files we can state where to save the files by creating an Output directory.

Once generated we can now compile and compress files.