- Install the KiCad software and fab libraries.
- Open schematic view.
- Lay down the logical network structure, including wire labels for
convenience.
- Set the components' parameters (resistance level, capacitance, etc.)
- Set the footprints of the components.
- Annotate the circuit, which gives unique names to each component.
- Export the circuit as a netlist.
- Open PCBView. Import the netlist.
- Set trace and grid parameters. (Make the traces a bit wider than
default. Make the separation between traces a bit wider than
default. Make the grid finer than default.)
- Move the components around into a configuration where everything
can be connected to everything else w/o traces overlapping each
other. (Sketching on paper or referring to previous years'
projects. http://fab.cba.mit.edu/classes/863.17/Architecture/people/ehoseini/week5/index.html)
- Draw traces, making sure to space them apart. (To avoid future
problems where a drop of solder causes a short circuit.)
- The initial circuit layout has basically no geometry. In particular,
the pins are in arbitrary positions.
- As a result, getting the exact circuit type doesn't matter as long
as the footprint is correct.
- Pro tip(!) : To reduce the number of wires, you can add power
symbols or labels to wires. All same-labeled components will be
considered connected.
- Our microcontroller is ATTiny44A-SSU
- fab.pretty, etc. on website
- import the circuit diagram stuff
- preferences > manage footprint libraries
- Set global design rules by Setup > Global Design Rules.
- The "annotate net" eliminates all the ? labels. For example, it
turns resistors R? R? R? into R1 R2 R3.
- assign pcb footprints
- Assign PCB symbols
- capacitor SMD (surface mount) hand solder 1206
- 6 pin connector ConnectorPinHeader 2x3 2.54mm SMD
- 1206 gives dimensionality of small parts, including resistor and
capacitor.
- Resistor: 1206
- Design rules: set clearance and track width accordingly. (units in mm)
- Grid settings are in dropdown on toolbar.
- When exporting, be sure to export only Front copper (it's a
one-sided board) and to export only the board area, not the whole page.
- If you have the misfortune of using LibreOffice Draw to view SVG
objects, note that it doesn't render joins between lines properly
— the lines look disconnected. This is a problem with rendering,
not with the drawing — opening in a suitable program such as
Inkscape solves the problem.
- You must draw the outline of the board. To do so, select the
Edge.Cuts layer on the right hand side of the screen. Then draw a
polygon (square).
- To delete all traces ("rip up"), select all and look under the Edit
menu.
- http://fab.cba.mit.edu/classes/863.17/Architecture/people/ehoseini/week5/index.html
convert hello-traces.svg -bordercolor White -border 5%x5% hello-traces.png
convert hello-traces.png -negate hello-traces-final.png
convert -density 1000 h.svg -color Black -border 8%x8% h.png && convert h.png -negate h_traces.png
convert -density 1000 h.svg -fx 0 -alpha off -bordercolor White -border 8%x8% -negate h_border.png
Created: 2018-10-06 Sat 16:44
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