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KiCad: schematic

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Renaud Theunissen edited this page May 3, 2024 · 13 revisions

In this window, you will place components, connect them together and associated PCB footprints with those.

First start of the program

If you are starting the program for the first time, you may see a message window about Configure Global Symbol Library Table. You can simply accept the default settings and go on with your work.

Place a component

KiCad calls the components symbols. To place a symbol, select the appropriate item from the Place menu, or click the kicad_place_symbol in the rightern toolbar.

A search window will appear. Start typing the name of the component you want to place to find it in the list. Select your component and place it in the schematic.

Connect components

In general, a wire will suffice to interconnect your components.

Annotate the components

When you place a component, you will see a ? next to its name. This means the component does not have a unique identifier yet. To automatically assign those IDs, you can go to Tools > Annotate Schematic... When you are happy with the settings, click Annotate

Associate PCB footprints to the components

This step is essential as it will tell KiCad which footprint to use for all your components, when it will need to place them on a PCB layout.

This tool can be found in Tools > Assign footprints..., or by clicking the kicad_assign_footprint in the toolbar.

A new window will appear with three panels, from left to right: component types, your components and the footprints corresponding to your selection. You can filter those using the tollbar.

kicad_fp_keyword Filter based on your schematic component keywords. For example, if you have a capacitor, the rightern panel will only show you capacitor traces.

kicad_fp_library Filter based on your selection in the leftern panel. For example, if you only want through hole capacitors, select Capacitor_THT.

Upon selecting one footprint in the rightern panel, a description will appear on the bottom of the window. Use it to find the appropriate footprint you want to use.

Design Rules Check (DRC)

In order to check that verything is correctly connected, run a DRC with kicad_drc_button

Generate the netlist

Generate the netlist of your schematic by going into Tools > Generate Netlist File... It will be necessary for the next step: place and route the components on the PCB.

Import a symbol library

If you want to import a custom components library, go to Preferences > Manage Symbol Libraries..., then click on Browse Libraries to find the appropriate .lib file.

Keyboard shorcuts

An exhaustive list can be found under Preferences > General options > Controls Here are some of the most common:

  • Place a part: A
  • Mirror a component around its X axis: X
  • Mirror a component around its Y axis: Y
  • Rotate a component: R
  • Begin a wire: W
  • Add a label: L
  • Place a no-connect flag: Q

Common components used in the labs

Here are some of the most common components used in the labs.

  • Resistor: R
  • Potentiometer: R_POT
  • Capacitor: C
  • Single pin: Conn_01x01
  • Three pins: Conn_01x03

Common footprints used in the labs

Here are some of the most common footprints for the components used in the lab.

  • Resistor 100 ohms: Resistor_THT:R_Axial_DIN0414_L11.9mm_D4.5mm_P5.08mm_Vertical (for a resistor mounted vertically) or Resistor_THT:R_Axial_DIN0414_L11.9mm_D4.5mm_P15.24mm_Horizontal (mounted horizontally)
  • Resistor 100 kohms: Resistor_THT:R_Axial_DIN0207_L6.3mm_D2.5mm_P7.62mm_Horizontal
  • Square capacitor: Capacitor_THT:C_Rect_L7.0mm_W2.0mm_P5.00mm
  • Electrolytic capacitor 1µF: Capacitor_THT:CP_Radial_D5.0mm_P2.00mm
  • Electrolytic capacitor 220nF: Capacitor_THT:CP_Radial_D5.0mm_P2.00mm
  • Red LED: LED_THT:LED_D5.0mm
  • Potentiometer with screw on the side: Potentiometer_THT:Potentiometer_Bourns_3296X_Horizontal
  • Potentiometer with large black screw on top (Bourne): Potentiometer_THT:Potentiometer_Bourns_PTV09A-1_Single_Vertical
  • Single pin: Connector_PinHeader_2.54mm:PinHeader_1x01_P2.54mm_Vertical
  • Dual pins: Connector_PinHeader_2.54mm:PinHeader_1x02_P2.54mm_Vertical
  • Three pins: Connector_PinHeader_2.54mm:PinHeader_1x03_P2.54mm_Vertical
  • 16-pin DIP package: Package_DIP:DIP-16_W7.62mm
  • 14-pin DIP package: Package_DIP:DIP-14_W7.62mm
  • 8-pin DIP package: Package_DIP:DIP-8_W7.62mm
  • Test point: TestPoint_THTPad_D1.5mm_Drill0.7mm

Disable simulator error when carrying out an ERC check.

  1. Open your KiCad project and select the "File" menu in the menu bar.
  2. Select "Schematic Setup" frome the drop-dawn menu to open the schematic settings window.
  3. In the schematic settings window, select the "Electrical Rules" tab.
  4. In the "Violation Severity" section, look for the "SPICE model issue" entry and select "Ignore" from the drop-down menu next to it.
  5. Click "Ok" to save the changes and close the schematic settings window.
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