Layout
| Keybind | Action |
|---|---|
| M | Move Component |
| R | Rotate Component |
| U | Select Entire Trace |
| V | Place Vias |
| B | Fill Zones (GND Planes) |
| Ctrl+Shift+Z | Draw Fill Zones (Blue polygon symbol) |
| X | Start Trace |
| W | Increase Trace width |
| Shift+W | Decrease Trace width |
| Select+Drag | Move Trace |
Layout Suggestions
- Hide F.Fab layer when doing layout to reduce clutter
- Don’t worry about Ground connections, we use fill zones for GND.
- Make F. Silkscreen legible
- Find BOM here: link
- Try to use 0805 (2012 metric) for SMD components
- USB-C Receptacle: link
- Use DigiKey when searching for components: link
- When using DigiKey, select filter:
- In stock
- Datasheet
- Exclude Tariffed & Marketplace Products
- Active
- Kelvin Connection: Used to measure voltage with isolation.
- When using 2 layers, make both GND planes. When routing on the top layer, minimize long cuts by using vias, keep the bottom layer as intact as possible so that it acts as a shield for the top.
Schematic
| Keybind | Action |
|---|---|
| A | Add components |
| E | Properties |
| Q | No Connect Flag |
| P | Add Power Flag |
| End | Stop Wiring |
| ` | Select related |
Schematic Suggestions
- For integer values, keep it between 1-999. (Ex: 0.1uF should be 100nF)
- Symbol creation slides: link
- Assigning footprints: HOPE footprint link
- I2C addresses uses combinations of A0 and A1 to different lines: GND, 3v3, and more.
- SPI’s CS pin is Active-Low (Gnd) and Inactive-High.
Manufacturing
- Use a JLCPCB reference board to complete board setup constraints
- To get Gerber Files, go to File / Fabrication Output / Gerber, make Gerber folder for the KiCad project, then press plot, then press generate drill files.
- Use the JLCPCB fabrication plugin to generate all the files needed: Gerber, BOM, Positions