Differences

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--- kicad:schematic_symbol_management [2013/06/26 03:10] – [Adding a third-party component library to a project] mithat
+++ kicad:schematic_symbol_management [2018/09/09 07:54] (current) – mithat
@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 ====== KiCad Schematic Symbol Management ======
+<WRAP center important 60%>
+The stuff here was written for versions of KiCad preceding 4.0. The latest versions of KiCad have introduced new library management features, rendering some of what follows obsolete.
+</WRAP>
 ===== Symbols, components, libraries =====
@@ Line 5: / Line 8: @@
 KiCad places schematic symbols into //component libraries//. Component libraries use the ''.lib'' extension. One ''.lib'' file typically contains definitions for several (usually related) components.
-<WRAP center round tip 60%>
+<WRAP center tip 60%>
 KiCad uses the term "component" to mean "schematic symbol."
 </WRAP>
-<WRAP center round tip 60%>
+<WRAP center tip 60%>
 There are two kinds of libraries in KiCad: **component libraries** (i.e., schematic symbol libraries), which are stored in ''.lib'' files, and **footprint libraries**, which are stored in ''.mod'' files. Our concern here is with component libraries.
 </WRAP>
@@ Line 17: / Line 20: @@
 ===== System component libraries =====
-KiCad ships with a large set of predefined component libraries. The locations of these component libraries will depend on your operating system, but they are typically installed in a system level (rather than user level) subdirectory. EESchema by default is configured to let you use these system component libraries automatically. You can also (and often need to) supplement the system component libraries with third-party and user libraries.
+KiCad ships with a large set of predefined component libraries. The locations of these component libraries will depend on your operating system, but they are typically installed in a system level (rather than user level) subdirectory. Eeschema by default is configured to let you use these system component libraries automatically. You can also (and often need to) supplement the system component libraries with third-party and user libraries.
 ===== Third-party component libraries =====
-Third-party KiCad component libraries are available from many sources.(( Examples include http://www.kicadlib.org/ and http://library.oshec.org/. You may [[https://bugs.launchpad.net/kicad/+bug/872315|have to manually add]] ''$EndLIBRARY'' to the end of some/most/all of these files to prevent a parsing error.)) These are often provided at no cost (i.e., [[wp>gratis]]) but may or may not have limitations on usage ( (i.e., they may or may not be fully [[wp>libre]]). You should always confirm that your intended use is consistent with the creator's licensing.
+Third-party KiCad component libraries are available from many sources.(( Examples include http://www.kicadlib.org/ and http://library.oshec.org/. You may [[https://bugs.launchpad.net/kicad/+bug/872315|have to manually add]] ''$EndLIBRARY'' to the end of some/most/all of these files to prevent a parsing error.)) They are often provided at no cost (i.e., [[wp>gratis]]) but may or may not have limitations on usage (i.e., they may or may not be fully [[wp>libre]]). You should always confirm that your intended use is consistent with the creator's licensing.
 ==== Adding a third-party component library to a project ====
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   - Place the ''.lib'' file in a location that makes sense.((It might make sense for you to create a file system outside your project for libraries, for example a folder called "kicad-libraries" that contains two additional folders: "third-party" and "personal".))
   - Open your project.
-  - Inside EESchema, select //Preferences -> Library//.
+  - Inside Eeschema, select //Preferences -> Library//.
   - Use the top part of the resulting dialog to //Add// or //Insert// the additional ''.lib'' file you wish to use in the project.
   - Click "Ok".
   - You will be prompted to apply the changes to the current project's ''.pro'' file or to select another project's ''.pro'' file. Go with the default---the current project's ''.pro'' file.
-You should now be able to access the third-party library's components in EESchema.
+You should now be able to access the third-party library's components in Eeschema.
 ==== Adding individual third-party components to system and third-party libraries ====
+You should add new components only to user component libraries. See [[#User component libraries]] below.
-**//Even though you can import components into system and third-party libraries, you are strongly advised against making any changes to system and third-party libraries.//** When you update KiCad, there is a good chance that the system libraries will be overwritten, and you will lose any changes you have made to them. Similarly, if you download an update to a third-party library, you will lose the changes you have made to that library
+<WRAP center important 60%>
+**Even though you can import components into system and third-party libraries, you are strongly advised against making any changes to system and third-party libraries.**
-Instead, you should add new components to personal component libraries. See "Personal component libraries" below.
+This is because when you update KiCad, there is a good chance that the system libraries will be overwritten, and you will lose any changes you have made to them. Similarly, if you download an update to a third-party library, you will lose the changes you have made to that library
+</WRAP>
-===== Personal component libraries =====
+===== User component libraries =====
 While components contained in predefined system and third-party component libraries will be enough to create many designs, at some point you will almost certainly need to create a new component or edit an existing one.
-It is highly recommended that you use only libraries you have created yourself---what we will call //personal libraries//---for creating new components and for making changes to components in system or third-party component libraries. In other words, you should create new components only in personal libraries, and components in system and third-party libraries that you wish to change should first be copied to a personal library and edited there.
+For creating new components and for making changes to components in system or third-party component libraries, it is highly recommended that you use only libraries you have created yourself---what we will call //user libraries//. In other words, you should create new components only in user libraries, and components in system and third-party libraries that you wish to change should first be copied to a user library and edited there.
-**//Even though you can create/add/edit components in system and third-party libraries, you are strongly advised against making any changes to system and third-party libraries.//** When you update KiCad, there is a good chance that the system libraries will be overwritten, and you will lose any changes you have made to them. Similarly, if you download an update to a third-party library, you will lose the changes you have made to that library.
+<WRAP center important 60%>
+**Even though you can create/add/edit components in system and third-party libraries, you are strongly advised against making any changes to system and third-party libraries.**
+This is because when you update KiCad, there is a good chance that the system libraries will be overwritten, and you will lose any changes you have made to them. Similarly, if you download an update to a third-party library, you will lose the changes you have made to that library.
+</WRAP>
 ==== The Component Library Editor ====
@@ Line 54: / Line 64: @@
 Component library maintenance and the creation and editing of footprints is done with KiCad's **Component Library Editor**. To open the Component Library Editor:
-  - Open a project and open EESchema.
+  - Open a project and open Eeschema.
   - Click the //Library editor// icon in the top toolbar.
@@ Line 71: / Line 81: @@
 === Electrical type of pins ===
-You need to set the electrical type of pins appropriately because EESchema uses the pin's electrical type in its electrical rule check (ERC). Your initial temptation may be to make all pins "Passive" as this will result in the least restrictive ERC conditions (i.e., it makes it easiest for the pin to pass the ERC). However, mastering the meaning of the different pin electrical types and their relation to ERC can help you to create more error-resistant designs.
+You need to set the electrical type of pins appropriately because Eeschema uses the pin's electrical type in its electrical rule check (ERC). Your initial temptation may be to make all pins "Passive" as this will result in the least restrictive ERC conditions (i.e., it makes it easiest for the pin to pass the ERC). However, mastering the meaning of the different pin electrical types and their relation to ERC can help you to create more error-resistant designs.
 === Hidden pins and automatic connections ===
-Pins that are marked as hidden (i.e., the //Visible// property is unchecked) //will automatically connect to nets with that name in the schematic//.((TODO: Confirm whether this is true for all electrical types or only for Power pins.)) This is a tradition dating back to the early days of EDA and one that today is mired in controversy.
+Power pins that are marked as hidden (i.e., the //Visible// property is unchecked) will automatically connect to nets with that name in the schematic:
+> Eeschema automatically connects invisible power pins of the same name to the power net of that name.(([[http://docs.kicad-pcb.org/en/Eeschema.html#wires-buses-labels-power-ports|Eeschema docs]], part 5.5.4))
+This is a tradition dating back to the early days of EDA and one that today is mired in controversy.
 Our preference is to avoid this kind of automatic connectivity. While it has its advantages (e.g., it makes circuits, especially logic circuits, appear cleaner), because modern designs frequently use a number of power supply rails and grounds as well as power supply bypass and treatment schemes, it can create schematics that are confusing at best and impossible to draw at worst.
@@ Line 83: / Line 97: @@
 === Multipart components ===
-Often a single physical package will contain multiple, identical functional parts. A typical example is the 7400 IC---which contains four identical two-input NAND gates. EESchema lets you define such parts as individual symbols and then quasi-magically group them into sets of four that make up the actual part. This is an advanced topic and will not be treated in any further depth here.
+Often a single physical package will contain multiple, identical functional parts. A typical example is the 7400 IC---which contains four identical two-input NAND gates. Eeschema lets you define such parts as individual symbols and then quasi-magically group them into sets of four that make up the actual part. This is an advanced topic and will not be treated further here.
 ===== Additional resources =====
-==== KICAD quicklib gen ====
+==== KICAD part generators ====
-Creating packages with many pins in KiCad's Library Editor is a tedious and error-prone task. Much of the tedium and potential for error can be eliminated by using the online [[http://kicad.rohrbacher.net/quicklib.php|KICAD quicklib gen]] application. You should use  KiCad's Library Editor to check that files made with KICAD quicklib gen are as you expect and to make any needed adjustments that are not possible from within KICAD quicklib gen.
+Creating packages with many pins in KiCad's Library Editor is a tedious and error-prone task. Much of the tedium and potential for error can be eliminated by using the online [[http://kicad.rohrbacher.net/quicklib.php|KICAD quicklib gen]] application, the offline [[https://github.com/xesscorp/KiPart|KiPart]] application, and (no doubt) similar tools. You should use  KiCad's Library Editor to check that files made with KICAD quicklib gen are as you expect and to make any needed adjustments that are not possible from within KICAD quicklib gen.
-Similar script-based wizards have also been written. An Internet search should reveal some if the above isn't suited to your needs or if it becomes unavailable.
+An Internet search should reveal other solutions if neither of the above is suited to your needs or they become unavailable.
-Copyright ©2011 Mithat Konar. All rights reserved.
+Copyright ©2011-2016 Mithat Konar. All rights reserved.