====== KiCad notes ======
{{:kicad:kicad-appicon-128.png?nolink|}}

[[http://www.kicad-pcb.org|KiCad]] is a popular open source printed circuit board layout program that runs on all three major desktop OS's (Windows, OS X, and Linux). It was originally written by [[http://iut-tice.ujf-grenoble.fr/kicad/|Jean-Pierre Charras]] at //Université Joseph Fourier// and is now actively developed by an enthusiastic [[https://launchpad.net/kicad|team of developers]]. KiCad is quite capable of producing production-quality designs and has been my EDA tool of choice for several years.

Like all PCB layout programs, KiCad has a steep learning curve. So here's a few things that I am hoping might help ease bits of the curve.

===== Library management =====
  * [[Schematic symbol management|Schematic symbol management]]
  * [[footprint management|PCB footprint management]]
  * Some [[https://hackaday.com/2017/05/18/kicad-best-practises-library-management/ | best practices]] 
===== KiCad and SPICE =====
  * [[kicad_spice_quick_guide|Quick guide to using KiCad for SPICE simulation]]
  * [[Using arbitrary SPICE engines in KiCad 5]]

===== Layout tips =====
  * [[Stitching layers|Stitching Layers Between Copper Zones]]

===== Miscellany =====
  * [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okAUlHsTcg0&list=PL4E9E905D6FDF5F1C|Introduction to PCB Design Tutorial (featuring KiCad)]] video series
  * [[PDF output from KiCad in Linux]]

----------------------------------------------------

===== Libraries =====
==== Mine ====

  * [[https://bitbucket.org/mithat/kicad-modules-mfk/|PCB modules]] :: LGPLv3
  * [[https://bitbucket.org/mithat/kicad-spice-library|SPICE components]] :: LGPLv3
==== Others' ====
  * [[http://www.kicadlib.org/|KiCadLib.org]] :: Licensing varies?
  * [[http://library.oshec.org/|Open Source Hardware Engineering Community]] :: Ported from [[http://www.cadsoftusa.com/eagle-pcb-design-software/?language=en|Eagle]]; apparently not [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_software|free]].
  * [[http://smisioto.no-ip.org/elettronica/kicad/kicad-en.htm]] :: [[https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/|CC-by-SA]]
==== Generators ====
  * C. Rohrbacher's [[http://kicad.rohrbacher.net/quicklib.php|component]] (online) and [[http://kicad.rohrbacher.net/quickmod.php|module]] (online, beta) generators.
  * Robert Fitzsimons' [[http://cyclerecorder.org/footprintbuilder/|footprintbuilder]] (Java, GPLv3)