KiCad
If you don't already have a project, click File -> New Project. Select the name representing your design.
Go back to the main KiCad menu and click on PCB Editor (the green one).
The PCB Editor looks like the screen below:
Near the upper right is an icon of a chip. That is the Add a Footprint tool. Click it and you get a window to select a footprint. Select your footprint library and your design.
Place it in the center of the PCB editor window.
Zoom out if necessary to see your entire sheet.
In the 3D Viewer (View -> 3D Viewer), you can see your front design.
In the 3D Viewer (View -> 3D Viewer), you can see your front design.
Save your design into a file that should end in a .kicad_pcb file extension.
When designing actual circuits, Affinity and Gingerbread are left behind, it's all done in KiCad (it is what it does best).
First is to use the schematic editor. The circuit uses two reverse-mount LEDs to shine through the board. A 3 volt CR2032 coin cell is used for power. A switch turns the lights on. Each LED wants about 20 milliamps of current. Doing the LED math (see "LED Calculator via Google if you'd like help), that's about 51 ohms resistance for each one.
KiCad has built-in footprints for some of these items:
- A Keystone CR2032 battery holder
- A CK Switches SPDT switch
- 1206 size 51 ohm surface mount resistors
DigiKey was consulted on reverse mount LEDs The Inolux IN-S124AR looked sufficient. The footprint editor was used to make a compatible footprint from the datasheet on DigiKey.
All the parts on the schematic were annotated with the footprint and the datasheet for reference and added to the custom library I have.
The parts can be bought at any supplier you want. For this bill of materials (BOM), I ordered the supplies for 5 boards plus some spares from DigiKey. (Note: No compensation or consideration was provided by this supplier for this project.)
Page last edited March 08, 2024
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