kicad:schematic_symbol_management
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kicad:schematic_symbol_management [2013/06/26 03:27] – [User component libraries] mithat | kicad:schematic_symbol_management [2018/09/09 07:54] (current) – mithat | ||
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====== KiCad Schematic Symbol Management ====== | ====== 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. | ||
+ | </ | ||
===== Symbols, components, libraries ===== | ===== Symbols, components, libraries ===== | ||
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KiCad places schematic symbols into //component libraries// | KiCad places schematic symbols into //component libraries// | ||
- | <WRAP center | + | <WRAP center tip 60%> |
KiCad uses the term " | KiCad uses the term " | ||
</ | </ | ||
- | <WRAP center | + | <WRAP center tip 60%> |
There are two kinds of libraries in KiCad: **component libraries** (i.e., schematic symbol libraries), which are stored in '' | There are two kinds of libraries in KiCad: **component libraries** (i.e., schematic symbol libraries), which are stored in '' | ||
</ | </ | ||
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===== System component libraries ===== | ===== 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. | + | 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. |
===== Third-party component libraries ===== | ===== Third-party component libraries ===== | ||
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- Place the '' | - Place the '' | ||
- Open your project. | - Open your project. | ||
- | - Inside | + | - Inside |
- Use the top part of the resulting dialog to //Add// or //Insert// the additional '' | - Use the top part of the resulting dialog to //Add// or //Insert// the additional '' | ||
- Click " | - Click " | ||
- You will be prompted to apply the changes to the current project' | - You will be prompted to apply the changes to the current project' | ||
- | You should now be able to access the third-party library' | + | You should now be able to access the third-party library' |
==== Adding individual third-party components to system and third-party libraries ==== | ==== 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. | You should add new components only to user component libraries. See [[#User component libraries]] below. | ||
- | <WRAP center | + | <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.** | **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.** | ||
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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// | 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// | ||
- | <WRAP center | + | <WRAP center important 60%> |
**Even though you can create/ | **Even though you can create/ | ||
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Component library maintenance and the creation and editing of footprints is done with KiCad' | Component library maintenance and the creation and editing of footprints is done with KiCad' | ||
- | - Open a project and open EESchema. | + | - Open a project and open Eeschema. |
- Click the //Library editor// icon in the top toolbar. | - Click the //Library editor// icon in the top toolbar. | ||
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=== Electrical type of pins === | === Electrical type of pins === | ||
- | You need to set the electrical type of pins appropriately because | + | You need to set the electrical type of pins appropriately because |
=== Hidden pins and automatic connections === | === Hidden pins and automatic connections === | ||
- | Pins that are marked as hidden (i.e., the //Visible// property is unchecked) | + | 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:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | 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. | 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. | ||
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=== Multipart components === | === 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. | + | 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. |
===== Additional resources ===== | ===== Additional resources ===== | ||
- | ==== KICAD quicklib gen ==== | + | ==== KICAD part generators |
- | Creating packages with many pins in KiCad' | + | Creating packages with many pins in KiCad' |
- | Similar script-based wizards have also been written. | + | An Internet search should reveal |
- | Copyright ©2011 Mithat Konar. All rights reserved. | + | Copyright ©2011-2016 Mithat Konar. All rights reserved. |
kicad/schematic_symbol_management.txt · Last modified: 2018/09/09 07:54 by mithat