KiCad

KiCad is a open source(GPL) integrated package for electronics design automation(EDA).KiCad is used for designing schematics of electronics circuits and printed circuit board(PCB). The suite consists of a project manager, Schematic Editor, Netlist generator, pcb designer and a gerber viewer.It runs under X Window System on most UNIX-compatible platforms and also on microsoft windows platform.

This Software can be used by students who want to design Electronics hardware based on Analog integrated circuits and Digital Circuits based Micro-controllers and other Digital IC's For getting started with this software students are required to have prior knowledge of discrete electronics components.

The Spoken Tutorial Effort for KiCad is being contributed by CDEEP and TreeLabs members. Project is Initiated by Prof.Kannan Moudgalya and Prof.Dipankar.

For more information about KiCad you can refer following links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KiCAD

http://www.lis.inpg.fr/realise_au_lis/kicad/

Basic Level Tutorials

1. Introduction to KiCad
   • What is KiCad?
   • KiCad installation
2. Designing circuit schematic in KiCad
   • Steps involved in PCB designing using KiCad
   • Creating new project in KiCad
   • Using Schematic editor (EEschema) in KiCad
   • Placing new components in EEschema
   • Using shortcut keys in EEschema
   • Interconnecting the components.
   • Annotating components
   • Saving whole schematic project
3. Electric rule checking and Netlist generation
   • Assigning values and Annotating components
   • Electric rule check for schematic created
   • Connecting power flags
   • Test ERC tab
   • Netlist generation
4. Mapping components in KiCad
   • Mapping of components with corresponding modules using CvPCB
5. Designing printed circuit board in KiCad
   • Designing a Board layout using PCBnew

Intermediate Level Tutorials

1. Auto routing in KiCad
   • Board layout created for Astable multivibrator
   • Deletion of manually created track
   • Autorouting feature in KiCad
   • Deletion of Tracks
   • Export specctra design file
   • using Web based advanced Autorouter
2. Library creation using KiCad
   • Designing new library using library editor
   • Designing new module using Module editor
   • Mapping of new library component with module created

Advanced Level Tutorials

1. Using KiCad netlist with ngspice
   • Creating RC differentiator circuit using KiCad EEschema
   • Generating spice netlist using netlist generation tab
   • Appending simulator commands using python file
   • simulate circuit using ngspice command line interface
2. pspice to ngspice code conversion
   • Open already created sample PSPICE file
   • Give this file as an input to pspice-to-ngspice converter
   • open ngspice file created using converter
   • Append simulation commands to ngspice netlist
   • Append Model file to ngspice netlist
   • Simulate circuit using ngspice command line interface
3. SPICE Model creation using Python Model Editor
   • Open python based model editor(GUI based)
   • Create model file for diode
   • Append it to netlist of diode clipper circuit
   • simulate circuit using ngspice command line interface

Contributors and Content Editors

Minal, Nancyvarkey