An Intro to KiCad - Part 4: Create a Footprint | DigiKey

[@johnlake6321]

These are great tutorials for those of us who are new to PCB design. Shawn has a very clear way of explaining each key stroke. Also easy to watch a second or third time if necessary.

[@katemoon7476]

I can't believe how good this guy is. He belongs in Hollywood as a cast-character. KZbin is his starting-point on an incredible career before him, if he goes out and grabs it. Mr. Bow-tie man is going to have his own TV show, movie, or something really big.

[@Iogoslavia]

Your tutorials are very well made! I like how you take time to explain what things are standard and some history behind some of the topics. Thanks for sharing

[@johnrichards8514]

Wow! Extremely well done. Succinct and Complete! You even add some reasons for why you are doing things the way you are, like local vs global libraries. Setting up KiCad's libraries is messy, and you handle it very well. Please hurry with the remaining episodes! I have not used KiCad for about 6 months, and you are making reviewing efficient. And, you are answering some previous questions I had. And having Digi-Key involved is great. I buy from them anyway.

[@ShawnHymel]

Glad you liked it, thank you! Dealing with libraries is definitely the worst part of KiCad. It's not too terrible once you understand what they're going for, but it's far from intuitive.

[@gavincurtis]

Kicad has come a long way. Quite a nice piece of software to use for me.

[@ZilogBob]

Hi again DG. These videos have given me the motivation to finally get away from Eagle. It's got some strange idiosyncracies, but probably not as many as Eagle.

[@greaterthanbut]

Id buy that for a Dollar!

[@JackSparrow-nw1eg]

this helped lots. Can always rely on hard working creators like u man.

[@labviewwitholeg2953]

This tutorial is the best I ever have seen. For this section, it would be great to add assigning 3D models to parts. After all, a board with components has to be placed into an enclosure, etc. I have trouble finding a good tutorial for this process.

[@mehrdadfeller]

In KiCAD 5.1.9, you have to first creat a new library by going to File > New Library Then, File > New Footprint Then Save changes to library (thrid button from the left on the ribbon under the file menue)

[@thepoolb0y]

THANK YOU

[@okaytree7711]

Thank you!

[@okaytree7711]

Is it normal if it doesnt say "active library" at the top of the window. It just shows the name of the library "555_Badge".

[@BlueChaoz]

quality lessons for free, greatly appreciated!

[@alexgochenour8740]

Ugh... just four months after this otherwise masterfully produced tutorial was made and my KiCad interfaces all look just different enough to be frustrating. Oh well. Thanks all the same, Shawn. This is solid stuff all the same.

[@feldon27]

Yes now you need to go to the Library Manager *first* and you can set it to use a Project-specific Library. Click Browse Libraries and then hit OK in the window that pops up. Now hit OK and a library with the same name as your project has been created. Now you can go to File -> Save and choose your library name which is the same name as the project.

[@reidlandsrud5530]

Check out the KiCad 5.0 Changes and New Features series that we added to the KiCad Playlist. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nXrJaaaamZJ9gpY hopefully that will make the transition a little easier.

[@paulalmquist5683]

See a number of differences between KiCad v4 presented here and the current V6. Worth considering a remake of this and maybe other videos in this well done series.

[@ChipsMicrochips]

Excellent Shawn! Thank you for your always great content! 🙂

[@dragon-gi3gi]

Thank you so much for this video series. An amazing intro to KiCad.

[@nicholasmcneely245]

When I grow up, I want to be like Shawn! I bet he went to a really good college.

[@stargazer7644]

Pin 1 is normally a square pad, so you can tell from either side which pin is pin 1 for through hole parts.

[@sam-pd6zi]

I am new to kicad ,embarresed to say that it took two days to design a foot print,but i designed thanks

[@beardization]

Cheers for the help in this. Plenty of info and explained well.

[@GregMcCarthyUK]

Would love to see a tutorial on using 3d parts with footprints

[@wizzardofwizzards]

While engineering is about problem-solving this seems a bit extreme. While there is definite advantages to using Kicad and I am not one to give up because something presents difficulty, I do have to wonder if my time would be better spent like with Eagle or EasyEDA.

[@gnuPirate]

Thanks so much for these videos Shawn and Digikey. Just so thorough and easy to work along with. Such great exercises for learning KiCad. Really appreciate it. Will be looking to order more parts from DigiKey at work when I do parts orders as thanks (:

[@DanKolis]

Well built instructional material, just right, thanks dude(s) !

[@SidneyCritic]

Why all the coordinate drawing, why not just set grid and snap to intersections. I do coord drawing for another EDA, but I snap pads because it's quicker. In Inksacpe you can offset the grid, can't you do that in that drawing package to get the part centred.

[@stealthinator00]

I would use both the semi circle and the dot markings at the same time. The semi circle for the assembly and the dot or circle for diagnosis and debugging.

[@bernySDE]

Excelente tutorial. Recomiendo que lo vean. Gracias por compartirlo.

[@herceg6772]

Thanks for the great lessons. What layer do you use to show "keepout" area? It's the white frame around the whole component. Keepout is the name of it in Eagle.

[@alanj554]

Hey guys, I'm not sure if anyone else is having this problem. This may be because of the KiCad 5 updates but when I switch to inches, only the position changes to inches. The hole size remains in millimeters. For some reason when I try to mess with the hole size to make it smaller, kiCad has an issue and seems to scale everything down. However, when I keep the dimensions in millimeters I don't seem to have this problem. Does anyone know a fix? SOLVED: I figured it out. I was confusing mils with millimeters when a mil is really a thousandth of an inch.

[@domesticatedviking]

Extremely timely for me as I upgrade my hobby skills. And I've been a digikey customer for a long time. Thank you for making these. When will the next one be coming!!

[@ShawnHymel]

Part 5 was just released today! kzbin.info/www/bejne/fZnZYZV9nr95gpo&index=5&list=PLEBQazB0HUyR24ckSZ5u05TZHV9khgA1O

[@domesticatedviking]

Whoohoo!

[@espenbgh2540]

Very nice presentation, but creating af new PDIP (8 - 48 pin) in Fritzing seem somewhat more easy. You take an open 8 pin then change the number of pins, naming the DIP pins 1 - X make af description - it takes 2 - 4 min. depending on the number of pins. Pin description can often be copied directly from the datasheet

[@mrdanker6756]

Needs the option to make one pin/pad, then make an array of those pads by entering the number of pads and spacing in each direction

[@feklee]

Ctrl+T Create Array

[@alejandroperez5368]

KiCad 6 has a wizard for that

[@timeslidr9063]

To make the math easier, couldn't you put the origin at pin 1 and then move it afterwards?

[@jelmervd2l]

The origing probably needs to be in the middle of the part for the placingrobot to know how to orient the part. I might be wrong though.

[@saltysubmariner]

The current version (5.1.8)-1 is so different (menu names, how directories are listed, etc.) that it is really detracting from the value of the video. I was kind of figuring how to get around the changes in the menu structure until I got to this vido (part 4). The footprint won't save, even though I have created the library, point to the directory, etc. Also, the line edit does not work. I right click on the line to set the start points, don't get an edit window, just a menu box with Cancel, Center, Zoom In, Zoom Out...Grid. Also the grid does not set to the menu values (trying to set it to 20, as in the video). It stays at 25, even though the selection shows 20. AARGH!

[@crimsonguy723]

Yeah, a lot of the changes seem completely unnecessary too.

[@nigelhungerford-symes5059]

Really really good tutorial

[@louiskatzclay]

Thanks, you have been helpful!

[@No-gj8uk]

Here is a guide for creating and saving librarys on a mac today go to the footprint editor and at the top toolbar (not the kicad one but the one that is on the very top of your desktop) choose Manage footprint librarys under preferances. go to project specific librarys and click the + button. Choose a name, file to save the library in (your project file in documents) and a description. once that is done, click OK. Then go to your footprint editor and click save, choose your library and click OK. your library will now appear in the library explorer with your footprint inside it.

[@slonbeskonechen8310]

Why only Ffab and Fsilk? Why you did not add a Fcrtyd?

[@vanhetgoor]

It is a lot of work, and the imperial system is not helping, it is the opposite. It would have been okay if some people kept the imperial system as a folklore. But there are limits in what can be done with it, those limits have been reached already, writing everything smaller than an inch as a fraction is such a limit. Only the solution is so halfly done. Yes, the decimal system would have been better. Simply forget inches, never touch them again and it is over.

[@curtisnewton895]

why local if you plan to use it everywhere ?????

[@rachelstokes1340]

ive spent hours trying to figure out how to add a pad using kicad 5.0, can you please tell me how to add a simple smd pad in pcbnew, thank you

[@ankitakumari6423]

Can anyone plz tell me, how can we take dimension 0.1 for 1 pin and then take 0.05,plz help

[@christopherward2748]

Thanks great video!

[@Aldomify]

Very good video,thank you.

[@thepoolb0y]

Where can I get the music?

[@emilyhuang2759]

I don't have an option to save footprint into library. 3:47

[@digikey]

If you are using KiCad 5.0, this process is switched around slightly. You will have to create the Library first and then add a new symbol to it. The create new library button is on the far left of the tool bar and the create new symbol is the fourth button from the left.

[@SyedM14]

@@digikey and how to create a footprint for it?

[@lujeinMoh]

I couldn't draw on F.Fab layer,, did anyone have this problem too?

[@sam-pd6zi]

nice,it helped a lot

[@MrSamil1453]

Hi, İ have a problem with footprint i am trying to fix the footprint on the pcb but they are in different places. İ dont know how that i should to fit the footprint into pcb. İ would be very gratefull when u could help me. Thank you very much.

[@waltperko8742]

I'm on KICAD 5.x.x and this video helps a little bit, but is out of date ... we need an up to date video. I think I am going to be lost after 5:00

[@Aaron-lp3zt]

I was trying multiple tutorials with 5 and as a complete noob it was confusing. I downloaded 4 and this took 15 minutes.

[@jugadoo-bhai]

im trying to make footprint for icl7107 ic can u plz help me ?

[@Handskemager]

The XY system isn’t specific to KiCad but for computer graphics in general, just fyi

[@wizard-of-other-oz]

So there was no XY system before the computer era?

[@wajideus4591]

No, it is unique. In computer graphics and mathematics, the Y axis always points UP, not down. This is also the case with 3D graphics, though there's some indecisiveness about whether or not the Z axis points out of the screen (towards you, right-handed system) or into the screen (away from you, left-handed system). The exception to this rule is the film industry, which for some odd reason uses a convention where the Z axis is the up axis.

[@10p6]

Nice video. I love the idea of open software, but come on, having to design a freaking PDIP is ridiculous, and the library system is. By now we should have very simple PCB designer, with create PCB size layout. Drag components onto PCB. Connect wires. View and check. Create Gerber files.

[@drsquirrel00]

I'm pretty sure the point is this shows you how to create components for ones that don't exist. Using a common component for this is just an example.

[@meenakshimaurya7949]

how to measure the drill size

[@Berghiker]

The footprint library in DipTrace is far better! You can also see the footprint AND the pad and their numbering. With KiCad not. I just get freaking errors 29 of them!!! R3 Pad not found in footprint. It had pads when I made it.

[@fionoob]

The program looks good, but for the love of God, to create a simple component of this has this absurd amount of steps .. in Proteus this compnente takes 1 minute to be done ... Why do not you have an option to create a square ??? You have to create 4 lines ??? I tried to make a footprint of a Jack P2 and it was hell because the pads have very different positionals ... anyway ... zero productivity.

[@timezonewall]

Yes, this seems way more difficult than it should be. Hopefully for most things there are existing footprints that can be used or copied.

[@russellfroggatt]

What about the 3d model?

[@lukesteele5124]

Excellent

[@emilyhuang2759]

Nor do I have Append with Wizard 4:30

[@cyrusparvereshi9496]

You have to click the tiny Folder button to get your file system up; for me it had my custom library already selected.

[@iconoclad]

Why wouldn't you make pin one pad square which is pretty much the standard?

[@kailimedia]

You should probably explain what each f.silk, b.silk and etc meant first.

[@stephanietownsend3553]

Refer to part 1 in discussion of the PCB layers.

[@Saheryk]

Hi, I just came up with idea and I want to plant a seed - a plugin automatically downloading a footprint of every Digi-Key element attached to a schematic representation - you know, to make a project I sometimes have to search for footprints in Internet and in would be more convinient to buy Digi-Key products if those would have been automatically attached. Also a feature, that allows you to make your project with Digi-Key elements only.

[@jamesgoacher1606]

I used to think OrCad was complicated. :-)

[@gerhardmalberg4966]

Saving to your library has changed: 1. Go to File -> Save footprint in New library 2. Go to Preferences -> Footprints Library Wizard -> Select "Files on My Computer" -> Browse to your library folder you created (with .pretty end) -> Click next, next & finish 3. Go to File -> Set Active Library -> Select your Library you created (same as folder name) 4. To save Footprint - > Ctrl + S or Go to File and "Save Footprint in Active Library"

[@timezonewall]

Your directions don't match the current version unfortunately. Do they keep changing the interface with each release? Seems like that would make it difficult to use if you have to keep relearning it everytime there is new version.

[@basaltnow]

This KiCad drives me crazy. I wanted to place a resistor and assign TO247-2 horizontal, it us 4 hours now that I am on that, I give up and keep doing all in Altium, it takes 60s and the 3D pcb can be seen. Kicad is none intuitive, simplest things need intensive research and self figuring out, reminds me on Eagle, sorry even as it is open source, Altium is the way to go.

[@Diogenerate]

the kicad UI is non intuitive, and its hard to even make a practice circuit. I don't understand who kicad devs intend to use their product. huge timesinks are required, plus almost everything about kicad 6 is different than in the tutorial series here.

[@king_james_official]

it was pretty easy for me, took like 1.5 hours to learn the basics

[@dhanakumar690]

Very super bro

[@schwartzenheimer1]

I hope there are better ways to do this, because this is awful. Also, the convention is a square pad for pin 1 on a through-hole DIP. SERIOUSLY, this is the most convoluted footprint creation process I have ever seen. It makes PADS PCB look like child's play. Yuck.

[@ShawnHymel]

I definitely agree that KiCad's footprint creation and association process is not the easiest nor cleanest I've ever used. Do you have a reference for the square pad for pin 1 being convention? As far as I can find, IPC calls for just some kind of pin 1 marker on the board, so it's really up to the designer. That being the case, I have a hard time telling square from circle pads once the pin has been soldered, so I usually prefer some kind of silkscreen marker that can be clearly seen after the part has been placed.

[@Bright8888]

Thanks Shawn for explaining all the basic concepts of PCB making very nicely in your tutorials. I will be migrating to Kicad from Protel/Altium since version 5 of Kicad is a major upgrade. As for identifying pin 1 of the IC, in addition to making the pad a square, I always put a "1" close to pin 1 on the copper side while designing the PCB. This helps to avoid the mistake of soldering the IC the wrong way around even if there is no is no silk screen marking on the PCB,

[@howardjones543]

I'm just starting out with KiCAD, but the other CAD I have a little experience with is Fusion 360. Coming from constraints-based sketches to something that doesn't even have a rectangle tool is quite the comedown!

[@uggima1]

Decent tutorial, but who else went "WTF?" when he change d pin 1 back to a circle?

[@shambles9]

why the hell did you use imperial?

[@TMinusRecords]

Enter 16 numbers to draw a rectangle, instead of 4. No rectangle tool? This software is a joke

[@WBRRacing]

best when played at 0.25speed. SLOW DOWN BRO

[@ek6065]

Why tf is there microsoft edge on your taskbar? xD

[@imstubby6844]

so long winded got to be abtter way!

[@jort93z]

I think the names front and back are completly random. I don't think there is any process in the fabrication of a pcb where the top layer is actually on the front. PCB's are produced horizontally, so it should be top and bottom. And i think in some places in kicad its top and bottom, its kinda inconsistant there.