How to design custom Footprints & Symbols in Kicad

[@spudhead169]

So refreshing, a tutorial that gets straight to the meat of the matter instead of a dawn-of-time lecture breakdown of every single aspect. Thank you.

[@Fungineers]

The Intro itself deserves an applause!

[@Berghiker]

Not only do you make the best KiCad videos, you have a good voice too.

[@greatestunknown]

Thumbs up man! The best one I've seen. Others are complicated, long explanations and long intro's. And some of them don't even work. Just what I needed. Quick, no overly complicated instructions, simple and right to the point. Got me making custom parts in no time! Thanks

[@eggxecution]

good tutorial I'm following this 12:20 "U?," suggests that the component is currently unknown or undecided. Some notes according to chat gpt Here's an example to illustrate the usage of the default reference designation "U" in KiCad: U1: Represents the first integrated circuit or microcontroller in the schematic. U2: Represents the second integrated circuit or microcontroller in the schematic. U3, U4, U5, and so on: Represent additional integrated circuits or microcontrollers in the schematic. U: Typically used for integrated circuits and microcontrollers. R: Used for resistors. C: Used for capacitors. L: Used for inductors. D: Used for diodes. Q: Used for transistors. J: Used for connectors. SW: Used for switches. LED: Used for LEDs. X: Used for special components or modules. S: This prefix can be used to denote a general sensor component. For instance, you could use S1, S2, S3, and so on, to represent different sensors in the schematic. T: This prefix is often used for temperature sensors. So, you might use T1, T2, T3, and so on, for temperature sensor reference designators. P: If you have pressure sensors in your design, you could use the prefix P. For example, P1, P2, P3, and so on, could be used to represent different pressure sensors.

[@mirr0rd]

Great video! I would definitely recommend adding a "pin 1" indicator on the silkscreen - often a dot, line or arrow near pin 1 on the silk screen. This will help during assembly to correctly orient the chip which is important in symmetric designs. Also recommend adding a border on the silkscreen and a courtyard to prevent accidentally placing components too close together during layout. Take a look at footprints from the standard library as a guide.

[@PockyBum522]

My god man, liking and commenting for the algorithm but you make this so concise and usable. A thousand thanks. I was dreading making symbols/footprints just because I hadn't done it yet and knew I needed to. Thanks to you I've just made several, and they were all a breeze. You get a like and a sub, but if I could like this video 10x I absolutely would. I'll have a look at your other videos and I'm very much looking forward to that.

[@hatem0]

3 parts videos of 40 min, explained almost everything in KiCAD. I struggled by myself for 3 days to figure out how to create symbole and footprint for my NodeMCU. Thanks

[@valyd1850]

Very clear and right to the point. Nice intro too. Thanks man.

[@TheDefpom]

Very good tutorial, thank you. I’m trying to learn kicad after using eagle for years, I need to build a replacement LED display for a broken Gas Discharge Display of a Datron 1062 multimeter, I found the display was cracked whilst doing a live stream yesterday trying to repair the unit (I buy broken test gear to do videos about fixing them) the 120mm board size limit in eagle meant I can’t use it to do it ! Was surprised to find a fellow NZ KZbinr, almost a good opportunity for a collaboration. I have already reverse engineered the display and figured out how to modify the unit to use LED, I just need to get my head around kicad so I can make the boards.

[@MiniLuv-1984]

Thanks - that was very thorough and clear!

[@brucejuntti5483]

Very good, detailed explanation of aligning the footprint pads, my friend! Most videos don't show this much detail, so kudos to you. One suggestion, though. I was following your vid to modify an existing J-lead package (TSOC-6) for a Maxim DS2423 counter chip to extend the length on the X-axis because the footprint I was using had the pads RIGHT UNDER the package and I wasn't sure I could hand solder this. And I noticed after using the modified footprint and trying to reconnect the lands that the pad origins needed to be put back to the center of the pads. I really liked your presentation and the only thing I can add is to put the pad origins back to where they were and THEN save the footprint in a library.

[@kiprotichtony7561]

Awesome intro, incredible explanation.

[@3dkiwi920]

Thanks man, exactly what I needed :)

[@Berghiker]

Perfect explanation. Thank-you so much.

[@dsbohra]

Great work, man!

[@safraanmohamed868]

Thank you for your guidance brother. This is really useful to me.

[@RixtronixLAB]

Nice video, well done,thanks for sharing it with us :)

[@sheladiyadeep8275]

Great work but I completed my schematic and the software isn't providing the option to update the schematic to pcb editor what should I do ? Anyone knows?

[@miriamramstudio3982]

Just what I needed ;) Thanks

[@radmilahajder5835]

Very useful and well done video, thanks

[@sighyawn54]

this is the best educational video I have watched in a long time, I am really curious why there is no option to have a single layer board, the software forces to have 2???

[@w9ran]

Excellent tutorial, thanks! But I can't find a way to change the Shape Offset in KiCad 7 - has it been deleted?

[@megacrocosaurus]

Aw Yeah, the future!

[@gregclare]

Excellent KiCad intro videos. I’ve finally decided to jump into KiCad after years of using various other EDA tools. Question: Is there a standard mechanism / hosting site for sharing user created KiCad symbols and footprints? It would seem a crazy duplication of effort if everyone has to “reinvent the wheel” designing symbols and footprints (and 3D models) for components that are not in the standard installed libraries. I’ve only just started, but Google hasn’t answered this for me (yet). Cheers.

[@turolretar]

I discovered there is a thing like that called SnapEDA

[@electronic7979]

Helpful video 👍

[@johnny7932]

Great tutorial!

[@stephenwarren6539]

really good has helped me loads thank you

[@tristanginod9238]

special thank from a french student who wants to use an odd package from infineon in his project !

[@nickbrumme]

Thank you very much!!

[@c4sp3r91]

appreciate your tutorial. could you please provide a tutorial about the pcb layers? i am trying to create a custom footprint and symbol for a silicone touchpad and I am quite struggling with it.

[@ReneSchickbauer]

Perfect intro

[@FactfulInfoVerse]

Why did you not include solder mask and resist openings area while creating this footprint ?

[@svin3819]

So I followed you on thos video. Did what you did and I can not get traces to connect to anything. If I start on a pad the wire will not stay put or even connect to anything. I get an error(4)

[@johncarr123]

Can I create components to make a wiring diagram?

[@jimmyjamjar10101]

I'd love to get my own pcb boards made but I can't reason with the $25 remote area charge on a $2 item.

[@waynethompson8416]

I need to add Vacuum Tube symbols to my library. Don't know how, don't even know where to start! Can you help?

[@Berghiker]

How do you create a negative print with Kicad?

[@JeremyCook]

Thanks for the video! So if you assign the footprint as explained, then you don't have to do it later in the schematic editor dialog? I suppose that step is optional, since you can do it individually if you so prefer?

[@Berghiker]

How can you resize the symbol you just created?

[@viktorkarlsohn3705]

Please make a 'mate' of this, that addresses a through-hole mounted device, specifically Phoenix 1757268; the problem with this, is that it has (1)(mm) wide pins, one needs a hole diameter of (0.052)(in) [(1.32)(mm)]

[@key2010]

i like this dudes sponsor bits :D ... i still don't know what a pay-say-bay is though... my guess it's an upside-down pcb?

[@ihtsarl9115]

Thank you for this great video but if you can pronounce clearly the words because many times we have repeat back the video attempting to figure out the words and terms you are saying.

[@polbatallelargo1181]

why you put 2 mm on the pad if datasheet don t say so ?

[@El650Jefe]

Right! An exact size I guess would be 0.6mm but I can see why you would want it a little longer like maybe 0.8-1mm but 2mm feels really long. Did you figure out why?

[@michaeltempsch5282]

Given the 2mm long pads, could you, instead of modifying the origins, have set the X pitch to 3.6mm instead?

[@Schematix]

There are many ways of achieving the correct pin spacing. And you could certainly use that method. The only consideration would be if later you decided to modify the length of the pad, your pin spacing would be messed up in the process. ;)

[@Berghiker]

How do you add 3D to your new custom component?

[@taka4059]

You can create a 3d model on FreeCAD, then export it to KiCAD.

[@Berghiker]

@@taka4059 Does it work? Have you tried it? Make a video on it please.

[@donaldwright2426]

Thnaks that was helpfull.

[@michaellee9743]

Nice tutorial, but I do it slightly differently. By having user defined grids you run the risk of your footprints not being in synch with your design grid. In my opinion you're better of defining everything on say a 50um grid - but it's really a matter of personal preference - always many ways to skin a cat.

[@greatestunknown]

Yep, I ran into that too. User defined, or a fine grid is good for moving the text around but not so with the part itself with the pins.

[@VisheshSingh-q5q]

Layout with KiCAD.

[@albertbruninx6044]

good expilcation

[@kuningkucing6250]

good opening, like me.

[@LexGorod]

I rarely create PCB myself, but I often have to tweak them. I see all the time how different people come up with their own pitfalls when making boards. And now i understand the logic of those who make crap like 8:00 ! Some unknown force forces people to change the grid to 1.6 (just as an example from here), and then move separately the centres of the platforms. to what?! to be tied to the grid 1.6? WHYYYYY?!?!?!?!?!?! Just calculate the centre-to-centre spacing of the pads!!!! IS THAT SO HARD!?!?!? And then make a 0.1 grid and put it where you want it! DO NOT move the centres of the pads from 0/0. god damn it. It's so so so so SO infuriating.

[@thecasualengineer99]

hmm neighbors across the ditch - how are you?

[@sighyawn54]

lmao caveman no likey when led go boomboom

[@notyourdaddy9080]

WTF