Part 1 HERE: • EEVblog #253 - KiCAD I... An unedited hour long video of Dave playing around with the library editor and PCB modules in KiCAD for the first time.
Hi, the software is great, I have been using it for a long time. Linux variant is super. You can do a lot of thing with it, but it is necessary to know what you are doing and know how kicad works. After a little training you will be proficient. Now the software is sponsored by CERN’s LHC team and there has been more professional capabilities added. Use them with no fear.
@chuckadams9131
8 жыл бұрын
I know it's an old video, an you are doing it on the fly with no manual. Bu I gotta say you had me screaming at the screen with the whole bit about turning layers on and off. At one point you find the check boxes and you were clicking on them and I was on the edge of my seat with anticipation. Most fun I have had on youtube in quite awhile.
@ArumesYT
4 жыл бұрын
Same here with the panning. Holding the middle mouse button (scrollwheel) is a pretty common method, but he just can't figure it out.
@savvassidiropoulos5952
7 жыл бұрын
I saw these two videos today. Also tried the latest (2016) version of the s/w and it looks like all your comments were addressed. BTW, panning the schematic is done by pressing and holding the wheel on the mouse while moving around. This it turning into a very robust and capable tool, and next version will be integrated with SPICE simulation. Perhaps it's worth doing a "get back to it" video.
@AnasAhmad7
8 жыл бұрын
the video is so outdated, the software has developed so much since then.
@ArcAiN6
7 жыл бұрын
meh... kikad still sucks after all these years. it still has a terrible interface, terrible "icons" hidden commands. the fact you have to put 35 clicks just to move a track is terrible. We haven't even begun to talk about the horrible library system yet. They seriously need to start over.
@pirateman1966
7 жыл бұрын
ArcAin6, what program do you suggest for free?
@somedude4122
6 жыл бұрын
What? It's a hotkey based editor, not an eagle like mouse based one
@juliuswilkko
6 жыл бұрын
KiCad has now (2018) interactive autorouter. You can move a track with push function with one command. This Daves review really is outdated.
@StEvUgnIn
6 жыл бұрын
Routing remained messy
@MattNeighbour
12 жыл бұрын
We just started using KiCad at work, we make £100,000 custom mass spectrometers but we're a tiny company and can't afford Altium! The one tip I think everyone should know is that you don't have to use the footprint assignment thing. If you create schematic library parts that are specific (i.e. not just a resistor but a 10K 0805 resistor) you can use the footprint field to assign the footprint (e.g. SM0805). We also use a custom field for distributor part number so we can get meaningful BOMs out.
@EEVblog
12 жыл бұрын
@ib9rt What are you referring to? Trying to get "single layer" mode? If so, I didn't want to turn off the other layers, I wanted to gray them out. I eventually found the button to do that.
@jipihorn
12 жыл бұрын
About "cuivre/composant" stuff : it's a typical French name for top/bottom layer pair. "Cuivre" (copper in French) is where the soldering is done (usually bottom) and "Composant" (==component) is where the parts are (top layer). It's a French habit from the old days when people made single layer, through hole PCBs. In this software, there is this option to assign the top/bottom layer to the " cuivre/composant" french denomination. 99.999% of the cases, it's equivalent to bottom/top layers.
@raymitchell9736
Жыл бұрын
I'm glad to see I'm not the only one messed up with the terms, names, operations, etc. I really want to be able to use this more efficiently. I've been able to make a project or two, but dang it... I'm lost half the time and cussing at the project the other half of the time.
@Project737NGX
10 жыл бұрын
One other thing and please be honest. How long did it take you to become proficient using Altium? By the way you could have unchecked the check boxes to choose the layers over on the far right I think, I have never used this software yet so I am only guessing.
@legokidnaruto
12 жыл бұрын
As you were thinking, the main programmer is French and as it seems, some parts haven't been translated yet. So, cuivre is copper in french and composant, is component.
@Necrocidal
2 жыл бұрын
1:00 9 years after the video came out, you can now press F on a schematic symbol to assign a footprint, or use the spreadsheet-view to do it for many parts at once. [edit] wow , Kicad certainly has improved a lot in 9 years / was terrible 9 years ago
@TheXGamer969
12 жыл бұрын
Man, when that "End Track" shortcut was right under your mouse pointer and you didn't see it, that was a face palm.
@andymouse
4 жыл бұрын
Thank goodness Kicad has matured quite a lot !
@garbizwal
11 жыл бұрын
"Pcbnew will automatically unpile the components. First, enable the automatic mover by clicking the "Mode Module" button in the top toolbar. Then right click and select "Move All Modules". Pcbnew also has an "auto placer," which is different in that it tries to minimize the length of the connections between the modules (the ratsnest). You can fix components to prevent them from being moved by either command."
@0LoneTech
12 жыл бұрын
There sure are a lot of inobvious things. I knew there's pad editing in the PCB editor, but I just realised why you couldn't get to it; you were in the footprint placement mode. Next to that autoroute button there are Place and Trace mode buttons, which not only allow access to the automatic messup tools via right click (layer pair is for autoroute, btw) but disable pad edit while placing entire footprints. Grid size is in the toolbar next to track and via sizes, ratsnest is on the left.
@rougenaxela
12 жыл бұрын
Btw, Kicad does have an auto-place for getting the footprints separated out. The UI to access it is awkward however. Look for the "Mode footprint" button in the toolbar and select that, then right click in PCB area and select "Glob Move and Place->Autoplace All Modules". Note that you have to first define a PCB outline for that to work however.
@EEVblog
12 жыл бұрын
@rear3000 From what I've heard, some others like DIptrace are easier to use.
@EEVblog
12 жыл бұрын
@Onidinn The point is that I want to see how easy and intuitive it is *without* help, or tutorials etc. There is value in doing that.
@harviecz
5 жыл бұрын
If you want schematic to automaticaly propagate netlist to pcb, you have to open kicad project file in the main window. If you then launch schema and pcb from there, it will sync these subprograms. Otherwise if you run them separately (or open files from another project that is not loaded), you will have to propagate netlist manualy.
@0LoneTech
12 жыл бұрын
@rougenaxela That's the autoplacer. Dave just wants the footprints spread out, which is in the same place but called move all modules, and doesn't require a board outline.
@WooShell
9 жыл бұрын
Dave sounds similar to me when I first had to use Altium (having come from Mentor BoardStation). I especially ran into a few automatisms in Altium that tended to annoy me.. there's nothing I dislike more than when programs try to guess what I want to do and do those things for me, because in a significant share of times it guesses wrong. It also is noticeable that this review is three years old now - Kicad has come quite a bit since then.
@ckgrier2
11 жыл бұрын
Navigation was changed, so you don't have to use the slider bars as much. KiCAD has always had the ability to center on the cursor using function keys, but that isn't going to be "obvious" unless you look at documentation.
@rougenaxela
12 жыл бұрын
@legokidnaruto The default layer names are translated in the program. It's just that the localized layer names were saved in sample project.
@rougenaxela
12 жыл бұрын
Hey Dave, just to note, you wouldn't need to manually find the netlist file in CvPcb if you had the project loaded in the main window. Hmm, I do hope some Kicad devs take a look at this series. Could give them some good thoughts on how to improve things :)
@hammersbald7612
5 жыл бұрын
If you ignore the power flag in the ERC and check every footprint for errors it's usable.
@dcdean01
11 жыл бұрын
That happened a few times but it was *entirely* to be expected in a "first impressions" series. You figured out a lot in very little time. I'd love to see a good tutorial series on this after you've used it a bit, if you can pull yourself away from your much nicer software. A lot of us have to make due with software like KiCad or Fritzing for hobby level budget reasons. ;)
@cda32
7 жыл бұрын
Watching Dave use a computer reminds me of when I had to show my mom how to use the internet. So painful, but that's exactly why software designers should pay attention.
@JimTaylor42
7 жыл бұрын
The date is Aug 2017 and I have recently installed KiCAD on my Windows 10 machine. I followed along with Ashley Mills videos up to pt6 0:49 whereupon I encountered over 60 errors when tried to make a new pcb with PcbNew. It reported that 30 circuit symbols had no associated footprint (plus other errors) when, in fact, the netlist definitely had all parts with associated footprints. Have you looked at KiCAD since making this video? What pcb designer would you recommend for a newbie? Nice video Dave - great ad for Altium.
@pjschiloski
8 жыл бұрын
It always makes me laugh, the way Dave Mucks around an unfamiliar program without ever opening any documentation. Does he even know how to read?
@HisVirusness
8 жыл бұрын
It's the best way to learn.
@NeverTalkToCops1
7 жыл бұрын
No, it isn't. So there.
@jordanjohnson714
7 жыл бұрын
Wow. Some people really get pissed off if someone says something about their precious KiCad. Calm down paul.
@josephwarren849
7 жыл бұрын
I'm not sure whether you have heard of it. it's based around the hobbyist more than the professional, Is a circuit design package called Sprint-layout, I find it good for what I do.
@fritzt0815
7 жыл бұрын
No. It is also based based around the professionals at CERN - Those guys who built the Large Hadron Collider...They use KiCAD and support it through many upstream commits.
@BHBalast
9 жыл бұрын
Nowdays this soft is more advanced and powerfull. :)
@robinarnold5356
9 жыл бұрын
Regarding comparisons with altium: I'm used to protel 98, the 1998 version of altium. I had a look at the most recent version of altium and it looked shit. Didn't scroll properly and opened up windows that didn't fit on the screen so you couldn't even move the window because you couldn't get to the top of the window (this on a 1920x1080 res, so no excuse). Lots of rubbish to do with licenses too. One thing I didn't like about kicad is I didn't seem to be able to use arcs for tracks. Ultimately the ability to import stuff is the key issue for me. Altium is a bit of a scam, the only reason you have to use it is because everyone else is using it.
@rougenaxela
12 жыл бұрын
Hmm, some of the quirks being brought up seem to me like they'd be fairly easy to change. It feels tempting to make a patch for Kicad for some of these UI things. (Also... "Kicad - Davecad edition" sounds catchy... :P)
@evertspies3345
5 жыл бұрын
Agreed its an old version and an outdated video, but trying to breakdown an open source program by comparing it to a professional product is not on. Would like to see an updated evaluation on a later version.
@Project737NGX
10 жыл бұрын
Great video and review. The one thing you should not do is try and compare Altium with a base price of over $7,000 to this free program. Very few of us watching will ever use or purchase a program that cost that much and depend on low cost or free tools to make our projects into reality. Like all of your reviews this one was top of the line....GREAT!!!! Thank You
@TimHoppen
7 жыл бұрын
if you chop off all but the first 2 letters of cuivre , you get cu. Also, it is apparently the French word for copper.
@Zwank36
12 жыл бұрын
I sympathise with your plight. I sit my parents in front of the next office/windows/itunes and i get same pain. I do too, but I push through.
@funlw65
12 жыл бұрын
@EEVblog I agree that Diptrace is easier to use, it highlights a trace just by hovering the mouse pointer over it, and you can easily edit pads. It deserve more attention from Eagle users (it have Eagle scripts for importing libraries and projects). Just give it a try and compare it with Eagle, doing this for users and your blog followers, of course.
@rougenaxela
12 жыл бұрын
@0LoneTech Ahh, okay. I always ended up using the autoplacer for spreading them out myself, and never noticed the "move all modules" one
@fritzt0815
7 жыл бұрын
I'd like you to recheck KiCAD today. A lot of things you mentioned have changed (i.e. Footprint Modules), the 3D-viewer. If you switch to OpenGL mode, the interactive router has some extremely nice extended features. I don't think you can call this a "low-end" product anymore... even if it's free. Paying hundreds, even thousands of dollars for Altium Designer or "Eagle"-(I hate it) if you can get almost the same for free and contribute by reporting errors? Really, those companies selling these products have to change their objectives. Moving to subscription models, as you did say in one of your recent videos regarding Eagle/Autodesk, is exactly the wrong way to go.
@mkschreder
6 жыл бұрын
That crap with all footprints ending up on top of eachother has been around until version 5.
@hithisishal
12 жыл бұрын
Funny timing...I JUST ran through the KiCAD tutorial for the first time last night. I'm a veteran of Cadence Allegro, and I really think I'm going to like KiCAD better than Eagle free! Is it normal to hate all PCB layout software?
@rougenaxela
12 жыл бұрын
Oh, and you can "end routing" when placing a trace by double clicking, instead of the "end" key. I find double clicking easiest.
@emactan
12 жыл бұрын
Dave, in DesignSparkPCB you pan by pushing down on the mouse wheel and dragging. Don't know if that works in Kicad. If you're ever up to it do try a first impressions vid of DSPCB. Want to hear what you think of it. Thanks.
@xmed0
10 жыл бұрын
Cuivre = Copper in french :)
@fishyrider3528
6 жыл бұрын
Really should try this again. It is the best for hobby and much more. Free and so powerfull
@xyz6106
3 жыл бұрын
How far they've come.
@rocketman221projects
12 жыл бұрын
It's open source. If you don't like something or think it could be done better, improve it and share your improvements.
@aaronwilliams1249
7 жыл бұрын
In order to pan I found that you can hold down the mouse scroll wheel and drag it around.
@AmauryJacquot
8 жыл бұрын
"cuive" is "copper" in french ;)
@First2ner
12 жыл бұрын
I don't know, why you never just un-checked the layer you don't want to see, on the most right side of the screen, where the check boxes are
@PatheticComputing
12 жыл бұрын
Looks like you encountered one of the most annoying quirks IMO. When you right click to open a menu and then click someplace outside of the menu, it moves the position of the window to your mouse cursor. I'm not sure if that is just a issue with the Windows version but it seems to get me every time. I have actually cursed out loud at my computer when this happened once.
@DIYTAO
12 жыл бұрын
Like the videos.. I need to do this someday too. Been using PADS for works over 5 years, but for OSHW need to have something more open. Is there any way to do Selection Filtering .. like tha t when moving parts you'd only get only the whole parts and not just the pins/refdesignators etc?
@Berghiker
3 жыл бұрын
How do I set the parameters so that I don't have to keep changing the size of the vias and track widths when I add a new ones?
@ltkenbo
10 жыл бұрын
(1:00:00) Dave you can end a track by double clicking also.
@lunakid12
7 жыл бұрын
FWIW, feedback from the future: this is what I noted to myself after my own "first impressions" trial in Jan 2016 (4 years after this video), as part of trying to familiarize with a few PCB CAD tools: "What a freaking clueless mess of a UI! :-/ I can't even being to start listing all the bogus behavior I ran across during an 1-hour eval. attempt to draw a schematic (with a custom MSP430 variant I added to a user library etc.). It's a bit like Git's horrible command-line UI, but lacks it's relative transparency, while adding a whole lot of extra dimensions of apparent sloppiness and counter-intuitive productivity-blocking misfeatures." (I lost my patience and ditched KiCAD at that time, but now I'm downloading the new version as I'm typing this, to give it (and myself) another chance.)
@funlw65
12 жыл бұрын
Have patience, in high school you will get the general idea (you really don't need more than that).
@GioGziro95
6 жыл бұрын
59:02: That's the first icon on the left toolbar. :)
@ThingEngineer
10 жыл бұрын
I am really hesitant to use KiCAD now, I was looking for a good open source schematic/pcb program to use for an open source project. There are so many oddities with this program that I feel like would irritate the hell out of me, even items in French (maybe that's fixed by now). Why the heck did they veer so far away from so may industry standard names? I'm not saying it's wrong but why, it's like renaming all the tools in your tool box just for the heck of it. I'm going to give it a try myself but I really don't know.
@akaltar
8 жыл бұрын
+Josh Campbell UX improved a LOT, I haven't seen any accidental french in the last version either. You'll still have to read a tutorial, but the resources are great, and It feels great after a bit of setting up and getting used to(1-2 days at max)
@mikemackenziegrieve
12 жыл бұрын
i found that it has its issues, but i have used it in the past to test out some ideas and i like it for simple things, but then again i only do this sorta thing has a hobby.
@ib9rt
12 жыл бұрын
Click the check boxes! Gaah! The check boxes in the visible layer list! Why can't you see them?
@fabrizioScreencast
11 жыл бұрын
"but but but how to do I end an track ????.... oh I see I have to press the End key !" oh mate you are something. Thanks for the video, very funny. One day I see how far I get in one hour with Altium, I guess that would mean something (to you). cheers
@KX36
11 жыл бұрын
I think some of the things you didn't find intuitive are just things which do things more like Eagle than Altium. Eagle has a much larger amateur userbase, which I assume the KiCAD devs are, so that's probably why its a bigger influence than Altium. Eagle has Libraries containing Devices which contain Packages (footprint) and Symbols (schematic). The only way to edit a pad is in the library which alters all instances of that device in all projects, not per pad in the board editor - annoying.
@buggyland
12 жыл бұрын
@rougenaxela that's "KiCAD" written on a post-it-note :d
@MrNukKKT
11 жыл бұрын
It's funny to see you struggle, man.
@ethanpet113
12 жыл бұрын
Cuivre( kuh-we-v-ruh) is french for copper, open source is not know for localizing properly.
@kenyee88
11 жыл бұрын
Does EagleCAD let you edit pads directly on the layout? I always thought that had to be done in the part editor?
@andymouse
6 жыл бұрын
don't care how old this vid is …..I've learnt a shit load
@rupeshsurve5962
6 жыл бұрын
Please provide video on Panelising pcb layout in kicad.......
@jabramow
12 жыл бұрын
Have you tried clicking in the scroll wheel to pan?
@Monkeh616
12 жыл бұрын
Composant means component, and cuivre copper, in french. I'm guessing the example was created by someone French, and he chose to use those names.
@andrewhellershanks8315
11 жыл бұрын
When you pulled up the hot key menu I saw that it said "End" for End Track.
@mikemackenziegrieve
12 жыл бұрын
so did they ever do anything with your feedback.?
@robertw1871
4 жыл бұрын
8 years ago, might be time to update and take this one down...
@siouxsettewerks
12 жыл бұрын
Cuivre means copper in French! From Cuprum in latin! Where did you think Cu in the periodic table came from? Great videos By The Way, It allows me to learn a lot, and there is a lot to learn for me, in electronics. And, no offense, but foreign languages don't seem to be your forte, Arduino Duemilanove stalled you quite a bit lol Italians were not right to name things nah? Though the bright side is you adapt and your ranting evolves as you delve in, instead of beeing stuck and lowbrow!
@AnatoFIN
10 жыл бұрын
(Watched to 0:29:00 before commenting) Maybe not whine so much? Got it free and layer visibility is right in front of your nose (at right), but you can't focus to one point more than 2 sec... Wish you would have put some effort to first get something done with the program then make video of it. Now everything whichs doesn't operate just like Altium gets rant. Yes some notes are good, but they get messed to constant whine of "not like Altium." (Back to watching)
@cocosloan3748
7 жыл бұрын
Same thing bro.. 53:53 .Oh the rats nest lines are so annoying Oh.. lol
@jabramow
12 жыл бұрын
@SpeedDeamon95 Probably the best thing you can find for free. I think it's defiantly worth a try for a beginner.
@JosefdeJoanelli
12 жыл бұрын
I hate when cad software call de9 connectors db9s, is it 25 way or 9 way? Make up your mind...
@mirceacluj
Жыл бұрын
urmaresc ttutoriale Kicad si inca nu am descoperit 3d-ul pentru componente
@Dhreeghangchu
11 жыл бұрын
I've been trying to install Kicad ( stable build v2013-07-07 BZR 4022) on windows 7 and getting access denied error ( error code:5) while eeschema.exe is starting up. I tried to run it with admin mode too. But no help. Could any of you kindly help me with how to fix this irritating problem? I don't want to say "Kicad Really Sucks!" out of utter frustration and especially after this nice video. Please help me if you can. Thank you. Warm regards.
@MrGayguru
7 жыл бұрын
Your out of date video, Dave do bad advertizing for KiCad. Now it is the best one
@Whatsthegeek
8 жыл бұрын
If only I could help you through the screen xD
@post_24.
7 жыл бұрын
Yes it's pain to work with that. Chose on 3 different places a footprint instead of one, not include the module folder..
@TheShorterboy
7 жыл бұрын
you need to revisit this now kicad has OpenGL support for push and shove
@EEVblog
12 жыл бұрын
@TheMcMonster Doh!
@cricardol
11 жыл бұрын
cuivre is in french....it means copper
@ckgrier2
11 жыл бұрын
Dave, I really like your video blogs but I have gotta gripe about this one, and the other "first impressions" videos. - the video teaches us more about YOU than it does KiCAD. Mainly because you don't show any resources for solving problems and "how do I do this" issues. If you'd shown the manuals, WIKI, or forums where searching on questions is easy there would be more value - obviously your followers are entertained by you, I am too. But you've really done a disservice to KiCAD, Diptrace,etc
@FrankSandqvist
12 жыл бұрын
Don't know, but I think Eagle seems like the better package, BUT this is free and Eagle isn't so I guess KiCAD wins anyway. Might also be because I'm so used to Eagle :p
@Onidinn
12 жыл бұрын
@EEVBlog You should really do these live. Then I could actually help instead of just yelling at my screen. :)
@thebigmacd
12 жыл бұрын
We call a 25-way a "DB25"
@tubelectro
11 жыл бұрын
Yeah, that sucks. I'll take GEDA any day.
@RandyLott
12 жыл бұрын
@SpeedDeamon95 Anything free that has a lot of content online is going to be your best bet.
@etothejtheta
12 жыл бұрын
@rear3000 Let it go man, let it go.
@cocosloan3748
7 жыл бұрын
Oh the rats nest lines are so annoying Oh..
@AnatoFIN
10 жыл бұрын
(0:49:00) so far :facepalm: Better for KiCAD if you didn't do this video
@AnatoFIN
10 жыл бұрын
John Ridley Of course, but what's the point of making 1h video of first impression on product like CAD? These are complex programs and they work bizzare ways. With Daves style if he doesn't find button under his cursor he spends 5min whining and running around. Reason I see this bad is many people take this as review and it gives bad impression. Wouldn't whine if *after* first impression video Dave would spend some time with the product/software, read manual? and make one small project with it. Then come up with review video.But no, its all left to first impression and thats it, deemed unworthy to make review? This is why I think it's bad for *any* product if its only glanced in light of much better and more expensive one.
@mirceacluj
Жыл бұрын
easyeda este mai bun are 3d pentru componente
@sleary7878
8 жыл бұрын
In my opinion KiCAD has horrible UX. Almost as bad as Eagle. Not that the commercial ones are that much better.... All of these PCB CAD programs feel like they've been thrown together by a blind Bulgarian bricklayer. KiCAD is really guilty of requiring 5-10x more clicks than necessary to get the job done.
@xFuaZe
8 жыл бұрын
+sleary7878 What would you advise? Which professional, cheap, PCB designers are there?
@sleary7878
8 жыл бұрын
I'd have a look at DesignSpark
@d3stinYwOw
8 жыл бұрын
I'd recommend open source gEDA toolset - mayby It looks weird,but It's very powerfull with their scripting capabilities & more. :)
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