Also see My fritzing notes and My iCircuit notes. I am at the moment (Nov2022, Mar2022) running this on macOS Monterey 12.6.1 Mojave 10.14.6.
KiCad has PCB, but not breadboard layout (as has the more hobbyist tool fritzing). And there is no export/import between the two.
Log 1
- The display grid dots on the schematic editor.. I couldn’t find them. I have a 4k screen. Preferences | Schematic Editor | Grid Thickness as 2 or above solved the problem. I lost this during a crash, see 3 below
- I am using an Apple Magic Mouse 2 which works more like a movable trackpad. I thought using the alt or cmd keys plus mouse scroll to do vertical and horisontal scrolling was strange. But Preferences | Mouse and Touchpad | Reset to Trackpad defaults got me back on known grounds
- I had a crash and lost some minutes of editing. Preferences | Common | Auto save as 3 minutes instead of 10. It crashed several times (when hitting a W at some wire), and I lost point 1 above
- A much better looks on my 4k screen with Preferences | Common | Accelerated graphics as High Quality Antialiasing
- I did an error report issue on GitLab on this crash: «Press and hold W button causes crash (repeatable)» at https://gitlab.com/kicad/code/kicad/-/issues/11155. I used the Help | Report Bug feature of KiCad
- «Grid thickness does not survive crash» at https://gitlab.com/kicad/code/kicad/-/issues/11162
- «Grid thickness default is (probably) invisible on 4k screens» at https://gitlab.com/kicad/code/kicad/-/issues/11163
- Finding a component to start off from to create a MOSFET in I-Pak (TO-251AA), see «IRLR/U2905PbF hexfet transistor in an I-Pak (TO-251AA)» at KiCad INFO: https://forum.kicad.info/t/mosfet-in-i-pak-to-251aa/34708?u=aclassifier
- «Diodes and resistors lost the non-grid void?» at KiCad INFO: https://forum.kicad.info/t/diodes-and-resistors-lost-the-non-grid-void/34731
- I tried to add a library of the IRLU2905PBF, pointed to from Digi-Key, from the Ultra Librarian (here), but following the recipe it turned out to contain a «Legacy» library which had «Invalid footprint specified» even after a «Migrate Libraries» in KiCad
- 20Mar2022: Feedback by me on Ultra Librarian’s page:»I am a new user of KiCad. I have now downloaded ul_TN0604N3-G-P005 and ul_IRLU2905PBF from Ultra Librarian to KiCad (Version: (6.0.2-0), release build. Platform: macOS Mojave Version 10.14.6 (Build 18G9323), 64 bit, Little endian, wxMac) but none of these two import correctly. Plus, your description is more or less ok. Even the files have wrong extension, like yours «sym» – now KiCad likes «kicad_sym». Also after “Migrate Libraries” the footprints (at least) come out wrong, even if the kicad_sym is generated. Maybe you should try it yourselves? How should I proceed? I am on the KiCad forum, but have only indirecty addressed this at: https://forum.kicad.info/t/mosfet-in-i-pak-to-251aa/34708/13?u=aclassifier. I am mentioning this at https://www.teigfam.net/oyvind/home/technology/231-my-kicad-notes/«.
21Mar2022: I received newer files from Ultra Librarian. Thanks! However, it seemed like I lost the 3D view, so I kept the older files as migrated:
IRLU2905PBF with and without 3D. Both from Ultra Librarian
- What is PARTcommunity? (here)
My board?
See 219:[My board].
Log 2
- My 3 mm LEDs have a footprint called LED_THT:LED_D3.0mm. What does THT stand for? It’s used a lot, for several components. I think I also have seen this package called T1 or T-1. Answer: Through Hole Transistor – or simply just Through Hole for other components that have wires that need to go through the board, like my LED. Observed in a footprint dialogue
- I also got some errors, as reported by the DRC (Design Rules Checker). I posted them at KiCad INFO: Board has malformed outline (no edges found on edge.cut layer)
- A ratnest is the nest of wires not yet made into copper wires, I assume. This looks nice: «File | Preferences | PCB Editor | Editing Options | Show ratsnests with curved lines»
- Printing from the PCB editor with 100% scaling is correct if I print directly from the dialogue box. But if I take it through the macOS Preview app, be sure to set scaling there to 100% as well»
Log 3
- My very pragmatic and «finished for now» broadboard design is seen at 219:[Extension I/O board] (24Mar2022)
- KiCad INFO: Error on load: Unexpected version started by me on 25Mar2022
Log 4
- 26Nov2022. I am now on macOS Monterey 12.6.1
- The «Error on load» error message, from Log 3 point 2 of course still was there when I opened my file
- I am updating KiCad from 6.0.4 (22May2022) to 6.0.9 (31Oct2022) – and donating USD $ 15.73
- The «Error on load» is still there in my project