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Electronics Design and Production

Assignment

  • Use KiCad to design a development board to interact and communicate with an embedded micro controller.
  • Make and test the development board you designed.

More information can be found on the 🇮🇸 Fab Isa Site.

Installing KiCad

To get started, I downloaded the following tools:

Installing Fab Electronics Library in KiCad

On the GitLab repo, there are installation instructions:

  • Clone or download the Fab Electronics Library and rename it to fab.
  • Store it in a safe place such as ~/kicad/libraries or C:/kicad/libraries.
  • Run KiCad or open a KiCad .pro file.
  • Go to "Preferences / Manage Symbol Libraries" and add fab.kicad_sym as a symbol library.
  • Go to "Preferences / Manage Footprint Libraries" and add fab.pretty as a footprint library.

We were instructed to watch a YouTube series from Fab Lab Reykjavík, which is linked 🇮🇸 here.

After installing these tools, I started by creating a project folder. Then, I opened KiCad, made a project, and opened the Schematic Editor.

The Schematic Editor

KiCad Schematic Editor

I began by adding the following components:

  • ATtiny 412
  • Switch_Tactile_Omron
  • C_1206
  • L_1206
  • Conn_PinHeader_1x03

After adding the components, I connected all of them together and labeled everything. Then, I changed the paper to A5 and labeled it. Finally, I had something that looked like this:

KiCad Schematic Editor

The PCB Editor

(Needs images)

Next, I opened the PCB Editor by pressing this button on the toolbar in the schematic editor

KiCad PCB Editor

Next i synced my schematic to the PCB editor by pressing F8

Then, I arranged the components and started connecting them together following the labels I had made in the Schematic Editor. So I had this:

To finish, I placed a square outline to tell the computer how large the board was supposed to be. Then, I had this which I could use to make the board.

Lastly, as a secondary task, I opened the 3D viewer and assigned all the components 3D models so I could use that as a reference to model a case or something similar in FreeCAD.

Exporting and Inkscape

Next, I had to export my KiCad board so I could mill it using the circuit mill. I went into export and selected F_CU and exported it as an SVG. Then I did it again but now I only selected Edge_Cuts. Now I had two SVG files that looked like this:

F_CU Edge_Cuts

The second image does include a line around the edge but it is only visible in light mode. Next, I opened up Inkscape and inverted the colors so white was black and black was white. Now I could export it again and I was ready to mill!

Milling