KiCad

KiCad (pronounced Key-Cad) is a free cross platform and open source program for designing printed circuit boards. You can download the KiCad program from the KiCad website.

Presentation Slide Deck

A short slide deck for my presentation about KiCad to the Garden State Amateur Radio Association on October 7, 2021. The slides are mostly about the example circuit and not KiCad itself. Click here for the slides.

Digikey’s KiCad Tutorial Videos on YouTube.com

Digikey has a great set of tutorial videos that describe how to get started with KiCad. I’ve placed the links below:

Part 1: How PCBs Are Made

Part 2: Create a Schematic Symbol

Part 3: Schematic Capture

Part 4: Create a Footprint

Part 5: Associate Footprints and Generate Netlist

Part 6: Place Parts and Define Outline

Part 7: Board Layout

Part 8: Generate Gerbers and Order Boards

Part 9: Generate BOM and Order Parts

Part 10: Solder Components to the PCB

PCB Vendors That I Have Used

There are a number of low cost board houses that will make PCBs for you. I’m currently using JLCPCB.com and at current pricing I’m paying less than $5 to get five boards delivered to my mailbox in about three weeks after I send them Gerber files. To get that pricing the boards need to be no larger than 3.9 x 3.9 inches (100 x 100 mm). A lot of functionality can be accomplished on a board of 3.9 x 3.9 inches!

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