Welcome to the Build4Life (B4L) KiCad 9 Project Template!
This repository provides a standardized structure for KiCad 9 hardware projects with proper organization for schematics, PCBs, libraries, documentation, and manufacturing files.

🚀 Quick Start Guide

1. Clone or Download This Template

# Option A: Clone the repository
git clone https://git.b4l.co.th/B4L/b4l-project-template.git your-project-name
cd your-project-name

# Option B: Download as ZIP and extract

2. Create Your KiCad 9 Project

Open KiCad 9
Click File → New Project
Navigate to the cloned template folder
Create your project in the root directory (same level as this README)
Name your project (this will create .kicad_pro, .kicad_sch, and .kicad_pcb files)

3. Organize Your Files

Place your main schematic (.kicad_sch) and PCB (.kicad_pcb) files in the root
Use the provided folder structure for additional files
Update the project-specific README files in each folder

4. Set Up Version Control

# Initialize git (if not already done)
git init

# Add your files
git add .
git commit -m "Initial KiCad project setup"

# Add your remote repository
git remote add origin https://your-git-server.com/username/your-project.git
git push -u origin main

📁 KiCad 9 Optimized Folder Structure

your-project.kicad_pro     # KiCad 9 project file (root level)
your-project.kicad_sch     # Main schematic file (root level)
your-project.kicad_pcb     # Main PCB file (root level)

kicad/                     # KiCad-specific files
├── libraries/             # Custom KiCad libraries
│   ├── symbols/           # Custom schematic symbols (.kicad_sym)
│   ├── footprints/        # Custom footprints (.pretty folders)
│   └── 3dmodels/          # Custom 3D models (.step, .wrl)
├── schematics/            # Additional/hierarchical schematics
├── gerbers/               # Generated Gerber files
├── plots/                 # PDF plots and prints
└── backups/               # KiCad automatic backups

hardware/                  # Hardware documentation and files
├── bom/                   # Bill of Materials
├── datasheets/            # Component datasheets
├── simulations/           # SPICE simulations
└── assembly/              # Assembly drawings and instructions

manufacturing/             # Production files
├── gerbers/               # Final Gerber files for production
├── drill/                 # Drill files
├── pick-and-place/        # Pick and place files
└── assembly/              # Assembly instructions

mechanical/                # Mechanical design files
├── enclosure/             # Case/enclosure designs
├── cad/                   # 3D CAD files
├── drawings/              # 2D mechanical drawings
└── stl/                   # 3D printable files

firmware/                  # Embedded firmware (if applicable)
├── src/                   # Source code
├── include/               # Header files
└── lib/                   # Libraries

software/                  # PC software and tools
├── gui/                   # GUI applications
└── scripts/               # Automation scripts

docs/                      # Project documentation
├── images/                # Documentation images
├── user-manual/           # User documentation
└── design-notes/          # Design documentation

tests/                     # Testing files
├── hardware/              # Hardware test procedures
├── reports/               # Test reports
└── validation/            # Validation documents

tools/                     # Development tools
ci/                        # Continuous Integration
certs/                     # Certifications and compliance
meta/                      # Project metadata

🔧 KiCad 9 Specific Features

Project Settings

Configure your KiCad 9 project settings in the .kicad_pro file
Set up design rules and constraints
Configure library paths to use the kicad/libraries/ structure

Library Management

Store custom symbols in kicad/libraries/symbols/
Store custom footprints in kicad/libraries/footprints/
Store 3D models in kicad/libraries/3dmodels/
Use relative paths in your project settings

Version Control Best Practices

The .gitignore file is configured for KiCad projects
Automatic backups are stored in kicad/backups/ (excluded from git)
Generated files (Gerbers, plots) can be committed or ignored based on your workflow

📋 Workflow Recommendations

1. Design Phase

Create your schematic in the root .kicad_sch file
Use hierarchical sheets in kicad/schematics/ for complex designs
Store component datasheets in hardware/datasheets/
Document design decisions in docs/design-notes/

2. Layout Phase

Design your PCB in the root .kicad_pcb file
Generate plots and save to kicad/plots/
Create assembly drawings in hardware/assembly/

3. Manufacturing Phase

Generate final Gerbers to manufacturing/gerbers/
Create pick-and-place files in manufacturing/pick-and-place/
Generate BOM in hardware/bom/
Create assembly instructions in manufacturing/assembly/

4. Documentation Phase

Update all README files in subdirectories
Create user manual in docs/user-manual/
Add project images to docs/images/

🔄 Git Workflow and Versioning

This project follows Semantic Versioning 2.0.0 and Harvard Data Management file naming conventions. See FILE-NAMING-AND-VERSIONING.md for complete details.

File Naming Standards

No spaces: Use hyphens (-) instead of spaces
Date format: YYYY-MM-DD for chronological sorting
Versioning: Follow semantic versioning (MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH)
CI Auto-Sort: Use DS_ prefix for datasheets, IMG_ prefix for images
Examples: my-project_bom_v1.2.0_2024-08-04.csv, DS_STM32F401_datasheet_2024-08-11.pdf

CI Auto-Sort System

This template includes an automated file organization system:

DS_ prefix: Datasheets automatically moved to docs/datasheets/
IMG_ prefix: Images automatically moved to docs/images/
Setup required: See GITEA-ACTIONS-SETUP.md for configuration

Initial Setup

# After creating your KiCad project
git add .
git commit -m "Add KiCad project files v1.0.0"
git tag -a v1.0.0 -m "Initial release - functional prototype"
git push
git push --tags

Regular Development

# After making changes
git add .
git commit -m "Update component values - v1.0.1"
git tag -a v1.0.1 -m "Bug fix - corrected resistor values"
git push
git push --tags

Release Preparation

# Generate manufacturing files with version numbers
# Update documentation with new version
# Tag release following semantic versioning
git tag -a v2.0.0 -m "Major PCB redesign with new connector layout"
git push --tags

Version Strategy

MAJOR: PCB layout changes, connector changes, mechanical incompatibilities
MINOR: Component changes, new features, firmware updates
PATCH: Documentation updates, BOM corrections, minor fixes

📝 License

This template is open source. Choose an appropriate license for your project:

For hardware: CERN-OHL-S-2.0
For software: MIT or GPL-3.0

🤝 Contributing

Fork this repository
Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add amazing feature')
Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
Open a Pull Request

📡 About Build4Life

Build4Life creates long-lasting, open hardware systems.

Website: https://buildfor.life