grabowski
046f66f6eb
- Add dedicated /kicad/ directory with organized subdirectories for libraries, schematics, gerbers, plots, and backups - Create comprehensive KiCad 9 library structure (symbols, footprints, 3D models) - Add manufacturing-ready directories for production files (gerbers, drill, pick-and-place) - Update all README files with KiCad-specific documentation and workflows - Add KiCad-optimized .gitignore file for proper version control - Create KICAD-PROJECT-TEMPLATE.md comprehensive usage guide - Add hardware assembly documentation and BOM management - Include detailed manufacturing file generation instructions - Add docs structure with design-notes and user-manual directories - Provide complete workflow from design to manufacturing with quality checklists
/kicad/libraries
Custom KiCad libraries for your project.
Directory Structure
symbols/- Custom schematic symbols (.kicad_symfiles)footprints/- Custom footprints (.prettydirectories)3dmodels/- Custom 3D models (.step,.wrlfiles)
Usage Guidelines
Symbols (symbols/)
- Store custom schematic symbols as
.kicad_symfiles - Use descriptive names (e.g.,
MyProject_MCU.kicad_sym) - Include symbol properties and documentation
Footprints (footprints/)
- Each footprint library is a
.prettydirectory - Store related footprints together (e.g.,
MyProject_Connectors.pretty/) - Include courtyard and fabrication layers
3D Models (3dmodels/)
- Store STEP files (
.step) for mechanical accuracy - Store VRML files (
.wrl) for KiCad 3D viewer compatibility - Use consistent naming with footprints
Library Configuration
- In KiCad, go to Preferences → Manage Symbol Libraries
- Add your custom symbol libraries from
symbols/ - Go to Preferences → Manage Footprint Libraries
- Add your custom footprint libraries from
footprints/ - Configure 3D model paths to point to
3dmodels/
Best Practices
- Use relative paths in your project settings
- Document custom components in
/hardware/datasheets/ - Version control all custom libraries
- Follow KiCad naming conventions