Explore what a printed circuit board is and the essential features used in KiCad, including through-hole and surface-mount components, pads, copper traces, silkscreen, solder mask, vias, and copper fills.

Explore the pcb design process in KiCad 9, from schematic design to layout and manufacturing. Learn the two steps, understand symbols and footprints, and master exporting Gerber files for fabrication.

Explore manufacturing options for turning a KiCad layout into a physical PCB, from chemical etching to professional board houses like Oshpark and PCBWay, including pricing and customization choices.

Explore KiCad installation across Mac OS, Windows, and Linux, compare stable and nightly builds, and learn options like apt, Flatpak, and Docker for programmatic access.

Explore the KiCad ecosystem with an example project, opening schematic editor and PCB editor, and examine the demo repository from GitLab to understand project files and schematic‑PCB integration.

Get an overview of KiCad's applications, symbols, footprints, 3D models, and libraries, and learn how to install KiCad and start your first PCB project from scratch or a template.

Explore the KiCad 8 project manager—the main window that launches schematic, symbol, and PCB editors, shows project files, and supports open, drag and drop, refresh, and library management.

Tour the KiCad apps—from schematic and pcb editors to symbol and footprint editors, gerber viewer, image converter, calculators, drawing sheet editor, and plugin manager—to design, verify, and optimize pcbs.

Configure KiCad paths for symbols, footprints, 3D models, and templates, redirecting libraries to external disks to optimize storage. Learn how environment variables and per-project libraries affect asset locations.

Create a new KiCad project from scratch by using File > New Project, choosing a location and name, with KiCad generating the project folder and blank schematic and PCB files.

Select a template from the KiCad template selector to create a new KiCad project, speeding setup with templates like Raspberry Pi expansion and Arduino boards, pre-populated schematics and PCB layouts.

KiCad runs natively on macOS, Windows, and Linux with an identical user interface, enabling teams to collaborate on the same projects across platforms.

Learn to design a simple schematic with KiCad 9, follow schematic and layout workflows, and prepare a basic LED torch PCB by mastering symbols, measurements, and online ordering.

Learn KiCad 9 pcb design workflows by exploring schematic design and layout design, each with seven steps, plus how the electrical rules check drives iterative backtracking.

See the KiCad LED torch project, from a fresh start to a simple schematic and final layout, plus the directory with schematic, pcb, gerber files, and backups.

Start KiCad and create a new project; name it, save it in the course projects folder, creating a new folder to hold the PCB Pro project and sketch files.

Start KiCad's Eeschema schematic editor and use millimeter grid overrides for precise wire placement, symbol alignment, and snap-to-grid accuracy, then set page details.

Learn to find and place symbols from KiCad built-in libraries into the schematic editor using the symbol chooser, including LED, resistor, switch, and battery.

Master the annotate, arrange, and associate steps in KiCad 9, fix an incorrect symbol, and use the assign footprints workflow to link symbols with footprints.

Complete the wiring step by connecting the LED, battery, switch, and resistor pins with the wiring tool, then run the electrical rules checker and address the grid warning.

Set nets for a simple circuit using the net label tool, name LED cathode, LED anode, and battery positive, and understand how KiCad links wires to nets.

Perform a final electrical rules check in KiCad using IRC. Use only unit A and ignore unit B to resolve the warning, remove markers, then export to the layout editor.

Add explanatory comments and text graphics to a schematic to convey information in larger circuits, using boxes and footprints to show the purpose and characteristics, and prepare for layout design.

Learn to design a non-standard PCB layout for a simple LED torch using KiCad 9 and PCBnew, covering outline creation, component placement, routing, silkscreen, and a final electrical rules check.

Start Pcbnew from the schematic editor, import footprints linked to the schematic, then configure layers, use selection filters to place components, and begin laying out traces and a PCB outline.

Define the edge cuts outline from geometric constraints and set dimensions to about 66.25 mm by 26.50 mm. Mount a single screw hole, battery, switch, and LED for the enclosure.

Route the board by connecting pads with tracks on a simple single-layer design, noting two copper layers available and FR4 dielectric, while minimizing rats nests and refining the outline.

Refine the PCB outline by reshaping edge cuts into rounded corners using the arc and line tools, center and align the board, synchronize radii, and verify with the 3D view.

Add front and back silkscreen text, graphics, and polarity markings to the PCB, positioning reference designators, logos, and version info using KiCad's silkscreen workflow.

Run the design rules check to validate the PCB, fix violations and warnings, suppress non-schematic footprints, and prepare the board for manufacturing export.

Explore two pcb manufacturing paths in KiCad 9: quick ordering via the NextPCB order plugin and traditional Gerber export with zip upload.

Watch a manufactured pcb from KiCad 9, detailing top copper, rounded edge cards, mixed surface mount and through-hole components, a top mounting hole, and silkscreen graphics on both sides.

Explore the design principles and basic concepts of pcb layout, including schematic and layout steps, symbol and unit terminology, and practical conventions for arranging components, powering sections, and trace geometry.

Explore schematic symbols in KiCad and compare european (IEC) versus american (IEEE) notation, then learn to choose consistent symbol styles for resistors, capacitors, regulators, and LEDs.

Explore FR4, the common fiberglass epoxy PCB material, its flame retardant, light, and does not absorb water properties, and the basics of vias, copper layers, and solder mask.

Explore traces as copper conductive paths that transmit signals and power between golden pads. Control the width, height, routing, and angles to support high current or tight spacing.

Mark keep-out areas in KiCad to keep copper, footprints, and traces clear, protect antenna performance, and selectively apply rules to front, back, or all layers, with practical examples.

Explore pads and holes in KiCad, including through hole and SMD pads, plated and non plated holes, their shapes, and front and back copper connections.

Explore how vias move signals between pcb layers using drilled, plated holes or laser-made microvias, including through, buried, blind vias, and solder mask considerations.

Define the annular ring as the pad area around a via and its width as the distance from pad edge to via edge, so drilling may show tangency or breakout.

Solder mask coats exposed copper to prevent oxidation and solder bridges, with green as the common color, while pads and mounting holes remain exposed.

Explore printed circuit board silk screen design in KiCad, printing logos, certification marks, and model text, and understand color options and the screen printing method before drill bits.

Explore how drill bits carve holes and cutouts in PCBs, guided by CNC files with hole coordinates and sizes, and how micro vias use lasers for tiny holes between layers.

Design compact, mass-produced pcbs using surface mounted components instead of through hole parts. The approach minimizes board size and cost while enabling highly integrated devices.

Explore gold fingers, gold plated edge connectors for PCBs in KiCad designs, interconnecting boards through slots and highlighting thickness and durability for a thousand insertions before wear.

See how clever panelization places multiple PCBs on a single panel to maximize capacity and reduce costs, using automated pick-and-place and breakaway routes to separate PCBs.

Apply solder paste to pads with a syringe or stencil, place components, and bake in a reflow oven to bond pads and components into solid electrical connections.

Explore how pick-and-place machines assemble components on boards using repositories, conveyors, cameras, and robotic arms with suction cups to populate boards, enabling AI-driven quality and reliability.

Explore the seven-step schematic design workflow in KiCad, using Eeschema for schematics and PCBnew for layout, while recognizing KiCad's flexibility and the iterative, non-linear nature of PCB design.

Configure the grid size and set up the schematic editor page in KiCad, and use preferences to tailor options, date, revision number, and title for printing or PDF export.

Explore the role of symbols and their electrical connections in schematic design, and use KiCad's symbol chooser to add required symbols and libraries before progressing to footprints.

Arrange symbols on the schematic sheet for straightforward wiring, annotate each with a unique reference designator (e.g., resistor ? becomes R1), and prep for the next wiring step.

Connect symbols with wires to form nets by attaching wires to pins. Observe four wires forming four nets with auto or custom net names in Pcbnew.

Name important schematic nets in step five, such as ground and five volts, plus nets like LED_anode and batt_pause, to replace generic names for easier identification in pcbnew, with larger traces for power nets.

Use the electrical rules check to detect unconnected or incompatible pins and power pins issues in KiCad. Learn to adjust defaults or customize electrical rules in the Schematic Setup dialog.

Leverage comments and graphics in schematic design to clarify circuit structure. Use text labels, lines, and boxes to group components and note sources for the layout workflow.

Learn the KiCad 9 pcb layout workflow from schematic design to physical layout, using footprint and component editors and cvpcb to pair footprints with symbols in an iterative process.

Configure the grid, layer count, and design rules in the setup step to match your project and manufacturer guidelines, using alt 1 and alt 2 for quick grid switching.

Draw the board outline to define the PCB shape on the edge cuts layer and ensure it fits the project box, with mounting holes and cutouts. Refine later after placing footprints.

Place footprints within the defined board outline, aligning components for user ergonomics and assembly. Follow four rules: keep related parts close, minimize traces, consider assembly and manufacturer constraints, then route.

Route critical signal traces first, then power traces, and use keepout zones, copper fields, ground planes, and thermals to improve soldering, heat management, and electromagnetic interference.

Design silkscreen artwork on the top and bottom layers, adding pad descriptions, a board name and version, logo, and component values for clear user guidance using KiCad 9.

Perform the design rule check (DRC) to verify PCB connections, fix unconnected items with new wiring, re-run DRC, and ignore mild warnings before moving to manufacturing.

Export Gerber files from KiCad and upload them to online manufacturers like Oshpark to order boards, ensuring correct file names, extensions, units, drill files, and lead times.

Define the PCB outline by shape and size, favoring rectangular boards for easier manufacturing and cost efficiency, while planning layers, traces, mounting holes, heatsinks, and heat distribution considerations.

Modern PCB manufacturing favors two-layer boards, easing component placement and trace routing, enabling a top-to-bottom connection. They're cheaper to produce and offer space for a ground plane and silkscreen.

Keep traces short to minimize resistance and heat, avoid sharp angles, and set appropriate width and copper weight in KiCad for reliable high-frequency bus data.

Explore the KiCad schematic editor user interface, find symbols with the symbol chooser, install external libraries, and create your own symbols, then configure and use the electrical rules check tool.

Master the KiCad 9 left menu bar: toggle grid lines, adjust grid size, switch units, and enable orthogonal drawing while managing hidden pins via symbol editing.

Master the KiCad 9 top navigation bar, from save and schematic setup to page settings, print/plot, find, zoom, sheet navigation, and access to symbol, footprint, and rules editors.

Explore the KiCad right toolbar functions, from selecting, moving, wiring with the W tool, and using the symbol and power symbol choosers, to labeling nets and managing sheets.

Explore KiCad 9 schematic editor preferences to adjust display options, grid style and thickness, snapping, and appearance. Create custom color schemes and field name templates for visible custom fields.

Find and drop symbols with the chooser, use the add symbol button or search, and link footprints from KiCad libraries.

Find KiCad schematic symbols on the internet using symbol chooser and library browser, and import libraries from GitHub, Ultra Librarian, Octopart, and SnapEDA.

Bulk install symbol libraries for KiCad by downloading a repository, expanding it, copying lib and dcm files into your libraries, then import them into global libraries via preferences.

Learn to design a custom KiCad symbol from scratch, including creating a project library, placing and naming pins with correct numbers, and linking to the datasheet and footprint.

Learn how to associate a symbol with one or more footprints in KiCad, using the symbol properties and the footprints assignment tool, and update the pcb accordingly.

Learn how to use net labels in KiCad to assign nets across schematics and footprints, update the PCB, and manage named nets like net one and net two.

Configure net classes from schematic to define wire width, color, and style, assign named nets to net classes, and apply these rules in the layout editor with visible effects.

Demonstrates how to set up net classes in KiCad 8 and 9 using pattern matching and wildcards, and assigns nets such as GPIO, IO pins, and DTR to specific classes.

Learn to split complex schematics into multiple hierarchical sheets in KiCad, create and name sheets, navigate across parent and child sheets, and prepare for cross-sheet connections.

Use the global label tool to connect wires across multiple schematic sheets, creating a global net that updates in the PCB editor and mirrors a global variable, with net classes.

Learn how hierarchical labels replace global labels to pass nets across sheets, and use the import hierarchical sheet pin tool to expose root sheet nets on child sheets.

Run and customize electrical rules checks in KiCad to validate your schematic, manage errors and warnings, and tailor pin conflict severity using the schematic setup, including input and passive pins.

Learn bulk editing in KiCad, including changing resistor symbols, using find and replace, and updating text, wires, and designators across schematics.

Navigate the left side toolbar in KiCad's PCB editor to toggle grid, switch Cartesian or polar coordinates, set units, adjust the cursor, rat nests, and control copper and layer views.

Navigate the Pcbnew top toolbar and top menu to manage saves, undo/redo, and board setup. Explore page settings, print, plot, Gerber export, zoom controls, and basic element locking and grouping.

Explore the KiCad 9 right menu bar overview, learning to use the pointer, drawing tools, footprint insertion, length tuning, measurement, and basic PCB layout workflows.

Explore the appearance segment of KiCad's right toolbar, covering layers, nets, and the selection filter, and learn to adjust visibility, colors, and presets for precise PCB layout design.

Explore the pcb editor preferences window in KiCad, covering display options, editing tools, colors, origins and axes, cross probing with schematics, and using python-based action plugins to extend behavior.

Configure board stackup in KiCad 9 by selecting 2–32 copper layers, dielectric materials, naming copper layers, and choosing board finish (castellated pads or plated edges) with solder mask options.

Explore board setup text and graphics defaults in KiCad 9, adjust edge cuts thickness and silk layer text, and use text variables to substitute values in text elements.

Configure global design constraints in the design rules, including minimum clearance, track and annular widths, arc deviation, and via options, using net classes and predefined sizes to manage widths.

Explore design rule checks in KiCad 9 by adjusting violation severity, analyzing warnings and errors, and building custom rules to enforce power nets clearances and net classes constraints.

Find and use footprints in KiCad by exploring global and project libraries, using the footprint chooser with filters, and adding footprints to your PCB.

Identify online sources for KiCad footprints beyond built-in libraries. Install footprints individually or in bulk from GitHub, Digikey, SparkFun, Octopart, Ultra Librarian, and Snpedia.

Install KiCad footprint libraries by downloading symbols and footprints, then add them to global or project libraries. Use the footprint browser to assign Digi-key footprints and update PCB associations.

Create filled copper zones in KiCad 9 on the top or bottom layers, linking to ground or five volt nets with hatch or solid fills and thermal reliefs.

Create keep-out zones with the keep-out tool across all copper layers to block traces, footprints, and paths, after deleting existing copper fills to simplify the layout.

Learn to use KiCad's interactive router to draw routes while the layout adapts and highlights DRC violations. Explore three modes: highlight collisions, show, and walk around, and adjust route settings.

Explore KiCad Pcbnew length measuring tools to measure distances and angles between pads, center points, and headers; use the dimension tool to create permanent measurements on a user layer.

Master bulk edits in pcbnew: swap layers to move traces, and use scope and filters to bulk edit text and change footprints from through-hole to smd.

Learn to create a custom KiCad footprint from scratch using the footprint editor and generator, using mechanical data from a datasheet to define pads, silkscreen, courtyard, and fabrication layers.

Create a custom KiCad footprint by adding a new global library entry for a dip-8 Ne555, then draw the front fabrication layer outline with precise dimensions.

Create a custom footprint in KiCad by placing pads on a 1.27 mm grid with 2.54 mm pin spacing, and mark pin one with a distinct pad shape.

Define the footprint boundary in the front courtyard layer by drawing a rectangle that encases pads and the fabrication outline, guiding the DRC to prevent overlaps.

Create a custom footprint in KiCad by adding front silkscreen assistive drawings, marking top corners and pin 1, then save and import the footprint for use in Pcbnew.

Find, download, and attach a 3D shape to a footprint in KiCad, using built-in 3D shapes or Snap data, and adjust rotation, scale, and offset in the 3D viewer.

Export Gerber and drill files from KiCad 9 after a zero-error DRC; verify with KiCad Gerber Viewer and external tools before uploading to a manufacturer.

Design the schematic in EA schema and the layout in pcbnew to build a breadboard power supply, using a two-layer pcb with through-hole components, voltage regulators, and a barrel connector.

Create a new KiCad project, set the schematic grid and page settings, and review default preferences to establish the setup for the schematic design.

Place schematic symbols from libraries, duplicate and orient parts, and add capacitors, resistors, LEDs, connectors, and regulators (LM 7805, LM 317) for a complete KiCad schematic. Then assign values.

Set capacitor values around the LM7805 and LM317: 10 µF, 0.1 µF, 1 µF; use 330 Ω and 560 Ω for a 3.3 V output; plan arrangement and footprint-symbol association.

Convert the schematic to a final two-layer KiCad PCB, balancing mechanical constraints like header spacing to breadboard rails, with manual routing, silkscreen, copper fill, and Gerber export.

complete the silkscreen stage of the pcb layout, adding front and back silkscreen text, values, logos, ground and voltage labels, and polarity marks, then review with 3d view before export.

Perform a design rule check (DRC) in KiCad 9, note no errors and ignore noncritical footprint warnings, and export gerber files to upload to the manufacturer.

Export and verify gerber and drill files from KiCad 9 using the gerber viewer to ensure accurate files before manufacturer submission.

See how KiCad helps fix a schematic net labeling defect that creates a five-volt to 3.3-volt short, and correct mispositioned footprints in the PCB layout, illustrating real life engineering practice.

Fix schematic by replacing identical net labels with distinct ones in schematic editor: power out top and bottom; assign them to the power output net class in Pcbnew, then save.