KiCad Base Project

This base project is designed to save you time and effort when starting a new hardware project with KiCad. Systematization is crucial for efficient hardware development and minimizing errors. This project provides a solid foundation to build upon.

Project Structure

This project includes a hierarchical schematic with two pages:

• Root: The top-level sheet of the schematic. Initially, it only contains a reference to the "Miscellaneous" sheet.
• Miscellaneous: This sheet contains elements that are not directly part of the core electronic circuit, such as fiducials, mounting holes, logos, and the PCB project code.

While KiCad doesn't require hierarchical schematics, their use is highly recommended, even for simple projects, for better organization and scalability.

The project also includes a pre-configured 4-layer PCB with basic manufacturing and design rules already set up. This allows you to focus on your design rather than initial configuration. A detailed explanation of the design rules used in this project can be found in my blog post:

[https://e-mbed.com/kicaddesignrules/]

Instructions

1. Download and Rename: Download all files to the same directory. Rename the files currently named "EMB-XXXXX PrjName" to your preferred project naming convention. "EMB-XXXXX" represents an internal project code, and "PrjName" is the human-readable project name. While the suggested format is recommended, it's ultimately your choice. It is essential that the filenames remain identical for all project files you just have renamed.

2. Open in KiCad: Open the KiCad project file (.kicad_pro). The project uses the following template files:

   • Schematic Title Block: e-mbed sch template.kicad_wks
   • PCB Title Block: e-mbed pcb template.kicad_wks

3. Customize Title Blocks: To customize the title blocks, open the respective template files (.kicad_wks) and modify them as needed (e.g., change the logo 😝).

4. Text Variables: The schematic and PCB title blocks extensively use project-defined text variables. These global variables are shared between the schematic and PCB and can be accessed through the "Schematic Setup" (Schematic Editor) and the "Board Setup" (PCB Editor).