KiCad Tutorial: From Schematic to PCB – Wiring, Footprint Assignment & 3D View

👉 https://roborear.com/courses/learn-pcb-design-for-robotics-with-kicad 👈(Click the link above to access the complete course for FREE)🔔 Subscribe for more Robotics & PCB Design content: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLbwg7Eo1UNTX45oeNBtk4A/🔧 The Footprints We Used:If you are following the Robotics project, here are the specific footprints we assigned:Battery Holder: Battery:BatteryHolder_Keystone_1058_1x20325mm LED: LED_THT:LED_D5.0mmThrough-Hole Resistor: Resistor_THT:R_Axial_DIN0309_L9.0mm_D3.2mm_P12.70mm_HorizontalWelcome back to the KiCad Robotics Series! 🚀 In this video (covering Day 2 of my course), we turn our schematic symbols into a real, functional circuit. We cover essential wiring shortcuts, the magic of Net Labels, and the crucial step of Footprint Assignment to prepare for the PCB layout.If you have been following along with the battery, LED, and resistor circuit from the last video, this is where we bring it to life digitally. By the end of this tutorial, you will know how to make electrical connections properly and assign physical packages to your components, ready for the PCB Editor.⚡ Quick Recap from Day 1:We previously covered how to place components. Today, we connect them. But first, a hotkey refresher:Duplicate (Ctrl + D): Speed up your workflow by copying components instantly.Edit Value (E): Change that resistor from "R" to "1k" and your LED color.Move vs. Drag (M vs G): The #1 beginner trap! Move (M) breaks wires; Drag (G) stretches them. Master this to avoid schematic disasters.📐 Part 1: Wiring Your Schematic (The Nervous System)We start drawing the physical connections.The "W" Hotkey: Using the "Add a Wire" tool to connect component pins.Visual Feedback: How to know if a wire is actually connected (the disappearing dot).Right Angles: Why KiCad forces 90-degree wires and why that’s a good thing for readability.🏷️ Part 2: Net Labels (Clean Up Your Mess)Running long wires across a page makes schematics unreadable. We use Net Labels to create invisible connections.The "L" Hotkey: Creating labels like Motor_PWM or Sensor_Data.Global Connectivity: How two unconnected pins with the same label talk to each other.Power Symbols (P): Using global VCC and GND symbols to keep things tidy.✅ Part 3: The Electrical Rules Check (ERC)Before moving on, we must validate our work.Running the ERC: Finding unconnected pins and short circuits.The Infamous PWR_FLAG: Fixing the "Input Power pin not driven" error that confuses every beginner. I show you exactly where to find this flag and how to place it.🔢 Part 4: Annotation (R? becomes R1)Every component needs a unique ID.Automatic vs. Manual Annotation: Ensuring your Bill of Materials (BOM) will be correct later.Setting Values: Changing generic symbols to specific parts (1k Resistors, 3V Batteries).🔧 The Footprints We Used:If you are following the Robotics project, here are the specific footprints we assigned:Battery Holder: Battery:BatteryHolder_Keystone_1058_1x20325mm LED: LED_THT:LED_D5.0mmThrough-Hole Resistor: Resistor_THT:R_Axial_DIN0309_L9.0mm_D3.2mm_P12.70mm_Horizontal🖨️ Part 5: Footprint Assignment (The Physical World)This is the bridge between the schematic (logic) and the PCB (reality). A symbol is just an idea; a footprint is the actual copper and plastic part you solder.What is a Footprint? Explaining the difference between a Schematic Symbol and a Physical Package (SMD vs Through-Hole).Using the Assignment Tool: Navigating the three-pane window (Libraries, Symbols, Footprints).Filtering Like a Pro: Using Pin Count Filters and Keyword Filters to find the exact part among thousands. 3D Preview: Right-clicking to view the component in 3D to ensure we have the right size.🔮 What's Next?Now that our components have physical bodies (footprints), we are ready to move to the PCB Editor! In the next video, we will import these parts, arrange them on a board outline, and prepare for routing.📥 Resources & Links:Download the completed schematic files for this lesson: https://roborear.com/learn/course/learn-pcb-design-for-robotics-with-kicad/#/course/1761/lesson/1843KiCad Official Download: https://www.kicad.org/download/🕒 Timestamps:00:00 Introduction and Recap00:46 Wiring the Circuit01:27 Moving vs. Dragging Components01:57 Page Settings02:26 Assigning Component Values04:03 Running the Electrical Rule Checker (ERC)04:46 Solving ERC Errors with Power Flags05:33 Using Net Labels08:45 Assigning Footprints11:54 Conclusion and Next StepsContact:Website: https://roborear.com/YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@RoborearMail: roborearbd@gmail.comFrom Schematic to PCB#KiCad #PCBDesign #Electronics #Robotics #KiCadTutorial #Engineering #DIYElectronics #CircuitDesign #KiCad7 #KiCad8 #LearnElectronics