EEVblog Electronics Community Forum
Electronics => PCB/EDA/CAD => KiCad => Topic started by: dren.dk on March 05, 2019, 11:27:49 am
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I've just completed a tool that create the tabs with mouse-bites between pcbs in pcbnew, it's on gitlab here: https://gitlab.com/dren.dk/kicad-util
The workflow is quite simple:
1: Start pcbnew outside of a project
2: Append and place completed boards.
3: Draw lines between the boards in the Eco1.User layer where you want tabs to connect the boards.
4: Run my kicad util with the panel option.
5: Open the newly created output pcb file and re-fill zones or run DRC or whatever else you need to do.
The tool also creates lines 3 and 6 mm away from the holes to indicate the distance that should be respected for tracks and smd caps respectively.
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Perfect timing, I am just about to do this for a few boards. I'll definitely try your software.
Switching to kicad was one of the best things I've done so far (AD18 professional user here) :-+
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Nice! I'll be putting this to good use! :)
Just be careful with running pcbnew outside a project, it has a habit of confusing other kicad programs running...
Or at least used to.
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Looks Good!
This can be a quite usefull addition to the KiCad toolbox. Panelisation is a bit of a blind spot in Kicad.
Have you thought about also posting this on the KiCad forum?
https://forum.kicad.info/search?q=panel%20order%3Alatest
There are manyu more users on the KiCad forum than here on EEVblog.
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Good idea, I just posted there too.
The last time I tried the kicad forum it was completely useless, it seems they have upgraded a bit:)
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Amazing tool. Worked perfect to make panels. Thanks.
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I also used it for my panels, it's very good. But he didn't update it for Kicad nightly, so I forked it here:
https://gitlab.com/markxr/kicad-util