Kicad question

[JaredC79]

I looked online and I am having a hard time figuring out the answer. I am trying to make a schematic and then route a PCB using 4 diodes as the rectifier for the PSU- I know R rotates the component however it only seems to rotate the component by 90 degrees each time however the diodes for a rectifier are always on 45 degrees. How am I able to do this?

 

[mlackey]

....however the diodes for a rectifier are always on 45 degrees.

Sorry, late to the party, you may already have your answer.

The default schematic symbols in the libs are oriented as you say (0, 90, 180,270 deg).

The hard way: create a new schematic symbol oriented at 45 deg. If you stay with it long enough, sooner or later you'll be forced to create your own symbols, regardless of which package you use.

The easy way: go with the flow and draw it like so...

 

[davidsrsb]

If you rotate a symbol by 45 degrees, the pin ends will be off grid, causing lots of problems connecting them to wires.
If you want a classical 45 degree bridge, create your own symbol or use one of the D_Bridge_XX family of symbols in the device library

 

[de Ocampo]

KiCAD users,

What in the world is wrong with this, SOT means SMD and THT is through hole correct I sure do not want to use SMDs, I got the same error while generating netlist. I used KiCAD years ago and now I'm coming back for it but it feels strange I am using their latest 64 bit. I just hope that this error will not prompt me to download add'l files again

Thanks!

Albert

 

[knutn]

If it can help, I have attached my lib with a 45 degrees diode (called Diode_45).
(It is called knut.txt, so you should rename it to knut.lib)
In the Kicad library, there is also a symbol called Diode_Bridge

 

[JonSnell Electronic]

Look at Devices then D_bridge. There are a number of different configuration of bridge recs, with different pin outs.

 

[mlackey]

KiCAD users,

What in the world is wrong with this, SOT means SMD and THT is through hole correct I sure do not want to use SMDs, I got the same error while generating netlist. I used KiCAD years ago and now I'm coming back for it but it feels strange I am using their latest 64 bit. I just hope that this error will not prompt me to download add'l files again

Thanks!

Albert

I am not sure why you are getting the error, but this might be a workaround: if you are not using any footprints from that lib, remove it.

Start up the layout editor, the select (from menu) Preferences / Footprints Libraries Manager. Scroll down until you find the offending libraries and remove them. See attached. Then try loading your netlist.

Have no idea if this will work, nothing more than a SWAG.

 

[de Ocampo]

Hi mclackey,

Yep tried that one too, cvpcb>preferences>run append wizard by replacing all the modules with the ones that points to the local lib folder. I even edited the fp-lib-table in the default installation folder by replacing the syntax "type Github to type KiCAD". Save and re run netlist to eeschema, no changes happened, the same problem was displayed.
I've read that this was a software bug that hunts the program, since 2 years ago and it seems it still exists in the newer versions. I'm running win10 64bit. This is going to be a frustrating error to fix, I'm thinking of just downloading the whole lib module at GITHUB via append wizard, but I do not have a constant internet connection. But you know this should not be happening, KiCAD is one large installation package, all the needed files should be included in the whole package.

Regards!
Albert

 

[de Ocampo]

Just as I suspected, the easiest workaround fix is to run append wizard under cvpcb>preferences but delete first the default global libraries displayed, download the libraries at Github and make a local copy to another folder. (It will not overwrite the default library folder).
Update everything at eeschema netlist and save and when you run cvpcb again, Voila! all components were shown.

 

[mlackey]

Just as I suspected, the easiest workaround fix is to run append wizard under cvpcb>preferences but delete first the default global libraries displayed, download the libraries at Github and make a local copy to another folder. (It will not overwrite the default library folder).
Update everything at eeschema netlist and save and when you run cvpcb again, Voila! all components were shown.

I am glad it is solved. Your solution may help me solve a giant nuisance that I occasionally see. There are times when the net is slow, and I spend more than a minute or two waiting while the libs are downloaded. Once the download is started, Kicad is totally unresponsive, it cannot be stopped, nothing to do but wait. I am going to try your idea and download a local copy of the libs from Github. Maybe that will eliminate the wait time I occasionally see. Thanks for the idea.

 

[de Ocampo]

I was actually about to uninstall the software, I've been browsing the web for a permanent solution, I just could'nt drop all my efforts having the schematic drawn and finished, the time consumed of course is valuable. I've read AutoTrax DEX is now offering their later versions for non-commercial use without limitations. I like the software UI it looks very intuitive...anyway hope the solution above will work out for you too.

 

[arpagon]

Even if you don't have problems with Internet connection relying only on GitHub libraries is not a wise idea. One must create its own libraries, probably with some tweaks etc. I myself as an old KiCAD user remember the time when there weren't online libraries and everyone must save his a** by himself.
The other thing is that since I use Linux, the package kicad-library (a copy of the GitHub ones) are installed on the place without write access from the ordinary user account. If I want to change some footprint I open it from github package, change something and save it in my own repository with a suffix "-my" in the name.

Hope this post will be helpful to the other KiCAD users too.

Regards
Alex

 

[mlackey]

I've read AutoTrax DEX is now offering their later versions for non-commercial use without limitations.

I've tried DipTrace and like the UI very, very much. Has decent auto-router built in. If I were starting over it would be Dip Trace and not KiCad. Much more polished. Though they all have their quirks. OSH Park says the vast majority of the boards they fab are done from Eagle, KiCad, and DipTrace layouts (but not necessarily in that order).

 

[de Ocampo]

I've tried DipTrace and like the UI very, very much. Has decent auto-router built in. If I were starting over it would be Dip Trace and not KiCad. Much more polished. Though they all have their quirks. OSH Park says the vast majority of the boards they fab are done from Eagle, KiCad, and DipTrace layouts (but not necessarily in that order).

Yes, I've made a quick peek with Diptrace looks similar to Sprint lay-out but with more features. Installation package is fair in size not too large, and it has a huge file of 3d models free to download. AutoTrax DEX on the other hand is unique because of its msoffice like feel UI, it looks powerful with all its feature and functions laid out nicely between tabs. Full package installer is only about 90mb! By the way, the announcement that "no limitations" for "non-commercial" use seems to be exaggerated. They took it back with their latest release v9.1, the gerber output function was now disabled. I think it was the v9.0 that has no limitations for non-commercial use.

@arpagon,
That was I think one drawback with KiCAD, references still points to the Github repository, the fact that all the necessary files are right there installed in the local system, i find it strange.

Here is a quick run with AutoTrax DEX.