How do I use KiCad software?

How do I run KiCad?

Using Eeschema

1. Under Windows run kicad.exe. …
2. Create a new project: File → New → Project. …
3. Let’s begin by creating a schematic. …
4. Click on the ‘Page Settings’ icon on the top toolbar. …
5. We will now place our first component. …
6. Click on the middle of your schematic sheet. …
7. Double click on it.

Is KiCad any good?

Since KiCad first appeared in the PCB CAD world in 1992, it has gone through 5 major versions, and evolved into a serious alternative to commercial products. Once thought clunky and barely usable, it is now a solid, reliable CAD application.

Is KiCad a CAD software?

KiCad was created in 1992 by Jean-Pierre Charras while working at IUT de Grenoble. The name came from the first letters in the name of a company of Jean-Pierre’s friend in combination with the term CAD. KiCad originally was a collection of electronics programs intended to be used in conjunction with each other.

Is KiCad free software?

KiCad is a free and open-source Printed Circuit Board (PCB) design tool.

What does KiCad stand for?

KiCad was first released in 1992 by its original author, Jean-Pierre Charras. It has been in continual development since then and is now managed by the KiCad Development Team. The name of KiCad comes from the first letters of a company of Jean-Pierre Charras’ friend “Ki” being combined with “Cad”.

Do professionals use KiCad?

Most people would say KiCad is only for hobbists and Altium, Orcad, PADS and so on, are for professional use and KiCad can’t be used for professional applications. Most of the people that think this way haven’t even used KiCad for a while with the at least version 5.

Is Eagle PCB good?

EAGLE has a very simple, effective and easy interface and provides a library that contains a large number of electrical and electronics components. That is the main reason for EAGLE being the most popular PCB designing software among educationists, hobbyists, and professionals.

Is KiCad open source?

KiCad is a cross platform tool, running on Windows, Linux, and Apple MacOS and is released under the open source GNU GPL.

Is KiCad free for commercial use?

KiCad libraries are licensed in such a way to ensure free use of library data for commercial, closed, and non-commercial projects without restriction.

Which software is best for PCB design?

Our Top 10 printed circuit design software programmes

1. Eagle. EAGLE is a PCB design software developed by the German CadSoft Computer GmbH created by Rudolf Hofer and Klaus-Peter Schmidiger in 1988. …
2. Altium. …
3. Proteus. …
4. KiCad. …
5. Cadence OrCAD PCB Designer. …
6. DesignSpark. …
7. Protel. …
8. Cadstar.

Does CERN use KiCad?

That’s about to change: CERN experts are adapting the open-source software KiCad to make it an efficient tool for designing open-source hardware. This free software makes it easier for electronics engineers to share their designs.

How is KiCad free?

KiCad is free software. The majority of KiCad’s source code is developed and distributed under the GNU General Public License(GPL) version 3 or greater. Additional third party licenses may also exist in the code base such as the MIT License, see the source code for complete and up to date details.

How do I download KiCad software?

Download KiCad



Use a web browser to navigate to www.kicad.org the KiCad EDA website. Click the DOWNLOAD button on the KiCad home page. On the download page that opens, click the Windows button.

Does KiCad have a circuit simulator?

KiCad integrates the open source spice simulator ngspice to provide simulation capability in graphical form through integration with the Schematic Editor.