How do I run KiCad?

How do I launch 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.

How do I install KiCad on Windows 10?

Download KiCad



On the download page that opens, click the Windows button. Under Stable Release, click either Windows 64-bit or Windows 32-bit, depending on if you are going to install KiCad on a 32-bit or 64-bit version of the Windows operating system. Save the KiCad installation file.

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.

Can KiCad open Altium files?

Altium2kicad can help you migrate an Altium project to KiCad, it supports most features of . PcbDoc and . SchDoc, so it can convert both the PCB and schematic. It consists of a few perl scripts that are executed on the altium design files.

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.

Does KiCad work on Mac?

You can install KiCad on Windows, Mac OS and several flavours of Linux using operating system-specific installers. Its sources code is also available, so you can download it and compile it yourself. You can find the version of the installer for your OS at the KiCad download page.

Does KiCad have an autorouter?

There was an autorouter included in early versions of KiCad 4 but it was not very capable and it was removed. There was a specific icon in later versions of 4 and probably early versions of 5 (can’t exactly remember when) that would send the pcb to an external autorouter and re-import the routed file back into KiCad.

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.

Is Eagle better than KiCad?

If you are a hobbyist, an inventor or a professional user, both Eagle and Kicad will work very well for you. I can’t really say that one is “better” than the other. Eagle might be a little bit more intuitive to start out with, but I find myself being more effective in Kicad.

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.

How much does KiCad cost?

Program License



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.

Is KiCad professional?

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.

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.