Kicad "Encyclopedia"
Items flagged "Skills entry" take you to a note about how to do something.
Many of the links take you to definitions of things, clarifying… I hope… how the terms are used in KiCad and here at KiCadHowTo.wikidot.com.
When using KiCad, precise usage of certain terms is essential. In particular, watch out for the way "component" is used, if you come across it. (It is being replaced, hurrah, by the less ambiguous term "schematic symbol".) The developers of KiCad have consistently used "component" in one narrow sense… which is excellent. I wish my use of language were as disciplined. However, you must read carefully to profit from the fact that they write carefully!
These words and phrases often arise in everyday conversation. Most have many meanings. I've tried to use them on this site only as they are used in KiCad, hoping to reduce ambiguity. If you see the apparently superfluous "As used here" in the list below, ambiguity issues may be particularly acute for that word or phrase.
(Note to self: See co1netlist for conventions)
- Block operations (Used in most modules)- Skills entry
- Circuit Diagram- see "schematic"
- Component... How that term is used in KiCad
- CvPcb: See Parts of the suite
- Design Rules Checking (DRC checks PCBs. See also ERC)
- Device (As used here)
- Digit
- Dragging and moving devices (Used in most modules)- Skills entry
- eeSchema: See Parts of the suite
- Electric Rules Checking (ERC checks schematics. See also DRC)
- File management Introduction to "Libraries" (two sorts…. for schematic symbols, and for footprints)
- File management (Where to put stuff. General issues)- Skills entry
- File management (Where to put stuff, schematic symbol and footprint defining files)- Skills entry
- Footprint (once known as "modules") Very Important
- Instance
- Invisible pin
- Legend (on drawings)
- Libraries: See File management
- Mapping schematic symbols to footprints
- Module (See "footprint" first… try this second.)
- Netlist
- "Name" property of pins (Pads only have a "net name")
- "Number" property of pins and pads
- Panning: See "Zoom and pan"
- "Part" This is in at least one place a synonym for "component", in the sense of "schematic symbol". Does it also get used as a synonym for "footprint" somewhere??? If not in KiCad, that may have.. erroneously?… happened in KiCadHowTo.org… the information you are reading. If you can point me to specifics of either, I would be grateful. (Apart, both in KiCad and here, from the use of "Part" in connection with editing schematic symbol definitions.) ((Part is a terrible word to use in KiCad! A schematic symbol is, in everyday terms, "a part"… of a schematic. But no less than a resistor is a "part" of the finished circuit, and this pretty heavily related to the footprint for the resistor in the PCB design!))
- Parts of the suite: Overview
- PcbNew: Defintition: see Parts of the suite
- PcbNew- Spread footprints Untangle initial "heap"- Skills entry
- PCB- "Printed Circuit Board"
- PCB Footprint Editor (See also: Schematic Symbol Library Editor.)
- Power flag: See see power ports tutorial
- Power Port
- Project (As used in KiCad)
- Property
- Rats' Nest
- "Reference" property of objects
- Schematic (See "circuit diagram")
- Schematic Symbol Very Important
- Schematic symbols for multi- gated devices
A special type of "schematic symbol". (Master the basic definition first.) - Schematic Symbols, Footprints and Libraries…. How these core concepts relate to one another
- Schematic Symbol Library Editor
- SchSym- Delete part from library- Skills entry
- Track/ Trace (on PCBs)
- "Value" property of objects
- What "XX.pretty" means
- Zooming and panning (definition)
- Zooming and panning- Skills entry