Unconnected Items and Final Review - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: Jpwolfe
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: August 06, 2020, 03:08:58 pm
content: This might be a big ask, but I am just finishing up my first PCB design in KiCAD and I was hoping that someone could give it a quick look over and make sure I'm not breaking every rule of PCB design. I haven't taken any formal classes so I'm honestly not too sure. If this post does not belong in this /r, please let me know a better one and I'll delete.I've also been getting a lot of "Unconnected Items" in KiCAD even though I'm pretty sure every component and pin has a trace.The dropbox link is here.https://www.dropbox.com/sh/z706db3jelegkhz/AABkQR0H9GaGhXCN9DGfee41a?dl=0

author: lunchbox
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: August 06, 2020, 06:36:22 pm
content: Here are a few things I would do if it were my project.-Re-organize all of your files into sub folders, to make it easier to find things. If you do this consistently and follow it on all your projects it will make your life easier down the road when you have to come back to it in a year.-I would move every power flag so that it is pointing up and every ground so it is pointing down.-You have some text and some designation that overlap components, I would space stuff out more to alleviate that issue. If you need more space than make the page size bigger or else split it into a hierarchical sheets.-For the PCB I would double check my manufacturers specifications, put them into ki-cad than re-run the DRC. It looks like you have things that are too close together, and too close the edge.-The silk screen around the pin headers is hard to read.-The foot print for J13 look wrong with those holes inside of a pad. There is probably a better way to draw that in ki-cad.-Don't put vias inside of pads.-You might find it easier to use your two internal layers for a ground plane and a power plane. Then route signal tracks on top and bottom.

author: Jpwolfe
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: August 07, 2020, 10:00:29 pm
content: Hey man, thank you for taking the time to look at my project. I'll try to address your concerns succinctly:To be honest, I struggle with the whole path and directory concept when it comes to KiCAD. I find that when I move something from one folder to another in my finder(Mac) it gets lost in KiCAD and it's tough to find again. I understand the file organization is a bit rough.I have fixed all of the power flags so that they point in the right direction. I understand that this is good convention to adopt.I believe that all items are inside the confines of the board and are not too close to one another. I have eliminated all of the DRC errors so I don't think that should be an issue.The pads for the USB do look a bit odd, but that was a default footprint for KiCAD and I confirmed it in the datasheet for that footprint. It's all part of the shield for the USB port.I discovered that I could make the vias smaller and after a lot of shuffling, there are no longer vias under pads!The way may layers are as follows: Fr Cu-GND; In Cu1-GND; In Cu2-3V3; Bo Cu-GND. Unfortunately the board is so dense that I do not believe it would be possible to route signals on only the top and bottom layers. Using the internal layers chops it up a bit but I believe it gets the job done.Here's a link to the dropbox with all the updated files. This is my first project so I'm pretty nervous to order and was hoping you could take a look at it before I buy anything.https://www.dropbox.com/sh/z706db3jelegkhz/AABkQR0H9GaGhXCN9DGfee41a?dl=0