KiCad missing component footprints - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Dajgoro
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 04, 2014, 09:00:26 pm
content: I just installed kicad, and I drew a schematic.I had some imported libraries (AtMega328 and DS1307) in my schematic, with all of the other components being from the default KiCad libraries(resistors, capacitors, connectors, etc...).So when I was done with the schematic I went to do the pcb, but the only component that I got was the AtMega328, with all of the other components being "not found".How can they be not found if I used the KiCad components?How do I fix that?

author: sacherjj
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 04, 2014, 09:07:17 pm
content: I haven't touched KiCad in a LONG time, so someone will come along to help with the specifics.An EDA tool like KiCad or Eagle or Altium have components with schematic symbols and PCB footprints. A "Resistor" might mean through hole or 0402 or 0805 SMD. Schematic for each of those are the same.Do a search for KiCad and Footprints and you we get a lot of hits that should help you find what you need.

author: ve7xen
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 04, 2014, 10:01:46 pm
content: You need to add the necessary module libraries to your project (either in CvPCB or in PCBNew). Then you need to run CvPCB to associate part designations with the correct modules (footprints). Then save the netlist from CvPCB and this information will be added. When you reload the netlist in PCBNew it should pull in the parts.

author: Neverther
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 04, 2014, 10:02:28 pm
content: As sacherjj said before, you need to select footprints for the components.Searched for a guide and quickly looked at this and it seems to have some relevant stuff (next page has the footprint selection).http://store.curiousinventor.com/guides/kicad/schematicAtleast layer management has improved over the years.Once you have used it couple times you notice the buttons you need to press in eeschema for schematic -> board are pretty much lined from left to right (annotate, drc, netlist, (skip bom), cvpcb and pcbnew).

author: HackedFridgeMagnet
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 04, 2014, 10:05:28 pm
content: Some others beat me to post, ignore if I repeat them.Yeah do the walk through videosI manage my libraries using SVN source repository via TortoiseSVN. I recommend you do the same as occasionally you need to rollback library changes if you press the wrong button.Also a grep tool such as Notepad++. It will help you find your components if you moved your libraries round.Did you assign your footprints. If you did you should be able to browse to them in CvPCB.If they are assigned then you need to add the footprint library (.mod) to the paths in PCBnew. If you dont know the path you have to search using the grep tool.If they are default footprints, under windows they would be in somewhere like C:\Program Files (x86)\KiCad\share\modules.

author: Dajgoro
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 05, 2014, 01:48:15 am
content: Thanks.I still have a 7805 that claims to not be connected to anything, where clearly it is connected in the schematic.How do I force the pcb editor to make a "illegal" connection?Also how do I place vias, all of the tutorials say "press v" or some other shortcut, but when I press it nothing happens, i just see for a brief moment the layer pointer to switch to the other layer, but then it returns where it was.

author: ve7xen
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 05, 2014, 01:56:03 am
content: Quote from: Dajgoro on March 05, 2014, 01:48:15 amThis could be a few things.- There could be hidden pins that are connected to power rails (e.g. VCC) and you don't have that power symbol in your schematic. For a 7805 I don't think this is the case, but it's common if using 74xx logic or whatever. There's an option somewhere to show hidden pins.- The connection could be actually not connected, possibly because the grid doesn't match the pin spacing on the symbol. You'll need to use a finer grid, then, to create the connection- There could be a missing junction somewhere, so the pin is in fact not connected to anythingQuoteWhile drawing a trace, V should place a via and flip you to the other layer. I don't believe it's possible to place a lone via without first starting a trace. While drawing traces there are sometimes graphical glitches; if the trace continues on the other layer, when you complete it the via should appear. If you press V when not actively drawing a trace, you'll swap the active layer without placing a via.

author: HackedFridgeMagnet
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 05, 2014, 03:48:47 am
content: QuoteFirst you need to be in "Add tracks and vias" mode. On the toolbar on the right.For the you start laying a track from a pad, then press 'v'. If you have design rules on (which you should) and any part of the track or via is too close to something then the track wont add.

author: Neverther
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 05, 2014, 09:31:52 am
content: For the 7805 problem:I remeber seeing this, the component lists pins as Vin Vout and GND or something like that, but the footprints (if you select generic to220/to92 etc) from footprint library it list them as 1, 2, 3.1) select footprint for 78XX where the pads are named vin,vout,gnd, no chance of wrong order.2) modify the component to have 1, 2, 3 footprint naming, remeber to check agaist footprint order so you dont get mixed.The supplied components/footprints arent that great when it comes to explaining stuff like that, but that is pretty basic stuff when it comes to making PCBs.Naming the pins/pads is pretty useful when working with components with high pincounts (you can swap footprint for different packages with different physical order without touching the schematic).1, 2, 3...naming works fine with basic components, but it might become a problem if you dont notice the wrong order (been there done that).

author: ornea
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 16, 2017, 02:48:03 pm
content: Strange there is no T03 package. Seems like it once was in the "Discret" module library but alas my Discret library does not contain it. I thought it would be a stock standard package.

author: ornea
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 16, 2017, 02:52:15 pm
content: Quote from: Neverther on March 05, 2014, 09:31:52 amYes, seems like you have to be constantly on your toes here. Kinda defeats the purpose a little.

author: richardlawson1489
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 07, 2017, 10:56:27 am
content: Are you running with 32bit version or Win64 bit?Have you select footprints for the components?

author: bson
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 27, 2017, 06:36:34 pm
content: While the original thread is ancient, googling yielded this on github. It looks to me like it's intended to be part of the KiCAD distribution:https://github.com/metacollin/kicad-gigalib/blob/master/modules/TO_SOT_Packages_THT.pretty/TO3.kicad_modIt's also a very simple footprint. So looks to me like a golden opportunity either to learn how to incorporate a third-party footprint to your project (lots of videos and instructional material exists here) or how to make your own footprint (again, lots of instructional materials exist). Both of these are very useful to be familiar with.

author: ornea
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 28, 2017, 01:47:45 pm
content: Quote from: bson on March 27, 2017, 06:36:34 pmI got the impression when I went searching that it was once part of the distribution but later got removed

author: bson
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 31, 2017, 07:01:37 pm
content: Interesting... my experience from the past is such things is typically the result of going back and obtaining written permission to redistribute contributions from their authors. For OSS projects it can be exceedingly difficult to make sure everyone involved has given their approval, and sometimes flat out impossible when a person has no current contact info or even has passed away. I saw that a lot when I worked at the FSF in the 90s.

author: donotdespisethesnake
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 01, 2017, 09:47:20 am
content: There is no mystery here, since the KiCad librarians have been busy improving things, a lot of things have moved around. TO3 packages can now be found inhttps://github.com/KiCad/TO_SOT_Packages_THT.pretty