Some KiCAD help, PLEASE?

Probably because they’re cheap, they’re easy, and they work pretty well.

If you’re aware that something sounds judgmental, before posting, why not edit it until it doesn’t sound that way?

Because the way you are (think, believe, etc) matters. I am responsible for my own beliefs, not of yours. Since this can be read by anyone there's nothing wrong with saying that, all is good.

Cheers ^:)

Well, I found these two ways to convert stuff from Eagle to KiCAD.

The first is this set of conversion scripts. This is meant to convert a whole Eagle project to KiCAD. I don’t know if these scripts actually create new, separately accessible library parts or not. You can find the converter(s) on Github here.

The second thing I found was an online library conversion ‘service’ that can convert among many different formats, including Eagle to KiCAD. You upload the library in whatever format, then download it in whatever format. The website makes you register before letting you use the service. But, registration is free and the service is free as well. They also claim that you can use the service to keep up with your libraries and to share files with others, so it might be a repository of sorts. It is accessible here.

I have messed around a bit with both of these, but I haven’t gotten very far yet, so I can’t even tell you if it will work. I’ll try to remember to update here again once I get a chance to really dive into these.

What PIC do you need? I’ve got several eagle parts. 6Fxxxx?

This one:

Backstory on the PIC: the picture is of a MELD-X driver from tterev3. A while back, he said he doesn’t mind if people copy his board designs and/or build new ones based off his. He only cares to keep the PIC firmware to himself. So, I was planning to make a new driver board to fit in a specific light and never got around to it. Now, I’m trying to get started again, and I need the PIC footprint for the PCB.

I have that part in Eagle…

Pretty sure tterev3 made the eagle footprint I use, that’s his driver, did you ask him if he happens to have it for KiCAD too?

Edit to reply to the post you made at the same time as I made this one: what light? I have MLED board designs for several different lights.

ATTiny85. Perhaps calling it a PIC is a misnomer.

No, I didn’t ask tterev3. I just decided to try KiCAD again a couple days ago, and I hadn’t got that far yet.

I originally was going to make one for TheOnlyDocc for his Wall-E light. but he was having trouble with other mods he was trying to make, and never did get me the measurements. (yet?) Now I have a light that I won from gchart’s giveaway here. It is a Brinyte B21 Complex and he did a review of it here but he said he thought it was a pre-production sample, so may not be exactly like the final one they eventually introduce to market. I have two MELD-X drivers from tterev3 so I can use one as a donor for a new driver if it is anything weird. I haven’t opened it yet to see the driver.

OOOPS, I just realized that CK was talking to sbslider. Even quoted text. :person_facepalming:

Hey man, our convo was relevant too lol :stuck_out_tongue:

I haven’t used KiCAD but the PIC16F1575 is just a standard QFN-16 4x4 package that I’m sure exists in some standard libraries. If my Eagle files can be of any help let me know.

Thanks for the offer tterev3! Yeah, if you would give me the Eagle schematic I could take it from there. I was just trying to get started with KiCAD here but it seems KiCAD has too much learning curve still for me, especially since it lacks libraries for some of the common parts we use for drivers.

I only know of it because I have played with the mechanical design software, but I thought I would throw out an alternative program: DesignSpark PCB

Here’s the board and schematic files. I think these will let you copy the microcontroller part without needing the whole library. If that doesn’t work let me know

Thanks! That should be enough.

Inspired from David from another thread today I tried to make AMC7135 Kicad symbol model for it. Also it use the SOT-89-3 layout from standart Kicad Footprint Library. In library are there 2 components AMC7135 and AMC7135_H. Second is with larger thermal pad for easy handsoldering linked also to SOT-89-3 Handsoldeirng footprint. If you have any suggestions I will try to make the changes to library components or if something is missing from standart libraries I will try to make model for it.

Some update to Kicad. First try to make BLF style driver with Kicad following Youtube BLF Eagle tutorial. There are some limitations and peculiarity when is need to draw arc track and circles. Kicad lacks in that area with violations with DRC but is possible to draw track with attentions and if you ignore some errors. This is main limitation of Kicad compared to another PCB software. You can't assign directly circles and arcs to net if you compared to Eagle. But with some workarounds it is possible. In the future 6 version there will be support for that. One of the developers of Kicad now work on that.

Would you mind sharing your KiCAD “BLF style driver” files here? I’d like to take a look at them so I can learn how to use KiCAD for my own driver designs. Also, I forgot to say earlier, Thanks for sharing the AMC7135 parts library you created.

I will share no problem. Here in the forum I see many peoples are shared their PCB designs on OSHPark over the years but is very rare somone to share the source files which is sad.
Here is the link https://drive.google.com/open?id=1FrxcPWQtLCmpyDWeKdwofKPlUFzMreBi
Hi David I edit a little bit footprint for 7135 in my design to make smaller on board. Standard footprints for SOT-89 are a little big. I used that datasheet for reference to footprint https://www.diodes.com/assets/Package-Files/SOT89.pdf
Kicad footprint libraries are with extension “pretty”. Here is very good explanations of Kicad file structure of libraries https://forum.kicad.info/t/library-management-in-kicad-version-5/14636
Also there is great tutorial to make custom footprint https://forum.kicad.info/t/tutorial-how-to-make-a-footprint-from-scratch/11092
It is no very difficult at all, also is fun to make your own parts :smiley: .