kicad_setup.md

Setup KiCad 6 on Mac w/ BREAKFAST libs

Install KiCad Stable

Find this online https://www.kicad.org/download/macos/

kicad-utils

This repo includes BREAKFAST created footprints, symbols and 3D step files.

Pull down repo: https://github.com/breakfastny/kicad-utils to somewhere on your laptop.

3D models

Open KiCad 6. Click on Preferences -> Configure Paths.

Add a path variable called BF3D that points to the packages3D folder in the kicad-utils repo you just pulled down. Make sure there is no trailing slash in the path name.

symbols

Click on Preferences -> Manage Symbol Libraries.

Make sure you're on Global Libraries

Click the little folder icon at the bottom to find the bf_schematic.kicad_sym file in the kicad-utils repo. This should be added to the list at the bottom as bf_schematic.

footprints

Click on Preferences -> Manage Footprint Libraries.

Make sure you're on Global Libraries

Click the little folder icon at the bottom to find the bf_footprints.pretty folder in the kicad-utils repo. This should be added to the list at the bottom as bf_footprints.

Template Field Names

By default eeschema only has a couple of values per part. We want to add a few more to store the manufacturer name and part number in the schematic for each part.

To do this, you have to open eeschema. Just create a new project, or open an old one, doesn't matter. Once you have a schematic file open. Click on KiCad -> Preferences. Then in the dialog, click on Field Name Templates.

Here we want to add 3 field names.

• MFR - manufacturer name
• MPN - manufacturers part number
• DESC - any helpful text you see fit