It is very important to plan and make printed circuit boards (PCBs) efficiently if you want to make electronics that work well. KiCad is a powerful, open-source PCB design tool that both pros and amateurs use a lot. After making your PCB design in KiCad, the next step is to make it. This is where JLCPCB starts to help.

The PCB manufacturing company JLCPCB is well-known for its moderately cost-effective, excellent products. This article will guide you through using KiCad to design a PCB layout and get it ready for manufacture at JLCPCB. You will know how to make Gerber files from KiCad, export them, and send them to JLCPCB for manufacturing by the end of this piece.

Getting Started with KiCad

KiCad's multiple features let you construct PCBs, draw schematics, and generate manufacturing Gerber files. Before you start your design, make sure KiCad's most recent version is installed on their website.

Once installed, follow these steps:

Create a New Project:

Start by making a new project in KiCad for your PCB design. Pick a place to save your project by going to File > New Project.

Schematic Layout:

This is where you list the electrical parts and how they connect to each other. That is possible with KiCad's diagram editor, Eeschema. You will put parts like resistors, capacitors, microcontrollers, and so on here.

Assign Footprints:

Once you are done with your design, use the Footprint Editor to give each component a footprint. This will connect the parts on your design to the parts on the PCB that they correspond to.

PCB Layout Design in KiCad

Once you have made the design and given it footprints, you can move on to the PCB layout:

Generate Netlist:

To make a netlist, open Eeschema and go to Tools > General > Netlist. The list has details about the parts and how they are connected.

Import Netlist into PCB Editor:

Open the PCB Editor (Pcbnew) and add the netlist you made earlier. In the layout setting, all the parts from the schematic will now be there.

Arrange Components:

Drag and drop the components into place to start laying them on the PCB. High-frequency parts should be far enough apart to prevent interference; important equipment, such as capacitors, should be near the power supply.

Routing:

Once the parts are in place, you have to route the wires linking them. In PCBnew, use the Route Tracks tool to draw the copper lines that join your parts.

Tips for Efficient PCB Layout Design

Make sure the best results when designing a PCB require careful planning. Here are some tips for making a plan that works well:

Proximity to Power Pins:

To cut down on noise and improve signal integrity, place decoupling capacitors as close to the power pins of ICs as possible.

Component Grouping:

Put together parts that are related to make the layout easier to use and keep the signal flowing. Putting together groups of resistors, capacitors, and integrated circuits (ICs) makes them work better and fix problems faster.

Thermal Management:

Make sure there is enough space between heat-generating parts and enough copper surface area for heat to escape. This will keep your PCB from getting too hot and make sure it lasts a long time.

Generating Gerber Files for JLCPCB

This is the next step: making Gerber files. This is the standard format that PCB makers like JLCPCB use. There is knowledge about how to drill, solder mask, silkscreen, and copper layers in gerber files, which is all you need to make your PCB.

To get Gerber files out of KiCad, do the following:

Open up the plot window: Pick up PCBnew and go to File > Plot. This will bring up the Gerber generation window.

Pick Out Layers: Here are the Gerber layers that JLCPCB needs:

Top Copper (F.Cu)

Bottom Copper (B.Cu)

Top Solder Mask (F.Mask)

Bottom Solder Mask (B.Mask)

Top Silkscreen (F.SilkS)

Bottom Silkscreen (B.SilkS)

Board Outline (Edge.Cuts)

Set Output Directory:

Pick a place to save the Gerber files, then click "Plot" to make them.

Generate Drill Files:

You can make drill files for your PCB's vias and holes by clicking "Generate Drill File" after you have plotted the Gerber files.

Uploading Gerber Files to JLCPCB

You can forward the Gerber files to JLCPCB to be produced now they have been generated:

Visit the JLCPCB website here: On the JLCPCB website, log into your account.

Start New Order:

After making the Gerber files in KiCad, click the "Quote Now" button and send them.

Configure PCB Options:

Pick the PCB options that work best for your project:

PCB Thickness:

Choose the right thickness (for normal boards, this is usually 1.6 mm).

Layers:

A 2-layer board is enough for most designs, but JLCPCB also has boards with up to 6 layers.

Solder Mask Color:

You can pick a solder mask color from orange, blue, red, etc.

Review and Submit:

Go through your PCB preview, look for mistakes, and send the order for manufacturing after reviewing it.

Tips for Ordering from JLCPCB

There are some things you should remember when you place your order with JLCPCB:

Component Availability:

Choosing JLCPCB's PCB Assembly service means you should review their part library to determine whether the required parts are in stock. JLCPCB contains a lot of components; hence, you should make sure that before you order, all the parts you require are in stock.

Lead Time:

Standard lead times for JLCPCB are short, but if you need your boards earlier, you can increase manufacturing and delivery speed. But keep in mind that custom choices or designs that are hard to understand may take longer to process.

Quality Check:

JLCPCB does an automatic design for manufacturability (DFM) check, but to avoid delays, you should always carefully review your design and Gerber files before sending them in.

Conclusion

Using KiCad to design a PCB and JLCPCB to have it made is a simple process that blends the freedom of open-source tools with the accuracy of professional PCB fabrication. If you follow the steps in this tutorial, you should be able to easily make your PCB layout, make the necessary Gerber files, and send them to JLCPCB for quick, low-cost production.

Learning how to use KiCad to JLCPCB will make your PCB design process faster, no matter if you are an artist working on a small project or an engineer making a complicated electronic system. You can make effective, high-quality PCBs that are ready for any use if you practice.