The tutorial is very old and gives a basic overview. Each of the component parts of Kicad has it's own help system, section 9 of the pcbnew help file deals with zones. It is worth reading through both the eeschema and pcmnew help files as there is a LOT of additional info in them.
You can access them either via the help menu option in each program or directly (they are .pdf files, they live in /usr/local/kicad/doc/help along with some other help related files. If using windows they live under kicad/doc/help (wherever you installed kicad to) The basic process for zones is fairly easy. Click on the zone tool A window pops up, select the net that you want the zone to attach to, or no net for isolated zones click on OK Draw the outline of the zone End the tool then if the zone is not filled, right click and select fill/refill all zones. That's it, job done. Remember that the relative co-ord display is very useful to ensure that things align correctly, space bar will zero it. Andy On Mon, 28 Dec 2009 22:45:43 -0800 (PST) yukku yukkoooooo <[email protected]> wrote: > No, it appears the tutorial is for an older version of Kicad and the new > Kicad GUI is somewhat different (probably better) . I guess the tutorial has > not got updated > > yukku > > > > > ________________________________ > From: Donald H Locker <[email protected]> > To: [email protected] > Sent: Mon, December 28, 2009 11:25:47 PM > Subject: Re: [kicad-users] Problems with ERC check on example schematic > > > Does the tutorial include the power flag? Sorry - I just use it and haven't > done the tutorial. > > Donald. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Andy Eskelson" <andyya...@g0poy. co.uk> > To: kicad-users@ yahoogroups. com > Sent: Monday, December 28, 2009 12:50:25 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern > Subject: Re: [kicad-users] Problems with ERC check on example schematic > > You are prob. falling into the very common trap of not telling the system > that there is power on a net. This gets confusing because sometimes you > don't have to do this. > > The VDD and VSS pins of the chip are both defined as power IN types. You > can check this by using the part editor. > > For DRC to would correctly it much see a power OUT net attached to these > pins. > > If you have some form of regulator chip on the board, the output of the > regulator is normally defined as a power out type, so that takes care of > the VDD voltage. > > However the GND/VSS connection is NOT defined as a power OUT. > > Next take the situation where you don't have an on board regulator, in > this case neither the VSS nor VDD is defined as having a power OUT > available. > > To overcome this is easy enough, in the powerport symbols, select a > power flag, and attach this to the GND of you power net. The power flag > simply tells the system that there is power applied to that net. You can > also add a power flag to the VDD line if you are using external power. > > All you may then need to do is add a VSS power port to the circuit and > attach that to the GND net, then everything should connect and DRC run > without errors. > > Just remember that you almost always need to add a power flag to the GND > networks, but sometimes not to the +ive power nets. > > Andy > > > On Mon, 28 Dec 2009 04:49:45 -0800 (PST) > yukku yukkoooooo <yukku19752000@ yahoo.com> wrote: > > > Hi, > > > > I am a first time user of a PCB design software and also the Kicad > > software. So I tried the example Kicad tutorial, but I got stuck when after > > finishing the example, I constantly get an ERC error with arrow at pin 8 of > > the PIC12C508A (VSS to be conencted to Ground). I tried deleting the wire > > and reconnecting many times and still not able to make the error go away. > > > > Do you know what I am doing wrong ? > > > > yukku > > > > > > > > > > > >
