Hello Phil.
> I wonder how do you guys manage the "external" components, I mean switches
> for example, that are not soldered directly on
> the board, but are wired to connection pins.
Of course, there are severel ways to do this. I created some modules as
"Wire Pads" which means this is only one one Pad, just for soldering a
wire to this pad.
I add them to the schematic just as simple singular pins (usually i use
the symbol "Terminal-Block-1Pin...." and draw with graphical lines and
Text some info about the funktion. Connect them
("Terminal-Block-1Pin....") at CVpcb with the wire pads modules. At
PCBnew you will get some single Pads, wich can moved free across your
board.
You should do some additional info with Text and drawings at perhaps the
silkscreen.
And, of course, you can create your own symbol.
Another way is to create a footprint with just perhaps a symbolical
switch and some info at the silkscreen, and the pads for wiring you
need. Just use a standard switch symbol at the schematic and connect it
at CVpcb with this Footprint. At the board, you will get this footprint
and can place it to the board. Like at the old orcad, you will be able
to move singular pads of a footprint. But at least, you cannot move the
silkscreen without moving all pads. So this method will be better at
cases, where you keep the pads for the wire connection close together.
As an example, look at the footprint at the attachment
(Potentiometer_WirePads_largePads_RevA_30July2010.emp).
You will find a footprint library for Kicad with wire pads at the file
repository of this group (library folder). The actual library is
WirePads_RevA.mod.
There you will also find the symbol "Terminal-Block-1Pin...." at the
File SymbolsSimilarEN60617+oldDIN617-RevE3.lib
Good Luck and best regards. Bernd Wiebus alias dl1eic
This is nice at the case you spread the wiring
I'd like to put those switches on the schematic, just to be sure that
the wiring diagram is complete...
> Thanks for your help !
> Phil.
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Please read the Kicad FAQ in the group files section before posting your
> question.
> Please post your bug reports here. They will be picked up by the creator of
> Kicad.
> Please visit http://www.kicadlib.org for details of how to contribute your
> symbols/modules to the kicad library.
> For building Kicad from source and other development questions visit the
> kicad-devel group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kicad-develYahoo! Groups
> Links
>
>
>
