Keycad

Generates KiCad PCBs for custom keyboards using Keyboard Layout Editor JSON files.

Current Status

Keycad generates reasonably good PCBs for most conventional layouts, but they don't have automatic placement of the microcontroller board or of the USB-C port on the edge, so you'll have to open up the PCB in KiCad and drag them around yourself.

The generated documentation and QMK snippets for the PCB is correct.

Installation

• sudo apt install kicad (or however you install KiCad on your system)
• Clone this repo to your machine, and cd to that directory.
• pip3 setup.py install

Then in KiCad under Preferences -> Manage Symbol Libraries, add the keycad.lib file as a global library, and then in Preferences -> Manage Symbol Libraries add the keycad.pretty/ directory as a global footprint library.

Usage

1. Use Keyboard Layout Editor to create a keyboard layout for the keyboard you want to build.
2. Download the layout's JSON file. We'll assume it's called my-keyboard.json.
3. In the directory containing your file, execute keycad my-keyboard.json
4. After a couple moments, KiCad should pop up with a PCB that implements your keyboard. Inspect it and make sure the parts are in the right place.
5. Route the board. One way to do this is with Freerouting, a copy of which is included in this project. First export the .dsn of your PCB in KiCad. Then from the root of this project, java -jar jar/freerouting-executable.jar -de output/my-keyboard.dsn -s. This project doesn't document how to use Freerouting. When routing is complete, import the .ses file back into KiCad.
6. Pour the fills using ./pour_fills.py [path to your kicad_pcb].
7. Go have your PCB manufactured somewhere like JLCPCB.
8. Order the parts you need from the generated BOM.
9. When your PCB and parts arrive and you've assembled everything, use the code snippets in my-keyboard-user-guide.md to customize QMK for your keyboard.

Notes for those of us familiar with QMK

• qmk compile -kb keycad/ansi_tkl -km default
• sudo dfu-util -d 1eaf:0003 -a 2 -D keycad_ansi_tkl_default.bin
• Don't use hyphens in board names. Only letters/numbers/underscores.

Useful Tools, Prior Art, and Guides

• http://builder.swillkb.com/
• http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/
• https://config.qmk.fm/
• https://docs.qmk.fm/
• https://github.com/fcoury/kbpcb
• https://github.com/ruiqimao/keyboard-pcb-guide
• https://kbplate.ai03.me/
• https://keebfol.io/tools
• https://qmk.fm/converter/
• https://wiki.ai03.me/books/pcb-design

KiCad components and footprints that were copied into here

• https://github.com/tmk/kicad_lib_tmk
• https://github.com/keebio/keebio-components
• https://github.com/keebio/Keebio-Parts.pretty
• https://github.com/daprice/keyswitches.pretty
• https://github.com/tmk/keyboard_parts.pretty