KiCad Like a Pro - Fourth Edition

I have crafted this book to serve both as a comprehensive learning guide and a reliable reference for your journey into PCB design using KiCad. I have tested all examples, descriptions, and procedures on the stable release of KiCad 9. I performed these tests in February and March 2025 using KiCad 9.0 on macOS.

This edition is organized into two volumes to facilitate a structured learning experience. Splitting was also necessary as the book grew over time with new projects and recipes. Volume 1 encompasses introductory content, making it ideal for readers with little to no experience in PCB design. Volume 2 dives into projects of increasing complexity, catering to readers who have acquired a basic working knowledge of KiCad and have completed the foundational projects in Volume 1.​

If you are new to KiCad and PCB design, I recommend progressing through Volume 1 sequentially. The early chapters, spanning Parts 1 to 8, lay the essential groundwork necessary for building your skills. Skipping these chapters may result in gaps in your understanding, hindering your progress in more advanced topics.​
If you have a background in PCB design but are new to KiCad, you can consider starting with Parts 7 and 8. A quick review of these sections will familiarize you with KiCad's interface and functionalities, after which you can proceed to the project in Part 9.​

At the conclusion of Volume 1, you will find the "Recipes" section. This segment offers dedicated chapters on executing specific tasks, such as creating a bill of materials or editing text properties—fundamental skills applicable to most projects. Throughout the book, references to these recipes are provided to minimize repetition and enhance your learning experience.​

I have supplemented the book with figures containing screenshots of KiCad. Most of these screenshots were captured using KiCad 8 on MacOS. Screenshots in the project of Parts 3 and 4 were captured using KiCad 9 on MacOS. Rest assured, KiCad maintains a consistent user experience across platforms, so users operating on Windows or Linux will find the interface and functionality largely identical.​ In particular, the user interface in KiCad 8 and 9 is almost identical and I don’t expect that you will not have any problems following along.

While I made an effort to ensure clarity in the images, some screenshots—particularly those depicting entire application windows—may appear dense and fuzzy due to the loss of quality after processing large images to a reasonable file size for this eBook. These images are intended to complement the instructions, and I encourage you to actively follow along on your computer. Engaging directly with KiCad as you read will reinforce your understanding and proficiency.​

To further support your learning journey, this book is accompanied by a dedicated webpage offering additional resources. Details on accessing and utilizing these resources are provided in the section titled "The Book Web Page" later in this introductory segment.

For a more immersive learning experience, you might consider the video course version of this book. This course encompasses over 30 hours of high-definition video, providing detailed explanations and demonstrations of all projects featured in the book. The video lectures capture techniques and procedures that are challenging to convey through text alone, offering a dynamic complement to the written material.​

Please visit the book's webpage for updates on this project. To stay informed about new developments and resources, consider subscribing to the Tech Explorations email list.

I am confident that this updated edition will significantly enhance your proficiency in PCB design using KiCad.

Enjoy!