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KiCad and the missing Ripup tool.

A project log for Point-to-point SMT Transistor clock.

Trying to hand-assemble a free form SMT transistor clock. Likely fail.

alan-kilianAlan Kilian 04/10/2015 at 01:481 Comment

I spent about two hours trying to figure out how to rip up traces, watching Youtube videos, looking at websites that didn't match my vesion of KiCad.

I even BUILT THE DAMN THING FROM SOURCE and I just could NOT figure out where the damn ripup tool was!!!

Then, about 15 minutes into a Youtube video, there, right in the middle of everything, was......

(you hit the delete key to ripup. There's no graphical deal or pull-down menu item!)

So, I feel like a complete dunce, but I got some things done.

I built a schematic of one flipflop.

I added footprints to the schematic.

A created a PCB.

I moved parts around to get the best layout I could.

I'll look at it a bit more again and then I think I can start soldering flip flops together and it'll go pretty smoothly.

I'll add the kicad files wherever I can find to add them. ;-)

Discussions

Elliot Williams wrote 04/25/2015 at 19:06 point

Heya.

a) Awesome project idea.  Much luck!  (And steady hands.)

b) Ripup:  In Kicad, there's this "auto delete old track" button on the left pane.  If auto-delete is set, then you just re-draw the trace the way you wish it were and when it hooks back up, Kicad automatically rips up the part you didn't want.  Same functionality, IMO better interface.

I.e. when you want to tweak the way a path goes around a part, you don't rip up and re-do.  Just draw it like you want it, and it removes the rest. When you get used to it, it's faster most of the time.

There's also a global ripup hidden away in the Edit...Global Deletions menu.

c) But yeah.  Ripup is awkward/different in Kicad. 

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