Tool for precise, batch placement of components in a KiCad PCB layout.
- Exact batch placement of components in a layout
- Groups the components allowing them to be moved and positioned as a group, easily ensuring exact alignment
- Useful for:
- Creating bed of nails tester
- Positioning mechanically important parts
- Maintaining a form factor across different designs
- Similar in function to this Altium feature
An example is provided at example/example-placement. This example starts from a centroid file generated from an existing design, which is edited to serve as the input configuration:
A schematic is drawn up with matching reference designators:
The schematic is exported to a PCB which will look like this:
Running the script on this board with this command exports the following board with the components exactly aligned ready for layout. The group can be treated as a footprint, placed where ever is useful. During layout you only have to deal with a single coordinate as the position within the group is locked.
kicad-parts-placer --pcb example-placement.kicad_pcb --config centroid-all-pos.csv --out example-placement_placed.kicad_pcb --drill_center
+ Critical component placement: Exact placement of mounting holes, sensors, connectors, etc
+ Maintaining a form factor: Use the spreadsheet representation to either start a new project of a certain form factor or to ensure no parts have moved during layout
+ Reusing a bed-of-nails: Place the board outline and test pads the exact same way between versions to ensure the same jig can be used.
- Place parts in pcb layout from a configuration table.
- Allows writing a config script which fully defines the parts
- Connections are made either by updating from a schematic or passing a netlist
- Use example of schematic to pcb placement
- All parts are grouped together, locking their relative placement
- Internal configuration is a dataframe with ref des, label/value, footprint, position x, position y. Notes fields can be added for documentation generation.
- A separate config object can be that could pull in a board outline, stackup, etc describing the board.
- Position, rotation, & ref des are available in the centroid file, that avoids requiring the source board be kicad.
pip install kicad-parts-placer
git clone https://github.com/snhobbs/kicad-parts-placer
cd kicad-parts-placer
pip install .
This tool is also available as a plugin via KiCad’s Plugin and Content Manager (PCM).