Installation of KiCad

Hello, I’m developer. I’m going to write about installation of KiCad and malfunction of application.

1.What is KiCad?

KiCad is an application to design electronic substrates. There is the software called Eagle with a similar function. So, I compered KiCad and Eagle.

・KiCad

          Advantages

1. It is a free software for business and personal.
2. No restriction on use
3. It has Interactive Router function.

“The Interactive Router lets you quickly and efficient route your PCBs by shoving off or walking around items on the PCB that collide with the trace you are currently drawing.”(https://orson.net.pl/pub/kicad/pns/)

                 Disadvantages

1. less information than Eagle
2. Its public library doesn’t have a satisfactory variety.

・Eagle

          Advantages

1. Its library has an enough variety.
2. Much information open to public on the Internet.

Disadvantages

1. It is too expensive for me to use for business.
2. When I use free version, I can make electronic substrates in 100mm x 80mm maximum.

I want to make larger electronic circuits than limitation on free of charge. And Finally, I want to sell products which I designed. So, I choose KiCad.

 2.Install KiCad(Japanese)

1.Access http://kicad.jp/ ,Choose version which is available on your PC.

2.Set up in accordance with installer.

Don’t change the checkmarks.

Choose destination folder and click install button.

I thought I complete installation then.  Only I thought...

 3.The error that reduced my sleep

KiCad is composed of applications. After I installed KiCad, a footprint editor did not open then.

It caused by the specification of Python.

Python3 do not have downward compatibility!

Before I install KiCad, I install Python3 and set PYTHONPATH to Python3.

But, KiCad is written in Python2.

 4.Solution for this error

KiCad can uniquely add the path to Python2 to your PYTHONPATH environment variable.

The window can open in this way: Preferences -> Configure Paths.

For example, I configured these.

NAME: PYTHONPATH

Path: C:\Program Files\KiCad\lib\python2.7

At least, it comes to work by the above-mentioned operation.

Good bye.