I have been using a fairly old release of Kicad for Windows, it has been very reliable but I thought I would check out the latest version. It seems that I should withdraw my previous recommendation for Kicad. That's where experience and practice come in. Sometimes, you just need to move parts, or do it by hand. Sometimes you can move traces some to let Gnd squeeze thru to connect areas.
Sometimes it won't get all the GNDs, you can add Vias, Name them GND, to connect top & bottom Gnd planes to get more things connected.
If it runs and a Lot of stuff won't connect, then revise your parts placement. Select Tools:Autorouter, change the Routing Grid to 2 mil, I usually go with octagon for shape, and let it go! Select View:Grid, change the Size dimension to MIL. Right click each one and Name then GND.Ĭlick RatsNest again - may to wiggle the final corner a little so you don't have overlap. Place this just outside the perimeter of the board, start at a corner and go all the way around. When you think its pretty good, draw in ground planes.ĭraw:Polygon. Place all your parts, click Tools:RatsNest every couple of parts to check on the trace "rubberbands". Now the board: File:Switch to Board, and ok to create from new if one doesn't exist (whatever the question is). Right click on a power trace, select Properties, change the Net Class to power.
Once you have the schematic and the parts are all connected, select Edit:Net Classes, and update the defualt to 10 mil wide, 12 mil drill, 10 mil clearance, and add one for power, maybe 20 mil wide, 24 mil drill, 10 mil clearance. There's ways to get around or re-do all kinds of things. You can always rename the pins to have different numbers - add an 'a' to the end - then rename them to what you want.