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danroblewis / kicad-eurorack-tools

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Kicad-Eurorack-Tools

This project provides 3 main things to facilitate designing your own analog synthesizer modules in the Eurorack format:

  1. The EuroRackTools parts library. This is an atomic parts library. Each schematic symbol is pre-assigned a footprint and LCSC part number.
  2. The EuroRack Tools pcbnew python plugin. This plugin will draw a eurorack-spec'd cutout with ground flood planes. The pre-drawn cutout is the size of a frontpanel and has perforation cuts on the top and bottom so you can snap them off and create a real faceplate. A second button is provided that will create that faceplate, with holes properly aligned for Alpha pots and Thonkiconn jacks mounting, and holes for LEDs.
  3. The kicad-eurorack-simulation.lib simulation file.

Installation

I'm still working this out.

Open KiCad version 6.0 or later.

  1. Click the Plugin and Content Manager button.
  2. Click the Manage button next to the repository list dropdown.
  3. Click the + button on the bottom left, and enter https://github.com/danroblewis/kicad-eurorack-tools/raw/master/packaging/repository.json
  4. Click Save
  5. Then you have to select danroblew's KiCad repository from the repository list dropdown.
  6. Click Install, then Apply Changes and it'll download!

Plugin

After installing the plugin, a new plugin button should appear in the upper right. Enter the width of your intended module (in HP dimensions), and click Draw Panel.

Then lay out your parts in the board, draw your traces, run your checks, etc.

When you've done with your backpanel, click the plugin button again and click Draw Frontpanel.

Library

When designing your circuits, try to limit yourself to components in this library.

Simulation

To set up a simluation:

  1. Add 2 VSOURCE symbols. Give them the value dc 12
  2. Add 1 VSOURCE symbol with the value dc 5
  3. Connect the 12v VSOURCE symbols together. Their center point is ground. Connect the 5v VSOURCE symbol to this ground.
  4. Add GND to the middle point, add a +12V symbol to the top, add -12V to the bottom, and add +5V to your 5v VSOURCE
  5. Add a new text element to your schematic with the following text: 
    .tran 1m 1
.include "C:\Users\<yourname>\Downloads\kicad-eurorack-simulation.lib"
  6. Click Inspect in the top bar, Simulator... from the menu, click Run/Stop Simulation, then click Probe and choose a trace you want to inspect.

Development

Make a text file in this project's root directory named .kicadsym_filepath, each line contains an absolute path to a .kicad_sym file in your KiCad 6.0 installation directory.

Add, at minimum, one line for your EuroRackTools.kicad_sym file:

/mnt/c/Users/danroblew/Documents/KiCad/6.0/3rdparty/symbols/com_github_danroblew_kicad-eurorack-library/EuroRackTools.kicad_sym

Building a New Release

Once you've configured your environment properly (the .kicadsym_filepath file), update the value in VERSION then run these commands:

git pull origin master
./copy_from_kicad.sh
git diff  # check for conflicts!
./publish.sh

KiCad installations can then be updated with the new version after the github raw cache refreshes (~5min).t