Remote Workshop: Electronic Parts with KiCad Schematic Capture

I wanted to say thank you for sticking with make717 in challenging times over the last year. It seems like we are heading in the direction of recovery but not quite ready for in house offerings. I thought we could nudge things towards the expected future with a couple free-of-charge remote offerings in the electronics area.

Session Goal Summary and Specifics

• Identify basic electronic parts (resistors, capacitors, inductors, switches, relays, transistors, LEDs, and digital logic ICs) and their leads/connections and relate the primary function of the part in an electronic circuit. 

• Relate the physical characteristics of the part to the electronic schematic symbol and create electronic schematics as well as doing parametric searches to find and order parts.

• Recognize surface mount (SMT) and through-hole parts and leads and the methods for breadboarding and placing on printed circuit boards (PCBs), prototyping introduction.

• 6 – 1.5 hours online sessions, one a week over a 7 week period.

Electronic Parts with KiCad Schematic Capture Details

A beginners class in becoming familiar with electronic parts but taking a makers’ perspective in using KiCad open source schematic capture software to also introduce electronic schematics at the same time. The approach is to push the maker down the path towards creating their own printed circuit boards (PCBs). Schematic capture (creating and interpreting a schematic) is covered as we introduce different electronic parts and footprints. PCB board design and sending the designs off for manufacture is a future anticipated and connected topic in the learning sequence.

Electronic parts coverage is just basic recognition, number of leads, schematic symbols, and basic use – not directed to the engineering of a circuit level. Designing and building your own circuits is a long voyage and we will get no where near accomplishing that! We will cover some electronic parts (resistors, capacitors, inductors, switches, relays, transistors, LEDs, digital logic ICs), through hole and surface mount part types, where to buy them, working with parametric searches for them, schematic symbols for them, schematic conventions, and using KiCad to create schematics.

Since it is a remote-only activity you can take your laptop with you on vacation and Internet access should let you continue taking the sessions. 

Schedule

• Online meeting time, once a week for 1.5 hours.

• 7 consecutive weeks (counting a one-week break in the middle).

• Requires practice between sessions!

Costs

• No required materials, costs of options as defined below but the session is free this time around, we appreciate your sticking with make717 through the covid period!

Suggested Age and Course Limits

• Middle school age and above. Terminology, matching physical versus electrical visual perspectives, and the use of a 2D drawing program on the computer are the defining activities.

• • We suggest younger age kids have an active adult participating in the session with them (that would only count as one participant).

• 15 people per session limit.

Required Materials and Software

• Laptop or desktop PC with Internet access, a camera, and a microphone 

• KiCad 5.1.10 for Windows, Mac OS, or Linux (web editor and Beta options also available), free!

• • https://www.kicad.org/download/ 

Optional Materials

Please remember to use smile.amazon.com for all Amazon purchases, pointed to the make717 non-profit.

• Book, Encyclopedia of Electronic Components Vol. 1, by Charles Platt – MakerMedia, Sebastopol, CA – approx. $14.29

• • https://smile.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-Electronic-Components-Capacitors-Transistors/dp/1449333893/ref=sr_1_1?crid=8W3X0M4J1OAS&dchild=1&keywords=encyclopedia+of+electronic+components+volume+1&qid=1621447504&sprefix=encylopedia+of+electronic+%2Caps%2C156&sr=8-1 

• Book, Encyclopedia of Electronic Components Vol. 2, by Charles Platt with Fedrik Jansson – MakerMedia, Sebastopol, CA – approx. $17.15

https://smile.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-Electronic-Components-Thyristors-Amplification/dp/1449334180/ref=sr_1_4?crid=8W3X0M4J1OAS&dchild=1&keywords=encyclopedia+of+electronic+components+volume+1&qid=1621447608&sprefix=encylopedia+of+electronic+%2Caps%2C156&sr=8-4