Electronic – How layout 5cm x 5cm rectangle in KiCad

kicadpcbpcb-design

I want to get a PCB made by dirtyPCBs, which has a great price for boards, as long as it fits in a standard size. For example, 10 copies of a 5cm X 5cm board is only $14.

I'm using KiCad to lay out my board, and want to start with a 5cm x 5cm board boundary (edge cuts) so I know what I'm working with and can tell when I start to use up the available space.

What's the most straightforward way to get a rectangle in KiCad that's precisely 5cm x 5cm?

I don't believe there's a rectangle tool, so I'm happy to make it out of four separate lines; but I'm having trouble working out how to get make something 5cm long, perhaps by entering it in a dialog box or something rather than counting little grid dots 🙂

Is there a straightforward way to accomplish this?

Best Answer

Draw four graphic lines on edge.cuts. Press ESC to get back to the selection tool. Click on one line, press E, edit the coordinates for the end points, click OK. Repeat for the other 3 lines. It would also be a good idea to change your grid and units to mm, at least temporarily.