Learn KiCad 10.0 in 7 Steps

What This Video Covers

This video walks through a complete KiCad 10 PCB design on an ESP32-S3 USB development board: new project setup, schematic capture, a custom USB-connector symbol, wiring and global labels, a custom USB footprint, board outline, placement driven by ratsnest lines, silkscreen, track routing, 3D review, and Design Rule Check (DRC). The board is a typical two-layer FR4 PCB used in IoT and consumer electronics PCB work—module plus connector, passives, and a compact outline.

The manufacturing-critical lessons sit after the schematic. Pad geometry on a hand-built USB footprint, copper-to-outline clearance, silkscreen that does not cover pads, and a clean DRC are what decide whether a PCB prototype fabricates on the first spin. After DRC is green, engineers can generate a quote from the same files via an instant PCB quote or add turnkey PCB assembly for SMT parts and the USB connector. The page is written so the workflow, DFM risks, and next production step are usable even if you do not watch the video.

Key Highlights

• Custom USB symbols and footprints must match the mechanical drawing (pad pitch, pad size, courtyard, and keep-out). A library “USB-A” that does not match the chosen connector is a common first-article fail on compact ESP32 boards.
• Placement should follow ratsnest density before routing. Lock the ESP32-S3 module and USB connector to the outline first; then pull remaining parts onto short, uncrossed connections.
• A green KiCad DRC is necessary but not sufficient for fab. Edge-cut continuity, copper-to-outline clearance, soldermask sliver, and silkscreen-on-pad still need a manufacturer DFM pass before Gerbers leave the editor.

The 7-Step KiCad 10 Workflow Used in This Tutorial

The tutorial uses a real ESP32-S3 USB board rather than a toy blink circuit. That matters for manufacturing: the design includes a module with a defined keep-out, a USB connector that is rarely perfect in stock libraries, mixed SMD passives, and a small outline where every millimetre of copper-to-edge clearance is visible on the first panel.

Steps 1–2: New Project and Schematic Component Placement

Create a dedicated project folder in KiCad 10, open the schematic editor, and set sheet size and title-block data before placing parts. Search and place the ESP32-S3-WROOM (or equivalent module symbol), power and decoupling parts, and supporting discretes. Leave the USB connector as a placeholder until the custom symbol exists. Factory CAM teams later read the title block and revision; an empty sheet description is a common source of “which file is the released revision?” holds.

Steps 3–4: Custom USB Symbol, Wiring, and Global Labels

The video builds a USB-connector symbol instead of forcing a stock USBA part that may not match pin order or mechanical intent. Pin numbers on the symbol must map 1:1 to the footprint pads you will draw next. Wire power and USB D+/D− explicitly; use global labels for nets that would otherwise turn the sheet into a nest of long wires (VBUS, GND, D+, D−, 3V3). After annotation, run ERC before leaving the schematic. Unconnected USB shield or missing power flags are cheap to fix here and expensive after the board is etched.

Step 5: Custom USB Connector Footprint

Pad positions come from the connector datasheet, not from a screenshot of another board. Place pads on a tight grid, draw the courtyard/boundary so pick-and-place and 3D collision checks have a real keep-out, then assign the new footprint back to the symbol. USB connectors fail first-article for three repeatable reasons: pad length too short for the solder fillet, hole size wrong on through-hole shells, and courtyard that ignores the overmold so the part hangs off the board edge.

Steps 6–7: PCB Layout, Ratsnest Placement, Routing, and DRC

Update the PCB from the schematic, lock the USB connector and ESP32 module to the intended outline, then draw and fine-tune Edge.Cuts. Use the 3D viewer to confirm the connector sits on the board, not in air. Move remaining parts along ratsnest lines so high-current and USB nets stay short. Place reference designators on silkscreen away from pads and the routed outline. Route tracks last, then run DRC and inspect unconnected items, clearance, and hole-to-hole errors before exporting fabrication data.

Original Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrsPh7PYMvw

Watch the original video on YouTube.