/ki-lime-pi-pico

[Mirror] Source repository of the comprehensive KiCad Library for the Raspberry Pi Pico 🥧 Check out the repo Ki-Lime Pi To-Go for the fully baked submodule, and GitLab for issues, merge requests, etc.

Primary LanguageShellMIT No AttributionMIT-0

A comprehensive KiCad Library for the Raspberry Pi Pico 🥧

Providing footprints, symbols, and models for the module in its various forms and implementations

 

Image of all available Raspberry Pi Pico footprint variations
The offered footprints of the Raspberry Pi Pico; all footprints also have a variant with mounting holes.

Image of all available Raspberry Pi Pico schematic variations
The offered schematics of the Raspberry Pi Pico; many pins provide alternate pin definitions.

GIF of all available Raspberry Pi Pico 3D model variations
The models feature the original Pico, Pico H, Pico W, and Pico WH; they are able to be visualised in surface-mount, through-hole, and socketed forms.

 

Features

  • KiCad 7.0 support
  • Schematics with alternate pin definitions to select more specific behaviours for each GPIO, as well as specify power directionality
  • Generic and specific footprints for the Pico and Pico W
    • Through-hole and surface-mount footprints with and without mounting holes
    • Hand-solderable test points (ie. USB signals) in footprints with underside castellations
    • Optional pin labels as an add-on footprint
    • Optional keepout zone for 2.4 GHz RF on shared footprints
  • Diverse 3D models for surface-mount, through-hole, and socketed forms of the Pico, Pico H, Pico W, and Pico WH using photorealistic materials
  • Majority adherence to the KiCad Library Conventions version 3.0.34

 

How do I use this library?

  • Ensure you are running KiCad 7.0 or later
  • Download the most recent release of the library
  • Unzip the file contents
  • If not already created, create a new KiCad project
  • Move the root library directory RaspberryPi_Pico/ to a folder anywhere within your KiCad project

    If using the library globally, move RaspberryPi_Pico/ to a globally accessible location

  • Open the relevant KiCad project
  • Select Preferences > Manage Footprint Libraries...
  • Select the Project Specific Libraries tab

    If using the library globally, select the Global Librarires tab instead

  • Click the folder icon in the lower left to Add Existing
  • Navigate to and select .../RaspberryPi_Pico/Module_RaspberryPi_Pico.pretty/
  • Click OK
  • Select Preferences > Manage Symbol Libraries...
  • Select the Project Specific Libraries tab

    If using the library globally, select the Global Libaries tab instead

  • Click the folder icon in the lower left to Add existing library to table
  • Navigate to and select .../RaspberryPi_Pico/MCU_Module_RaspberryPi_Pico.kicad_sym
  • Click OK

To use, simply add a symbol to your schematic as you would any other; symbols should be located under the section MCU_Module_RaspberryPi_Pico, and footprints under Module_RaspberryPi_Pico.

You're all set to design exciting new circuit boards using the Raspberry Pi Pico! 🎉

 

Further reading

Other KiCad implementations of the Raspberry Pi Pico:

Some adjacent solutions I encountered during my research for this project

Pico W antenna radiation pattern resources:

Additional further reading:

  • A similar example of implementing 3 discrete components as one apparent symbol for a socketed device on the KiCad forums

 

License / Access

This work is made freely available under the MIT-0 license, the text of which should be found in LICENSE.txt in the root directory of this project alongside this README.

No additional/conflicting permission notices were present in the source repository at the time of release.

Repository: https://gitlab.com/recursivenomad/ki-lime-pi-pico/
Releases: https://gitlab.com/recursivenomad/ki-lime-pi-pico/-/releases/
Contact: recursivenomad@protonmail.com