Create tracks with typeCAD

One of the last parts of board design was routing and that is largely accomplished now with the newest release.

`TrackBuilder`

The TrackBuilder object lets you create tracks with a fluent API.

import { PCB, TrackBuilder } from '@typecad/typecad';

let pcb = new PCB('typecad_docs');

let power_track: TrackBuilder = this.pcb.track()
    .from({x: 100, y: 100}, "F.Cu", 0.2)    // Start on F.Cu, 0.2mm wide (these are the defaults and can be omitted)
    .to({x: 110, y: 100})                   // go to 110, 100
    .via({size: 0.8, drill: 0.4})           // create a via at the 110, 100
    .to({x: 110, y: 120, layer: "B.Cu"});   // Continues on B.Cu

pcb.group('typecad_docs', power_track);     // add the TrackBuilder to the group

pcb.create();

This method fits in nicely with the rest of the typeCAD API.

Connections

TrackBuilder objects don’t take any connection information. This is because KiCAD will connect any track that touches an element with a net, ie. a track that touches a pad connected to the ‘gnd’ net will make the entire track also connected to the ‘gnd’ net. Since there’s no use for an unconnected track, this simplifies to process.

typecad/kicad2typecad

@typecad/kicad2typecad is a package to simplify making tracks. This is particularly useful for making packages. You can lay out the entire package in KiCAD; components placed, tracks drawn, and vias added. Then use kicad2typecad to generate the code snippets to create them programmatically in the package.

Making a package

The workflow for creating a reusable package is:

Create a package, add components and connections
Layout the board in KiCAD using tracks and vias
Use kicad2typecad to generate the code snippets
Add the code snippets to the package

An example output for a small package looks like this:

Reading from File: .\typecad_docs.kicad_pcb
Found 6 segments. Generating TrackBuilder chains from File: .Reading from File: .\typecad_docs.kicad_pcb.

--- Generated typeCAD TrackBuilder Code from File: .\typecad_docs.kicad_pcb ---
this.pcb.track().from({ x: 152.05, y: 96.87 }, "F.Cu", 0.2)
  .to({ x: 152.4, y: 96.52, layer: "F.Cu", width: 0.2 });
this.pcb.track().from({ x: 151.1, y: 99.665 }, "F.Cu", 0.2)
  .to({ x: 151.765, y: 100.33, layer: "F.Cu", width: 0.2 })
  .to({ x: 152.273, y: 99.822, layer: "F.Cu", width: 0.2 })
  .to({ x: 153.67, y: 99.822, layer: "F.Cu", width: 0.2 }); 
this.pcb.track().from({ x: 150.6, y: 99.175 }, "F.Cu", 0.2)
  .to({ x: 151.1, y: 99.175, layer: "F.Cu", width: 0.2 })
  .to({ x: 151.1, y: 99.665, layer: "F.Cu", width: 0.2 });

---------------------------------------------------------
Found 4 footprints. Generating placement code from File: .\typecad_docs.kicad_pcb.

--- Generated Component Placement Code from File: .\typecad_docs.kicad_pcb ---
this.C1.pcb = { x: 153.67, y: 99.047, rotation: -90 };
this.C2.pcb = { x: 153.67, y: 95.986, rotation: -90 };
this.VR1.pcb = { x: 150.6, y: 97.725, rotation: 0 };
this.L1.pcb = { x: 147.32, y: 97.828, rotation: 90 };
-------------------------------------------------------------
Found 3 vias. Generating typeCAD code from File: .\typecad_docs.kicad_pcb.

--- Generated typeCAD Via Code from File: .\typecad_docs.kicad_pcb ---
this.v1 = this.pcb.via({ at: { x: 110, y: 100 }, size: 0.8, drill: 0.4 });
this.v2 = this.pcb.via({ at: { x: 152.4, y: 96.52 }, size: 0.6, drill: 0.3 });
this.v3 = this.pcb.via({ at: { x: 151.765, y: 100.33 }, size: 0.6, drill: 0.3 });
-----------------------------------------------------

Using the code

The TrackBuilder objects can be used within a package directly. That’s why they are prefixed with this. One modification would be to place the return value of each this.pcb.track into a TrackBuilder object which can then be used to place in a package group.

The vias can also be used directly, or you can just take their location data.

For Component objects, the package doesn’t read your code so it doesn’t know what the variable names for your components are. It just uses the reference to show the code snippet.