Kicad Specific PCB Hints

• You end up with nicer ground planes if you leave all GND connections unconnected until after you have flood filled a ground plane on top and bottom.
• On all your parts, add a document URL so you can right click in EESchema and see the data sheet.
• Use net labels to keep your schematic uncluttered and to label nets that need wider traces on the PCB. You can set them up in the PCBNew "Design Rules."
• Put in test points to make debugging your board easier.
• Sometimes you can put in components that are not populated to give yourself more options after you actually get the board back from manufacturing.
• Check that the pin numbers on your schematic match the ones on your footprints, and the pin numbers on the data sheet match the pin numbers on the schematic. This is especially important. In the past Kicad changed the convention for pin numbers on diodes, and so even if you have an old design that was right, and you make some modifications to it, this may bite you! It is also a problem that various manufacturers have different numbering conventions on pins for some standard packages, and the footprints you are using may not match the parts in your schematic. You should also check that the schematic pins are correct, because the .lib files may also have these errors.
• After you have routed a board, and you make changes, it will leave in old routed connections, which may not be what you want. One solution for small boards is to rip up everything and reroute. In more complicated designs, you just have to be very careful.
• Make sure you have the correct package type and footprint for the parts you actually are ordering.
• Do a design rules check in Kicad. Also do one at 4PCB.net before submitting your design for manufacturing.
• Look at the 3D view to make sure things look as you expect.