#1800 I2C Nixie Display Project (part 2 of 5)

Episode 1800
start PCB layout, create new footprint

[AnthonyZwygart]

Having created or edited a pad you can right click on the pad and "Copy Pad Properties to Default". Then select the other pads you wish to make the same, right click and "Paste Default Pad Properties to Selected". Has helped me many times. Thank you for your fantastic videos.

[td]

Remember to print the footprint on paper at 1:1 scale and proof the pin holes/layout. Remember that inkjet printers do not print 1:1, even when so set. Add a 100mm test line to the Comments layer. Check the Comments layer to also be printed. Verify the 100mm printed line measures true to 100mm. Mine prints short at 98mm, so I set the print custom scale to 102. A light table is very helpful for checking the alignments. HTH.

[herbertsusmann]

I would have made those nixie holes a bit bigger, maybe 0.042? If annulus on pad doesn't get too thin.

[nickcaruso]

Really enjoyed this one. Very helpful to listen and watch as you do the KiCAD stuff.

[simonbaxter]

Figure 2 on the datasheet gives you the size for the pins. The SK-207 datasheet gives the base pin diameter as 0.035". So, 0.038" is too small, especially if the hole is plated through! You should be shooting for at least 0.006" larger PCB hole size, so you measured at 0.0375" hole needs to be 0.044". Going off the SK-207 datasheet, the hole should be 0.041".

[Mr.Leeroy]

Having plane pour around 'HV' is probably beneficial in terms of EMC emissions given that you'll be multiplexing, but that potential has to be tied somewhere and probably filtered properly to be effective.

[AnalogDude_]

14:43 you could make dedicated "groundplane" for that.
I use 0.4064 mm wide tracks and they fit perfectly between the pins of pdib packages, where the via's are 1.6 mm.

[andymouse]

fascinating schematic layout style, I haven't seen anything like that before. This is a great project idea....cheers.

[peterayearst]

Click on the pad whose properties you want to use. Then right click and select at the bottom Push Pad Properties to Other Pads...

[dipdoting]

This is very cool and timely, I've been searching eBay for some Nixies and this is on my project list. Of course, I'll need to use relays as a decoder just because. Love your channel, learned so much from your videos!

[jrkorman]

I was looking at your trace layout, so pulled out the manual for my old Heathkit IB-1103 counter. Not exact, but damn similar layout. This counter only uses 100V on the Nixie tubes.

[herbertsusmann]

Seeing what you did in KiCad makes me want to stay with the layout package I've used for the last 25+ years: EasyPC. Things like bulk property changes are always possible. KiCad just seems too primitive for any work beyond super basic layouts.

[mrenrollment]

Note: KiCAD has a calculator, ...
".038" way too small.
I think KiCAD 8 'may' have bulk editing.
Jeese it is not THAT high a voltage, ... (I have stories.)