Devlog #2: Routing Done, Copper Everywhere, and Finally Zero DRC Errors

Alright, so the custom macropad PCB is finally done! We finished routing the entire board, fixed all the DRC errors, and exported the final manufacturing files. Huge W for the team.

First, one painful confession.

I completely forgot to start the KiCad WakaTime plugin before working. 😭 Every single hour spent routing traces, fixing footprints, solving DRC errors, and figuring things out… none of it got tracked. My stats are absolutely gone.

Anyways, here’s how everything went.

Routing the PCB

After finishing the schematic, it was finally time to route the PCB.

Since the LEDs draw a decent amount of current, I couldn’t just use the default trace widths everywhere. So I created custom Net Classes in KiCad.

• +5V and +3V3 power lines were routed using thicker 0.4mm and 0.5mm traces.
• Data lines were routed using the default trace width.

Routing itself took way longer than I expected. Some traces were straightforward, but others needed multiple attempts before everything fit properly without creating new issues.

DRC Errors Everywhere

Once the routing was done, I ran the DRC check.

That’s when KiCad decided to throw a whole list of errors at me. 😭

Most of them were Board Edge Clearance Violations because a few traces had gone too close to the Edge.Cuts boundary.

So I went through them one by one, removed the problematic traces, routed them again properly, and kept checking until every single error disappeared.

Definitely one of those “fix one thing, two more things break” moments.

Copper Pour

Next came the ground plane.

I added a Copper Pour on the bottom layer (B.Cu) so that all the GND connections could be made properly.

Funny thing is, I first clicked on the Non-Copper Zone tool by mistake and spent a couple of minutes wondering why nothing was happening. 😭

After selecting the correct tool, the entire bottom layer got filled with ground copper.

That created another issue though.

Some traces were too close to a few switch pads, so the copper couldn’t connect properly and KiCad started showing Thermal Relief errors.

A little bit of manual routing later, I created enough space, refilled the copper, and everything connected perfectly.

Silkscreen Adventures

A custom PCB without custom artwork doesn’t feel complete.

Adding text was easy, but adding our logo took way more effort than expected.

Here’s what went wrong:

• I accidentally exported the image as a schematic symbol (.sym) instead of a footprint (.kicad_mod).
• Then I realised KiCad doesn’t even let you resize images directly inside the PCB Editor.

So I resized it again using the Bitmap Converter, opened it in the Footprint Editor, and copied the artwork directly onto the PCB.

Bit of a jugaad solution, but if it works, it works. 😌