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diff --git a/content/projects/kimesh/README.rst b/content/projects/kimesh/README.rst deleted file mode 100644 index 479690f..0000000 --- a/content/projects/kimesh/README.rst +++ /dev/null @@ -1,64 +0,0 @@ -KiCAD Security Mesh Generator -============================= - -.. image:: kicad-mesh-result-large.png - :width: 800 - :alt: A screenshot of KiCAD showing a PCB security mesh generated by KiMesh. - -This repository contains KiMesh, a KiCAD pcbnew plugin that generates security mesh traces on a KiCAD PCB. - -Installation ------------- - -KiMesh has two parts: The pcbnew plugin that generates the traces, and the magic footprints that you use to tell the -plugin how many traces of which dimensions to generate where. - -To install the plugin, copy the "kimesh" directory into your KiCAD installation's scripting plugin folder. Usually, this -is `~/.config/kicad/scripting/plugins/` for KiCAD stable installations or -`~/.config/kicad/[major version].99/scripting/plugins/` for nightly builds. On Windows, these paths can be found in your -user account's `AppData/Roaming` directory. - -To install the footprint libraries, the easiest way is to download the library zip from the project's repo -`[link] <https://git.jaseg.de/kimesh.git/plain/mesh_footprints.tar.xz?h=main>`__, unpack it to your project folder, and -add the unpacked libraries as project-specific libraries through KiCad's library management thingy. - -Usage ------ - -To work, KiMesh requires four things: - -1. An area free of other features such as footprints or traces where to generate the mesh. -2. One or more "graphic polygons" on a drawing layer that specify the area of the mesh. -3. A closed board outline on the `Edge.Cuts` layer. -4. One of the magic footprints from the KiMesh anchor library that defines the mesh's number of wires and their - dimensions, and tells KiMesh where to start the mesh and in which direction to start it. - -You can choose any layer for the outline polygons, such as the pre-defined `User.Eco1` or `User.X` layers, or you can -define your own. You just have to select that layer later in KiMesh's generator dialog. Note that KiMesh only processes -graphic polygons on that layer, and ignores other shapes such as lines, rectangles or circles. You can still use other -shapes, but you have to manually convert them to polygons before running KiMesh. To convert other shapes to -a polygon, select them, open the context menu with a right click, then choose the "Create from Selection 🞂 Create -Polygon from Selection" entry. For rectangles or circles, use the "Use Centerlines" option. For lines or arcs, use the -"Create bounding hull" option. - -Place the magic anchor footprint on the outline of the mesh's shape polygons so that you have space to route out the -traces. The anchor footprint has an arrow on the `F.Fab` layer that indicates in which direction the mesh will be -generated. - -I recommend adding the mesh to the schematic with one of KiCad's built-in `Connector_02xN_Top_Bottom` footprints. For a -mesh with k wires, choose a symbol with two rows of 2k pins each. For instance, for two mesh wires, choose -`Connector_02x04_Top_bottom`. Then assign one of the magic footprints to that symbol. To avoid DRC warnings, join the -two halves of the mesh on the output side of the footprint. That's the right side in default orientation, where the -higher-numbered pins are. - -.. image:: screenshot-mesh-schematic.png - :width: 800 - :alt: A screenshot of the connector footprint mentioned in the previous paragraph, shown conencted up as described in - KiCad's schematic editor. - -Theory of operation -------------------- - -I have published a post_ on my blog on the theory of operation behind KiMesh. - -.. _post: https://blog.jaseg.de/posts/kicad-mesh-plugin/ |