Trying to create RC2014 module with Kicad

[Steve Baines]

Hi,
So I'm trying to design a new RC2014 module PCB using KiCad.
I am new to KiCad, and finding it frustrating so far...

There is a template for the new enhanced card shape and connector here http://rc2014.co.uk/1377/module-template/
which in turn links to http://rc2014.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Dimension-Template.kicad_pcb.txt

If I remove the 'txt' extension and open this in the Kicad PCB tool, then I see the template, and all looks good.
But if I switch to the Schematic view, I get an empty sheet - the edge connector component doesn't exist,
and I don't know where to find it/how to add it.

If I start dropping in components, and attaching them to global labels /A0 ... /A15, /D0 ... /D7, M1, IOREQ, etc (names found
by reading the template in text editor), then I export to the PCB tool, the PCB tool does seem to be matching things up
correctly, yay.  OTOH, the schematic electrical rules check is telling me that most of my pins aren't connected, even though they
are, and they are visibly connected in the PCB tool...
Wondering whether this is 'correct' though.
Also wondering why all address and data pins have the /, since that normally means active low?

If I then try Tools->FreeRoute to route the board, I get "IO_ERROR: Component with value of '' has empty reference id. ... Unable to export, please fix and try again"

What the feck is that supposed to mean?
All the components have identifiers, so I've got no idea how to fix this.

Would it kill Kicad to e.g. select the component that it isn't happy about, rather than leaving me to guess?

If anyone can shed some light on any of this, I'd be very happy.

  Steve

[Thomas Riesen]

Have also problems, the template shows an "line 526 = expected" error ...

Thomas

[Steve Baines]

After some more fighting with the tools, I've made some progress.
A few elements in the PCB file (such as the mounting hole) did not have named identifiers.
The footprint names for the pin headers have changed (they now include an explicit spacing identifier).

Anyway, I've attached a set of files based on modifying the original template at http://rc2014.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Dimension-Template.kicad_pcb.txt
KiCad (4.0.6) seems to be happy with these new files.
It provides a schematic containing the main and enhanced bus connectors, and a PCB file that can be successfully exported for routing.

The edge connectors are all connected up with global labels, and I've used the conventional Z80 labelling,
e.g. D0-D7, A0-A5, /M1, /WR, /RD, etc.

I'm a beginner at KiCad, so I might have done this entirely wrong, but this worked enough to allow me to
complete a couple of board designs using it as the 'blank board' starting point, get them routed,
export gerbers, and send them off to seeedstudio for manufacture.

When I get the boards back, I guess I'll find out whether I got it right or not...

   Cheers - Steve

[Steve Baines]

And here's the file, rename as .zip.  Seems that Google won't allow me to make it easy, so I have to trick it into thinking it isn't a zip file.

[Peter Fielden-Weston]

Steve,

Thank you so much for the work that you have done on this zip file. I downloaded, renamed & copied into my KiCad projects folder and the files worded first time.

I take my (proverbial) hat off to you.

Peter