A Cross Platform and Open Source Electronics Design Automation Suite

KiCad for Mac

KiCad for Mac

  -  1.5 GB  -  Open Source
  • Latest Version

    KiCad 8.0.6 LATEST

  • Review by

    Sophia Jones

  • Operating System

    macOS 10.15 Catalina or later

  • User Rating

    Click to vote
  • Author / Product

    KiCad Team / External Link

  • Filename

    kicad-unified-universal-8.0.6.dmg

KiCad for Mac is an open-source software suite for Electronic Design Automation (EDA). The programs handle Schematic Capture and PCB Layout with Gerber output. The suite runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS and is licensed under GNU GPL v3. The first release date was in 1992 by its original author, Jean-Pierre Charras, but is now currently under development by the KiCad Developers Team.

Schematic Capture
With the schematic editor, you can create your design without limit; there are no paywalls to unlock features. An official library for schematic symbols and a built-in schematic symbol editor help you get started quickly with your designs. Schematic capture is efficient, with all the tools you can expect for such a task. The interface focuses on productivity. There are no complexity limits, as large designs can be divided into hierarchical subsheets. Various export options are available (PDF, SVG, HPGL, Postscript).

PCB Layout
Make professional PCB layouts with up to 32 copper layers. KiCad for macOS now has a push and shove router which is capable of routing differential pairs and interactively tuning trace lengths. This modern tool will help you layout your board faster. As you draw your track, it pushes forward traces that are in the way. If that is not possible, your track will be rerouted around obstacles. The push and shove router will make sure that your DRC constraints are respected.

3D Viewer
Ki Cad for macOS includes a 3D viewer that you can use to inspect your design in an interactive canvas. You can rotate and pan around to inspect details that are difficult to inspect on a 2D view. Multiple rendering options allow you to modify the aesthetic appearance of the board or to hide and show features for easier inspection. When laying out your PCB, you can instantly inspect your design in an interactive 3D view. Rotate and pan around to inspect details easier than with a 2D display.

Features and Highlights
  • Electrical Rules Check
  • Export Netlists
  • Bill Of Materials
  • Integrated libraries
  • Push and shove router
  • Length tuning
  • Footprint Editor (GAL)
Also Available: Download KiCad for Windows

  • KiCad 8.0.6 Screenshots

    The images below have been resized. Click on them to view the screenshots in full size.

    KiCad 8.0.6 Screenshot 1
  • KiCad 8.0.6 Screenshot 2
  • KiCad 8.0.6 Screenshot 3
  • KiCad 8.0.6 Screenshot 4
  • KiCad 8.0.6 Screenshot 5

What's new in this version:

Schematic Editor:
- Do not create empty labels when the pin has no name
- Fix output when printing custom font in drawing sheet
- Fix broken symbol links when importing CADSTAR schematics
- Fix annotation issue loading legacy schematics
- Decode UTF-8 for component field values in backannotation parser

Spice Simulator:
- Make simulation warnings non-fatal
- Fix contrast and update issues with simulation cursors
- Use shown E24 tune values

Board Editor:
- Fix crash when enabling filled shape properties in a text box
- Update track widths during routing.
- Fix crash when opening version 3 legacy board file
- Correctly mirror dimensions when placed on back silk screen layer
- Import POURED items as zone fills from EasyEDA/LCEDA Pro v2.2+ board files
- Make "Move Corner To…​" use defined grid origin
- Use correct radius when expanding to polygon, rule area, or zone from selection
- Correctly show ratsnest lines for graphical items with nets
- Prevent text box from moving when continuously flipping
- Convert small arcs in line chain to segments to avoid overflow issues in Altium importer.
- Improve default textbox alignment in Altium importer

Footprint Editor:
- Allow removing default field values from text items

Gerber Viewer:
- Fix loading Gerber files with long line lengths

Command Line Interface:
- Ensure plotted layers in gerber export are restricted to enabled layers