About
Who is behind this book
Hi, I am Peter Dalmaris, the author of KiCad Like a Pro and the founder of Tech Explorations. I have spent years teaching people how to design printed circuit boards with KiCad, across multiple editions of this book and a family of video courses. Most of my own projects eventually find their way into my books, and this one is no different.
Why a 5th edition, and why now
KiCad 10 is a big step forward, and it deserves a book written for it, not a patch on an older one. So I went back to the start. The 5th edition is rebuilt around KiCad 10, with fresh projects that you design and send off to be manufactured.
The book keeps itself current
KiCad keeps improving, and a book can fall behind. I built the 5th edition to solve that. It sits on a version-tracking system that flags exactly which figures and passages a new KiCad release affects. When KiCad 11 arrives, updating the book is a focused job rather than a rewrite, and those updates reach you for free.
Why I am publishing it before it is finished
Writing in the open keeps me honest and keeps you informed. You can see the book take shape, read chapters as they are drafted, and tell me what is working and what is not. Your early support funds the work, and your feedback makes the book better. In return, you pay the lowest price and get everything that follows.
How the book is organized
There are four volumes, and each one is a skill you can actually finish:
Volume 1 — Getting Started drafted
Your first PCBs: schematic, layout, two real projects, manufacturing files.
Volume 2 — Real Boards in progress
Custom symbols and footprints, board setup, copper zones, BOM, DFM, two projects.
Volume 3 — Advanced Design planned
Hierarchical designs, four-layer boards, Git, simulation, scripting and plugins.
Volume 4 — High-Speed Design planned
Controlled impedance, length tuning, stack-up, high-speed DFM.
See for yourself
Read a free sample, or open the live status page to see where every chapter stands today.