How-to guides

Task-oriented walkthroughs for specific jobs. If you're new, do the First Light tutorial first: it strings the basics together on the simplest board.

Getting a board simulating

Open a routed board: load a .kicad_pcb, from a file or a drag-and-drop.
Attach a schematic: add Sim.* fields and pin names for higher fidelity.
Set ground & supply: designate the reference and power nets.
Energize & read the operating point: power it up and read every net's voltage.

Use the bench & draw leads: add instruments and wire them onto the board.
Probe nets & read the scope: watch live waveforms, use cursors, read frequencies.
Drive a microcontroller's pins: check MCU hardware without running firmware.

Fix an unresolved part: the Model Doctor: import, stub, or pin-map a part.
Run the Board Critic audit: the read-only pre-fab check.
Save your setup & export a report: keep your rigging across reopens and restarts, and hand a report to someone else.
Read the warnings & fidelity banner: what every honesty surface is telling you.
Glossary: every technical term the app uses, in plain words.
Save a diagnostic bundle: one zip of decks, log, board hash, and versions to attach to a bug report.

Run circsim from the command line: circsim audit, deck, and op with no window, for CI gates and reproducible reports.