Working with VIA before Official Support
Felix Jen – 29 October 2020 – 1 min read
Downloading VIA
The VIA software can be downloaded through the official website at CanIUseVIA or through the official VIA Github Repository.
VIA Compatibility
VIA officially supports a number of boards with the list growing constantly as more support is added. However, support for boards must be approved before it will show up automatically in the software, and any boards that are still undergoing the lengthy approval process must be loaded into the software manually.
This can be done by uploading the provided .json file by the board manufacturer or designer into the software. If not provided with the .json file, VIA will not understand how to properly communicate with the board and will act as if no board is connected.
Enabling JSON Upload
With VIA opened, enter the VIA Application Settings through the rightmost tab on the toolbar.
Enable the “Design” tab in VIA Application Settings.
In the new “Design” tab on the top toolbar, drag the JSON file provided by your board designer into the center area.
If you have selected the correct JSON file, you will see a visual representation of your PCB in the Design tab. If this PCB does not look like what you expect, you may have selected the wrong JSON file. Please reach out to your board seller or designer to clarify the appropriate JSON file to use.
Your PCB should now be recognized in the VIA Configure tab and you may configure it like a supported board. These steps will need to be repeated if the VIA application is closed. Once the board has become officially supported by the official VIA developers, these steps are no longer necessary and your board will be automatically recognized.