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Kicad 6: new feature review for open source EDA tool

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Re: Kicad 6: new feature review for open source EDA tool

#11

Post by roland35 »

Animats wrote: post #4

I was a KiCAD user until they dropped support for the auto-router. They apparently had some dispute with the developer of the auto-router, and took out auto-router integration. (Yeah, there's some hack to make it still work, maybe.) I have an old board I'd like to revise slightly, but it's too much work and risk to convert to the new "interactive" (i.e. manual) routing system.

Isn't there still the follow-me router? I find that more convenient than auto routing since I generally have an idea of where I want to route, but it's nice having to computer work out the details

Re: Kicad 6: new feature review for open source EDA tool

#13

Post by lmilcin »

PragmaticPulp wrote: post #9
ChuckMcM wrote: post #2

This should be a good release, although this particular article could probably be edited down to 50% of its size without losing any information :-). One of the things that KiCAD is doing to making a legitimate open framework for eCAD design. Not surprisingly, back in the 80's when the "CAD Framework Initiative" started up and everyone was going to be able to mix and match CAD components a bunch of CAD vendors got sca…

I think the simpler explanation is that good PCB CAD tools are extremely difficult and require a lot of developer effort. KiCAD is very good for an open-source tool that can produce basic PCBs. However, modern paid CAD tools are on a different level entirely. The differences may not be obvious for simple boards with low speed connections, but it’s a world of difference to use one of the high end CAD tools on a comple…

I am amateur EE. My boards aren't very complicated but with exception of RF stuff (which I just don't understand) contain most of the interesting stuff: typically one or more STM32s below 200MHz, some flash, sensors, external interfaces like USB, display, some high power (>20A) stuff, some very sensitive analog stuff, etc. I have even recently started including my own SMPS (for lower power things).

Kicad is all I need and probably will ever need.

I get that better tools could help do some stuff but, realistically, great majority of work is outside of kicad (like learning, searching for parts, debugging, etc.) Even within kicad I spent most of the time thinking and tinkering with the schematics. So, according to Amdahl's law, there is very little I can gain upgrading Kicad to something else assuming it actually could make me more productive.

If you are pro and you can do that other stuff quickly and efficiently and EDA is majority of your work then, maybe the calculation is different. But I just can't imagine an amateur could benefit a lot.

Re: Kicad 6: new feature review for open source EDA tool

#14

Post by amelius »

lmilcin wrote: post #13
PragmaticPulp wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the simpler explanation is that good PCB CAD tools are extremely difficult and require a lot of developer effort. KiCAD is very good for an open-source tool that can produce basic PCBs. However, modern paid CAD tools are on a different level entirely. The differences may not be obvious for simple boards with low speed connections, but it’s a world of difference to use one of the high end CAD tools on a comple…

I am amateur EE. My boards aren't very complicated but with exception of RF stuff (which I just don't understand) contain most of the interesting stuff: typically one or more STM32s below 200MHz, some flash, sensors, external interfaces like USB, display, some high power (>20A) stuff, some very sensitive analog stuff, etc. I have even recently started including my own SMPS (for lower power things). Kicad is all I nee…

Do you use Spice from within Kicad?

Re: Kicad 6: new feature review for open source EDA tool

#15

Post by amelius »

Animats wrote: post #4

I was a KiCAD user until they dropped support for the auto-router. They apparently had some dispute with the developer of the auto-router, and took out auto-router integration. (Yeah, there's some hack to make it still work, maybe.) I have an old board I'd like to revise slightly, but it's too much work and risk to convert to the new "interactive" (i.e. manual) routing system.

I've never worked with the auto-router, but personally I think placement is giving me the most headaches.

Re: Kicad 6: new feature review for open source EDA tool

#17

Post by lmilcin »

amelius wrote: post #14
lmilcin wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am amateur EE. My boards aren't very complicated but with exception of RF stuff (which I just don't understand) contain most of the interesting stuff: typically one or more STM32s below 200MHz, some flash, sensors, external interfaces like USB, display, some high power (>20A) stuff, some very sensitive analog stuff, etc. I have even recently started including my own SMPS (for lower power things). Kicad is all I nee…

Do you use Spice from within Kicad?

No, I don't use Spice at all.

I am calculating stuff by hand and/or building prototypes (especially when I can't calculate). Sometimes I use Matlab to visualize something I have calculated.

Re: Kicad 6: new feature review for open source EDA tool

#19

Post by contingencies »

amelius wrote: post #15
Animats wrote: post #4

I was a KiCAD user until they dropped support for the auto-router. They apparently had some dispute with the developer of the auto-router, and took out auto-router integration. (Yeah, there's some hack to make it still work, maybe.) I have an old board I'd like to revise slightly, but it's too much work and risk to convert to the new "interactive" (i.e. manual) routing system.

I've never worked with the auto-router, but personally I think placement is giving me the most headaches.

1. Learn to carefully structure schematics as hierarchical sheets. 2. Use the replicate-layout plugin to duplicate schematic sheet layout across multiple instances. 3. Get a graphics tablet.

Re: Kicad 6: new feature review for open source EDA tool

#20

Post by taf2 »

ChuckMcM wrote: post #2

This should be a good release, although this particular article could probably be edited down to 50% of its size without losing any information :-). One of the things that KiCAD is doing to making a legitimate open framework for eCAD design. Not surprisingly, back in the 80's when the "CAD Framework Initiative" started up and everyone was going to be able to mix and match CAD components a bunch of CAD vendors got sca…

"although this particular article could probably be edited down to 50% of its size without losing any information :-)."

Reminds of me of the time a friend and I were working on copy for a marketing site (we're both engineers) and we started out with a long sentence and kept removing words until we had just one word... like "box" or "apple" or something like that when originally it was like as long as my comment...

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