Why open hardware needs open software

#1

Post by natashabaker » Tue, Oct 29, 2019, 3:26 PM UTC

Why open hardware needs open software
blog.snapeda.com

Re: Why open hardware needs open software

#2

Post by ecaradec » Wed, Oct 30, 2019, 11:43 AM UTC

A few days ago wayne did post that his position was terminated : http://kicad-pcb.org/blog/2019/10/KiCad-Lead-Developer-Annou...

Re: Why open hardware needs open software

#3

Post by natashabaker » Wed, Oct 30, 2019, 11:47 AM UTC

ecaradec wrote: post #2

A few days ago wayne did post that his position was terminated : http://kicad-pcb.org/blog/2019/10/KiCad-Lead-Developer-Annou...

This is referring to WIT's funding. As per the post:

In the short term, I will continue working on KiCad while pursuing as many avenues as possible to generate enough revenue to allow me to continue to work full time on KiCad.

Re: Why open hardware needs open software

#4

Post by jononor » Wed, Oct 30, 2019, 12:17 PM UTC

ecaradec wrote: post #2

A few days ago wayne did post that his position was terminated : http://kicad-pcb.org/blog/2019/10/KiCad-Lead-Developer-Annou...

That was rather abrupt, the position started in May or so?

Which also means that probably the negative effects of this on KiCAD will be rather minor, as its more of a return to how things were than anything.

Re: Why open hardware needs open software

#5

Post by rvense » Wed, Oct 30, 2019, 12:30 PM UTC

jononor wrote: post #4

ecaradec wrote: post #2

A few days ago wayne did post that his position was terminated : http://kicad-pcb.org/blog/2019/10/KiCad-Lead-Developer-Annou...

That was rather abrupt, the position started in May or so? Which also means that probably the negative effects of this on KiCAD will be rather minor, as its more of a return to how things were than anything.

The announcement on the site is dated April 30.

Re: Why open hardware needs open software

#6

Post by StavrosK » Wed, Oct 30, 2019, 12:31 PM UTC

ecaradec wrote: post #2

A few days ago wayne did post that his position was terminated : http://kicad-pcb.org/blog/2019/10/KiCad-Lead-Developer-Annou...

That's unfortunate, KiCAD is a fantastically useful piece of software and Wayne has been great for it, from the little I know about it.

Re: Why open hardware needs open software

#7

Post by aritmo » Wed, Oct 30, 2019, 12:58 PM UTC

At first sight the title seems to wrong, that software is easier to be open compared to hardware.

Re: Why open hardware needs open software

#8

Post by xvilka » Wed, Oct 30, 2019, 1:01 PM UTC

Apart from well known KiCAD, I hope more open-source electronic design and engineering software projects will get attention from the industry. Software like LibreCAD[1] and FreeCAD[2], Qucs[3], gEDA[4], Yosys[5] and Symbiflow[6], Chisel/FIRRTL[7], OpenROAD initiative[8], Degate[9], and many others.

[1] https://librecad.org/

[2] https://www.freecadweb.org/

[3] https://github.com/Qucs

[4] http://www.geda-project.org/

[5] http://www.clifford.at/yosys/

[6] https://symbiflow.github.io/

[7] https://www.chisel-lang.org/

[8] https://theopenroadproject.org/

[9] https://github.com/nitram2342/degate

Re: Why open hardware needs open software

#9

Post by LeonM » Wed, Oct 30, 2019, 1:02 PM UTC

I've been out of the EE world for a couple of years now, but looking at the screenshots of KiCAD schematic capture tool, it looks remarcably simular to Eagle (same colors, graphics, etc). Are KiCAD and Eagle related in some way?

Re: Why open hardware needs open software

#10

Post by pjc50 » Wed, Oct 30, 2019, 1:05 PM UTC

natashabaker wrote: post #3

ecaradec wrote: post #2

A few days ago wayne did post that his position was terminated : http://kicad-pcb.org/blog/2019/10/KiCad-Lead-Developer-Annou...

This is referring to WIT's funding. As per the post: In the short term, I will continue working on KiCad while pursuing as many avenues as possible to generate enough revenue to allow me to continue to work full time on KiCad.

Who are WIT, anyway? Their site is a placeholder: https://www.wit.com/