- Diptrace vs kicad update#
- Diptrace vs kicad software#
- Diptrace vs kicad code#
- Diptrace vs kicad free#
Interesting, I wonder if I finally get to terms with electronic CAD programs(I honestly hate the UE in almost all of them, coming from 3D CAD).
Diptrace vs kicad update#
Anyway, I've done my large KiCAD workloads on Linux anyway, which will get the update when I feel like updating the 15 boards from my poly project from V4 or V5. Bit of a bitch how this "support only 2 system versions back" policy grabs hold, with the current version being buggy crap and no outlook for improvements. I can report that the final seems to work under Mojave, although it is officially unsupported. I had a prerelease V6 on a Mojave MacBook (10.14 still needed for 32-bit customer apps) and earlier today updated to final. (source only, should compile in any Qt creator: ) The file format is really easy and convenient to work with. After seeing how the lovely HTML BOM export just fell short of what I wanted and I failed getting VisualPlace to work, I quickly hacked together an application to visually aid with placement and export a commissioning list for THT parts, including a primitive S-Expr parser. Take a look and let me know how I can help.Ooh, the data format is getting lisp-y! This should be fun.
Diptrace vs kicad free#
(A really simple netlist format.)Īlso, I like the SPECCTRA auto-router., a huge help on some jobs.Īs for the database tools that I use to eliminate the need for schematic attributes see: Īnd samples of schematics and BOMs I produce at Īll these tools are free or very low cost. About 90% of my customer use OrCAD and all the others easily generate PADs netlists. The schematic front end for PADs was “Logic” (EOL for maybe a decade) and now DX Designer (AKA ViewDraw) which is not “Native” to PADs by my definition, I won’t touch it myself. I bought Altium, learned it well, but wend back to PADs.
Diptrace vs kicad code#
So I use PADs (ES Suite) for PCB Design, typically OrCAD for schematic (or my customer provides a netlist) and custom code to manage all my parts. For high speed design you gotta have Hyperlynx type functions, gotta. For doing jobs for others PADs and its open.
įor a DIY person with simple boards the freebie tools are fine. As a sample output see: I also helped setup. Driving assembly is a really important subject for me. So I forget about trying to load a schematic with attributes to manage downstream functions (I often cannot touch the customers schematic) and I maintain these attributes in a database parallel to the job. Schematic library tools are, in general, terrible database tools, I mean really bad. Now even if you roll your own boards you still need to buy parts and have things assembled.
Diptrace vs kicad software#
I started out using Parts & Vendors a long time ago for parts management and used my own software tools to merge my footprint and vendor info with the customer data I receive. Every tool claims great parts management but these buy you a big ZERO when you are designing jobs for other customers. (Well getting a footprint wrong is probably more common.)Ī huge issue is part library management. If you are going to screw up a PCB design it will probably be power planes. You must have the ability to design complex power plains AND execute continuity verification. The next “Function Down” is power plane management. The DDR3 is probably the worst, you MUST have something like the Hyperlynx functions (Field Solver) or you are dead meat. Yes it takes experience but it also takes tools.
Probably the worst case issues in PCB design is doing something like power supply design (analog) or DDR3 routing. If for yourself then things are different. End of Story.ĭoing it for a living means time is $$$. You need to work with, and take data from the customer, whatever schematic tool they use. If you do this for a living (at times I do that) it will never happen. The first big question is “Who will design the schematic.” Using a schematic capture front end that is “Native” for you PCB tool is a really smart way to go. Doing a design a year for yourself is very different that doing 10 a month for other people. Which tool to use? Wow does that depend on the person and where you want to go. I put myself through U of MD EE doing PCB layout and design. I have used various OrCAD and Altium products through the ages and many others along the way. I have been designing PCBs since about 1975 (That show my age!) starting with XActo knives and Bishop Graphic thru today with a PADs ES Suite.