KiCad looks interesting, but the website does not mention IPC netlist outputs. I work for a PCB service bureau and all PCB manufacturers for our customers worldwide require an IPC-D-356A netlist to accompany the Gerbers. Can KiCad create this kind of netlist?
I don’t think so, that standard is a lot more than a netlist. It includes test features like impedance, voltage breakdown test.
It all depends on how much of the standard is required
The 356A netlist used by all PCB shops is a standardized point-to-point netlist used for bare-board testing of PCB integrity after manufacture. They compare the provided netlist to actual PCB results to determine the correct continuity of every trace/pour on the board. All CAD systems we’ve used since circa 1999 have included this as an output. It is considered as standard as the Gerber and drill data.
I’d suggest opening a wishlist bug here: https://bugs.launchpad.net/kicad/
And also posting a link to it in this forum so all interested users could add their vote.
That is the big question, as always the standard has evolved and was written as a compromise to suit a few authors. What is actually required to meet the PCB shops requirements?