I m no expert for these things. Before making Layouts became a pain I changed my field of work and left the PCBs to dedicated professionals.
Personally I do not need this but I see that SW like KiCad is often rejected in big companies due to lack of these features. And of course “it cant be good if it is not expensive”.
I think EAGLEs switch to Autodesk has to do with this. When I joined “my company” EAGLE was an accepted tool. Today colleagues just smile when it is mentioned.
So, I can not help with details and I think it will be as Rene suggested. Maybe someday someone will offer Interfaces for money if KiCad becomes famous enough.
Oh, I would like panelizing anyway to save PCBs and chemicals at home
I dont need expert commentary, just some context, knowing how those systems are catered for could spur someone to start on the groundwork, Kicad at its current momentum will keep growing and gaining features, while its not being built with the intention of large companies, its open source, so there is nothing preventing it either.
Thats true, but I am really no longer involved in these concepts - I just hear things. If one of my colleagues from those departments gets interested in his own PCBs I will certainly ask him to share this knowledge.
But when I tell people, even young engineers, that Im doing my private PCBs I am looked at like a dinosaur. Ok, I confess my first layout tool was EDDING in the 80s
Companies deciding to pour money down commercial venture holes because it is safe isn’t a given.
Free may not be free to some top web companies but contributing to Linux is better than the alternatives. Kicad may not have to provide the services listed in the OP but would be wise to make sure these features aren’t precluded by design choices from being added later.
Seriously, who cares if commercial companies have to pay for software. I never get up in the morning and think, “How can I help all those companies with multi-million budgets save on license fees, and then make even more profits which they funnel into tax havens and pay hardly any tax?”
Folks,
a lot of people just forget most important thing: its not even important what tool you use, way more important how good you are!
Remember: Pink Floyd’s “the Wall” was recorded using 16-Track machine and fully manual analog stuff. Result: just awesome.
Im very deep in german industry (Oil-Industry too) and know how “stiff” the structures here (still be).
Switched one of big german companies from Pulsonix to Altium about 8 years ago: it was a 1 -Year project (!!!) cause of things like “documentation font looks not like our old one”- kind of diskussions etc…
Most important thing: really good developer will generate a great product using even just graph-paper+pencil+rubber (and, honestly, I learned developing this way in my university-time 30 years ago). Bad one will not help Altium&OrCAD&SAP&Co…
Sure, I miss some tools in KiCAD, but switched one Austian company from Altium to KiCAD about one year ago and results are very impressive.
Cheers,
Sebastian
Sebastian. Out of curiosity. Exactly what functionality do you miss?
And for the OP i went digging. And indeed ICT and automatic visual checking tools just work off the gerber and a back generated netlist from that gerber.
Well, for example Ive a round board (its a watercool-CPU block needed RGB-LEDs around) and invested a huge time to make a round traces - its a “piece of work”, really. Moreover, Ill like to have more (or better?) functianality on routing traces as well (rounded, radius of rounded corner etc).
More extended cleariance will be very nice to have feature: to define specific on part/pad/footprint/board-outline etc.
Use different type of polygon on same net/plane : sometimes only one part of polygon needs to be thermal, but other part of the same plyfon even as solid etc.
Its all not a huge deal, but will make my life as developer way easier as well…;-).
As I wrote, I switched one Austrian company to KiCAd and other german company I work for use KiCAD in all projects as well (ok, Im main-developer in electronic hardware here )
Best regards from northern Germany,
Sebastian
@Rerouter: one of features that can be very very handy - import/export libraries from database.
Meant: every bigger (even small) companies have own database with parts allready in use/tested/approved (by quality management department) - whatsever. Use miltiple E-CADs or even switch to other will anyway needed library re-creartion and copying on any workstation. Last step can be managed in KiCAD directly.
One more: every developer/company have own folder-structure inside of project. I make some folders manualy cause its historical by me: “production” (for Gerbers&Co) , “documents” (for Schemaitc-pdf’s etc), “mechanicals” (for M-CAD files), “datasheets” (for specific datasheets for this project, UL/RoHs files etc). so, it will be nice to have “generate specific folders include project” just from KiCAD itself…
Ive a lot of similar feature-requests…
Best regards,
Seb
Curved/rounded traces are one of the most requested feature and it seems possible it will be part of v6. Or v7
This has been under discussion in the dev mailing list, too. Local values for clearances.
I don’t understand. Do you mean pad/zone connection? You can set it for the footprint or even for one pad, it overrides the zone setting.
This sounds simple because it doesn’t touch the core functionality at all. Maybe it could be done with a python script - that feels like an ideal solution.
@eelik: about polygon, Ill try to explain what I mean.
Just say: Ive copper polygon on top with GND-Net. Using “thermal reliefs” is best cause of possible THT parts and soldering- its less “thermal stress” for the parts on assembly. Well, but Ive some , just say D-PAK, P-PAK etc where I need really more solid copper around one of pins for thermal design- its a problem. Create one polygon inside ither with different setting (in this case “solid”) will not help cause KiCAD convert inside polygon to outside polygon settings. Add “graphic polygon” will help some way as workaround, but even not a most eleghant way imo. Better will be whrn every polygon will be not converted or, better- just ask developer for conversation, cause, maybe developer wish it in own way. Same here if more than one polygon have different nets.
Rounded traces for watercool-CPU block was horror to create, really… And the mechanical&electrical clearance is at the moment fixed (mechanical: I mean between track and board-outline). Just say: electrical clearance on my board is 0.2mm- thats ok, but I cannot allow traces to go 0.1mm to board-outline (mechanical, is pure mechanical thing and not even electrical distance).
Create custom folders: its really nice to have cause every developer/company have over years own well organized file structure. By the way, generating of Gerber&Co directly to project folder makes all complex to figure out when re-creating Gerber&Co. Ill say: every creation of Gerber&Co must create new folder and rename it to date/time (or somthing like that) : this makes way easier to figure out whats going on.
Cheers,
Seb
As example: its my folder structure inside project. In “procuction” folder exists “Gerber”, “PnP” (Peek-and-Place) folders, simple BOM and PCB-Ducumentation for manufactory. In “mechanicals” I have dxf board-outline I get from my M-Cad collegs, 3-D Model export of my PCB when Im done for my M-CAD collegs to check possible collisions etc. In “documents” is extended BOM, schematic as pdf (if someone have no KiCAD installed) etc.
Ok, “datasheets” - its clear…
Yes, I think we all have some kind of folder structure. In my case I also have a folder for libraries (symbols, footprints and 3D models) with relative paths.
This question is not about if the tool has all the features today. The big company can wait many months. What is needed is assurance that the customers pain is taken care of and there is price offered. Money is secondary issue. Many missing features can be developed as closed modules that are baked with NDA by the servicing body (company). That is not issue neither.
I see that CERN has taken care of few aspects of pushing KiCAD, offering support and tailored development / consultancy service for corporate customers is what I would like to amplify here.
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