I was wondering where I could find information regarding ODB++ export for a manufacturing environment and if anyone else had any experience in generating this file format.
ODB++ is a standard file format for PCB assembly manufacturing and I’m surprised I can’t find it off the bat. Mentor has this option, but I can’t seem to find it within the KiCAD toolset.
Any information regarding this file format and KiCAD would be very much appreciated. Thank you in advance for your time
There is an open feature-request on gitlab (see: Implement ODB++ export (lp:#1573973) (#2019) · Issues · KiCad / KiCad Source Code / kicad · GitLab), but the developer-effort was spend on different tasks in the past.
I understand that prioritization, pcb-production is very well possible without ODB. Only if the majority of pcb-manufacturers demand the ODB-format (and refuse to work with gerber+bom+pnp-files) the priority of that feature would be increased.
I don’t think you have visibility of what PCB manufacturers want. Our entire ecosystem from design to manufacture & test is built around ODB. That file format plugs into all of our toolsets, for simulation, build processes, pick and place, AOI, flying probe, DFT netlists, procurement and auditing. (I could go on)
I don’t think you’re going to see manufacturers come to you and ‘demand’ the existence of ODB export natively in KiCAD. They’ll just ignore KiCAD as an option and continue to use the toolsets that do support that functionality.
It just strikes me odd that if you wanted to compete with professional electronics CAD software, you may want to consider looking at some of their core functionalities like exporting CAD data in the most widely supported file format in electronics manufacturing
However I suppose if you want to maintain your target audience as hobbyists building low volume, then yeah, don’t worry about it.
This thread is shaping into yet another commented on by @hermit as a “purposefully contentious post”.
@mf_ibfeew gave a very reasonable reply regarding the current state with regard to Kicad development. If changes are wanted, click on the link to Gitlab and up-vote, with comments, for changes.
There is no point pushing an agenda in this forum.
Sorry, but this is only anecdotal evidence. Many other people have different experiences. Do you have hard data about this? If you can prove your point, it would be very valuable. Meanwhile we (the users of this forum) rely on our own experiences which often tell that it’s even difficult to find a board house which accepts ODB.
It’s probably true that there are many large companies with strict work processes who need ODB and find a manufacturer who uses it. But it’s also true that there are many large companies who use Gerber. I would guess that if counted one by one, regardless of size, most of the companies producing commercial products use Gerber and most of the boards produced are communicated in Gerber format. (This is of course only a guess, but do you have better data?)
which is the difference from this “Native Export for OBD++” and a new one with “ODB/Gerber/IPC discussion” ?
I mean the subject is interesting also for users…
here a first searching link:
@Rusky, the request is fair, but I want you and all other new forum members to understand why some requests meet lukewarm reception with grudges.
Every now and then someone new comes here and tells why KiCad should do this or that to be taken seriously, and that the developers don’t understand something or don’t care about user requests or don’t really know PCB design (I think these are the top three statements). Sometimes that newcomer just doesn’t want to accept or doesn’t want to try to understand the way KiCad development works even when explained. Sometimes they insist knowing better even though there are many professionals here in the forum who understand that everybody’s experience and skills are limited and that “professional” is often used as a means of elevating oneself above others or at least to categorize oneself to higher class above those whose products, workflows and processes are not to be taken seriously.
I hope you belong to the rest of us and want to take part in the KiCad development and community constructively.
@eelik, yes I completely agree. Having participated in opensource development for a long time now, I know bun fights are easily started between in-clubs and newcomers.
I really like the idea by @straubm to start a discussion around different file formats. Hopefully this should lead to feature implementation without manufacturers, as @mf_ibfeew said, needing to come and ‘demand’ ODB++.
Hopefully that can be done without anyone being called:
moronic
presumptious
purposely contentious
pushing agendas
anecdotal
I’ll leave your club in peace and will stick to Mentor, it’s been a blast.
