PCBNew exports DSN file that Freerouting can't open

Layout
1

I’ve been using build 5112 of Kicad without much incident. I’ve laid out half a dozen or so small boards, routed the important tracks with the p&s router and then handed it over to Java-based Freerouting app. I just finished placing the components of a larger board (ie. several days work) and Freerouting can’t import the DSN that PCBNew generates for this file. If I delete all the components/images/nets/wires from the DSN file I can load the blank board with just the ground planes, so it isn’t related to an incomplete outline. All the component names seem to check out and the spectra DSN format seems to tolerate spaces and funny characters (“μ:,” ", “~”., etc.) for component and part names.

I don’t get any exception message, Freerouting just on the ‘Loading design…’ dialog forever.

Any tips? I’ve picked through the DSN file a bit but nothing obvious is jumping out at me compared to other DSN files that Freerouting can open. Changing ‘suspect’ characters hasn’t helped. I just can’t figure out what is tripping up Freerouting.

Bah. Tried to post a link to the DSN file but am too new a user.

2

Could you share your dsn file?

1 Like
3

So, it turns out I was wrong. Freerouting does not like an unquoted µ. I guess I’ve previously used “100n” as the value for all my bypass caps, but this time I used “0.1µ”.

So, this works:

(PN “0.1µ”)

but this doesn’t:

(PN 0.1µ)

When Kicad exports to DSN it only puts quotations around part values that have spaces.

After cleaning up all the unquoted mu’s I was able to load the DSN into Freerouting. Phew! :smile:

2 Likes
4

I export DSN file error, free tip element parameter values
Can you help me to export, not familiar with kicad

1 Like