I got started making my first 4 layer boars using KiCad and its all I know how to use and I like it but the upgrade issues and missing library issues causing mass confusion had me looking at other options.
I came across Upverter again after awhile and it looks like it has came along way since I last looked at it but I know its still not perfect.
I was wondering what other peoples experience has been with Upverter. I don’t mind paying for it if it is good as it looks like it could be but I’m sure others may have some cautions about it that somebody may not find out until after they jump in.
I thought this would be a good place to ask about it since more than likely others have tried it and more than likely not liked it for some reason and stuck with Kicad.
@ChrisGammell your videos taught me how to use Kicad and allowed me to build my first 4 layer boards which I’ll forever be greatful for.
Kicad has many quirks that take time to learn how to work with which is fine but I’m willing to pay for something that makes my life easier. Upverter seems to be pretty good but you really don’t know until you dive in.
So I’m just looking for feedback from people who have tried both options in hopes of possibly saving my self some time and headaches figuring out a flaw the hard way.
I read your blog post about it not working when you have no WiFi but for me that’s not something I worry about.
Hey @RWB I’m one of the founders of Upverter. Thanks for taking another look at it! We still haven’t solved the wifi issue that @ChrisGammell pointed out (we are working on a few things that should make it better). But we have made a ton of progress on the other aspects of the tool.
It took us a while, but beyond not having an autorouter (yet) we should have every other feature you’d expect from a pro tool these days. If there is anything I can do to help you give Upverter a try just let me know! Im also happy to chat about our to-do list with you or anyone else thats interested.
@zakhomuth I’ve been watching the intro overview videos and have setup 3 new designs that started with adding the chips that were not in your database so I qued them up to be created by your service with a 3 day lead time.
One chip was pretty odd so I’m eager to see this footprint created for me I’m also eager to see if it takes 3 days or more or less.
So far I love how easy it is to work with parts and libraries in your system. It’s so much better than what Kicad puts you through. Actually the recent changes to Kicad and it’s library structure totally screwed up my older version of Kicad to the point I couldn’t properly load my old projects and this is what had me looking for other options.
I can’t complain to much about Kicad considering its free and once you figure it out it does the job just fine. I tried donating to the project also but my CC card was rejected for some reason.
I had to install a script to get Kicad to export a simple excel BOM which I thought was crazy.
I had to use an external python script to convert Eagle projects to Kicad. Upverter does this import with just the brd and sch files.
So far as a person coming from just learning how to create a few semi complex 4 layer boards Upverter looks like a dream come true. The only downside is of course that it cost $125 monthly but for me it’s worth it for the simple fact that it can save me so much time vs using Kicad.
But you can create 2 free designs in Upverter for no cost so I say it’s worth a try if you in the least bit interested. You get 5 free parts created also but no free part verifications as I found out.
I have nothing to do with Upverter, I’m just a beginner trying to get my ideas into physical form with as little trouble as possible and this is my honest feedback so far. I hope Chris Gemmell doesn’t take it any other way. I never would have even gotten to this point without the free tutorial Kicad videos he released.
I’m also eager to see if it takes 3 days or more or less.