Why Choose KiCad over Eagle?

[uwezi]

Thanks for the tips! I will look into those once I have time again. For now I already got used to the current behavior and can live with it. I guess most KiCAD users and developers do

[Rene_Poschl]

@uwezi

For now I already got used to the current behavior and can live with it.

That’s the reason why a lot of the bad stuff in every (open source) software stays forever. (Ok it is not localized to software. This applies to everything in live. Once you have a workaround it is not worth the effort to “fix” it. Until it really breaks.)

[dwight_m]

Why choose KiCad over Eagle??..
Well for me it is very satisfying to create a pcb like this… from an open source (free) program
Which, if I can do it, you can do it.
I just finished and sent this to oshpark yesterday. Kicad for Windows V 4.0.5
Most of the footprints were created by me in the footprint editor. I usually start with something close and then edit and save it to my own personal footprint(.pretty) library. I also make heavy use of editing (on the fly from within PcbNew) many of the footprints to slightly change, say, the silkscreen and then quickly save it back to the pcb. Once you get used to doing that, you will find it is VERY convenient. Also make heavy use of uploading the gerbers to oshpark and and then STUDY STUDY STUDY what oshpark shows you on screen. Then go back and fix/change and re-submit the corrected gerbers.
(oshpark side note) Also think twice about ordering more that 3 of your boards before testing them. I just wasted 6 copies of the previous version of this board before catching a major error.
dwight

[dchisholm]

@Rene_Poschl

(Ok it is not localized to software. This applies to everything in live. Once you have a workaround it is not worth the effort to “fix” it. Until it really breaks.)

In some military circles this is called “administrative tactics”. Rather than totally eliminating your adversary’s ability to perform some function, you leave enough capability in-place that he can do the job - but very inefficiently. For example, destroying all of the bridges over a particular stretch of river would force your opponent to build new bridges - perhaps with even greater capacity than what you destroyed. But if you leave a few old, low-capacity bridges in place he will tolerate the resulting traffic bottlenecks, tie up more trucks and spend more time driving the extra distance to use the remaining bridges. And perhaps commit more military forces to protecting the newly-created choke-points in his transportation system.

As @Rene_Poschl pointed out, many organizations are hampered by analogous situations.

Dale

[dchisholm]

@dwight_m

. . . . for me it is very satisfying to create a pcb like this… from an open source (free) program Which, if I can do it, you can do it. . . .

Ohhh, I like some of those “extra” bits of information such as identifying the pin functions, the reminder about the capacitor mounting (but why not just put a rectangle in the silkscreen?), etc. And the modified 'lytic footprint, so you can use two different lead spacings.

Dale

[dwight_m]

dchisholm,

Thank you! Yes I am attempting to create a semi universal esp8266-01 board. I figure some may want to use whatever they have in their junk box for the electrolytic. I also included both through hole and smt for the 10uf Tant on the input of the vreg. After I test it out I plan on sharing the design with others and hopefully the extra markings will make the board easier to use for someone who did not eat/sleep/drink the design for several days like I did as the designer. I also added an extra hole for the 3 pin power switch so if someone doesn’t have the same switch they can simply use a 2 pin header with a little push on jumper for power on/off. And the SMD pads are the oversized variety designed for hand soldering.

There is a footprint for a 4 pin 1" oled display and you can install a solder bridge to connect the push button (which also has both through hole and smt pads) to any of the inputs on the esp module.

I find that in many cases it is better to include the component value instead of R1 or C2, etc.

This is about my 5th board design with kicad and I have grown to like it. Although the footprint and schematic library symbol system takes a lot of getting used to. And I make liberal use of the front and back silkscreen text and line/polygon capability to add the various extras.

Probably a good idea to try and design a couple of test pcb projects just to kick the tires and get used to everything.

regards
dwight

[dchisholm]

You have obviously been into electronics, both vocationally and avocationally, for quite a while.

@dwight_m

I make liberal use of the front and back silkscreen text and line/polygon capability to add the various extras.

It used to be that back-side silkscreen was a pricey extra-cost option but several board houses now offer it for no-cost or low-cost. Recently, I even had a board fabricator suggest that some information on one of my boards should be moved to a back-side silkscreen layer.

Dale

[Krazy_OldGuy]

I’m of a similar mind about the need for controlled libraries. Engineers at one company using Protel all had their own libraries, and it was a constant nightmare trying to keep a design usable when someone moved pins around because it was easier than moving the connections. Later we had to undo a lot of that silliness, which cost quite a few weeks worth of labor on a couple of hundred designs, but was an absolute requirement if we wanted to maintain the designs years down the road.

I’m a rank newbie to KiCad, but I’ve used other EDA packages all the way back to the old DOS version OrCAD 4. One feature that Protel had was the ability to export the schematic symbols used in a design into a separate design library (the PCB side always included footprints in the design), which makes it easier to share designs between different people. I get your design PLUS all of the schematic and PCB symbols, so I can see what YOU had immediately. That’s a very handy feature, particularly on a free CAD package that will be used by a bunch of folks across the planet that might want to share designs. Exporting designs through PDF is utterly worthless, as that means you have to re-draw the design from what’s essentially an electronic printed page. It’s OK for a quick look, but I’d like to hand my entire set of designs off to someone and let them go wild.

[maui]

@Krazy_OldGuy

4. One feature that Protel had was the ability to export the schematic symbols used in a design into a separate design library (the PCB side always included footprints in the design), which makes it easier to share designs between different people. I get your design PLUS all of the schematic and PCB symbols, so I can see what YOU had immediately.

KiCad has a cache file of the eeschema libraries and embed all footprints inside the pcb board file…

-cache.lib: …​ a local copy of all the symbols used in the corresponding schematic, so that when the folder containing a KiCad project is copied to a different PC, the schematic can still be opened and printed and will still look the same as the original draughtsperson intended - even if that other PC does not have those symbols in its main libraries (or has symbols that coincidentally have the same name but are completely different).

then the project is portable, unless for 3d models… this can be achieved using the same configuration for the ‘KISYS3DMOD’ or using a relative path to project folder through ‘KIPRJMOD’ environment variable

KiCAD demo project ready to use

Hi, I want to make a quick demo to my collegues to convince them to move to Kcad 4.0.4. Could someone point me a nice project ready to use? Ready to show schematic, pcb with routs and 3D demo? The 3D view must show the components footprints. Thank you, Antony

[dchisholm]

(I don’t know if this qualifies as “Resurrection” or “Necromancy” of this thread, which started as):

@Sprig

Why Choose KiCad over Eagle?

I know this question has been asked in the past. I want opinions now that KiCad is at version 4.x and Eagle is now part of Autodesk.

I will be using the replies as a means to convince ~10 others that KiCad is worth taking the time to learn.

I haven’t seen a mention on this Forum, but the official KiCAD Blog reports that one obstacle to migration from Eagle has recently crumbled:

"The KiCad project is proud to announce the support for importing Eagle projects . . . "
Testing: Eagle Import Plugins

I haven’t tried it, and have never been an Eagle user so I don’t have any projects laying around to test the feature with. I’m sure the developers would appreciate any reports - both success and failure - from anybody who can give the feature a try.

Dale

[silverdr]

• Because CERN with some Polish dudes on its payroll saved KiCAD from oblivion and even gave it an edge with the interactive/shovel routing.
• Because it eventually got a usable (“accelerated”) “toolset”.
• Because the recent (as of today) “unstable” builds no longer crash every couple of mouse clicks like the “stable” ones do.
• Because you can eventually have some form of link between the schematics and the layout, without going through netlist file export/import all the time
• Because Cadsoft have never had satisfactory licence upgrade offer, even for long-term, paying customers and now it is no more anyway
• Because every suggestion of paying a “subscription” licence is met with middle finger before it even reaches frontal cortex

I could list as many reasons for NOT choosing KiCAD over EAGLE but I’ll save those for adequately named thread

[rbarraud]

+davidsrsb Re ‘doesn’t earn revenue’ …
Perhaps you could get your Legal guys’n’gals to kick your beancounters’ asses…
Product liability/mandatory product-support terms apply?
:-/
Alternatively, the case can be made that it saves the company money to be able to reuse old design artifacts, vs. rewriting them from scratch…

[rbarraud]

QED: Send the fabs the pcb file every time, since you’re then obviously a hobbyist, ergo your board is inferior potassium and not worth their while to copy

[rbarraud]

I generally ignore, or (more often) protest loudly, people’s suggestions that anything be migrated toward my backside

[mr_bandit]

+otoien

is the efficient use of the left hand for keyboard commands

I would gently point out that assumes one has a left hand. I do not. I have a small enough stub I can hit most keys, but I am considering making a custom keyboard for when I use Kicad.

But - if I had a left hand, I would agree with you.

(Of course, you could join my club :^)

[paladin32776]

To the Altium comment: it is not available on Mac OS … KiCad is!

[Just_Me]

And ALL my designs from 25 years ago are in McCAD PCB. Still around, but from what i see hardly evolved, and it would cost me $1500 to buy back into it, despite the fact that i bought it, twice in the past.

Those designs are just gone.

Librarians worry about our future books and docs, with good reason. Who will have Office 2017 in 2090?

Grant

[Jaily]

It’s just better and there are too many reasons to it.

[mr_bandit]

I lived in Lacey in the early 90’s. If y’all had been around I would have loved to join. (I am currently a member of two makerspaces.) Next time I’m in the NorthWet with the time, I am planning in visiting.

There are now a number of good youtube videos about how to use kicad. This is a good starting point
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkJRycUz2CylxpiP-zMePow
(I am not affiliated with the guy - other than meeting him at kicon.)

How about a report of your experience getting the makerspace to adopt kicad?