On 12/19/2015 9:33 AM, Todd Goodman wrote: > * Noel Chiappa <[email protected]> [151218 17:38]: >> > From: Brent Hilpert >> >> > I need to move to something newer but I haven't evaluated current >> > schematic-drawing programs >> >> Dave Bridgham got me started with KiCAD, and that seems like a pretty good >> system to me. It has separate sub-systems for schematic capture; circuitry >> checking; netlist generation; PCB layout; etc, etc. I've only worked with the >> first three, but it seemed pretty good for them. >> >> > I'm a little concerned they won't provide the degree of control or >> > finesse I like >> >> Well, you'll have to try it and see, but it's pretty customizable: they >> provide libraries of common components, but it has a nice component editor >> for drawing up new ones (or customizing the ones it comes with). >> >> Component location and line routing (in the schematic capture) are manual, >> but it's grid-based, so things line up. >> >> Noel > > Not to mention it's open source so if you don't like the control you > have you can always change it as desired. > > Todd >
I settled on and used KiCAD for both the schematic and PCB layout for my Mark-8 project and a couple of other smaller boards, after looking at AutoTrax (DeX), DesignSpark and DipTrace. I actually installed and tried AutoTrax and DesignSpark. I had no problems at all with KiCAD, really. Open source, open ended. Had no issues sending the boards off to be fabricated, etc. JRJ
