Andy, I've put my comments in to the text below.
> > I'm not an EE professional, I'm an EE hobbyist. And my ideal tool would allow > > me to draw a schema and allow me to copy it to a document or to publish it to > > internet. And then by extending it a little bit I could use the same schema > > for simulations (which may then force me to modify the schema and publish it > > again). And when I'm satisfied, then I would amend the schema with new > > information (without the necessity to draw and maintain another copy of it) > > and use it for Pcb creation. I don't know whether there are any quirks when > > performing this workflow in large scale, but in an amateur scale I see no > > problems with that. KiCad allows one to omit selected components from netlist > > exports, or from Pcb creation, or from both. > Well, you say use the same schema for simulations (which may then force me to > modify the schema which sounds like youre basically creating two different > schematics. And thats fine. What I argue against is attempting to use the > _same_ schematic for both SPICE (or other) simulation and PCB layout. > What I think happens with most designs is that there is only a small part which > needs to be simulated. Consider a mostly-digital design with DAC on it, and you > want to simulate the DAC output filter. Its easiest to pull out the filter and > simulate it separately, and when youre happy, copy that design (with proper > component values) back to the main design. Yes, there is some amount of > self-discipline involved. Nope. When I need to understand a part of a circuit, I model it separately. But then I try to simulate the circuit as a whole. But my circuits haven't been big, I'm using KiCad for a couple of months maybe. > For documentation, I use OS X, so the Print command enables PDF output for free. > On Windows you can install something like CutePDF which creates a virtual > printer that outputs to PDF files. I'm interested in GIFs or PNGs, not in PDFs. I plot the schema into clipboard, then I crop it and paste it into my personal notes app. Unfortunately, KiCad does not have the ability to copy a part of a schema into clipboard directly. I use KiCad on Windows 7. > > Concerning LTSpiceIV, I found it an excelent simulator with a terrible editor. > > That's why I wouldn't mind editing netlists for LTSpice somewhere else - in > > KiCad :-) But for now I'm happily using KiCad + NgSpice. > No doubt the schematic capture for LTSpice is rather dreadful, with > non-obvious commands for everything. (It makes EAGLE look user-friendly and > standard.) I printed out the cheat sheet with the key commands because I can > never remember them. But LTSpice beats other tools is that you can click on a > net and it plots the voltage waveform for that net. Click on a component, and it > plots the current through that component. I honestly dont know if the > KiCad/NgSpice combination does that. eSim (which is basically a wrapper over KiCad and NgSpice) allows something similar. But instead of placing a probe directly in the schema, you check the nets you want to plot in a list. > > So, perhaps your way and purpose of using the tools is different from mine? > Oh, yes, certainly years of working in a production environment ingrains some > habits that are impossible to shake. Thankfully, Kicad easily accommodates those > habits, and I think thats because the guys who started the project and continue > to maintain it need to do PCB design in a production environment. Much of what > is needed for production is overkill for the hobbyist, but I honestly think that > if Kicad didnt appeal to the professionals it would be yet another half-baked > open-source CAD program and not the useful tool it has become. Without doubt! But the problem of professional tools is usually their steep learning curve. You have to understand the tool almost completely in order to be able to use it even as a beginner. This is unfortunate. Martin. > -a > _______________________________________________ > Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~kicad-developers > Post to : [email protected] > Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~kicad-developers > More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp > -- ______________________________________________________________________ Vystup z řady a zřiď si taky originální email! @bigboss.cz, @dablik.cz, @potvurka.cz, @tajny.cz... zdarma na http://email.sms.cz COMDOM Antispam - www.comdomsoft.com _______________________________________________ Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~kicad-developers Post to : [email protected] Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~kicad-developers More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp
