I understand the idea of following a logical path schema>netlist>pcb... It's a better way, it's safer, it's perfect for learning, and so on. And when I'm designing, that's how I want to work. But for some applications it's plain frustrating, if not time wasting! Let me give you an example:
Part of my job is maintenance for vintage audio equipment. Say an old console comes in and needs 4 more channel strips. Those are 'unobtainable', manufacturer has closed years ago, spare parts and schematics are unavailable, but the thing is old enough so there's no copyright or patent issue. So my job is to make some new PCBs and populate them. We are talking a big pcb, with 300+ components. Some of them are obsolete, so I really need to redraw the PCB to accommodate newer parts. Using good photographs of the original board, and transparent windows, I can redraw the whole thing in about a day... Job done. Now if I have to trace out the schemo, we are talking at least two more days of work! Maybe I just need to use obsolete tools to work with vintage stuff :) For this kind of job, the latest brand new and up-to-date software would be the one who allows me to draw the pcb first, THEN generate a netlist from the pcb, and then read this netlist IN the schematic editor so I could arrange them in a readable order... Bah, guess I should stop dreaming about simple things that could make life simpler... Axel --- In kicad-users@yahoogroups.com, Robert <birmingham_spi...@...> wrote: > > > Well, I am human! Therefore, when something try to NOT LET ME do > > things, I tend to struggle :) It works when I turn the DRC off, but > > it looks messy, and then I loose the isolation check and the comfort > > of the isolation zones delimited. That's why I would like to keep the > > DRC on... > > You can't have DRC without a netlist, because the netlist is what tells > PCBNew what can and can't be connected. You can create a netlist > manually (it's a text file), but the quickest, easiest, most reliable > way to generate a netlist is with a schematic editor. I create a > schematic even for very simple boards because it allows me to leave DRC > on, ensuring my board is neat and correct first time. If the schematic > is purely being used as a means of generating a netlist and I don't have > the exact component in the library, I save time by improvising with > something similar (because PCBNew only cares about footprints and > connectivity, not electrical properties). > > I used to use ISIS, and churned out one scrap board after another. > Since using Kicad (with DRC on) that no longer happens. Kicad is a far > better tool for producing boards, but only if you don't force it to > behave like obsolete software. > > Regards, > > Robert. > > > > > I don't see how I could make a netlist without drawing a schematic > > first? > > > > Axel > > > > > > --- In kicad-users@yahoogroups.com, Cat C<catalin_cluj@> wrote: > >> > >> > >> Did you turn DRC off? > >> > >> That's the purpose of DRC, to NOT LET YOU do things that are not in > >> the netlist (among other things). > >> > >> If you don't want to make a schematic, make a netlist. > >> > >> > >> > >> Cat > >> > >>> To: kicad-users@yahoogroups.com From: mad.ax@ Date: Fri, 20 > >>> Aug 2010 23:40:39 +0000 Subject: [kicad-users] Re: Type Err(4) > >>> trace near pad issue in Kicad > >>> > >>> Well, I made a simple schematic with EEschema, passed the > >>> electrical check without trouble, made the netlist, did the CVpcb > >>> thing, and routed in PCBnew. All is fine, so my Kicad build seems > >>> to be working. > >>> > >>> I tried to add another module in the pcb. Fine. I tried to > >>> connect the new module with a trace... Type Err(4)! It doesn't > >>> agree to connect the trace to the new component. > >>> > >>> I still don't understand why I cannot route manually without a > >>> schematic or a netlist when the faq says I could? > >>> > >>> Axel > >> > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------ > > > > Please read the Kicad FAQ in the group files section before posting > > your question. Please post your bug reports here. They will be picked > > up by the creator of Kicad. Please visit http://www.kicadlib.org for > > details of how to contribute your symbols/modules to the kicad > > library. For building Kicad from source and other development > > questions visit the kicad-devel group at > > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kicad-develYahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > > > > > No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - > > www.avg.com Version: 9.0.851 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/3083 - Release > > Date: 08/20/10 07:35:00 > > > > > No virus found in this outgoing message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 9.0.851 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/3083 - Release Date: 08/20/10 > 07:35:00 >
