I have never used a layout tool. A little searching led me to KiCad.
OK, it works. Figuring it out. But it seems very frustrating that once you get a preliminary layout, it is not capable of rubber banding the tracks. Seems you have to delete the traces, move the part and then reconnect.
Wondering if there is another free tool, not WEB based, that has this feature? Or is that the kind of thing you have to pay for?
OK, it works. Figuring it out. But it seems very frustrating that once you get a preliminary layout, it is not capable of rubber banding the tracks. Seems you have to delete the traces, move the part and then reconnect.
Wondering if there is another free tool, not WEB based, that has this feature? Or is that the kind of thing you have to pay for?
Update: Component rubber band feature coming early next year in Version 6.
Source: Kicad Forum
Source: Kicad Forum
Sweet.
BTW, I clicked on
Rubber band when moving parts? - Layout - KiCad.info Forums
and Malware Bytes blocked it due to "suspected trojan"
BTW, I clicked on
Rubber band when moving parts? - Layout - KiCad.info Forums
and Malware Bytes blocked it due to "suspected trojan"
Would you be willing to try 5.1.9 and see if it correctly loads your 5.1.6 file? If not it would be great if you could log a bug and attach the offending file to it....
Issues * KiCad / KiCad Source Code / kicad * GitLab
I recently purchased a new laptop and imported all of my 5.1.6 schematic files into 5.1.8 and only had a few very minor issues. When it opens the schematic the first time it will ask you to create a rescue library or add the parts from the local cache to a new library. I had hundreds of designs and had none that I was not able to fix in a couple of minutes.
If you are still doing PCB a layout when you made the change you may need to reassign some footprints. (The new footprint library is more comprehensive.)
Did the installation replace the existing 5.1.6 installation or did you move to another machine as I did? I don't upgrade very regularly unless I am having problems - having had problems with nightlies that prevented me from using the projects in stable versions. (or sometimes other nightlies)
Were all of the cached library files in the same folder with the PCB and SCH files?
Yeah, it's really important as it's where the program will look for the footrpint files used in your pcb design and if there are discrepancies between the cached library it will prompt you for what you want to do. No local cached library and the PCB cannot load IIRC.
You need to copy most of the files from the project folder -none of them are very large so I would grab them all and see how you do.
KiCad is way less bad than most EDA tools I have used where they do not provide anything beyond the rudimentary schematic symbols. (OrCad, and Altium)
You need to copy most of the files from the project folder -none of them are very large so I would grab them all and see how you do.
KiCad is way less bad than most EDA tools I have used where they do not provide anything beyond the rudimentary schematic symbols. (OrCad, and Altium)
Sorry for the off topic, but I'd like add some advise.
I agree it is nice to have good libraries to start out with esp if you are learning. But from my experience, I do not trust any 3rd party library, that I have not reviewed (QA'd) and then it would be put in my own segregated library.
In many cases if your schem lib's drive outputs like BOM's you need to add properties to these libs' like mfg,mpn,dist PN, so the libs all need to be edited just for that alone.
Good libraries are part of the whole design process, not every process is the same, but the end results usually are if done correctly. Lib's involve a lot of work, but in the end you have excellent results first time.
I never use round tracks, not even a 10GHz. But I also do not use 90's either. We made coils out of copper, but they were footprints
I agree it is nice to have good libraries to start out with esp if you are learning. But from my experience, I do not trust any 3rd party library, that I have not reviewed (QA'd) and then it would be put in my own segregated library.
In many cases if your schem lib's drive outputs like BOM's you need to add properties to these libs' like mfg,mpn,dist PN, so the libs all need to be edited just for that alone.
Good libraries are part of the whole design process, not every process is the same, but the end results usually are if done correctly. Lib's involve a lot of work, but in the end you have excellent results first time.
I never use round tracks, not even a 10GHz. But I also do not use 90's either. We made coils out of copper, but they were footprints
Last edited:
- Status
- This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.