CAN WE SETTLE ON A STANDARD SCHEMATIC /PCB LAYOUT PACKAGE??

[Sean_Goddard]

Wouldn't it be a GREAT idea if we ALL used a COMMON package?

Without limitations we have RS Design Spark (Mechanical, electrical and Electronic)

3D CAD Fusion 360 on a hobbyist license & Design Spark Mechanical

With the above, we have EVERYTHING we need for a COMMON GOOD. No more downloading demos and no more frustrations about files not being readable or having to convert files.

This mish-mash of different file types is the main reason I don't bother with this forum anymore I simply cannot be bothered to spend time processing designs (good or otherwise -mainly good)!

[WM6]

Agree and support idea, despite there are hard to changeable human habbits behind realisation.

Regarding Design Spark.

Do you (or somebody) know which software is proper to use with this Hobby PCB CNC drill machine to get proper
drill PCB prototipe work out of Design Spark Excellon NC drill file formats (no all Excellon formats are the same):

https://www.ebay.com/itm/400W-4-Axis...-/163294285055

[rickb]

Sean, have you tried herding cats? The best you can hope for is to have output files that are common to each other. PDF files for viewing schematics (or for making home made pcbs) and gerbers for sending to pcb mfgs or converting to G-code for routing pcbs. Any software that produces non-standard proprietary files is a non-starter. Some conversion is possible between kicad and others.

Just being able to view schematics and pcb layouts in pdf format may be the best you can hope for.

Can all the packages in the below thread create pdf files?

https://www.geotech1.com/forums/show...-are-you-using

[Carl-NC]

Yeah, I agree with Rick. PDF schematics and Gerber PCBs.

I've used Easy-PC for 20-something years, I know it backwards & forwards and have built up a tremendous component library. Plus I use Easy-Spice (a variant of XSpice) which blows LT-Spice away. Ain't gonna start over now.

I did load up DesignSpark and thought, wow, does this look familiar or what? Turns out it came from WestDev Ltd in the UK. Same company that does Easy-PC and its parent product, Pulsonix. Also Easy-Spice and its parent product, SIMetrix. DesignSpark works exactly like Easy-PC so I can very easily drive it if I need to. However, DesignSpark lacks a lot of features found in Easy-PC, just like Easy-PC lacks features found in Pulsonix. What annoys me is that WestDev made all the file formats between DesignSpark, Easy-PC, and Pulsonix completely incompatible. I can't use any of my schematics or libs in DesignSpark, or vice-versa.

So for the foreseeable future, it's Easy-PC for me.

[homefire]

Hell I'd be happey with hand drawn if it's in a PDF or some other normal file system. Gerber and Lay are unusable to me.

[Mdtoday]

Sean, have you tried herding cats? The best you can hope for is to have output files that are common to each other. PDF files for viewing schematics (or for making home made pcbs) and gerbers for sending to pcb mfgs or converting to G-code for routing pcbs. Any software that produces non-standard proprietary files is a non-starter. Some conversion is possible between kicad and others.

Just being able to view schematics and pcb layouts in pdf format may be the best you can hope for.

Can all the packages in the below thread create pdf files?

https://www.geotech1.com/forums/show...-are-you-using

I agree with Rickb, I use Altium and SolidWorks and built up a ton of custom libraries over the years, so wont be moving away from them in a hurry but will still move between other packages if required, Kicad being the latest and only because of KingJL's project, his outputs are shared in a standard format so even without Kicad, I could read the files, I just chose to have a look at Kicad and its not too bad, it outputs Gerbers and can print to PDF among other formats.
It's not only the output file types that cause problems either, drawing conventions and standards cause headaches and users are most likely at different levels of experience with software packages or CAD in general.


cheers

Mdtoday

[waltr]

Same here but using PCAD and have lots of library components.
I do publish the schematics in PDF and zipped Gerber files onto this forum.

Great idea but there are many Cad packages and there are constantly changing.
It was only a few years ago everyone was using Eagle but now seems no one is.

[kt315]

P-CAD is not good but not bad. traditionally it is just some 'oldest classic standart' for USSR and now Russia.
nothing magic, strange confused numbering of micros' pins in its libraries and etc. you have to habit to its bugs.

[6666]

Does any of the free (or paid for) software allow you to import a bit map graphic of a schematic and allow you to make a schematic from it in the program

[Mdtoday]

Does any of the free (or paid for) software allow you to import a bit map graphic of a schematic and allow you to make a schematic from it in the program

Hi 6666,

I'm not aware of any, it would require changing bit maps to vectors and then the software trying to recognise what those vectors are meant to be forming.

cheers

Mdtoday

[moorejl57]

Same here but using PCAD and have lots of library components.
I do publish the schematics in PDF and zipped Gerber files onto this forum.

Great idea but there are many Cad packages and there are constantly changing.
It was only a few years ago everyone was using Eagle but now seems no one is.

Eagle took a nosedive when they went to the subscription model. I have been using it since 2004 and now I am looking at Diptrace. I tried Kicad a few years ago, but I wasn't getting much traction with it. It takes so long to get proficient at any of the choices that I can't see people switching to make sharing easier.

[moorejl57]

Does any of the free (or paid for) software allow you to import a bit map graphic of a schematic and allow you to make a schematic from it in the program

Have you tried the kt315 app? You put up a schematic and voila, a pcb layout appears in a week or two.

[6666]

Hi 6666,

I'm not aware of any, it would require changing bit maps to vectors and then the software trying to recognise what those vectors are meant to be forming.

cheers

Mdtoday

Thanks I heard a rumour that one did but no details, would be handy to have that feature, I've loaded up Kicad and a couple of others to check out

[6666]

Have you tried the kt315 app? You put up a schematic and voila, a pcb layout appears in a week or two.

Thats a good app

[Qiaozhi]

There's a plethora of free CAD packages available, and they all have their quirks.

The good thing about KiCad is that it's open-source and runs on Windows, Linux and macOS. It's also supported by many major organizations, including CERN.
I did look at KiCad prior to V5.0, and found it difficult and clunky to use. With V5.0 there were many improvements to the way the libraries are organized, but there were still many bugs. Haven't checked it out since, but I notice that the latest release is now V5.1.2. If I had more time I would take another look as it shows great promise. However, it may have to steep a learning curve for most people.

DesignSpark (as Carl mentioned) is very similar to EasyPC, but very annoyingly cannot share databases with Easy PC. The Minipulse Plus and Baracuda PCBs were designed with Easy PC (version 11). Carl is probably using the latest software (version 22). Unfortunately my license is tied to a Windows XP machine.
DesignSpark only runs on Windows, and I predominantly use Linux Mint. I did get it running under Wine to some extent, but it was totally unreliable.

Eagle have a free version that runs on Windows, Linux and macOS. It's restricted to 2 schematic sheets, 2 signal layers, and 80 cm^2 board area (which just happens to be more or less the exact size of an MPP REV-E PCB). For most small projects here, Eagle might be a good choice.

At the end of the day, the problem is the libraries. Once you start using a CAD package, you build up a collection of libraries, and effectively get locked into the tool. Also, posting the original CAD files is not always desirable, as your hard earned efforts can easily be "acquired" by, what I refer to as "leeches", and suddenly you find variations of your work are being sold on eBay.

As others have said, the most anyone can hope for is a set of PDFs and some Gerber files. Alternatively, go to Silverdog's site at: www.diydetector.co.uk, where a selection of Geotech projects are available as PCBs and/or kits.