from Hacker News

KiCad Joins Linux Foundation to Advance Electronic Design Automation

by paddi91 on 11/24/19, 10:36 AM with 49 comments

  • by xvilka on 11/24/19, 1:06 PM

    Hopefully, EDA tools for chip-design will get similar attention too, as well as a "normal" CADs. Software like LibreCAD[1] and FreeCAD[2], Qucs[3], gEDA[4], Yosys[5] and Symbiflow[6], Chisel/FIRRTL[7], OpenROAD initiative[8], Degate[9], and many others.

    [1] https://librecad.org/

    [2] https://www.freecadweb.org/

    [3] https://github.com/Qucs

    [4] http://www.geda-project.org/

    [5] http://www.clifford.at/yosys/

    [6] https://symbiflow.github.io/

    [7] https://www.chisel-lang.org/

    [8] https://theopenroadproject.org/

    [9] https://github.com/nitram2342/degate

  • by ur-whale on 11/24/19, 3:28 PM

    Kicad is an amazing tool. Not easy to get into, kind of like vim in that regard, but when mastered, it's really powerful.

    With that in place, I wish it had:

       . Something to import LTSpice files directly into its schematics tool (or even better, go back and forth)
   . A rough but well integrated auto-router
   . A better parts library management system (the current one is really bad).
    But even without those, designing electronics circuits with KiCad is a blast once you've mastered it.

    And it's free ...

  • by kyaghmour on 11/24/19, 6:57 PM

    Most importantly, KiCad needs funding: https://funding.communitybridge.org/projects/kicad

  • by amelius on 11/24/19, 3:43 PM

    How/where are people getting their PCBs manufactured and assembled? Are cheap chinese services reliable? How do you protect your IP when using manufacturing services?

  • by josteink on 11/24/19, 10:09 PM

    Nothing bad about KiCad (don’t know it), but the Linux foundation have recently been caught neck deep in what seems like a (needless) identity politics controversy.

    TLDR: it kicked out white males trying to mostly have a reasonable conversation on Twitter from attending its events, while allowing an openly and viciously racist and sexist black woman to attend the same event, with her asking for “safe spaces” to top the irony.

    Needless to say, my respect for the Linux foundation has plummeted. They’re clearly off my donation-lists now.