Hello List,
For electronics engineers, when using open source EDA tools, one of big challenge is component schematic symbols. If you are creating symbol for component with more than 100 pins, it becomes very time consuming and challenging to create error free symbols. Here is a simple program to create symbols for open source EDA kicad. The idea is to describe symbol in .csv format and convert .csv to schematic symbol. At preset program supports Kicad only, but we as a community can expand the program to include as many EDAs(free/commercial) as we can. So that manufactures may start distributing .csv files for their components. Hence I request, if you know Java, have time and know some symbol formats, please contribute.
The link to program is http://sourceforge.net/projects/csvtokicad/ http://mac.softpedia.com/get/Utilities/CsvToKicad.shtml
Thank you.
Best Regards Balwinder Singh
We have used gEDA for our Cortex-M3 based designs. The schematic is completely in gEDA. However, for layout we had to use commercial tool for the size required.
gEDA works like a charm and I could not but smile when I could even 'make' my schematics. :-))
If any of the members have been able to exploit layout with open-source tools for >2 layers please let me know, I'd love to share some notes.
-Akshay Principal Engineer, DSPWorks, www.dspworks.in
On 27 April 2011 12:39, Linux linux@trustedmachines.com wrote:
Hello List,
For electronics engineers, when using open source EDA tools, one of big challenge is component schematic symbols. If you are creating symbol for component with more than 100 pins, it becomes very time consuming and challenging to create error free symbols. Here is a simple program to create symbols for open source EDA kicad. The idea is to describe symbol in .csv format and convert .csv to schematic symbol. At preset program supports Kicad only, but we as a community can expand the program to include as many EDAs(free/commercial) as we can. So that manufactures may start distributing .csv files for their components. Hence I request, if you know Java, have time and know some symbol formats, please contribute.
The link to program is http://sourceforge.net/projects/csvtokicad/ http://mac.softpedia.com/get/Utilities/CsvToKicad.shtml
Thank you.
Best Regards Balwinder Singh -- http://mm.glug-bom.org/mailman/listinfo/linuxers
On Wednesday 27 April 2011 12:53:40 Akshay Mishra wrote:
We have used gEDA for our Cortex-M3 based designs. The schematic is completely in gEDA. However, for layout we had to use commercial tool for the size required.
gEDA works like a charm and I could not but smile when I could even 'make' my schematics. :-))
If any of the members have been able to exploit layout with open-source tools for >2 layers please let me know, I'd love to share some notes.
I use PCB for 1,2 and 4 layers including an lpc2468FBD design. Infact we stopped using closed tools 3 yrs ago. I have not used BGAs primarily due to the complications in assembly.
On Wednesday 27 April 2011 12:53 PM, Akshay Mishra wrote:
We have used gEDA for our Cortex-M3 based designs. The schematic is completely in gEDA. However, for layout we had to use commercial tool for the size required.
gEDA works like a charm and I could not but smile when I could even 'make' my schematics. :-))
If any of the members have been able to exploit layout with open-source tools for>2 layers please let me know, I'd love to share some notes.
-Akshay Principal Engineer, DSPWorks, www.dspworks.in
I have used Kicad in many projects. Schematic capture is very good. For PCB kicad with freerouting.net is good combination. But now I am doing a complex design which will have 6+ layers with BGAs+DDR2. I am using kicad, please let me know if some one has done design of similar complexity with any open source EDA tool. Also I would like to know of major limitations, which might require special attention.
Thanks And Regards Balwinder Singh
I have used Kicad in many projects. Schematic capture is very good. For PCB kicad with freerouting.net is good combination. But now I am doing a complex design which will have 6+ layers with BGAs+DDR2. I am using kicad, please let me know if some one has done design of similar complexity with any open source EDA tool. Also I would like to know of major limitations, which might require special attention.
you might know some/all of it. for any tool, we prefer following:
(i) Confirm the footprints. Not many are available easily and we usually prefer 2 independent checks for the footprints (ii) Also with DDR2, if you intended to exceed 300MHz while it is OK to not do a High Speed analysis for short length traces it is preferable if you are deviating from any of the specified datasheet methods. Length matching is again something which is not very well supported if you have very many data lines.
The placement for DDR2 terminations is critical. placing 0603 and 4 mil traces is something I find challenging in even commercial tools. it is a mix of tool handling and experience.
-Akshay
Thanks And Regards Balwinder Singh
-
Akshay Mishra -
jtd -
Linux