[sdiy] What's the best freeware schematic capture and PCB layout software

[mskala at northcoastsynthesis.com]

On Mon, 13 May 2024, Tom Wiltshire wrote:

> Sorry, what the hell are screws doing in a schematic?!?

I want them to be on the BOM, and putting them on the schematic is easier
than trying to edit them into the BOM later.

A related issue is that I want some screw *holes* to be connected to the
ground plane, and that too is easier to do if the holes are shown on the
schematic.

The bigger point here is that the schematic is a means to an end.  I'll
draw whatever on the schematic helps me achieve the purpose for which I'm
drawing it, regardless of whether that's what the software developers
intended or how many question marks and exclamation points you care to
use.

> go on the board, sure. But that doesn't include the mounting hardware or
> the enclosure or anything else. That's mechanical design at that point

I want the kit builder to count the screws and check them off when
checking the BOM.  This doesn't absolutely prevent kit builders from
screwing up, because kit builders inclined to screw up don't bother
reading the instructions or checking the BOM anyway; but I like to think
that someday it will save me at least one support case.

-- 
Matthew Skala
North Coast Synthesis Ltd.