--- In
Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "rmustakos" <rmustakos@...> wrote:
>
> Not specifically to Wayne.
> I have been using KiCAD now for a couple of months. I'm currently
> using it for a four layer PCI-104 board that uses an ADV202 J2K
> compression chip to do the hard work. It has a BlackFin 535P
> handling the PCI interface.
> My experience with KiCAD has been mainly positive (other than
> when I mentioned it on this group). It has some rough edges,
> but it is only a few years old. People are just starting to
> get it up and running as an opensource/multiple developer project,
> so the burrs should be filed off fairly soon.
> What I don't like about it: The component construction system
> is not as clean as Eagle, which is already not as clean as
> DipTrace or WinQCad. You can not selectively grab a block of
> components and traces and 'rubber-band' the connections to a new
> location.
> I have not gotten it working as a project under VC++.NET,
> so I have not broken anything trying to fix these issue yet.
> What I like: Clearly, the price is right. It handles 16
> layers, which has allowed me to build a 6 layer board and
> optimize it down to 4 layers. It is unlimited size and pins
> (though a '104 board would pretty much work in free Eagle).
> It does allow block moves, but any segment of trace with
> an end that falls conpletely or partially within the block
> get moved completly, but reappear as unconnected in ratsnest.
> I much prefer Eagles approach of violating DRC, but letting
> the connections remain intact.
> KiCAD is a multi-platform system, running on Windows,
> Linux and Mac.
> It uses an UI framework that handles all three OSs, so the
> interface is not Windows specific.
> I had fewer troubles learning how to use it than Eagle.
> That could be because it is easier, or it could be I have a
> better understanding of the concepts. Eagle was the first
>schematics and board layout program I used. I had to learn
> both what to do, and how to do it in Eagle.
> In KiCAD, I understand what I want to do, I just need to
> figure out how to make KiCAD do it.
> Hope this helps anyone trying to decide.
> Richard
Richard:
Thanks for the review. It pretty much agrees with my
experience to date.
I'm hoping that the next board that I send out to Olimex
will be done with KiCAD. There is still one remaining
"gotcha" issue that I have to resolve with KiCAD. I need
to figure out how to cram multiple 1.25" x 2.50" mini-boards
onto a single 3.9" x 6.3" Eurocard board in KiCAD. I'm sure
I'll figure it out.
If you are finding that you can't get your latest project
done using the free version of EagleCAD, you might want to
give KiCAD a look.
Later,
-Wayne