I am very satisfied with KiCad -- so far I've not found anything I needed that it can't do. I have had to go into the module editor and the component editor from time to time to create my own components/footprints, but it is easy to do. There are quite a few libraries out there. IMO, it would be beneficial if someone had the time to go through all of these libraries and clean them up -- make them all more consistent.
Take into account the fact that, while not quite still a newbie, I am certainly far less experienced than many others here. The most ambitious board that I've made so far is the one I'm working on now, a 3"x6" double-sided board with a mix of surface mount and through-hole components, using 10/10 rules for the SMD/logic section. I have etched it and it ∗looks∗ good, but I've not yet drilled and populated it, so time will tell ...
--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "James" <jamesrsweet@...> wrote:
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> > Kicad allows you set the angle to any arbitrary amount. You right-click on the component, choose Edit Component, and then change the Orientation to User, which lets you type in the angle you want.
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> Cool, thanks guys, sounds like it's there in most of them, apparently I've not been looking in the right place, I'm still a novice at using these CAD packages but learning more all the time.
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> I'm currently pursuing Kicad because the price is right and it is not limited in any way. Obviously I'm not spending thousands on software to make a dozen or so boards a year at home for my hobby, and I've found that most of the free or cheap versions of other products are far too crippled, the price shoots up dramatically by the time you get something useful.
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