Homebrew PCBs

Hi,

 

I want to echo my approval of KiCAD. In the current century, I first
used TinyCAD. Why? Because it was the first program that I googled when
searching for FREE CAD software. Along with FreePCB and a Gerber viewer,
it really is capable doing a PCB; I used it for my first one. Its
program glitches and, especially, its component library drive me up the
wall, though. Whoever designed TinyCAD's libraries used something other
than inches (probably metric) and the components can't be adjusted to an
inch grid without redrawing them. In frustration, I installed KiCAD just
today. After going through the tutorial, I'm quite impressed with its
capabilities. I re-entered a schematic for a prospective PCB of mine and
did it in a quarter of TinyCAD's time or less.

 

(Sorry, ROTW, but I use inches, NOT mm! Through-hole components are
sized in inches. If I want to build a soldered breadboard, perf boards
come only in 0.1 inch spacing. If by some miracle I come up with a
production design, American PCB houses use inches. I like the metric
system and wish we had changed over in the 1950s, but we didn't. Unless
manufacturers of the stuff-electronic, mechanical, and lumber, too-I use
all go metric, I still use inches! Sorry for the off-topic tirade.)

 

Bottom line for newbies: Don't waste your time with TinyCAD/FreePCB! If
you need free, go right to KiCAD.

 

Back in the computing dark ages (1980 +/-), I used OrCAD (now
Candence/Orcad). I've seen that OrCAD is giving away their DOS (Yes, I
said DOS!) version for free. The current version is a very high price,
high capability product. I used the DOS version in the dark ages to
design stuff for NASA and the military. I don't really remember whether
it had component rotation, but I'll bet it did. Aerospace hardware used
a lot of weird-sized boards that didn't lend themselves to parts lined
up like soldiers in formation. If you're inclined to step back into the
last century, you might check it out at www.orcad.com.

 

Jim

 

From: Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of awakephd
Sent: Saturday, March 27, 2010 7:46 AM
To: Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Homebrew_PCBs] Re: PCB layout & component rotation

 

  

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
<mailto:Homebrew_PCBs%40yahoogroups.com> , "James" <jamesrsweet@...>
wrote:
>
> 
> 
> > 
> > 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.
> >
> 
> 
> 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. 
> 
> 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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