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EDA software.

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  EDA software. peter@easthope.ca - 2017-12-06 18:40 +0100
    Re: EDA software. deloptes <deloptes@gmail.com> - 2017-12-06 19:20 +0100
    Re: EDA software. Elimar Riesebieter <riesebie@lxtec.de> - 2017-12-06 19:40 +0100
    Re: EDA software. Joe <joe@jretrading.com> - 2017-12-06 19:40 +0100
      Re: EDA software. Michael Milliman <michael.e.milliman@gmail.com> - 2017-12-06 19:50 +0100
      Re: EDA software. Elimar Riesebieter <riesebie@lxtec.de> - 2017-12-06 20:20 +0100
    Re: EDA software. conover@rahul.net (John Conover) - 2017-12-06 19:50 +0100
    Re: EDA software. Fred <fred@blakemfg.com> - 2017-12-06 20:40 +0100
    Re: EDA software. Erik Christiansen <dvalin@internode.on.net> - 2017-12-13 14:20 +0100

#189598 — EDA software.

Hi,

At https://wiki.debian.org/DebianTinker/Desktop#EDA is a list of 
packages for electronics design automation.  According to various 
documents, Electric, Fritzing and gEDA, at least, can help to create 
schematics.  I use librecad but have never used schematic construction 
software.  Which of the EDA packages will be a good starting point?  
Is any integrated with Librecad?

Thanks,                    ... Peter E.
-- 

123456789 123456789 123456789 123456789 123456789 123456789 123456789
Tel: +1 360 639 0202                      Pender Is.: +1 250 629 3757
http://easthope.ca/Peter.html              Bcc: peter at easthope. ca

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#189599

peter@easthope.ca wrote:

> At https://wiki.debian.org/DebianTinker/Desktop#EDA is a list of
> packages for electronics design automation.  According to various
> documents, Electric, Fritzing and gEDA, at least, can help to create
> schematics.  I use librecad but have never used schematic construction
> software.  Which of the EDA packages will be a good starting point?
> Is any integrated with Librecad?

Hi,
I am not an expert, just for hobby used few times the packages. And I don't
know if it is integrated in librecad. chances are good because they use
well known formats, but no idea.
on the other hand it depends on what you want to do. For example I used geda
(gschem) to create a model and ngspice as simulator to test it and then
export the schematics and design the layout in pcb (gsch2pcb). 

For few small projects it worked very good.

I hope it helps

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#189600

* peter@easthope.ca <peter@easthope.ca> [2017-12-06 08:57 -0800]:

> Hi,
> 
> At https://wiki.debian.org/DebianTinker/Desktop#EDA is a list of 
> packages for electronics design automation.  According to various 
> documents, Electric, Fritzing and gEDA, at least, can help to create 
> schematics.  I use librecad but have never used schematic construction 
> software.  Which of the EDA packages will be a good starting point?  
> Is any integrated with Librecad?

I'd give kicad a shot:

apt-cache show kicad

Have a look at http://kicad-pcb.org/ too.

Elimar
-- 
  You cannot propel yourself forward by
  patting yourself on the back.

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#189601

On Wed, 06 Dec 2017 08:57:09 -0800
peter@easthope.ca wrote:

> Hi,
> 
> At https://wiki.debian.org/DebianTinker/Desktop#EDA is a list of 
> packages for electronics design automation.  According to various 
> documents, Electric, Fritzing and gEDA, at least, can help to create 
> schematics.  I use librecad but have never used schematic
> construction software.  Which of the EDA packages will be a good
> starting point? Is any integrated with Librecad?
> 

I suspect they all have a bit of a learning curve. The gEDA suite is
probably the most difficult, but I haven't tried any alternative, there
were none when I began and I don't really feel like changing horses
now. I suspect it is also the most powerful. 

What people like about other systems is the 'integration'. The gEDA
suite is clearly two disparate major tools, with completely different
file structures, but as both are text based, it's not hard to plumb one
into the other. There are a number of command-line utilities, and
scripts and spreadsheets to generate families of parts.

I find I need to make most of the footprints I use, and a lesser number
of schematic symbols: there are libraries, and many user contributions
around the Net, but there are so many hundreds of thousands of parts
that a lot have to be made from scratch, which isn't difficult.

I'm not sure what kind of connection with LibreCAD there could be: DXF
is a much more complex file structure, and I think the most that could
be done would be to transfer PCB outlines and mounting points. There is
some provision for component height in PCB, but no easy way to
manipulate values, and I don't believe LibreCAD can do anything in the
way of 3D anyway.

-- 
Joe

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#189602

[Multipart message — attachments visible in raw view] — view raw

I have used several of the choices mentioned. I have settled on gEDA suite
for a couple of times reasons. First, using the proper tool chain, it
integrates with the ngspice and gnucap simulators. It also allows complete
project creation from schematic thru simulation to PC board layout.

It is true that the learning curve is rather steep, but it is well worth
your while to take the time to learn how to use these tools.

73s de WB5VQX

On Dec 6, 2017 12:31, "Joe" <joe@jretrading.com> wrote:

On Wed, 06 Dec 2017 08:57:09 -0800
peter@easthope.ca wrote:

> Hi,
>
> At https://wiki.debian.org/DebianTinker/Desktop#EDA is a list of
> packages for electronics design automation.  According to various
> documents, Electric, Fritzing and gEDA, at least, can help to create
> schematics.  I use librecad but have never used schematic
> construction software.  Which of the EDA packages will be a good
> starting point? Is any integrated with Librecad?
>

I suspect they all have a bit of a learning curve. The gEDA suite is
probably the most difficult, but I haven't tried any alternative, there
were none when I began and I don't really feel like changing horses
now. I suspect it is also the most powerful.

What people like about other systems is the 'integration'. The gEDA
suite is clearly two disparate major tools, with completely different
file structures, but as both are text based, it's not hard to plumb one
into the other. There are a number of command-line utilities, and
scripts and spreadsheets to generate families of parts.

I find I need to make most of the footprints I use, and a lesser number
of schematic symbols: there are libraries, and many user contributions
around the Net, but there are so many hundreds of thousands of parts
that a lot have to be made from scratch, which isn't difficult.

I'm not sure what kind of connection with LibreCAD there could be: DXF
is a much more complex file structure, and I think the most that could
be done would be to transfer PCB outlines and mounting points. There is
some provision for component height in PCB, but no easy way to
manipulate values, and I don't believe LibreCAD can do anything in the
way of 3D anyway.

--
Joe

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#189604

* Joe <joe@jretrading.com> [2017-12-06 18:31 +0000]:

[...]
> I'm not sure what kind of connection with LibreCAD there could be: DXF
> is a much more complex file structure, and I think the most that could
> be done would be to transfer PCB outlines and mounting points. There is
> some provision for component height in PCB, but no easy way to
> manipulate values, and I don't believe LibreCAD can do anything in the
> way of 3D anyway.

kicad seems to be able to im/export dxf format. There are also
existing powerful 3-D libraries [0]. With those implemented you'll
be able to design 3-D pcb's and export them as STEP-214 to pull them
in to a 3-D capable CAD system which is useful to design housings,
complete devices etc. ...

Elimar
[0] http://smisioto.no-ip.org/elettronica/kicad/kicad-en.htm
-- 
  On the keyboard of life you have always
  to keep a finger at the escape key;-)

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#189603

peter@easthope.ca writes:
> 
> At https://wiki.debian.org/DebianTinker/Desktop#EDA is a list of 
> packages for electronics design automation.  According to various 
> documents, Electric, Fritzing and gEDA, at least, can help to create 
> schematics.  I use librecad but have never used schematic construction 
> software.  Which of the EDA packages will be a good starting point?  
> Is any integrated with Librecad?
>

Hi Peter. All the files in gEDA are text files, and its very
extensible.  There is an active community for gEDA; the specialty is
analog design, (although many use it for digital.) Kicad is an
alternative with a larger user base; the specialty is digital
design. Both have mailing list support and are good choices.

Presumably, you want to do schematic capture, (for simulation, PCB
production, etc.) If you are going to do PCB prototyping in house,
gEDA has a slight advantage. If you are outsourcing PCB production,
Kicad has a slight advantage.

gEDA will probably require you to make some component foot prints,
(although there is a library of the most used components,) which is
easy enough. Kicad has a large library of foot prints.

Both have hooks into the common EDA/CAD/CAM programs, (spice, etc.,)
but setting stuff up is a bit of a pain in both cases.

gEDA is user supported, Kicad is supported by CERN.

Suggestion: try both. gEDA is available via apt-get from the Debian
repository. Decide on only one, (either is a good choice.)
Transporting a design back-and-forth between the two systems is
tricky, at best.

    John

-- 

John Conover, conover@rahul.net, http://www.johncon.com/

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#189605

On 12/06/2017 09:57 AM, peter@easthope.ca wrote:
> Hi,
>
> At https://wiki.debian.org/DebianTinker/Desktop#EDA is a list of
> packages for electronics design automation.  According to various
> documents, Electric, Fritzing and gEDA, at least, can help to create
> schematics.  I use librecad but have never used schematic construction
> software.  Which of the EDA packages will be a good starting point?
> Is any integrated with Librecad?
>
> Thanks,                    ... Peter E.
I recommend xcircuit for schematic capture.  The author Tim Edwards at 
opencircuitdesign.com is very helpful.

Best regards,
Fred Boatwright

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#189848

On 06.12.17 08:57, peter@easthope.ca wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> At https://wiki.debian.org/DebianTinker/Desktop#EDA is a list of 
> packages for electronics design automation.  According to various 
> documents, Electric, Fritzing and gEDA, at least, can help to create 
> schematics.  I use librecad but have never used schematic construction 
> software.  Which of the EDA packages will be a good starting point?  
> Is any integrated with Librecad?

Because Kicad and Geda were still in early development when I needed
schematic capture and PCB layout, I ended up learning Eagle, and have
found it very good. It's a commercial offering, but free for private
use, limited to 80 x 100 mm double sided in that version. I don't know
the current price of a full version.

As learning one GUI package was hard enough, I figure I'll just pay up
if I should ever make a board to sell.

It is a pain that the Eagle community is a newsgroup, rather than a
mailing list. There are innumerable libraries of component macros on
their website.

I've never seen Librecad.

Erik

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