Good FREE CADware (schematics, layout)

Don Moose · 07-22-2007, 06:35 PM

I found this pretty nifty schematic/layout tool called KiCAD.

It's FREE.
Building new library components is reasonably straightforward.
Support for hierarchical schematics.
PCBs up to 16 layers.
Pretty good standard libraries, lots of community libraries, too.
And it's FREE.

Available for Windows, Linux, and Mac OS-X.

KiCAD links

Don Moose · 07-22-2007, 09:11 PM

Dang. The OS-X version doesn't quite work yet.

The Windows one does well under XP.

qwixzh · 07-24-2007, 05:46 AM

already downloading! thanks for the link! will try as soon as download completes!

bob p · 07-24-2007, 06:39 AM

Interesting! I've been looking for an open source solution like this one. Does it do tubes?

Don Moose · 07-25-2007, 09:01 PM

ECC83 is already in the library, and building new library parts is reasonably straightforward.

Hint - ALWAYS place your pins on the (default) 50-mil grid.
You can use smaller grids to draw the internal stuff, but keep the pins on the 50 so you can wire them easily.

07-22-2007, 06:35 PM	#1
Don Moose Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Indianapolis Posts: 676	Good FREE CADware (schematics, layout) - KiCAD I found this pretty nifty schematic/layout tool called KiCAD. It's FREE. Building new library components is reasonably straightforward. Support for hierarchical schematics. PCBs up to 16 layers. Pretty good standard libraries, lots of community libraries, too. And it's FREE. Available for Windows, Linux, and Mac OS-X. KiCAD links

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07-22-2007, 09:11 PM	#2
Don Moose Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Indianapolis Posts: 676	Dang. The OS-X version doesn't quite work yet. The Windows one does well under XP.

07-24-2007, 05:46 AM	#3
qwixzh Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 31	already downloading! thanks for the link! will try as soon as download completes!

07-24-2007, 06:39 AM	#4
bob p Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: What's left of NW Indiana Posts: 1,072	Interesting! I've been looking for an open source solution like this one. Does it do tubes?

07-25-2007, 09:01 PM	#5
Don Moose Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Indianapolis Posts: 676	ECC83 is already in the library, and building new library parts is reasonably straightforward. Hint - ALWAYS place your pins on the (default) 50-mil grid. You can use smaller grids to draw the internal stuff, but keep the pins on the 50 so you can wire them easily.

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