Re: Addon for running FreeRouter ??
I also notice there is a bunch of plugins in the plugins
directory but they never appear in the tools/plugins menu.
Some of them are potentially very useful but currently I cannot
see how to run them.
Dave
On 05/10/2021 18:50, David Slipper
wrote:
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
I am running Kicad 5.1.10_1 and FreeRouter 1.4.4 under Win 7
Pro x64
I can run FreeRouter manually and I am pleased with the
results.
But I would prefer if it was automated to some extent.
The plug-in I found is
but I have been unable to get it to work - a lack of
installation instructions didn't help.
Dave
On 05/10/2021 18:36, Gérard FARGES
wrote:
Hi,
Which version do you mean ?
It works well with V4 and V5.1.8 but to be used
separately, imporint/exproting Specctra formats and with
same results.
Not tried yet on V1.1.10 or the V5.99.
Have a look to kicad forum pointing to the Freerouter S/W
still living. To re-installed Layout Editor ECAD to have
Freerouter.jar (java app).
Needs the Java JDK on your computer.
KR
GerardFX
Le?mar. 5 oct. 2021 à?13:24,
David Slipper < softfoot@...>
a écrit?:
Hi, There used to be a plugin to export the pcb, run
autorouter, and
then when autorouter closed, re-import the pcb all as a
single function.
Sadly it no longer works with the latest Kicad - has anyone
ported it ??
and if so where could I find it ??
Best regards,
Dave
|
Re: Addon for running FreeRouter ??
I am running Kicad 5.1.10_1 and FreeRouter 1.4.4 under Win 7 Pro
x64
I can run FreeRouter manually and I am pleased with the results.
But I would prefer if it was automated to some extent.
The plug-in I found is
but I have been unable to get it to work - a lack of installation
instructions didn't help.
Dave
On 05/10/2021 18:36, Gérard FARGES
wrote:
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
Hi,
Which version do you mean ?
It works well with V4 and V5.1.8 but to be used separately,
imporint/exproting Specctra formats and with same results.
Not tried yet on V1.1.10 or the V5.99.
Have a look to kicad forum pointing to the Freerouter S/W
still living. To re-installed Layout Editor ECAD to have
Freerouter.jar (java app).
Needs the Java JDK on your computer.
KR
GerardFX
Le?mar. 5 oct. 2021 à?13:24,
David Slipper < softfoot@...>
a écrit?:
Hi, There used to be a plugin to export the pcb, run
autorouter, and
then when autorouter closed, re-import the pcb all as a single
function.
Sadly it no longer works with the latest Kicad - has anyone
ported it ??
and if so where could I find it ??
Best regards,
Dave
|
Re: Addon for running FreeRouter ??
Hi, Which version do you mean ? It works well with V4 and V5.1.8 but to be used separately, imporint/exproting Specctra formats and with same results.
Not tried yet on V1.1.10 or the V5.99.
Have a look to kicad forum pointing to the Freerouter S/W still living. To re-installed Layout Editor ECAD to have Freerouter.jar (java app).
Needs the Java JDK on your computer.
KR GerardFX
Le?mar. 5 oct. 2021 à?13:24, David Slipper < softfoot@...> a écrit?:
Hi, There used to be a plugin to export the pcb, run autorouter, and
then when autorouter closed, re-import the pcb all as a single function.
Sadly it no longer works with the latest Kicad - has anyone ported it ??
and if so where could I find it ??
Best regards,
Dave
|
Addon for running FreeRouter ??
Hi, There used to be a plugin to export the pcb, run autorouter, and then when autorouter closed, re-import the pcb all as a single function.
Sadly it no longer works with the latest Kicad - has anyone ported it ?? and if so where could I find it ??
Best regards,
Dave
|
Does KiCad have a recommended path location in which to store SPICE library/model files of components or circuits? I'm starting to use KiCad's SPICE simulator and I'm not convinced that keeping individual ,LIBs in the various project directories is the best way to go (although it works).
Anyone have a recommendation or experience to advise?
Thanks.
|
Re: Kicad library management for both 5 and upcoming 6 version.
It's been so long since i added libs... Once you set it up 5there is hardly any need to mess with it again.. Top posting etc.. that's fighting words :-) Personally I prefer top posting as I've already read the previous postings. Also if a thread gets too long I will edit out the previous stuff. Comes from when things were all text and dial up was pay by the minute. Also some of the discussion boards I use (and still do) have proper threading so there is no need to quote previous messages. Nowdays I don't worry about it on things like groups so please yourself and add a dash of common sense.. :-) Change the path as Tony described. Adding an additional directory is easy, use the manage symbol lib / footprint libs from the preferencs menu Open the appropriate manager insert a new line give it a nickname then use the navigator to find your directory of symbols click on the symbol lib and then ok Same with modules (footprints) However I think that as footprints are individual files you need to select each one you want to add. The usual <ctl> + a will select all of them. In the manager you will see a enable square at the start of the line. Obviously that enables the lib for use. If you leave everything enabled then you will find that the selection list is so long that finding things becomes annoying. I tend to leave almost everything off apart from a few basic libs then add others as needed. If you look through your projects you will find that you don't use that many components a couple of dozen maybe. Some users copy those common parts into a separate director/lib and add that to each project. Lots of ways to do things, whatever you prefer. Note that you usually have to restart kicad for major changes to show up. Andy On Thu, 30 Sep 2021 22:46:18 -0500 "Dale" <rdalek1967@...> wrote: Hi Andy and all,
Top posting to be consistent.? If this is discouraged, let me know.?
Gentoo mailing lists like bottom or inline posting.? I'm not sure what
is preferred here.?
Thanks to all for the replies.? This is what I was hoping I could do.?
Create a directory like this and point Kicad to only it:
/home/dale/kicad-libraries/
Then from there add directories so that it ends up like this.
/home/dale/kicad-libraries/NE555/<symbol-footprint-3D-files-etc>
/home/dale/kicad-libraries/LT1083/<symbol-footprint-3D-files-etc>
/home/dale/kicad-libraries/2324-V-RC-inductor/<symbol-footprint-3D-files-etc>
And so on with each component.? What I was hoping, I could point Kicad
to /home/dale/kicad-libraries/ and it automatically find the NE555,
LT1083, 2324-V-RC-inductor and so on with whatever else I add to that
directory.? I decided to test the theory and try it but it doesn't seem
to allow me to do it that way.? I can't get it to stop at
/home/dale/kicad-libraries/.? It wants me to go deeper into each sub
directory.? It doesn't appear to build the library recursively.? So,
unless I'm missing something, plan A isn't going to work.? I suspect
version 6 will be the same, despite the library files themselves being
different.? It seems it can do this with the files that come with Kicad
but doesn't do it with user added ones.? I really think I'm missing
something here.? It seems this should be doable.?
I might add, I wouldn't mind being able to split some into parts as
well.? Say have a directory in there called amplifiers and then have in
sub directories of that LM386, LM383, IRS2092 etc etc.? Sort of like
with the ones that come with Kicad for example, Capacitors then beneath
that, electrolytic, non-polarized, tantalum etc etc.?
I admit that sometimes I over organize things but I also like them to
make sense.? That way I don't have to try to remember a exact path, I
just remember the subject and keep going until I get to the specific
location.? For some examples:
/home/dale/Desktop/Documents/Electronics/Electronic circuits/3 Step
Automatic Battery Charger/
/home/dale/Desktop/Documents/Electronics/12voltdesulfator-master/12voltdesulfator-master/desulfator
v0.91 kicad source/
/home/dale/Desktop/Documents/Speaker_Designs/8-inch_sub-woofer/
That works well 99% of the time.? One reason I do that, I sometimes know
I have something but can't recall where it is or sometimes what it is
even called.? If I go by subject matter and just keep going, I
eventually find it.? In this case tho, I want to be able to do the same
thing with in Kicad.? Plus, I may can share my method with others and it
help them as well.? Heck, at some point I may make a nice zip file of it
and have it where a person can just unpack, point Kicad to the unpacked
folder/directory and they off to the races.?
Does this make sense to anyone besides me?? lol
Dale
:-)? :-)
Andy wrote:
Agreed with most of what Konrad says.
I've been using kicad at home for years on linux without any real issues.
One thing you should never do in any CAD system is use on-line libraries
or libs downloaded from them.
You should only ever use libs in your own repositories that you have
verified as OK
There is no harm in using the online libs as a starting point, but you
should check them first than copy the checked items to your own store.
There are various reasons for this, the main one is to protect yourself
against errors caused by unintentional / error edits to online sources.
Other reasons are that some companies have very specific requirements
regarding CAD files which you don't want to get messed up.
You may also keep several versions of a project to suit different PCB
manaf. houses.
What I did was recreate the basic Kicad lib directory structure in my own
directories, add a couple of extras for "specials" This in the Kicad
paths setup I deleted all of the links to the Kicad libs and replaced them
with pointers to my own. This has always worked nicely for me.
Andy
On Thu, 30 Sep 2021 00:51:16 -0500
"Dale" <rdalek1967@...> wrote:
Hi all,
I'm basically new to Kicad.? I used it a couple times years ago but
never really completed anything, youtube wasn't as big then.? I'm
currently working with 5.1.10.? I suspect 6 will be coming shortly so
I'd kinda like to start learning now.? That way I have a good strategy
when 6 comes, given it works similar to my current version.? Also, I use
Linux, Gentoo, for my OS.? I kind of want to manage my libraries the
same way it is done with the default libraries.? I'm not sure I
understand how that is done or if it is possible for me to do the same
in my /home directory.? This is a sample of the OS installed libraries.?
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root??? 6637 Dec 19? 2020 4xxx.dcm
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root???? 469 Dec 19? 2020 4xxx_IEEE.dcm
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root?? 79005 Dec 19? 2020 4xxx_IEEE.lib
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root?? 60379 Dec 19? 2020 4xxx.lib
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root?? 24191 Dec 19? 2020 74xGxx.dcm
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root?? 41240 Dec 19? 2020 74xGxx.lib
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root?? 28975 Dec 19? 2020 74xx.dcm
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root??? 1043 Dec 19? 2020 74xx_IEEE.dcm
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root? 144816 Dec 19? 2020 74xx_IEEE.lib
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root? 179147 Dec 19? 2020 74xx.lib
I notice that there seems to be two files for each one.? One is a .dcm
and one a .lib.? That said, in ones I download and install in my /home
directory, sometimes it is a .kicad_mod file.? Sometimes it is a .mod
file.? Sometimes it is like above.? I think the difference is some may
be for the version 6 of Kicad which is why I have trouble getting them
to work.? Can someone confirm that if I'm right?
My biggest question tho.? Can I create a directory called say
kicad_library and just keep adding files to that and them be recognized
when it reloads the libraries?? Right now, I add them manually with one
set of symbols or footprints for each entry.? I would like to be able to
just copy them to a directory and be done.? How to do that exactly is
something I'm not sure of tho.? I'm also not sure if I should leave it
as is until version 6 comes out and then set it up so that going
forward, I'm doing it a easy way.? Eventually, I hope to have quite a
collection of symbols and footprints.? At least the things I use
anyway.? I realize that having a large collection around leads to longer
loading times.? I restart once a week whether it needs it or not.? I do
that after I do my weekly updates.? So, Kicad is running pretty much all
the time.?
I'm sort of thinking that if I just place the files in the directory, it
will work.? Thing is, I don't want to do that and make a mess of
things.? Also, I only have a few projects.? Changing now even if I have
to go back and reselect footprints and such would be easier now than
when I have lots more projects to update.? That is if it isn't best to
wait until version 6 and then tackle the beast.?
By the way, I put things in some odd places when I started too.? I knew
very little then, not much more now either but should have done better.?
Hindsight.? Bites us every time.? lol?
Thoughts??
Dale
:-)? :-)
|
Re: Kicad library management for both 5 and upcoming 6 version.
Thank you SO MUCH for the clues, Tony. I'm feeling more confident of switching from 5.1(.6) up to the 5.99 Donald. -- *Plain Text* email -- it's an accessibility issue () no proprietary attachments; no html mail /\ <> On 2021-10-01 5:20 a.m., Tony Casey wrote: To simplify library management, you should do a couple of things. In the
application "KiCad",
1. Preferences > Configure Paths
2. In this dialogue, you should see KiCad-specific environmental
variables, for example: KICAD_SYMBOL_DIR. This is pre-defined (in
Linux) as /usr/share/kicad/library, being the default symbol
library. If you're running the development branch, there is a
separate set of EnvVars prefixed KICAD6_.
3. To more easily work with your own symbol library, click the [+]
button and add, for example: KICAD_USER_SYMBOL_DIR, and define where
you would like it to be, maybe: /home/dale/kicad-libraries. Do the
same for your footprint, 3D, Template etc. library directories.
Then, Preferences > Manage Symbol Libraries. There, you add each of your
own separate library directories, using the environmental variable
prefixes, you previously defined. You can make libraries global, or
project specific. Note: you have to have an active project open to
define project libraries. Now, do the same for your footprint libraries.
Note, that the terminology has changed over different versions of KiCad.
Footprints used to be called modules. With version 6, they're called
footprints stored in in files that have the suffix .kicad_mod and live
in directories suffixed .pretty. With version 6, symbols are now stored
in files suffixed .kicad_sym and .dcm files are no longer used.
It's obviously up to you how you catalogue symbols and footprints, but I
stick broadly to the default theme and group similar types of parts. I
would avoid creating a directory for each part - each one has to be
added to the lib-tables. Note, that your choices for symbol and
footprint directories are stored in the files: sym-lib-table and
fp-lib-table, respectively in $HOME/.config/kicad. To make my library
folders easily distinguishable from the default libraries, I prefix each
with an underscore.
Note: you can have any number of symbols or footprints with the same
name. The libraries listed in sym-lib-table and fp-lib-table are
searched in the order they appear in those files, so if you list you own
library directories above the default ones, they will be selected in
preference. But if you have forgotten to define your own R0603, for
example, and it exists in the default libraries, that one will be picked
up instead. You can also toggle whether particular directories are
active (searched) or not.
Hope this helps a little.
--
Regards,
Tony [snip]
|
Re: Kicad library management for both 5 and upcoming 6 version.
To simplify library management, you should do a couple of things. In
the application "KiCad",
- Preferences > Configure Paths
- In this dialogue, you should see KiCad-specific environmental
variables, for example: KICAD_SYMBOL_DIR. This is pre-defined
(in Linux) as /usr/share/kicad/library, being the default symbol
library. If you're running the development branch, there is a
separate set of EnvVars prefixed KICAD6_.
- To more easily work with your own symbol library, click the
[+] button and add, for example: KICAD_USER_SYMBOL_DIR, and
define where you would like it to be, maybe:
/home/dale/kicad-libraries. Do the same for your footprint, 3D,
Template etc. library directories.
Then, Preferences > Manage Symbol Libraries. There, you add each
of your own separate library directories, using the environmental
variable prefixes, you previously defined. You can make libraries
global, or project specific. Note: you have to have an active
project open to define project libraries. Now, do the same for your
footprint libraries. Note, that the terminology has changed over
different versions of KiCad. Footprints used to be called modules.
With version 6, they're called footprints stored in in files that
have the suffix .kicad_mod and live in directories suffixed .pretty.
With version 6, symbols are now stored in files suffixed .kicad_sym
and .dcm files are no longer used.
It's obviously up to you how you catalogue symbols and footprints,
but I stick broadly to the default theme and group similar types of
parts. I would avoid creating a directory for each part - each one
has to be added to the lib-tables. Note, that your choices for
symbol and footprint directories are stored in the files:
sym-lib-table and fp-lib-table, respectively in $HOME/.config/kicad.
To make my library folders easily distinguishable from the default
libraries, I prefix each with an underscore.
Note: you can have any number of symbols or footprints with the same
name. The libraries listed in sym-lib-table and fp-lib-table are
searched in the order they appear in those files, so if you list you
own library directories above the default ones, they will be
selected in preference. But if you have forgotten to define your own
R0603, for example, and it exists in the default libraries, that one
will be picked up instead. You can also toggle whether particular
directories are active (searched) or not.
Hope this helps a little.
--
Regards,
Tony
On 01/10/2021 05:46, Dale wrote:
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
Top posting to be consistent.? If this is discouraged, let me know.?
Gentoo mailing lists like bottom or inline posting.? I'm not sure what
is preferred here.?
Thanks to all for the replies.? This is what I was hoping I could do.?
Create a directory like this and point Kicad to only it:
/home/dale/kicad-libraries/
Then from there add directories so that it ends up like this.
/home/dale/kicad-libraries/NE555/<symbol-footprint-3D-files-etc>
/home/dale/kicad-libraries/LT1083/<symbol-footprint-3D-files-etc>
/home/dale/kicad-libraries/2324-V-RC-inductor/<symbol-footprint-3D-files-etc>
And so on with each component.? What I was hoping, I could point Kicad
to /home/dale/kicad-libraries/ and it automatically find the NE555,
LT1083, 2324-V-RC-inductor and so on with whatever else I add to that
directory.? I decided to test the theory and try it but it doesn't seem
to allow me to do it that way.? I can't get it to stop at
/home/dale/kicad-libraries/.? It wants me to go deeper into each sub
directory.? It doesn't appear to build the library recursively.? So,
unless I'm missing something, plan A isn't going to work.? I suspect
version 6 will be the same, despite the library files themselves being
different.? It seems it can do this with the files that come with Kicad
but doesn't do it with user added ones.? I really think I'm missing
something here.? It seems this should be doable.?
I might add, I wouldn't mind being able to split some into parts as
well.? Say have a directory in there called amplifiers and then have in
sub directories of that LM386, LM383, IRS2092 etc etc.? Sort of like
with the ones that come with Kicad for example, Capacitors then beneath
that, electrolytic, non-polarized, tantalum etc etc.?
I admit that sometimes I over organize things but I also like them to
make sense.? That way I don't have to try to remember a exact path, I
just remember the subject and keep going until I get to the specific
location.? For some examples:
/home/dale/Desktop/Documents/Electronics/Electronic circuits/3 Step
Automatic Battery Charger/
/home/dale/Desktop/Documents/Electronics/12voltdesulfator-master/12voltdesulfator-master/desulfator
v0.91 kicad source/
/home/dale/Desktop/Documents/Speaker_Designs/8-inch_sub-woofer/
That works well 99% of the time.? One reason I do that, I sometimes know
I have something but can't recall where it is or sometimes what it is
even called.? If I go by subject matter and just keep going, I
eventually find it.? In this case tho, I want to be able to do the same
thing with in Kicad.? Plus, I may can share my method with others and it
help them as well.? Heck, at some point I may make a nice zip file of it
and have it where a person can just unpack, point Kicad to the unpacked
folder/directory and they off to the races.?
Does this make sense to anyone besides me?? lol
|
Re: Kicad library management for both 5 and upcoming 6 version.
Hi Andy and all,
Top posting to be consistent.? If this is discouraged, let me know.?
Gentoo mailing lists like bottom or inline posting.? I'm not sure what
is preferred here.?
Thanks to all for the replies.? This is what I was hoping I could do.?
Create a directory like this and point Kicad to only it:
/home/dale/kicad-libraries/
Then from there add directories so that it ends up like this.
/home/dale/kicad-libraries/NE555/<symbol-footprint-3D-files-etc>
/home/dale/kicad-libraries/LT1083/<symbol-footprint-3D-files-etc>
/home/dale/kicad-libraries/2324-V-RC-inductor/<symbol-footprint-3D-files-etc>
And so on with each component.? What I was hoping, I could point Kicad
to /home/dale/kicad-libraries/ and it automatically find the NE555,
LT1083, 2324-V-RC-inductor and so on with whatever else I add to that
directory.? I decided to test the theory and try it but it doesn't seem
to allow me to do it that way.? I can't get it to stop at
/home/dale/kicad-libraries/.? It wants me to go deeper into each sub
directory.? It doesn't appear to build the library recursively.? So,
unless I'm missing something, plan A isn't going to work.? I suspect
version 6 will be the same, despite the library files themselves being
different.? It seems it can do this with the files that come with Kicad
but doesn't do it with user added ones.? I really think I'm missing
something here.? It seems this should be doable.?
I might add, I wouldn't mind being able to split some into parts as
well.? Say have a directory in there called amplifiers and then have in
sub directories of that LM386, LM383, IRS2092 etc etc.? Sort of like
with the ones that come with Kicad for example, Capacitors then beneath
that, electrolytic, non-polarized, tantalum etc etc.?
I admit that sometimes I over organize things but I also like them to
make sense.? That way I don't have to try to remember a exact path, I
just remember the subject and keep going until I get to the specific
location.? For some examples:
/home/dale/Desktop/Documents/Electronics/Electronic circuits/3 Step
Automatic Battery Charger/
/home/dale/Desktop/Documents/Electronics/12voltdesulfator-master/12voltdesulfator-master/desulfator
v0.91 kicad source/
/home/dale/Desktop/Documents/Speaker_Designs/8-inch_sub-woofer/
That works well 99% of the time.? One reason I do that, I sometimes know
I have something but can't recall where it is or sometimes what it is
even called.? If I go by subject matter and just keep going, I
eventually find it.? In this case tho, I want to be able to do the same
thing with in Kicad.? Plus, I may can share my method with others and it
help them as well.? Heck, at some point I may make a nice zip file of it
and have it where a person can just unpack, point Kicad to the unpacked
folder/directory and they off to the races.?
Does this make sense to anyone besides me?? lol
Dale
:-)? :-)
Andy wrote:
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
Agreed with most of what Konrad says.
I've been using kicad at home for years on linux without any real issues.
One thing you should never do in any CAD system is use on-line libraries
or libs downloaded from them.
You should only ever use libs in your own repositories that you have
verified as OK
There is no harm in using the online libs as a starting point, but you
should check them first than copy the checked items to your own store.
There are various reasons for this, the main one is to protect yourself
against errors caused by unintentional / error edits to online sources.
Other reasons are that some companies have very specific requirements
regarding CAD files which you don't want to get messed up.
You may also keep several versions of a project to suit different PCB
manaf. houses.
What I did was recreate the basic Kicad lib directory structure in my own
directories, add a couple of extras for "specials" This in the Kicad
paths setup I deleted all of the links to the Kicad libs and replaced them
with pointers to my own. This has always worked nicely for me.
Andy
On Thu, 30 Sep 2021 00:51:16 -0500
"Dale" <rdalek1967@...> wrote:
Hi all,
I'm basically new to Kicad.? I used it a couple times years ago but
never really completed anything, youtube wasn't as big then.? I'm
currently working with 5.1.10.? I suspect 6 will be coming shortly so
I'd kinda like to start learning now.? That way I have a good strategy
when 6 comes, given it works similar to my current version.? Also, I use
Linux, Gentoo, for my OS.? I kind of want to manage my libraries the
same way it is done with the default libraries.? I'm not sure I
understand how that is done or if it is possible for me to do the same
in my /home directory.? This is a sample of the OS installed libraries.?
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root??? 6637 Dec 19? 2020 4xxx.dcm
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root???? 469 Dec 19? 2020 4xxx_IEEE.dcm
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root?? 79005 Dec 19? 2020 4xxx_IEEE.lib
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root?? 60379 Dec 19? 2020 4xxx.lib
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root?? 24191 Dec 19? 2020 74xGxx.dcm
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root?? 41240 Dec 19? 2020 74xGxx.lib
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root?? 28975 Dec 19? 2020 74xx.dcm
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root??? 1043 Dec 19? 2020 74xx_IEEE.dcm
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root? 144816 Dec 19? 2020 74xx_IEEE.lib
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root? 179147 Dec 19? 2020 74xx.lib
I notice that there seems to be two files for each one.? One is a .dcm
and one a .lib.? That said, in ones I download and install in my /home
directory, sometimes it is a .kicad_mod file.? Sometimes it is a .mod
file.? Sometimes it is like above.? I think the difference is some may
be for the version 6 of Kicad which is why I have trouble getting them
to work.? Can someone confirm that if I'm right?
My biggest question tho.? Can I create a directory called say
kicad_library and just keep adding files to that and them be recognized
when it reloads the libraries?? Right now, I add them manually with one
set of symbols or footprints for each entry.? I would like to be able to
just copy them to a directory and be done.? How to do that exactly is
something I'm not sure of tho.? I'm also not sure if I should leave it
as is until version 6 comes out and then set it up so that going
forward, I'm doing it a easy way.? Eventually, I hope to have quite a
collection of symbols and footprints.? At least the things I use
anyway.? I realize that having a large collection around leads to longer
loading times.? I restart once a week whether it needs it or not.? I do
that after I do my weekly updates.? So, Kicad is running pretty much all
the time.?
I'm sort of thinking that if I just place the files in the directory, it
will work.? Thing is, I don't want to do that and make a mess of
things.? Also, I only have a few projects.? Changing now even if I have
to go back and reselect footprints and such would be easier now than
when I have lots more projects to update.? That is if it isn't best to
wait until version 6 and then tackle the beast.?
By the way, I put things in some odd places when I started too.? I knew
very little then, not much more now either but should have done better.?
Hindsight.? Bites us every time.? lol?
Thoughts??
Dale
:-)? :-)
|
Re: Kicad library management for both 5 and upcoming 6 version.
Hi On 30/09/21 22:03, Konrad Rosenbaum wrote: ...
The migration is simply to open the project in KiCAD 6, open the schematic and PCB and save both of them. Usually that's all you have to do. In some rare cases you may have to swap out some symbols or footprints because they got new names - it is a simple case of finding them in the library.
If the difference is only in the name, adding an "alias" with the "old" name could do the trick.
|
Re: Kicad library management for both 5 and upcoming 6 version.
Hi, On 30/09/2021 20:35, Gérard FARGES wrote: From my side, have used V4 then V5, and think about moving to V6 (or so-called presently 5.99).
Are you still also using previous versions in parrallel when having moved to the 5.99, do we have to migrate forever ?
I need to keep operationnal 4 and 5, not to migrate all old designs (still to maintain over the years coming...).
You can use both versions in parallel, but not for the same project. Both versions use their own separate directories, so they do not interfere with each other. They also keep their configuration separate. If you keep your own libraries in KiCAD 5 format you can share libraries. KiCAD 6 can read KiCAD 5 libraries. I'm not sure how well it can edit them - I haven't tested this. It is not possible to keep projects in KiCAD 5 format while editing them with KiCAD 6, so for projects the migration is permanent. But it is possible to keep the old version around indefinitely for projects that need to stay compatible. The migration is simply to open the project in KiCAD 6, open the schematic and PCB and save both of them. Usually that's all you have to do. In some rare cases you may have to swap out some symbols or footprints because they got new names - it is a simple case of finding them in the library. It seems most PCB services that support KiCAD are in the process of adding KiCAD 6 support, so this will not be a problem very soon. Out of curiosity: what's the reason to keep designs in KiCAD 4 for such a long time? And why maintain designs in KiCAD 5 "over the years coming"? Even after KiCAD 6 is proven to be stable? ??? Konrad
|
Re: Kicad library management for both 5 and upcoming 6 version.
Hi
You can keep both the old and new libraries.
To keep 4 and 5 operational just keep the current libraries as
is.
After installing 6 (5.99) just keep its libraries separated from
the existing ones.
In all versions the libraries are accessed using paths configured
in Kicad or in the project itself, so its easy to keep each
version working with their own libraries.
Version 6 is still able to use the old libraries (legacy) so you
can still access the 4 and 5 libs you are currently using.
On 30/09/21 19:35, Gérard FARGES wrote:
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
From my side, have used V4 then V5, and think about moving
to V6 (or so-called presently 5.99).
Are you still also using previous versions in parrallel
when having moved to the 5.99, do we have to migrate forever ?
I need to keep operationnal 4 and 5, not to migrate all old
designs (still to maintain over the years coming...).
Subscribed.
I do it for all libs. including 3D models, that I sometimes
create or
modify myself.
On 30/09/21 15:49, Andy wrote:
> Agreed with most of what Konrad says.
>
> I've been using kicad at home for years on linux without
any real issues.
>
> One thing you should never do in any CAD system is use
on-line libraries
> or libs downloaded from them.
>
> You should only ever use libs in your own repositories
that you have
> verified as OK
>
> There is no harm in using the online libs as a starting
point, but you
> should check them first than copy the checked items to
your own store.
>
> There are various reasons for this, the main one is to
protect yourself
> against errors caused by unintentional / error edits to
online sources.
>? ?
> Other reasons are that some companies have very specific
requirements
> regarding CAD files which you don't want to get messed
up.
>
> You may also keep several versions of a project to suit
different PCB
> manaf. houses.
>? ?
> What I did was recreate the basic Kicad lib directory
structure in my own
> directories, add a couple of extras for "specials" This
in the Kicad
> paths setup I deleted all of the links to the Kicad libs
and replaced them
> with pointers to my own. This has always worked nicely
for me.
>
> Andy
>
>
> On Thu, 30 Sep 2021 00:51:16 -0500
> "Dale" <rdalek1967@...>
wrote:
>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I'm basically new to Kicad.? I used it a couple times
years ago but
>> never really completed anything, youtube wasn't as
big then.? I'm
>> currently working with 5.1.10.? I suspect 6 will be
coming shortly so
>> I'd kinda like to start learning now.? That way I
have a good strategy
>> when 6 comes, given it works similar to my current
version.? Also, I use
>> Linux, Gentoo, for my OS.? I kind of want to manage
my libraries the
>> same way it is done with the default libraries.? I'm
not sure I
>> understand how that is done or if it is possible for
me to do the same
>> in my /home directory.? This is a sample of the OS
installed libraries.
>>
>> -rw-r--r-- 1 root root??? 6637 Dec 19? 2020 4xxx.dcm
>> -rw-r--r-- 1 root root???? 469 Dec 19? 2020
4xxx_IEEE.dcm
>> -rw-r--r-- 1 root root?? 79005 Dec 19? 2020
4xxx_IEEE.lib
>> -rw-r--r-- 1 root root?? 60379 Dec 19? 2020 4xxx.lib
>> -rw-r--r-- 1 root root?? 24191 Dec 19? 2020
74xGxx.dcm
>> -rw-r--r-- 1 root root?? 41240 Dec 19? 2020
74xGxx.lib
>> -rw-r--r-- 1 root root?? 28975 Dec 19? 2020 74xx.dcm
>> -rw-r--r-- 1 root root??? 1043 Dec 19? 2020
74xx_IEEE.dcm
>> -rw-r--r-- 1 root root? 144816 Dec 19? 2020
74xx_IEEE.lib
>> -rw-r--r-- 1 root root? 179147 Dec 19? 2020 74xx.lib
>>
>> I notice that there seems to be two files for each
one.? One is a .dcm
>> and one a .lib.? That said, in ones I download and
install in my /home
>> directory, sometimes it is a .kicad_mod file.?
Sometimes it is a .mod
>> file.? Sometimes it is like above.? I think the
difference is some may
>> be for the version 6 of Kicad which is why I have
trouble getting them
>> to work.? Can someone confirm that if I'm right?
>>
>> My biggest question tho.? Can I create a directory
called say
>> kicad_library and just keep adding files to that and
them be recognized
>> when it reloads the libraries?? Right now, I add them
manually with one
>> set of symbols or footprints for each entry.? I would
like to be able to
>> just copy them to a directory and be done.? How to do
that exactly is
>> something I'm not sure of tho.? I'm also not sure if
I should leave it
>> as is until version 6 comes out and then set it up so
that going
>> forward, I'm doing it a easy way.? Eventually, I hope
to have quite a
>> collection of symbols and footprints.? At least the
things I use
>> anyway.? I realize that having a large collection
around leads to longer
>> loading times.? I restart once a week whether it
needs it or not.? I do
>> that after I do my weekly updates.? So, Kicad is
running pretty much all
>> the time.
>>
>> I'm sort of thinking that if I just place the files
in the directory, it
>> will work.? Thing is, I don't want to do that and
make a mess of
>> things.? Also, I only have a few projects.? Changing
now even if I have
>> to go back and reselect footprints and such would be
easier now than
>> when I have lots more projects to update.? That is if
it isn't best to
>> wait until version 6 and then tackle the beast.
>>
>> By the way, I put things in some odd places when I
started too.? I knew
>> very little then, not much more now either but should
have done better.
>> Hindsight.? Bites us every time.? lol
>>
>> Thoughts??
>>
>> Dale
>>
>> :-)? :-)
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
>
|
Re: Kicad library management for both 5 and upcoming 6 version.
From my side, have used V4 then V5, and think about moving to V6 (or so-called presently 5.99).
Are you still also using previous versions in parrallel when having moved to the 5.99, do we have to migrate forever ? I need to keep operationnal 4 and 5, not to migrate all old designs (still to maintain over the years coming...).
Subscribed.
I do it for all libs. including 3D models, that I sometimes create or
modify myself.
On 30/09/21 15:49, Andy wrote:
> Agreed with most of what Konrad says.
>
> I've been using kicad at home for years on linux without any real issues.
>
> One thing you should never do in any CAD system is use on-line libraries
> or libs downloaded from them.
>
> You should only ever use libs in your own repositories that you have
> verified as OK
>
> There is no harm in using the online libs as a starting point, but you
> should check them first than copy the checked items to your own store.
>
> There are various reasons for this, the main one is to protect yourself
> against errors caused by unintentional / error edits to online sources.
>? ?
> Other reasons are that some companies have very specific requirements
> regarding CAD files which you don't want to get messed up.
>
> You may also keep several versions of a project to suit different PCB
> manaf. houses.
>? ?
> What I did was recreate the basic Kicad lib directory structure in my own
> directories, add a couple of extras for "specials" This in the Kicad
> paths setup I deleted all of the links to the Kicad libs and replaced them
> with pointers to my own. This has always worked nicely for me.
>
> Andy
>
>
> On Thu, 30 Sep 2021 00:51:16 -0500
> "Dale" <rdalek1967@...> wrote:
>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I'm basically new to Kicad.? I used it a couple times years ago but
>> never really completed anything, youtube wasn't as big then.? I'm
>> currently working with 5.1.10.? I suspect 6 will be coming shortly so
>> I'd kinda like to start learning now.? That way I have a good strategy
>> when 6 comes, given it works similar to my current version.? Also, I use
>> Linux, Gentoo, for my OS.? I kind of want to manage my libraries the
>> same way it is done with the default libraries.? I'm not sure I
>> understand how that is done or if it is possible for me to do the same
>> in my /home directory.? This is a sample of the OS installed libraries.
>>
>> -rw-r--r-- 1 root root??? 6637 Dec 19? 2020 4xxx.dcm
>> -rw-r--r-- 1 root root???? 469 Dec 19? 2020 4xxx_IEEE.dcm
>> -rw-r--r-- 1 root root?? 79005 Dec 19? 2020 4xxx_IEEE.lib
>> -rw-r--r-- 1 root root?? 60379 Dec 19? 2020 4xxx.lib
>> -rw-r--r-- 1 root root?? 24191 Dec 19? 2020 74xGxx.dcm
>> -rw-r--r-- 1 root root?? 41240 Dec 19? 2020 74xGxx.lib
>> -rw-r--r-- 1 root root?? 28975 Dec 19? 2020 74xx.dcm
>> -rw-r--r-- 1 root root??? 1043 Dec 19? 2020 74xx_IEEE.dcm
>> -rw-r--r-- 1 root root? 144816 Dec 19? 2020 74xx_IEEE.lib
>> -rw-r--r-- 1 root root? 179147 Dec 19? 2020 74xx.lib
>>
>> I notice that there seems to be two files for each one.? One is a .dcm
>> and one a .lib.? That said, in ones I download and install in my /home
>> directory, sometimes it is a .kicad_mod file.? Sometimes it is a .mod
>> file.? Sometimes it is like above.? I think the difference is some may
>> be for the version 6 of Kicad which is why I have trouble getting them
>> to work.? Can someone confirm that if I'm right?
>>
>> My biggest question tho.? Can I create a directory called say
>> kicad_library and just keep adding files to that and them be recognized
>> when it reloads the libraries?? Right now, I add them manually with one
>> set of symbols or footprints for each entry.? I would like to be able to
>> just copy them to a directory and be done.? How to do that exactly is
>> something I'm not sure of tho.? I'm also not sure if I should leave it
>> as is until version 6 comes out and then set it up so that going
>> forward, I'm doing it a easy way.? Eventually, I hope to have quite a
>> collection of symbols and footprints.? At least the things I use
>> anyway.? I realize that having a large collection around leads to longer
>> loading times.? I restart once a week whether it needs it or not.? I do
>> that after I do my weekly updates.? So, Kicad is running pretty much all
>> the time.
>>
>> I'm sort of thinking that if I just place the files in the directory, it
>> will work.? Thing is, I don't want to do that and make a mess of
>> things.? Also, I only have a few projects.? Changing now even if I have
>> to go back and reselect footprints and such would be easier now than
>> when I have lots more projects to update.? That is if it isn't best to
>> wait until version 6 and then tackle the beast.
>>
>> By the way, I put things in some odd places when I started too.? I knew
>> very little then, not much more now either but should have done better.
>> Hindsight.? Bites us every time.? lol
>>
>> Thoughts??
>>
>> Dale
>>
>> :-)? :-)
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
>
|
Re: Kicad library management for both 5 and upcoming 6 version.
Subscribed.
I do it for all libs. including 3D models, that I sometimes create or modify myself.
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On 30/09/21 15:49, Andy wrote: Agreed with most of what Konrad says.
I've been using kicad at home for years on linux without any real issues.
One thing you should never do in any CAD system is use on-line libraries
or libs downloaded from them.
You should only ever use libs in your own repositories that you have
verified as OK
There is no harm in using the online libs as a starting point, but you
should check them first than copy the checked items to your own store.
There are various reasons for this, the main one is to protect yourself
against errors caused by unintentional / error edits to online sources.
Other reasons are that some companies have very specific requirements
regarding CAD files which you don't want to get messed up.
You may also keep several versions of a project to suit different PCB
manaf. houses.
What I did was recreate the basic Kicad lib directory structure in my own
directories, add a couple of extras for "specials" This in the Kicad
paths setup I deleted all of the links to the Kicad libs and replaced them
with pointers to my own. This has always worked nicely for me.
Andy
On Thu, 30 Sep 2021 00:51:16 -0500
"Dale" <rdalek1967@...> wrote:
Hi all,
I'm basically new to Kicad.? I used it a couple times years ago but
never really completed anything, youtube wasn't as big then.? I'm
currently working with 5.1.10.? I suspect 6 will be coming shortly so
I'd kinda like to start learning now.? That way I have a good strategy
when 6 comes, given it works similar to my current version.? Also, I use
Linux, Gentoo, for my OS.? I kind of want to manage my libraries the
same way it is done with the default libraries.? I'm not sure I
understand how that is done or if it is possible for me to do the same
in my /home directory.? This is a sample of the OS installed libraries.
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root??? 6637 Dec 19? 2020 4xxx.dcm
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root???? 469 Dec 19? 2020 4xxx_IEEE.dcm
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root?? 79005 Dec 19? 2020 4xxx_IEEE.lib
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root?? 60379 Dec 19? 2020 4xxx.lib
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root?? 24191 Dec 19? 2020 74xGxx.dcm
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root?? 41240 Dec 19? 2020 74xGxx.lib
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root?? 28975 Dec 19? 2020 74xx.dcm
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root??? 1043 Dec 19? 2020 74xx_IEEE.dcm
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root? 144816 Dec 19? 2020 74xx_IEEE.lib
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root? 179147 Dec 19? 2020 74xx.lib
I notice that there seems to be two files for each one.? One is a .dcm
and one a .lib.? That said, in ones I download and install in my /home
directory, sometimes it is a .kicad_mod file.? Sometimes it is a .mod
file.? Sometimes it is like above.? I think the difference is some may
be for the version 6 of Kicad which is why I have trouble getting them
to work.? Can someone confirm that if I'm right?
My biggest question tho.? Can I create a directory called say
kicad_library and just keep adding files to that and them be recognized
when it reloads the libraries?? Right now, I add them manually with one
set of symbols or footprints for each entry.? I would like to be able to
just copy them to a directory and be done.? How to do that exactly is
something I'm not sure of tho.? I'm also not sure if I should leave it
as is until version 6 comes out and then set it up so that going
forward, I'm doing it a easy way.? Eventually, I hope to have quite a
collection of symbols and footprints.? At least the things I use
anyway.? I realize that having a large collection around leads to longer
loading times.? I restart once a week whether it needs it or not.? I do
that after I do my weekly updates.? So, Kicad is running pretty much all
the time.
I'm sort of thinking that if I just place the files in the directory, it
will work.? Thing is, I don't want to do that and make a mess of
things.? Also, I only have a few projects.? Changing now even if I have
to go back and reselect footprints and such would be easier now than
when I have lots more projects to update.? That is if it isn't best to
wait until version 6 and then tackle the beast.
By the way, I put things in some odd places when I started too.? I knew
very little then, not much more now either but should have done better.
Hindsight.? Bites us every time.? lol
Thoughts??
Dale
:-)? :-)
|
Re: Kicad library management for both 5 and upcoming 6 version.
Agreed with most of what Konrad says. I've been using kicad at home for years on linux without any real issues. One thing you should never do in any CAD system is use on-line libraries or libs downloaded from them. You should only ever use libs in your own repositories that you have verified as OK There is no harm in using the online libs as a starting point, but you should check them first than copy the checked items to your own store. There are various reasons for this, the main one is to protect yourself against errors caused by unintentional / error edits to online sources. Other reasons are that some companies have very specific requirements regarding CAD files which you don't want to get messed up. You may also keep several versions of a project to suit different PCB manaf. houses. What I did was recreate the basic Kicad lib directory structure in my own directories, add a couple of extras for "specials" This in the Kicad paths setup I deleted all of the links to the Kicad libs and replaced them with pointers to my own. This has always worked nicely for me. Andy On Thu, 30 Sep 2021 00:51:16 -0500 "Dale" <rdalek1967@...> wrote: Hi all,
I'm basically new to Kicad.? I used it a couple times years ago but
never really completed anything, youtube wasn't as big then.? I'm
currently working with 5.1.10.? I suspect 6 will be coming shortly so
I'd kinda like to start learning now.? That way I have a good strategy
when 6 comes, given it works similar to my current version.? Also, I use
Linux, Gentoo, for my OS.? I kind of want to manage my libraries the
same way it is done with the default libraries.? I'm not sure I
understand how that is done or if it is possible for me to do the same
in my /home directory.? This is a sample of the OS installed libraries.?
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root??? 6637 Dec 19? 2020 4xxx.dcm
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root???? 469 Dec 19? 2020 4xxx_IEEE.dcm
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root?? 79005 Dec 19? 2020 4xxx_IEEE.lib
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root?? 60379 Dec 19? 2020 4xxx.lib
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root?? 24191 Dec 19? 2020 74xGxx.dcm
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root?? 41240 Dec 19? 2020 74xGxx.lib
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root?? 28975 Dec 19? 2020 74xx.dcm
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root??? 1043 Dec 19? 2020 74xx_IEEE.dcm
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root? 144816 Dec 19? 2020 74xx_IEEE.lib
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root? 179147 Dec 19? 2020 74xx.lib
I notice that there seems to be two files for each one.? One is a .dcm
and one a .lib.? That said, in ones I download and install in my /home
directory, sometimes it is a .kicad_mod file.? Sometimes it is a .mod
file.? Sometimes it is like above.? I think the difference is some may
be for the version 6 of Kicad which is why I have trouble getting them
to work.? Can someone confirm that if I'm right?
My biggest question tho.? Can I create a directory called say
kicad_library and just keep adding files to that and them be recognized
when it reloads the libraries?? Right now, I add them manually with one
set of symbols or footprints for each entry.? I would like to be able to
just copy them to a directory and be done.? How to do that exactly is
something I'm not sure of tho.? I'm also not sure if I should leave it
as is until version 6 comes out and then set it up so that going
forward, I'm doing it a easy way.? Eventually, I hope to have quite a
collection of symbols and footprints.? At least the things I use
anyway.? I realize that having a large collection around leads to longer
loading times.? I restart once a week whether it needs it or not.? I do
that after I do my weekly updates.? So, Kicad is running pretty much all
the time.?
I'm sort of thinking that if I just place the files in the directory, it
will work.? Thing is, I don't want to do that and make a mess of
things.? Also, I only have a few projects.? Changing now even if I have
to go back and reselect footprints and such would be easier now than
when I have lots more projects to update.? That is if it isn't best to
wait until version 6 and then tackle the beast.?
By the way, I put things in some odd places when I started too.? I knew
very little then, not much more now either but should have done better.?
Hindsight.? Bites us every time.? lol?
Thoughts??
Dale
:-)? :-)?
|
Re: Kicad library management for both 5 and upcoming 6 version.
Hi, On 30/09/2021 07:51, Dale wrote: I notice that there seems to be two files for each one.? One is a .dcm
and one a .lib. *.lib is the actual library, *.dcm is an index file. The latter gets regenerated if you delete it, KiCAD just needs a bit longer to load. That said, in ones I download and install in my /home
directory, sometimes it is a .kicad_mod file.? Sometimes it is a .mod
file.? Sometimes it is like above.? I think the difference is some may
be for the version 6 of Kicad which is why I have trouble getting them
to work.? Can someone confirm that if I'm right? KiCAD started somewhere in version 5 to change internal file formats from relatively hard to parse ASCII format to S-expressions. This transition will be finished with KiCAD 6. All new files have the pattern *.kicad_* . So *.kicad_mod is the version 6 equivalent of *.lib . My biggest question tho.? Can I create a directory called say
kicad_library and just keep adding files to that and them be recognized
when it reloads the libraries?? Right now, I add them manually with one
set of symbols or footprints for each entry.? I would like to be able to
just copy them to a directory and be done.? How to do that exactly is
something I'm not sure of tho. For symbols every file needs to be configured into KiCAD. For footprints you configure the *.pretty directory that can contain multiple files. Same for 3D models. ? I'm also not sure if I should leave it
as is until version 6 comes out and then set it up so that going
forward, I'm doing it a easy way.? Eventually, I hope to have quite a
collection of symbols and footprints.? At least the things I use
anyway.? I realize that having a large collection around leads to longer
loading times.? I restart once a week whether it needs it or not.? I do
that after I do my weekly updates.? So, Kicad is running pretty much all
the time. The only thing that changes is the file format (and extension). But KiCAD 6 is able to read legacy files, so if you have to use both versions then try to use the older format (although that means you can't use a few useful features in those symbols/footprints). I'm sort of thinking that if I just place the files in the directory, it
will work.? Thing is, I don't want to do that and make a mess of
things.? Also, I only have a few projects.? Changing now even if I have
to go back and reselect footprints and such would be easier now than
when I have lots more projects to update.? That is if it isn't best to
wait until version 6 and then tackle the beast.
By the way, I put things in some odd places when I started too.? I knew
very little then, not much more now either but should have done better.
Hindsight.? Bites us every time.? lol I haven't been using KiCAD for very long either (about 2 years). So far this seems to work for me: If a library is project specific then I simply put all the files into the project directory. It is easier to find and use. It is also the easiest option if I share the project with someone else: everything is in the same ZIP file... That's also the way I develop most of my symbols - I test them out in one project and once they are okay I move them somewhere else: I created a set of directories in my home directory where I put everything. Neatly organized into Symbols, Footprints, separated by application (like opto coupler, OpAmps, ..etc.). The main directories are then added to variables (Menu: Preferences -> Configure Paths) with names like MYCOMPANY_SYMBOL_DIR, MYCOMPANY_FOOTPRINT_DIR, MYCOMPANY_3DMODEL_DIR (replace "MYCOMPANY" with something that is useful for you). In a project that actually uses those libs I simply add those files/dirs - KiCAD 6 automatically uses the variables to remember the locations; in KiCAD 5.x you may have to replace partial pathnames with ${VARIABLE_NAME}. This is very useful for sharing libraries and makes it only marginally harder to share projects with other people - I have to ZIP up the library-directory (or point the person to a GIT repository) and tell them about the variables. Since I come from the software world, I actually put everything into GIT repositories. This way it is very easy to share projects and libraries between computers, different build projects and colleagues - at least once I did all the legwork of defining variables and procedures to use them. This also makes it easy to go through the history of projects to check what I changed when and to set tags for versions that I actually made in hardware. I also tend to add lots of READMEs and documentation into my project folders, so I don't forget all the details... Whether you use KiCAD 6 from the start depends on your use case: does everybody around you still use KiCAD 5? If so, you may have to stick with it for a while. I myself have switched to version 6 a couple of months ago and never looked back - the new features are worth it and I have not had any crashes or corrupted files yet. The nightly builds are of surprisingly high quality. The move from 5 to 6 is very easy: just open your project in KiCAD 6 and save it there - conversion done. Moving back is next to impossible, but in my opinion it is also not necessary. The workflow itself has not changed between those versions. The improvements are in better graphics, better handling of mouse and keyboard shortcuts, and some nice features for actual design work. The drawback is the changed file formats, which makes the transition period a bit painful. ??? Konrad
|
Kicad library management for both 5 and upcoming 6 version.
Hi all,
I'm basically new to Kicad.? I used it a couple times years ago but
never really completed anything, youtube wasn't as big then.? I'm
currently working with 5.1.10.? I suspect 6 will be coming shortly so
I'd kinda like to start learning now.? That way I have a good strategy
when 6 comes, given it works similar to my current version.? Also, I use
Linux, Gentoo, for my OS.? I kind of want to manage my libraries the
same way it is done with the default libraries.? I'm not sure I
understand how that is done or if it is possible for me to do the same
in my /home directory.? This is a sample of the OS installed libraries.?
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root??? 6637 Dec 19? 2020 4xxx.dcm
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root???? 469 Dec 19? 2020 4xxx_IEEE.dcm
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root?? 79005 Dec 19? 2020 4xxx_IEEE.lib
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root?? 60379 Dec 19? 2020 4xxx.lib
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root?? 24191 Dec 19? 2020 74xGxx.dcm
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root?? 41240 Dec 19? 2020 74xGxx.lib
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root?? 28975 Dec 19? 2020 74xx.dcm
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root??? 1043 Dec 19? 2020 74xx_IEEE.dcm
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root? 144816 Dec 19? 2020 74xx_IEEE.lib
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root? 179147 Dec 19? 2020 74xx.lib
I notice that there seems to be two files for each one.? One is a .dcm
and one a .lib.? That said, in ones I download and install in my /home
directory, sometimes it is a .kicad_mod file.? Sometimes it is a .mod
file.? Sometimes it is like above.? I think the difference is some may
be for the version 6 of Kicad which is why I have trouble getting them
to work.? Can someone confirm that if I'm right?
My biggest question tho.? Can I create a directory called say
kicad_library and just keep adding files to that and them be recognized
when it reloads the libraries?? Right now, I add them manually with one
set of symbols or footprints for each entry.? I would like to be able to
just copy them to a directory and be done.? How to do that exactly is
something I'm not sure of tho.? I'm also not sure if I should leave it
as is until version 6 comes out and then set it up so that going
forward, I'm doing it a easy way.? Eventually, I hope to have quite a
collection of symbols and footprints.? At least the things I use
anyway.? I realize that having a large collection around leads to longer
loading times.? I restart once a week whether it needs it or not.? I do
that after I do my weekly updates.? So, Kicad is running pretty much all
the time.?
I'm sort of thinking that if I just place the files in the directory, it
will work.? Thing is, I don't want to do that and make a mess of
things.? Also, I only have a few projects.? Changing now even if I have
to go back and reselect footprints and such would be easier now than
when I have lots more projects to update.? That is if it isn't best to
wait until version 6 and then tackle the beast.?
By the way, I put things in some odd places when I started too.? I knew
very little then, not much more now either but should have done better.?
Hindsight.? Bites us every time.? lol?
Thoughts??
Dale
:-)? :-)
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For those ordering bords, there is a minimum of 3 or more depends on the vendor. Where do extra board go? Can I buy board left-overs for projects shown in the magazine? Or a bOM --?
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Re: Vias connecting to a copper plane
On 28/09/2021 19:47, Gérard FARGES wrote:
Thermal relief not only for through-hole pins, but also for
smt parts to avoid heating too much the parts during soldering
phase. These thermal reliefs could be adjusted to trim the
thermal conductitivty, and probably are/were computed with some
formula or rule of the thumbs....
I highly recommend *not* using a soldering iron for SMDs. Use a hot
air pencil, or a heatplate, if you don't have a reflow oven. If you
use any of these, SMDs don't need relief pads.
--
Regards,
Tony
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Re: Vias connecting to a copper plane
Thermal relief not only for through-hole pins, but also for smt parts to avoid heating too much the parts during soldering phase. These thermal reliefs could be adjusted to trim the thermal conductitivty, and probably are/were computed with some formula or rule of the thumbs....
For vias it's expected and desired to be so, as clearly explained by Robert. So do not necessitate same kinds of options (just drill diameter to be sized considering the Max current to be supported).
This is standard, and desirable, as it maximises electrical and thermal
conductivity.? ?The spokes you have seen used for through hole
components are there to reduce the thermal conductivity in order to make
soldering easier and less prone to dry joints.
Regards,
Robert.
() Plain text email - safe, readable, inclusive.
/\
On 28/09/2021 03:19, Chris via wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I am routing a board where I need to use a standard via to connect to an
> interior copper plane. KiCad makes this connection (between the via and the
> plane) without any radial spokes or any other features - it seems to connect the
> entire periphery of the via hole to the plane. Is there any way to change this
> behaviour (should it even be changed?) or is it perfectly standard? I only ask
> because other 'through hole' connections to the plane feature options to
> configure how this is done but I don't see anything for vias? Maybe they're not
> necessary and/or I am missing them.
>
> Would welcome more info.
--
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Gérard FARGES
Tony Casey