Designing with KiCAD of 64-bit ARM board

Tsvetan Usunov, OLIMEX Ltd

FOSDEM 2016

Using FOSS tools for OSHW project

$whoami

OLIMEX Ltd for 25 years we design and produce development tools, boards, devices, small Linux SBC.

We love to do things better and to share how we do it!

Using FOSS tools for OSHW project

Out of about 600 different products on our web site half are with OSHW Licensee.

Distributors in 50+ countries: Mouser, Digikey, Farnell, Conrad, TME, Amazon etc which proves that OSHW model is not incompatible with the business.

Using FOSS tools for OSHW project

Using FOSS tools for OSHW project

For 25 years we have dealt with hundreds of designs done for customers:

- analog design, medical- digital design, microcontrollers- high speed, RF- high density- low power- low noise, high precision- high power, motor drivers- mass volumes, consumer - instruments, industrial boards

Using FOSS tools for OSHW project

CAD experience:

Orcad schematic, simulation DOS 1991-1998CadStar PCB layout DOS 1991-1998Eagle 1998-presentKiCAD 2015-present

Using FOSS tools for OSHW project

OSHW projects need FOSS tools!

First FOSS CAD evalulation back in year 2008:

gEDA

KiCAD

All of them were not mature, but we were keeping eye on them

Using FOSS tools for OSHW project

Decision to move to KiCAD march 2015!

- old developers resistance- everything is matter of habits-no one wants to break his comfort- new guinea pig employee- daily crashes, small bugs, which are fixed really fast- always use latest builds!- workshop standard repo, windows obsolete- anything different from Ubuntu source builds

Using FOSS tools for OSHW project

October 2015,20+ boards later, we learned more KiCAD was performing better and better and we decided to do something more serious:

x4 core 64-bit ARM board with high speed memory, Ethernet etc.

Using FOSS tools for OSHW project

What we found during the development:

New tool many things which our people though are not possible are implemented but poorly documented

We definitely need book for KiCAD from the beginning with featuring all possibilities which the product offers.

3D models are still pain to make

Using FOSS tools for OSHW project

Now some feedback about some things which could improve the user experience.

Using FOSS tools for OSHW project

Schematic:

- user definable schematic grid and shortcuts to change - highlighting net list- do not allow components which are connected to wires to disconnect when move or rotate- allow to group and move net labels separately from the nets- ERC do not think it's error to place two labels on same net- allow easy way to change / save ERC defaults

Using FOSS tools for OSHW project

Schematic Library:

- please allow partial copy of existing component to new one

Using FOSS tools for OSHW project

PCB footprint editor:

- please add polygones and rectangles in solder paste layers- please allow us to add text at different than 90 degrees angles

Using FOSS tools for OSHW project

PCBnew:

- short cut for highlight netlist- please add layer stackup information for multilayer and calculate length of the tracks correctly- some DRC errors should be possible to mark as approved - we want to see DRC errors in the dialog box not only in the report file-DRC must report overlapped pads!

Using FOSS tools for OSHW project

PCBnew II:

-DRC do not report errors for tracks which go outside PCB dimensions- DRC do not report 45 degree angle violations while routing- moving block of components sometimes work sometimes don't- we need lasso polygone group selection, rectangles group is not enough- mirror sometimes doesn't work when you move components from top to bottom layer and vice versa

Using FOSS tools for OSHW project

PCBnew III:

-push and shovel router sometimes move tracks sometimes don't- even if walk around is selected sometimes interactive router moves tracks and pads- interactive router sometimes moves pads and tracks which are far away from the track we move- DRC do not think as error if we place drill in SMD component pad

Using FOSS tools for OSHW project

Pick and Place generator needs more flexibility:

- add offsets

- add coordinate 0,0 and directions

Using FOSS tools for OSHW project

Gerber generator:

- copper fill polygones sometimes violate DRC

- please add DRC to Gerbviewerpad/pad trace/trace drill/drill

- panelization will be big advantage

Using FOSS tools for OSHW project

What we think with make KiCAD even better

Circuit simulation

Using FOSS tools for OSHW project

What's are our new plans for KiCAD for 2016:

- FPGA iCE40HX1K board/shield

- DIY modular Laptop

- Book / tutorial how to build PCB from the start to production

Using FOSS tools for OSHW project

Conclusion:

KiCAD is now one solid platform for PCB designing even for complex circuits.

Few small things are missing to make it more user friendly and easy to use

It's improving very fast and this should keep going and if continues with same tempo just in few years it will be one of the best tool for PCB design.

Using FOSS tools for OSHW project

Thanks!

2016, released under CC-SA-BY-2.0