Brian Roth
Well-known member
I don't lay out PC boards all that often and they have all been simple.
Kicad is my app.
Another simple one is on my agenda; I need to construct eight small boards for a distributed contact closure system. I'm going to use a Panasonic TQ2 relay on each card. Those relays have proven to be very reliable in audio paths in Amek 9098 ("By Rupert Neve the Designer") desks, so a pull-to-ground TTL level should be along similar lines.
While checking prices and stock at Mouse and Digikey, something caught my eye for the millionth time. I hadn't thought much about it the past.
Mouser has "aligned" with ECAD and Digikey with Ultra Librarian to supply schematic symbols and PCB footprints for many catalog items, and in many popular PCB CAD formats.
Each requires its own "reader" for my computer to crank out the symbols and footprint so I can drop them into my Kicad project.
Any pros/cons for either product? They are both free.
And I know this will set off comments like "WELL! A REAL man designs EVERY one of his own symbols and footprints from SCRATCH !!"
Phooie. My last Kicad layout was done 2-3 years ago. I just want to "git 'er done" and move on.
I just want to see if those library tools are useful. In my case, the Panasonic footprint is trivial (10 pin DIP) but I was kinda dreading creating the schematic symbol.
Thanks!
Bri
Kicad is my app.
Another simple one is on my agenda; I need to construct eight small boards for a distributed contact closure system. I'm going to use a Panasonic TQ2 relay on each card. Those relays have proven to be very reliable in audio paths in Amek 9098 ("By Rupert Neve the Designer") desks, so a pull-to-ground TTL level should be along similar lines.
While checking prices and stock at Mouse and Digikey, something caught my eye for the millionth time. I hadn't thought much about it the past.
Mouser has "aligned" with ECAD and Digikey with Ultra Librarian to supply schematic symbols and PCB footprints for many catalog items, and in many popular PCB CAD formats.
Each requires its own "reader" for my computer to crank out the symbols and footprint so I can drop them into my Kicad project.
Any pros/cons for either product? They are both free.
And I know this will set off comments like "WELL! A REAL man designs EVERY one of his own symbols and footprints from SCRATCH !!"
Phooie. My last Kicad layout was done 2-3 years ago. I just want to "git 'er done" and move on.
I just want to see if those library tools are useful. In my case, the Panasonic footprint is trivial (10 pin DIP) but I was kinda dreading creating the schematic symbol.
Thanks!
Bri