I am a new user here on the board, but I have spent a lot of time looking at all the helpful articles and even more helpful users.

I'd like to give back a little and call attention to a cad program I checked out sometime back.

KiCAD
http://www.lis.inpg.fr/realise_au_lis/kicad/

I have no association with this program other than ... I liked it
... and for free, you can't go wrong.

This cad program is available for Win32 and Linux. I hope this will make a nice addition to some aspiring tech.

--Oozr

 

It also has a very active YahooGroup with many additions, tips and tricks.

Very good program.

 

gEDA is also very good, but only works on Linux. I use it for all my projects.

 

Re: KiCAD

Does it provide for tear drop connections to pads?

In routing, does it default to the center of the pad or does it just go to the nearest grid?

John

 

Re: KiCAD

In routing, does it default to the center of the pad or does it just go to the nearest grid?

It defaults to the center.

I've used KiCAD for some time, and I'm very satisfied. If there is a component missing, theres always one or two people who have made it, and it is really easy to import.

One of the benefits, the way I see it, is the 3D view. With this tool, you can see the board form all angles. It's not like the boards I've seen created with Eagle and rendered with some fancy rendering tool, but it will give you an idea of what it looks like.

The attached image is my FM transmitter.

 

It has gotten a lot easier to use in the past year or so.

The initial versions were a bit kludgy, but I do like this new one.

Definitely worth installing if you haven't had an autorouting PCB program with schematic capture!

 

If there is one thing I find annoying, it must be the constant F3-hitting...

But I usually sit with the left hand on the keyboard, and the right on the mouse. If I place the left hand good, I reach all the necessary keys from, M - F - V - R .... and F3

I'm just a bit lazy...

 

If there is one thing I find annoying, it must be the constant F3-hitting...

But I usually sit with the left hand on the keyboard, and the right on the mouse. If I place the left hand good, I reach all the necessary keys from, M - F - V - R .... and F3

I'm just a bit lazy...

I use a Happy Hacker keyboard, so F3 is hitting two buttons, Fn and the number 3. Love the keyboard for coding and typing, braces/brackets and the control key is in the correct spot, but the F keys are a two button deal, which is quick when typing, but not when using the mouse at the same time as typing.

 

I use a Happy Hacker keyboard, ....

Looks cool, but a bit to small for me.