Re: EDA software.
peter@easthope.ca writes:
>
> At https://wiki.debian.org/DebianTinker/Desktop#EDA is a list of
> packages for electronics design automation. According to various
> documents, Electric, Fritzing and gEDA, at least, can help to create
> schematics. I use librecad but have never used schematic construction
> software. Which of the EDA packages will be a good starting point?
> Is any integrated with Librecad?
>
Hi Peter. All the files in gEDA are text files, and its very
extensible. There is an active community for gEDA; the specialty is
analog design, (although many use it for digital.) Kicad is an
alternative with a larger user base; the specialty is digital
design. Both have mailing list support and are good choices.
Presumably, you want to do schematic capture, (for simulation, PCB
production, etc.) If you are going to do PCB prototyping in house,
gEDA has a slight advantage. If you are outsourcing PCB production,
Kicad has a slight advantage.
gEDA will probably require you to make some component foot prints,
(although there is a library of the most used components,) which is
easy enough. Kicad has a large library of foot prints.
Both have hooks into the common EDA/CAD/CAM programs, (spice, etc.,)
but setting stuff up is a bit of a pain in both cases.
gEDA is user supported, Kicad is supported by CERN.
Suggestion: try both. gEDA is available via apt-get from the Debian
repository. Decide on only one, (either is a good choice.)
Transporting a design back-and-forth between the two systems is
tricky, at best.
John
--
John Conover, conover@rahul.net, http://www.johncon.com/
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