Can you explain how open source software enables open-source hardware? So when I found KiCad, I started contributing to it on the side. Due to the Java security restrictions, unsigned applets downloaded from the web are not trusted very much, so you have to give it permission to read files on your machine. Finally I got it working with square boarder PCBs. Like open software designs, there is no limit to what is possible with open hardware designs. The project updated circuit designs and open hardware kicad jar of material to support current production.

The number of people doing open hardware designs has really increased in the last couple of years. I think KiCad has a lot to do with that.

I find that incredibly exciting and want KiCad to be on the vanguard of all that. Where will KiCad be in 5 to 10 years? One of the other places where I think the open hardware movement is just starting to branch out into is silicon. Maybe we could add a set Open Hardware Kicad Install of tools for chip design.

I think we are pushing the whole open ecosystem down the stack. But even that is still not completely open because manufacturing processes are not open. I would like to see that opened as well. Anything that KiCad can do to help support that would be great. Being that KiCad is open source, how do you feel about companies with commercial objectives getting involved with KiCad?

I want to grow the biggest possible user base, including commercial users. Not just this group or that group. I want to reach the biggest possible target audience. I think that makes KiCad for everybody. I think commercial support for KiCad is a really good thing. One example is a company called KiPro , which was started by one of the KiCad lead developers.

So, if you work at a company and want to be able to call somebody up rather than going on to the forum and waiting for somebody to answer, they can help. Lack of support has always been one of the arguments against the commercial adoption of KiCad.

Now that argument is gone. If somebody needs a bug fix right away, instead of just waiting in the queue for when somebody gets around to it, they can pay to have that bug fixed. I wonder if it will indeed help expedite the development speed of KiCad. Is there anything the community can do to contribute and help KiCad achieve its vision faster? Wayne: There are so many ways to contribute to KiCad. Documentation is always a weak spot for open source projects.

We could also always use translations too to make the tool more accessible. There are also things like maintaining the website, infrastructure, managing bugs, etc. You can always try running the development version. We try to make the nightly builds as usable as possible, and any testing we can get is great.

Our development team spends a lot of time fixing bugs. It would be nice to have a couple of extra hands on deck to help with that. Of course, we are always looking for donors. The more people we can pay to help work on software, the faster things tend to move along. It never ceases to amaze me. People are out there using something that you helped create to do something that they are trying to create. We appreciate your insights and time, Wayne.

Thank you. Design electronics in a snap. Get started now. I would be cautious of encouraging commercial participation. The temptation to embrace, extend, extinguish is both strong and prevalent. It would be a shame to see KiCad Open Hardware Kicad Web go the way of other fine community projects. As an amateur, non-EE builder, I have used KiCad for a few years on several project and it is a great tool. Your email address will not be published. Our mission is to help engineers design electronics faster by removing barriers.

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Your donation helps to build the KiCad community and ensures future feature development, supports bug fixes, community engagement and the growth of KiCad as the premier Open Source EDA solution. We at KiCad are in the same boat. If you are able, please consider setting up a recurring donation Open Hardware Kicad Pdf to KiCad. Your support makes KiCad development possible. Toggle navigation. Donate via CERN.

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