kicad-developers team mailing list archive

[Dick Hollenbeck <dick@...>]

jean-pierre charras wrote:
> Dick,
>
> I played with The specctra export and freeRoute.
> First tests are Ok.
>
> I found a problem with pads having the type PAD_CONN (could be also 
> found with PAD_SMD).
>
> 2 demos are using pads both on copper and component layer, for the same 
> footprint, and cannot be routed by freeRoute:
> in kicad/demos/interf_u there is an example using PC ISA Bus card-edge 
> connector
> in kicad/demos/sonde xilinx there is an example using 2 connectors (a 
> DB9 and a DB25 connector, each both on copper and component layer)
> The 3d view shows the mechanical design.

Jean-Pierre,


The fixes I just committed seem to fix the pads issue. I tested the 
interf_u and it routed OK. I have not tested the xilinx demo yet, but will.


A couple of notes:


1) DRC checking after a session import can fail at the same tolerance 
that was exported. If you back down the DRC tolerance to say 0.010 from 
0.011, then it DRC checks out OK. I think this has more to do with 
freerouter than our code.


2) Zones in the BOARD are only exported via the ZONE_CONTAINERs, so old 
BOARD designs will have to add those to set the boundaries. 
ZONE_CONTAINERs become copper areas (=COPPER_PLANEs). No individual 
zone strokes are exported, and I don't want to do that. There is some 
talk on the freerouting forum about how if during a routing session a 
trace has to travel through a "copper area" (= our ZONE_CONTAINER), then 
keepouts are added by the freerouter to cut a path through the copper 
area. I have not confirmed this, and I am unclear at the moment as to 
how this would be reported back in through the session file. I have not 
yet found keepouts in the session grammar spec. But if it gets clear 
sometime, then we will have to decide if importing keepouts needs to be 
supported, or whether the zones should simply be refilled again after a 
session import to complete the board preparation.


If I have time, I hope to add the session via import support later today.


The effect of having a bridge to 3 powerful auto-routers: freerouter, 
electra, and specctra, adds so much value to Kicad that it is 
unquantifiable.

It is indeed, amazing free software.


Dick