kicad-developers team mailing list archive

["Frank Bennett" <bennett78@...>]

--- In kicad-devel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, Dick Hollenbeck <dick@...> wrote:
>
> 
> There is definitely some advantage to using XML for design data like 
> this. XML is however, only a syntactic envelope, and the grammar
is up 
> to the designer. As far as grammar is concerned, you have to be 
> impressed with the thought given to the Specctra format, at least for 
> PCB stuff (schematics not addressed here). If a system were to use an 
> XML syntax to hold the specctra grammar, then this would be the best of 
> both worlds.

Where was that reference to Specctra again? It's not in my Email
collection.
> 
> 
> I like XML because you can in theory use XSLT processors and you can 
> easily write parsers in a large number of languages, including Java, 
> Python, Perl, C++, etc. It is easily extensible.

XML, DTD, XSLT are new for me. I want to move on beyound YAcc,Lex.
 
> 
> I like the Specctra grammar because many folks developing competing PCB 
> layout tools have already crossed the bridge to this format, and it 
> tends to represent a common denominator on how to represent a PCB 
> design, making it sort of a market standard on file interchange. One 
> thing I don't see in it is text strings for stencils.

I want to try your Specctra Howto. Can you import and export?
How about partially layout designs? Does the design export
with the same ratsnet and working netlist? Is that external
router batch? Does it have a GUI? I need to re-read you
Howto...Add this and my questions to the FAQ!

> 
> Frank, it would be interesting to see what your roadmap is for this 
> project, a simple list of goals and objectives. Maybe others might 
> want to help you.

My only goal was to:
o evaluate the XML grammer out of PCB123. So far I have only found
Zones and Via connection to power planes missing
o Transport an AVR32/LCD design of mine. Looks pretty good, but I
need to evaluate if the DB transfered is useable. I like to make
ECO changes from Schematic through to Layout/Gerbers and maybe
PCB netlist-out compared to netlist-in mantaining good netnames.
o Release this experiment as an example for others to contribute.
The XML work from circa 2000 seemed to have flopped.
o Intusoft, Cadence, OrCad may also have XML in/out functionality,
not sure.
http://www.intusoft.com/nlhtm/nl70.htm#xmldatabaseforpcbfootprint
is an interesting looking library/parts manager.
There are few Open Source EDA translators other than netlist.
o My last 5 years of outsource projects work has shown archiving
schematics, pcb, gerbers, verilog, Xilinx netlist don't capture
the design for future re-designs. You also need a standard 
Open database and tools, or the design is lost. We could not
find/run abandonded old Xilinx tools requiring DOS extension 
memory...
o I wasn't doing any work for hire,...tennis, living off home equity.

Frank
> 
> Dick
> 
> 
> 
> > --- In kicad-devel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, Jonas Diemer <diemer@> wrote:
> >   
> >> Cool. 
> >>
> >> But why is it a separate sf-project? Shouldn't it be in the KiCAD
> >>     
> > code (being 
> >   
> >> an importer/converter specifically for KiCAD)?
> >>     
> >
> > EDIF2KiCad maybe just because of the name but I thought about 
> > this and the size of the KiCad distribution is already hugh.  
> > EDIF and XML are suspose to be standards for moving between CAE
> > applications (XML4EDA was already taken, no files since 2001). I 
> > just began XML4PCB with EDIF/XML to KiCad as a starting place; 
> > but then except for GnuEda everything else is proprierty. A library
> > organizer, foot pad, part list organizer,editor with a neutral data
> > base would be another good candidate for a new, separate project! 
> > (I saw a reference to a NASA parts system based on XML)
> >
> > Frank
> >   
> >> Best regards
> >>
> >>
>