kicad-developers team mailing list archive

[Dick Hollenbeck <dick@...>]

> Yes, I guess I was too close to it...that change
> and putting "" around the $PAD netname fixed it. The checked
> in svn code now produce files that look correct! The
> pulldown "Misc/list nets" also works after the change. Now
> I can give Specctra a try (if I unroute some stuff).
>
> thanks,
> Frank

Congratulations! You can simply export the *.DSN with the tracks, and 
delete all of them over in FreeRoute. The re-route them. Select 
them, then unfix them, then delete them.

> Ah and one can also force the whole net to a width (missing in 
> fileformat doc)

There is that field, but I don't think it is used. It probably should 
not ever be either. Instead, at some time I'd like to add the concept 
of a "net class", which is simply a list of nets along with a small 
bundle of properties which apply to all the nets in that class, roughly:

class NETCLASS
{
vector nets;
int trackWidth;
int viaSize;
int viaHole;
vector<int> preferred layers;
}


But this is not an original thought, only an adoption of what is in the 
specctra spec. See class CLASS, line 2714 in specctra.h. Once we had 
this, then you can set properties on whole groups of nets all at once. 
And more importantly, auto via selection would be better, and the export 
to specctra would also benefit from this. Currently I edit the 
"kicad_default" class using a text editor on the *.dsn file, and split 
it into a number of other classes before I load it into freerouter. 
That way I was able to get fatter tracks on my power nets, and larger 
vias only on some of those nets automatically.


I had been mucking around in Kicad trying to route my board for many 
many many months, all the while adding enhancements to the software, 
just trying to get the design out. Using FreeRouter I was able to 
route the board in less than 10 days, *manually*. The autorouter 
probably cost me time in the end, because if you don't have a full set 
of "net classes", and you are not careful about setting your layer 
costs, you end up with tracks in your way later on. A lot of skill 
comes with experience, and the stuff I am talking about here would not 
be applicable for a one or two layer board. Mine is a six layer, and 
it was cramped at that. The push and shove manual routing is 
priceless, and in retrospect, it was naive to attempt a complicated 
board like mine without it. But now we have it with the SPECCTRA bridge.


> > Use the source Luke, use the source.
> Just learning to navigate, not up to wrap speed yet!

Yeah, I've been "rapped" on the head too many times, and I have a memory 
leak that I can't find. Worse yet, I can't even remember to look for 
it. The project is really too big to keep in one's head.

I just use Jedit's Hypersearch to look for anything at anytime. Then 
when in doubt, I fire up kdbg and run it on the DEBUG build.

Once again, congratulations.


Dick