kicad-developers team mailing list archive

[Javier Serrano <javier.serrano.pareja@xxxxxxxxx>]

[giving in to top posting :)]

Hello Oscad Team,

I think it would make sense for us -- and whoever else wants to join
-- to work together on the preparation of a blueprint encompassing all
actions required to make simulation work nicely in KiCad. This would
probably include changes/extensions in file formats and in-depth
discussion about UI aspects among others. If you do all coding without
a preliminary green light from the project leader you expose
yourselves to a bigger probability of having your code rejected, and
you also deprive yourselves from the possibility of getting good
feedback during the brainstorming process. For example, off the top of
my head: QUCS seems to have support for simulating SPICE netlists in
their roadmap (or maybe done already, I don't know). QUCS can also
simulate S-Parameter models. What would be the added value of
supporting ngspice? It's just an example question. I have not given it
much thought myself. Regarding attribution, the standard way is to
include a copyright statement in the header of each one of your files.
If you look at the KiCad sources, you will see many. I guess this
should be enough for funding agencies to appreciate the extent of your
work.

Cheers,

Javier

On Tue, Jun 10, 2014 at 4:25 PM, Oscad Team <oscad.team@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Hello Javier, Maciej, developers,
>
> We want to thank you for the invitation you have extended to us to
> participate in the KiCad development efforts.  We agree that there is no
> benefit in duplicating the work.
>
> We propose the following to the KiCad interface.  Let there be an interface
> for Simulation, which will have two options: Ngspice and QUCS.
>
> Under Ngspice, we shall provide our code (as a patch). We shall modify KiCad
> source to include Ngspice parameters, models, subcircuits, netlist generator
> etc. If you want us to make any change to our Ngspice implementation in
> KiCad, we will try to implement it.
> Under QUCS, the code required to implement QUCS support,  being developed by
> your team, can be included.  If you need any help in this work, we can give
> it a try.
>
> Let all of these be available as the standard KiCad distribution. As a
> result, any KiCad user will have access to both Ngspice and QUCS simulation
> support.  We will use this version of KiCad for our work in Oscad as well.
>
> We would like the KiCad team acknowledge the fact that the Ngspice interface
> has been developed by "FOSSEE, IIT Bombay".  This is required to satisfy our
> funding agency.  Any suitable method should be OK with us.
>
> Looking forward to hear your feedback.
>
> Cheers
> Oscad Team, IIT Bombay
>
>
>
> On Thu, May 29, 2014 at 3:45 PM, Oscad Team <oscad.team@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>
>> Hello Developers,
>>
>> Thanks for your input. Looks like our action items are more or less the
>> same as the ones mentioned in the roadmap and it would be good to take up
>> this effort. But we have to discuss with our team members and finalise a few
>> things, as we have a few additional facilities (VHDL/Verilog code support,
>> design optimisation support, virtual breadboard etc.) in Oscad. We shall
>> revert back soon.
>>
>> Cheers
>> Oscad Team
>>
>>
>> On Mon, May 26, 2014 at 8:38 PM, Maciej Sumiński <maciej.suminski@xxxxxxx>
>> wrote:
>>>
>>> On 05/26/2014 05:04 PM, Javier Serrano wrote:
>>>>
>>>> On Mon, May 26, 2014 at 4:41 PM, Oscad Team <oscad.team@xxxxxxxxx>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> Dear Kicad developers,
>>>>>
>>>>> Greetings from Oscad Team, IIT Bombay, India! As you are already aware,
>>>>> we
>>>>> have developed Oscad a free and open source EDA Tool for circuit
>>>>> design,
>>>>> simulation, analysis and PCB design. Oscad uses KiCad for schematic
>>>>> creation
>>>>> and PCB design. It uses Ngspice for simulation. We have made an
>>>>> integrated
>>>>> environment where these tools can be independently called and executed.
>>>>> We
>>>>> have written parsers to interface the different tools.
>>>>>
>>>>> We are now planning to come up with a new version of Oscad, where in we
>>>>> would like to embed all our tools with-in KiCad itself. We would like
>>>>> to
>>>>> modify the source code of KiCad such that it generates a netlist that
>>>>> can be
>>>>> directly used with Ngspice. (Right now, we parse the KiCad netlist and
>>>>> make
>>>>> it an Ngspice compatible one). For this we plan to do the following:
>>>>>
>>>>> We shall add tools in eeschema to help user add simulation parameters
>>>>> for
>>>>> ac/dc/transient simulations
>>>>> We will add more "fields" to a component in eeschema. For eg., a
>>>>> Flipflop
>>>>> will have fields like setup time, hold time. A sinusoidal source will
>>>>> have
>>>>> fields like amplitude, frequency etc.
>>>>> We will modify the way a "Spice" netlist is generated from eeschema.
>>>>> The
>>>>> netlist generated will now be in Ngspice format
>>>>> We shall add tools to create "Spice models" for diodes, MOSFETs, BJTs
>>>>> etc
>>>>> from with-in eeschema.
>>>>> We shall add a tool that "calls" Ngspice from eeschema and simulates
>>>>> the
>>>>> Ngspice netlist.
>>>>>
>>>>> We would like to know your comments and feedback. We would also request
>>>>> your
>>>>> co-operation for the new version of Oscad, that we plan to build.
>>>>>
>>>>> Thanks
>>>>>
>>>>> Oscad Team
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Hello Oscad Team,
>>>>
>>>> The current KiCad roadmap, available from the official repo, includes
>>>> support for simulation. Have you considered joining the KiCad
>>>> developers team and taking up this work package? The end result would
>>>> be one software suite instead of two, with a stronger team behind.
>>>> FYI, we at CERN have started looking into simulation as well, partly
>>>> as a possible MSc thesis subject for one of our team mates, but also
>>>> in association with the need of thinking about RF and Microwave design
>>>> in KiCad. In that domain, it might also make sense to look at QUCS as
>>>> a possible simulation engine. We could discuss the details, come up
>>>> with a suitable blueprint to be included in the KiCad roadmap and take
>>>> it from there.
>>>>
>>>> Cheers,
>>>>
>>>> Javier
>>>
>>>
>>> Hi Oscad Team,
>>>
>>> The mentioned roadmap is available here:
>>>
>>> http://bazaar.launchpad.net/~kicad-product-committers/kicad/product/view/head:/Documentation/development/road-map.md
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>> Orson
>>
>>
>