kicad-developers team mailing list archive

[Clemens Koller <cko@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hello, Wayne!

Below, I added some very visionary features which I have seen (more or
less miserably implemented) in some big design tools, which could affect
the file formats in the long-term view as well.
I am not sure if it's too early to think about that stuff now. Please decide.

On 2016-08-02 15:14, Wayne Stambaugh wrote:
> So far here is the list of new file format features I am planning to
> implement:
> 
> - Pin and gate swapping and mapping (defined).
> - Differential pair definition (undefined).

+ Match Length definitions including min/max/tolerance


> - Net class definitions. (undefined other than what we have in the board
> file format)
> - Font definition for text objects (defined).
> - Custom colors for all drawing objects (undefined but trivial).
> - Embedded and linked symbols (undefined but I've already have a
> definition in mind).
> - Custom properties for objects (defined, same as board file format).
> - Support for more than 2 body styles (defined).
> - Symbol types: normal, power, virtual (in BOM not in netlist), and
> net-tie (defined except for additional net-tie requirements).
> - Per file symbol library design (defined like the pretty footprint
> libraries).
> - Custom pads (undefined).
> 
> Here is the list of possible features that I haven't made up my mind
> about yet:
> 
> - Custom file units.
> - Layers.

+ Design partitions
Useful in the far future for Multi-Board Designs.
(Which is more than one PCB connected by a connector or a flex-print)
There might be nets which are global across all boards (i.e.GND) as well
as nets which have the same name but are local to one Partition (PCB)
(i.e. +3.3V from separate PoL-Supplies).

Maybe:
+ Support for schematic versioning / timestamping / diff- and git-friendly
I want to see (ideally in a graphical representation), what's the
difference of two schematics on logic/netlist level as well as visually
re-arranged circuits.
I believe that this could also affect the file format - or - some
hints stored in the file could make it much more easy to visualize
differences.


Regards,

Clemens