I last needed EDA type tools in 2012. Since then, wherever I was employed, I only wrote software and the actual PCB production was handled by a different team.
I'm getting back into doing it all myself, and the tools I used to use (gEDA) are no longer in the repositories of my distros (debian-based).
What is being used these days to do circuit diagrams, PCB layout, etc? First prize would be something already in many repositories (I see a `lepton` tool which I will try out), but I will accept a second prize of FLOSS or consolation prizes of `free to download, but closed-source`).
TIA, I will read and consider all replies seriously.
A few tips:
Use ultra librarian for parts when possible. They're usually better.
Making your own footprints is a pain but necessary sometimes. FreeCAD is another OSS tool that also has its rough edges but is good enough. Use the sketcher tool and the datasheet to build up all the lines you'd need (including for cutouts, pads, silkscreen, etc), export as DXF, then import into KiCad's footprint editor. You can then switch layers for each line or use them to position pads such that they're fully accurate and you don't have to think too hard about offsets and whatever.
Find (or make!) a good part manager if you're populating your own boards. I wrote some simple REPL around sqlite in Node.js for working with parts, and have a cheapo barcode scanner from Amazon to work with mouser IDs and the like to "check out" parts as I populate. In hindsight, I wish I had written it in Python. I also use this tool to convert the BOM kicad exports into a more reasonable format for buying. I also subtract away the parts in the DB I already have so I don't keep buying extras of stuff. Just an idea.
For 2D dimensioned drawings Solvespace is much smaller and simpler. You can also use it to create 3D part models exported as Step, but it could use a bit more work for that use case.
https://ondsel.com/blog/ondsel-365/
Can you please explain why / in a what way they are better ?
UL also has better 3D models, and more often.
Also, UL often has human-verified or -engineered footprints for more exotic pieces, and splits out things like VDD/VSS into multi-unit symbols unlike CSE. Helps with organizing complex schematics.
The advice I often see is "make all your own footprints" which I agree is a good skill to have but when you're trying to quickly prototype a board and get something done it's not really feasible or ergonomic in Kicad. The amount of different windows you have to go through to populate e.g. mouser/digikey/arrow part numbers to get a usable BOM export is tedious work.
I actually wrote a chrome plugin that scrapes UL and mouser for all of the information then loads it into an existing Kicad symbol library with the models. Took some effort but for some reason this isn't a standardized thing which is a nightmare.
I use Altium professionally ($$$) and I feel like Kicad could cover most of the boards I work on. FYI I've seen a few advanced PCB's done in Kicad successfully - just not sure how much manual calculations/work they had to do.
Kicad + the cheap online PCB vendors are a killer combination.
https://source.mnt.re/reform/reform
https://source.mnt.re/reform/pocket-reform
https://github.com/greatscottgadgets/hackrf
Tons of stuff on par with a Raspberry Pi or BeagleBone Black, with DRAM, eMMC, and PCIe routing, plus all the fine pitch placements for supporting circuitry. PMICs get dense in these applications.
Demo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xr0pdGuJbXQ
Not the best laid out PCB or the best project structure. But it works, and it's fairly complex.
The problem is that it's exceedingly tedious to do in kicad some of the more advanced things that altium and others can do.
Think C vs C++. Nothing C++ does is inherently impossible in C (in terms of observable side effects). For example, RAII is a one liner in C++. In C, it's two lines and some extra thought about control flow. Not impossible, just a bit more mental overhead.
Horizon is beautiful. The creator has also recently started working on a 3D modelling program (Dune3D) in the same style which I am very excited about.
I kind of wish he talked to us about doing a version of Solvespace using OCCT instead, but he's got a lot of good ideas and it will be nice to see where he goes with Dune3D. I can see its Solvespace roots!
Solvespace NURBS shells are completely separate from the sketch entities and constraints, so there's a fairly small API surface to make the change. That separation is also one of the issues preventing a fillet tool though.
I personally prefer KiCAD, but use easyeda.com when I don't have KiCAD around. The new nudge router in KiCAD is pretty nice.
[1] https://github.com/uPesy/easyeda2kicad.py
Or maybe KiCad.
LibrePCB is also worthy of note and seems aimed at Eagle users. Also fundamentally more modern and solid than kicad.
During that time I created roughly 10 finished (and working) projects using the software.
The only downside compared to KiCAD is that the official parts library is smaller. But what is in there goes through a review process and is often verified by other builders. There are also fancy things like 3D views, length tuning, alternate footprints, board layouts consisting of multiple boards, ...
If you are one of the people who has no problem creating their own footprints and always wanted to like KiCAD, but is driven insane by the UX, this one might be it.
What I am missing from HorizonEDA is the ability to set constraints to signals/pads such as maximum and minimum current, voltage, frequency or setting impedance targets.
There is also no easy way to do a simple static current FEM simulation on custom polygon shapes. You can already do this using a chain of four open source tools but it is a lot of manual steps.