Interesting Eagle V8 & KiCAD Seminars

Eagle V8 Seminars Highlights

Autodesk Eagle Version 8 was released in late 2017 and includes several major enhancements:

• Improved routing engine for faster automatic and manual routing
• Modernized user interface with customizable workspaces
• Better integration with MCAD tools like Fusion 360
• Enhanced Library Manager for component management

Here are some of the notable Eagle V8 seminars that have taken place:

Eagle V8 New Features Webinar

Autodesk hosted a free webinar in January 2018 to introduce users to the new features in Eagle V8. The webinar covered topics such as:

• UI enhancements and themes
• Updated schematic and board editors
• Improved routing options
• MCAD integration with Fusion 360
• Updated BoM and library tools

Over 1000 people attended the live webinar, and a recording is available on the Autodesk website.

Migrating to Eagle V8

For users upgrading from previous versions of Eagle, Autodesk offered a “Migrating to V8” webinar. Key topics included:

• Updating existing designs for V8
• Changes to UI and shortcuts
• Compatibility of V7 and V8 files
• New licensing options for V8

The webinar provided guidance to help users transition their designs and libraries smoothly to the new version.

Advanced Routing in Eagle V8

The routing engine is one of the most significant updates in Eagle V8. Autodesk presented an “Advanced Routing Techniques” webinar to demonstrate the new capabilities, such as:

• Multi-level meander command
• Improved routing conflicts handling
• Neck down traces without errors
• Auto-interactive routing with backups

This seminar was aimed at intermediate to advanced users looking to optimize their board layouts.

Notable KiCAD Seminars

KiCAD is an open source cross-platform EDA suite that has seen rapid development and adoption in recent years. The latest stable release is version 5.1.0. Some key features include:

• Integrated schematic capture and PCB layout
• 3D PCB viewing and export
• Push & shove router
• Python scripting support

There have been several well-attended KiCAD seminars in the past year, such as:

KiCAD Like a Pro

Contextual Electronics regularly hosts a “KiCAD Like a Pro” workshop that covers essential concepts such as:

• Schematic capture best practices
• Hierarchical design
• PCB layout tips and tricks
• Project management
• Keyboard shortcuts

Attendees get access to schematic and layout files to follow along with hands-on exercises.

Intro to KiCAD 5

With the release of KiCAD version 5 in 2018, there was high interest from the community in learning about the changes and improvements. Wayne Stambaugh, lead developer of KiCAD, hosted an “Intro to KiCAD 5” seminar that highlighted:

• User interface updates
• New schematic and PCB Tools
• Updates to Eeschema and Pcbnew
• Importing Eagle libraries

The seminar provided a good overview for both new and existing KiCAD users.

Custom Footprint Creation in KiCAD

Designing custom footprints is an essential skill for PCB designers. An online seminar titled “Creating Footprints in KiCAD 5” focused on this topic, covering:

• New footprint editor interface
• Creating THT and SMD pads
• Custom pad shapes
• 3D model alignment

The hands-on seminar used practical examples to demonstrate the footprint creation workflow.

Eagle vs KiCAD Comparison

While both Eagle and KiCAD are capable EDA tools, there are some key differences between them, as summarized in this table:

Feature	Eagle	KiCAD
License	Paid, free for non-commercial use	Open source, GPLv3
Platforms	Windows, Mac, Linux	Windows, Mac, Linux
3D PCB View	Yes	Yes
Schematic Capture	Yes	Yes
Autorouter	Yes	Yes
Scripting	ULP (User Language Programs)	Python
MCAD Integration	Fusion 360	StepUp, KiCad StepUp
Differential Pair Routing	Yes	Yes

Ultimately, the choice between Eagle and KiCAD depends on factors such as budget, design requirements, and personal preference. Both have active user forums and resources available for learning and troubleshooting.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is Eagle V8 compatible with older versions?

Eagle V8 can open files created in V7 and earlier, but V7 cannot open V8 files. It’s recommended to upgrade all team members to V8 for compatibility.

2. Can I import Eagle libraries into KiCAD?

Yes, Eagle libraries in .lbr format can be imported into KiCAD using the eagle2kicad ULP script or the KiCad EDA software itself.

3. Does KiCAD have an autorouter?

KiCAD includes a push & shove router that can automatically route tracks while pushing existing traces out of the way. However, it may not be as comprehensive as a fully automatic router.

4. What are the licensing options for Eagle?

Eagle is free for non-commercial use, educational use, or businesses making less than $100K annual revenue. Paid subscriptions are available for professional use, with standard and premium tiers.

5. Where can I find KiCad Tutorials and resources?

The official KiCAD website has a tutorials section with written and video guides. The KiCAD forums and subreddit (/r/KiCAD) are also helpful resources for learning and troubleshooting.