search

LibreSolar / libresolar.github.io

Libre Solar website built with VuePress
https://libre.solar
Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike 4.0 International
4 stars 9 forks source link

Ordering Information Confusing #10

Open flywire opened 4 years ago

flywire commented 4 years ago

Ordering is not accessible. The current process requires software download of over a gigabyte, install many gigabytes and translate instructions for old KiCAD version to current version.

Despite some acceptance of accept native KiCAD board files (extension .kicad_pcb), Gerber is the industry default.

Preferably provide:

  1. Default supplier for devices
  2. Gerber and BOM files for each device (so even other suppliers could grab them easily)
  3. As a minimum, update Ordering - KiCAD Gerber export instructions to current KiCAD (V5.1)
flywire commented 4 years ago

In KiCAD V5.1:

  1. Open Existing Project *.pro
  2. Click on PCB Layout Editor icon or in the folder list
  3. Click Board Setup on the toolbar, Design Rules, Solder Mask/Paste, and confirm all values set to zero.
  4. After that... [confirm options for KiCAD V5.1]
martinjaeger commented 4 years ago

You are right, the instruction should be updated to most recent KiCad version.

The reason I don't provide the Gerber files and BOM in the repository:

The only solution for this problem would be auto-generated BOMs and Gerber files each time a new commit is pushed to the server, similar as it is done with Doxygen for the software. This might even be possible with Travis CI, but I didn't try that out yet.

There is no default supplier. Most parts should be available on digikey, mouser, farnell, etc.. I won't place a sort of advertisement on the website for one of them. For PCBs I generally like Aisler, but they don't offer 70um copper thickness, which is not ideal for the higher power 20A board or the BMS boards.

flywire commented 4 years ago

KiCAD V5.1 issues are ongoing with BOM.

Schematic Layout Editor Project Rescue Helper reports:

This schematic was made using older symbol libraries which may break the schematic. ... LibreSolar Symbols: + 10V, 24AA01, AP2210-3.3, AZ1117 Mechanical: Mounting_Hole

Required action and meaning is not clear at https://libre.solar/docs/pcb_layout/

The footprint library is directly included via the github import feature in KiCad. This feature does not exist for the schematics editor, so the schematic symbols are included via a git submodule.

Seems KiBoM plugin install instructions have not been updated to KiCAD V5.1 either.