Description: LedaX an EDA application for Linux. There are some out there, but they are all (and this is my meaning only) way to complex to obtain and run. To many dependencies etc. Also I dont find the userinterfaces intuitive at all. And the learning curve is way to high. I want this to be click and run ready :-), and not only that, I want to take this a step further than most other EDA for Linux. I actually want to make this industry ready. It is a huge task but feel confident that it is possible:-)
I'm proud to say, that we now have a functional version of the library editor running. There are of course still things to do, therefore version 0.xxx but you can now create almost any kind of components. I would say that almost all functions are in place in the library editor at this time. There are still some issues about multi move but other than that I think there is just bugfixing left. And if no one sends requests or ideas, then that's how its gonna be :-) The schematic editor is started I expect to have a "usable" version in about 6 months. Unless someone helps coding:-)
The schematic editor does not do anything else than place components into files added to a project, save it and is able to load it again. The code is ust release in the hope that someone would like to play with the code and send some feedback on it.Last changelog:
Lots and lots of cleanup done by Alain. Also a lot of functinality completion and bugfixes done by Alain.
when I work whith EDA at school, I have to print most of the results I get. I think that in the industrial world it is quite important too.
So I was thinking of adding facilities to export to Koffice for adding layout and text for making a good report of the work donne.
Adding integration whith a note taker may be good too ( LedaX create a new basket whith basket note pads and adds all the results in a list as PNGs or TXTs, so that you can easily find your different tests)
How do I duplicate their work?
Those applications are simulators not EDA's actually I want to work WITH them so LedaX is only complete with these apps :-) so no there is noting wrong with them.
You seem to have misunderstood what LedaX is, which is my fautl because that shows that I have not put it in the right way. It is so easy for me to understand what I write but not as obvious for others, that is the problem with electronic communication :-)
LedaX is a
Librady Editor (not included in the two you mentioned)
Schematic Capture ( included in a very limited way in the two mentioned)
PCB Editor (not included in the two you mentioned)
In time autorouter and autoplacer (not included in the two you mentioned)
And much more.
Oh, and I forgot...
What IS wrong with dulicating? You MIGHT say that Linux + KDE... is a duplication of Windows. What's wrong with that? I love Linux, but like windows. I praise the duplication.
You MIGHT also say that Burger King is the duplication og MC Donalds or whom ever came first. Whats wrong with that.
To be quite honest if there is no constructive comments comment somwhere else.
It is comments like this that demotivates.
Looks good, and it's great to see more such apps. I'm not qualified to say which is best, being no more than a tinkerer with electronics.
On the subject of others being hard to obtain and/or install, it's worth noting that this is a distro issue, not really an app issue. On debian/ubuntu, it's a simple matter of apt-get install APPNAME.
I agree to some point. You might be right about Ubuntu. It has been some time since I tried i.e. gEDA on Ubuntu. But personally I think I have tried on a hugre amount of different distributions. But never the less. My wish is to make this really easy also in installing. That is keeping dependencies to a minimum, good installation manuals etc.
I have been searching for an EDA for Linux for quite some time. The programs that appealed to me most where KTechlab, for its usability and the ability to use microcontrollers, gEDA, because it seemed to be the most complete and finaly I settled on Qucs. www.opencollector.org has even more tools.
As you already indicated an EDA takes vast amounts of time to program and there is always a lack of developers.
So I am curious what funtionality you find missing so much in the existing EDA's that you decided to built your own.
The thing I found missing was integration and usability. gEDA is a mess, Qucs is more geared towards GHz electronics and has no PCB tools.
Personaly, I would rather go the route of intergrating Qucs (Qt based, seperate GUI client and CLI server) in KTechlab and adding support for Microcontrollers, PCB's and such through existing libraries.
The ultimate goal for me would be something like Labcenter's Proteus for KDE. Proteus can debug microcontroller code in a simulated circuit, has advanced PCB layout stuff, etc. You should try the windows demo for inspiration.
I am a fairly experienced C/C++ programmer but novice to KDE hacking. Next to my studies math and physic I do not have very much free time but I'd really like to help you out.
Missing functions? I'm not sure that I'm missing any functions as such.
But I dont think that gEDA is very user friendly. Also I like applications that I can just execute and then draw.
I think gEDA has a way to high learning curve for me. I might be wrong.
The other aspect is, that I just want to do it. For this argument the success rate is mesured in how much fun I'm having on it and not on a fisished product as such.
I have not found a component library tool for gEDA where I can just draw components. (I might be wrong here too).
Also I'd like 1 suite with all applications using the exact same UI layout. Therefore LibraryEditor, Schematic Editor and PCB Editor.
I'f like to make them in such a way that they can export directly for use with Spice, KTechLab etc.
I think I'm going to make the PCB using existing libraries, but that is way to far out in the future for me right now.
This seems like a very promising project, keep up the good job and ideas.
Is there yet an official site for LedaX?
I'm not a programmer but perhaps I can help testing, with artwork or something else (except money, I'm not rich either :'^( ).
Thanks :-) No doubt that it warms hearing that people feel this way.
I'm really happy that you do, but this is exactly the same responses I got on yaeda.
And though I love to hear it, and though it warms, it does not help the project in a practical way. It does keep me inspired to continue though :-) so keep coming with positive feedback if you feel like doing so, but still I need programming assistance. There MUST be someone out there with programming skills that are interested, and with time enough!?
Website, it would be the same as before yaeda.org, but not yet. I'm spending a lot of time on my new job and the project, so I dont have time for doing the website. Besides there are not a lot of stuff for it yet. Was thinking about setting up a forum where people could come with suggestions and such.
Money :-) Naahhh, if I wanted money for this, it should be enough for me to do this full time, and I really doubt that I could get that :-)
While yaEDA was alive, about 10.000 people showed interest in getting it but not more that about 50 would pay before any real program was released ;-)
Again thanks for the positive feedback, and sorry if I seem negative about it. I just REALLY need help on the project. If not I'm afraid it will go the same way as yaEDA :-(
Ratings & Comments
12 Comments
when I work whith EDA at school, I have to print most of the results I get. I think that in the industrial world it is quite important too. So I was thinking of adding facilities to export to Koffice for adding layout and text for making a good report of the work donne. Adding integration whith a note taker may be good too ( LedaX create a new basket whith basket note pads and adds all the results in a list as PNGs or TXTs, so that you can easily find your different tests)
Something wrong with KSimus/Ktechlab? They're fairly useful for this.
How do I duplicate their work? Those applications are simulators not EDA's actually I want to work WITH them so LedaX is only complete with these apps :-) so no there is noting wrong with them. You seem to have misunderstood what LedaX is, which is my fautl because that shows that I have not put it in the right way. It is so easy for me to understand what I write but not as obvious for others, that is the problem with electronic communication :-) LedaX is a Librady Editor (not included in the two you mentioned) Schematic Capture ( included in a very limited way in the two mentioned) PCB Editor (not included in the two you mentioned) In time autorouter and autoplacer (not included in the two you mentioned) And much more.
Oh, and I forgot... What IS wrong with dulicating? You MIGHT say that Linux + KDE... is a duplication of Windows. What's wrong with that? I love Linux, but like windows. I praise the duplication. You MIGHT also say that Burger King is the duplication og MC Donalds or whom ever came first. Whats wrong with that. To be quite honest if there is no constructive comments comment somwhere else. It is comments like this that demotivates.
Looks good, and it's great to see more such apps. I'm not qualified to say which is best, being no more than a tinkerer with electronics. On the subject of others being hard to obtain and/or install, it's worth noting that this is a distro issue, not really an app issue. On debian/ubuntu, it's a simple matter of apt-get install APPNAME.
I agree to some point. You might be right about Ubuntu. It has been some time since I tried i.e. gEDA on Ubuntu. But personally I think I have tried on a hugre amount of different distributions. But never the less. My wish is to make this really easy also in installing. That is keeping dependencies to a minimum, good installation manuals etc.
Hi, I tried to make a little logo for LedaX. It's here: http://www.kde-look.org/content/show.php?content=43441
Thanks, but... Cannot see any content, I get: Not found :-(
I have been searching for an EDA for Linux for quite some time. The programs that appealed to me most where KTechlab, for its usability and the ability to use microcontrollers, gEDA, because it seemed to be the most complete and finaly I settled on Qucs. www.opencollector.org has even more tools. As you already indicated an EDA takes vast amounts of time to program and there is always a lack of developers. So I am curious what funtionality you find missing so much in the existing EDA's that you decided to built your own. The thing I found missing was integration and usability. gEDA is a mess, Qucs is more geared towards GHz electronics and has no PCB tools. Personaly, I would rather go the route of intergrating Qucs (Qt based, seperate GUI client and CLI server) in KTechlab and adding support for Microcontrollers, PCB's and such through existing libraries. The ultimate goal for me would be something like Labcenter's Proteus for KDE. Proteus can debug microcontroller code in a simulated circuit, has advanced PCB layout stuff, etc. You should try the windows demo for inspiration. I am a fairly experienced C/C++ programmer but novice to KDE hacking. Next to my studies math and physic I do not have very much free time but I'd really like to help you out.
Missing functions? I'm not sure that I'm missing any functions as such. But I dont think that gEDA is very user friendly. Also I like applications that I can just execute and then draw. I think gEDA has a way to high learning curve for me. I might be wrong. The other aspect is, that I just want to do it. For this argument the success rate is mesured in how much fun I'm having on it and not on a fisished product as such. I have not found a component library tool for gEDA where I can just draw components. (I might be wrong here too). Also I'd like 1 suite with all applications using the exact same UI layout. Therefore LibraryEditor, Schematic Editor and PCB Editor. I'f like to make them in such a way that they can export directly for use with Spice, KTechLab etc. I think I'm going to make the PCB using existing libraries, but that is way to far out in the future for me right now.
This seems like a very promising project, keep up the good job and ideas. Is there yet an official site for LedaX? I'm not a programmer but perhaps I can help testing, with artwork or something else (except money, I'm not rich either :'^( ).
Thanks :-) No doubt that it warms hearing that people feel this way. I'm really happy that you do, but this is exactly the same responses I got on yaeda. And though I love to hear it, and though it warms, it does not help the project in a practical way. It does keep me inspired to continue though :-) so keep coming with positive feedback if you feel like doing so, but still I need programming assistance. There MUST be someone out there with programming skills that are interested, and with time enough!? Website, it would be the same as before yaeda.org, but not yet. I'm spending a lot of time on my new job and the project, so I dont have time for doing the website. Besides there are not a lot of stuff for it yet. Was thinking about setting up a forum where people could come with suggestions and such. Money :-) Naahhh, if I wanted money for this, it should be enough for me to do this full time, and I really doubt that I could get that :-) While yaEDA was alive, about 10.000 people showed interest in getting it but not more that about 50 would pay before any real program was released ;-) Again thanks for the positive feedback, and sorry if I seem negative about it. I just REALLY need help on the project. If not I'm afraid it will go the same way as yaEDA :-(