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CadSoft will enhance Premier Farnell and element14

awinning

We have been getting questions and requests for further information about Premier Farnell’s acquisition of CadSoft and the business of of Cadsoft  Computer Inc. While I don’t have all the answers, I’ll post what I know, and if you require any further information, please post your question here and I’ll try my hardest to find out the answers.


 

EAGLE software will continue to be supported and developed. The two founders of CadSoft who initially developed EAGLE software will remain with the business for agreed time periods as part of the integration process.

EAGLE software will facilitate design exchange between engineers through element14, which when combined with Premier Farnell’s transactional websites offers a complete online solution to purchasing and design needs. In addition, TechCast tutorial modules on element14 will enable new customers to quickly become familiar with the tool and help them learn how to use it.

The acquisition of CadSoft will give Premier Farnell more tools to help in the design process. These tools include the recent launch of DesignLink, which bridges from the other CAD tools straight to Premier Farnell’s product data, and information. 

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  • To just give you a view from an open source hardware developer perspective:

     

    CadSoft Eagle is very populer for open source hardware - due to its free version. From my point of view some things can be imrpoved:

     

    Prio A (quick & easy wins):

    • Make Eagle open source (probably won't happen)
    • Free &Light Edition should have 4 Layers availlaible (since most modern designs are much easier with 4 layers).
    • Designing with more than one schematics page would be nice (Free & Light Edition)
    • A larger PCB design area would be nice. The licensing is a bit steep in the 'small' versions. You have to shell out a significant amount of money to do an euro card in 4 layers.

     

    Prio B (more work, but still important)

    • The UI is not very user friendly - it needs some work. Mouse interaction are like from the 80s
    • The library management is a hassle - but your Design Connection is perhaps a nice solution. Enable users to share their libraries. Enable Users to give feedback for their libraries (some of mine are sloppy and not usable, some of my parts are well usable by anybody - Users should rate them - I want to include only good libraries/parts by others).
    • BOM management would be nice (and you can make them directly orderable via Farnell).
    • Make it easy to share designs and sub-designs (building blocks) via elemnent14 - that wuold be really nice. Obe licesning schemes (all my stuff is published as Creative Commons - user using my designs should obey that).

     

    What are your plans?

Reply

  • To just give you a view from an open source hardware developer perspective:

     

    CadSoft Eagle is very populer for open source hardware - due to its free version. From my point of view some things can be imrpoved:

     

    Prio A (quick & easy wins):

    • Make Eagle open source (probably won't happen)
    • Free &Light Edition should have 4 Layers availlaible (since most modern designs are much easier with 4 layers).
    • Designing with more than one schematics page would be nice (Free & Light Edition)
    • A larger PCB design area would be nice. The licensing is a bit steep in the 'small' versions. You have to shell out a significant amount of money to do an euro card in 4 layers.

     

    Prio B (more work, but still important)

    • The UI is not very user friendly - it needs some work. Mouse interaction are like from the 80s
    • The library management is a hassle - but your Design Connection is perhaps a nice solution. Enable users to share their libraries. Enable Users to give feedback for their libraries (some of mine are sloppy and not usable, some of my parts are well usable by anybody - Users should rate them - I want to include only good libraries/parts by others).
    • BOM management would be nice (and you can make them directly orderable via Farnell).
    • Make it easy to share designs and sub-designs (building blocks) via elemnent14 - that wuold be really nice. Obe licesning schemes (all my stuff is published as Creative Commons - user using my designs should obey that).

     

    What are your plans?

Children
  • in reply to Former Member

    Hi, Thanks for your post. I have passed your questions on to the guys here, hopefully you'll have an answer soon.

     

    Personally I am not involved in the acquisition, but I think Prio B, especially Designlink and BOM management integration would look a good bet

  • in reply to Former Member

    Interactive - Matter,

     

    Love the idea of making it easier to share designs/sub designs or even smaller parts of circuit design (personally it would help with the learning process as a young engineer). As modular design becomes more and more popular to speed up the design cycle this method of sharing sub-designs may well gather pace in the near future...what are your thoughts?

  • in reply to awinning

    Thanks,

     

    I know it must be an arkward situation. Farnell now owns elemnt14 & CadSoft and everybody is epexcting Eagle improvements from you. But the CadSoft guys will probablyhave their own concerns regarding the aquisition (I was working in a company that was bought some time ago – so I think I know how it feels like).

    But it is nice that you take the community thing serious – and by that you can hopefully show that the community is taking this serious as well.

  • in reply to rcolman

    Isn't that what Open Source Hardware is all about?

    We (I just count me in as Open Source Hardware developer - even If I am an humble one) develop funny or even innovative designs that can be used by other.

    We are happy to share - but most of us want a share if money is involved (I personally - and pobably many others us an CC Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike License – it is ok, to use my designs as long as you don't make money and state that it was taken from me). I am happy to learn from others and take their designs. (BTW: Why aren't reference Designs & application note designs not publishe under CC as well?)

    I think regarding OSH – there is a vivid discussion in the professional scene. & thats good!

  • in reply to Former Member

    I am using Eagle CAD for about a year now and I really like it. I bought the Light version and until now everything worked fine. Most things I do with it are small and easy circuits, all open sourced, nothing too complicated, so I can live with the limitations of the Light version.

    So thumbs up for this piece of software. There is a steep learning curve, but after managing that, it looks like I can do almost everything.

     

    But, of course, there are always some things that could get better image

     

    I would love to see, what interactive-matter noted already, a way to share components, footprints, building blocks, etc. online. I want a database, with which I can connect through Eagle CAD, where I can search for a e.g. component footprint. If it's not there, I can do my own and upload my version to share it with others. That would be great!

    One step into that direction would be to have the file formats opened up. Until now there is no design-, footprint-, board-format, that is open. At least to my knowledge. Opening the file formats would enable us to write software that could e.g. combine some components into a library.

     

    Just my 2 cents.

    Alex