PCB Forum - Recent Threads

Join the Horror Show, or Is it? - AI Gen PCB Design?

stanto — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 00:02:37 GMT

I stumbled upon this: https://github.com/assalas/pcb-designer-ai-agent because there was a thread on Reddit that's discussing "Any AI tools to do PCB design reviews?" and I've always thought things like routing should be a computer solvable problem.

This looks like it can work on a local LLM rather than burning lakes of water, instead I can cook in my office.

There's also tools like https://www.protoflow.ai/download and https://www.quilter.ai/free-ai-pcb-design and https://www.flux.ai/p - and I frankly have struggled to get to grips directly with kicad (yes there's tutorials, etc, but like mathematics at school, I struggled until I found the right teacher).

Anyway, I'm going to see what I can get out of this on a local workflow, call it my new year's resolution (what it's august already?)

I want to see what other people have created using tooling like this, and how it measures up to reality - y'know, from people who actually know how to do PCB design?

Or not, I'm not your parent. [emoticon:c4563cd7d5574777a71c318021cbbcc8]

PCBAtlas update: App Store release and Android free trial now available

EthanKang — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 07:40:19 GMT

Hi everyone,

About a month ago, I introduced PCBAtlas here while the Apple version was still in public TestFlight. I wanted to post a development update now that it has moved into a regular App Store release, and an Android version is also available as a direct free trial.

PCBAtlas is still focused on the same problem: providing a local-first workspace for opening, organizing, and reviewing PCB design and manufacturing data without requiring a full EDA installation or uploading board files to a web service.

It is not intended to replace KiCad, a PCB editor, or a formal CAM/DFM sign-off process. The goal is to make routine inspection, revision review, issue communication, lab work, and manufacturing handoff more convenient.

The current versions support workflows around:

KiCad projects, schematics, and .kicad_pcb boards
DSN files
IPC-2581 XML
ODB++ archives and directories
Recognized manufacturing-package folders
2D board inspection, object selection, search, and layer controls
Project and schematic browsing where available
Board-level 3D viewing
Managed revisions inside the same PCB workspace

Since the earlier beta, much of the work has been less visible but important: improving large-board rendering, selection on dense layouts, import progress, saved viewer state, repeated open/reopen workflows, ODB++ archive handling, 3D navigation, thumbnails, and general stability.

The Android build now follows the same general review workflow as the Apple versions. It is temporarily available as a direct APK free trial. The download page also publishes the build version, SHA-256 checksum, and signer certificate fingerprint for verification.

I am particularly interested in feedback on:

Files that fail to import or take unexpectedly long
Incorrect or missing layers, shapes, line widths, pads, or vias
ODB++ and IPC-2581 compatibility problems
Selection problems on dense or overlapping board geometry
Whether the revision/workspace model is genuinely useful
Information that is still missing during a real review or manufacturing handoff

Website and downloads:

https://www.astroformsoftware.com/

When reporting an issue, the platform, device model, file format, approximate board size, and the import stage where the problem occurred are especially useful. Non-sensitive test files are welcome, but screenshots and descriptions are also helpful.

Disclosure: I am the developer of PCBAtlas. I will keep technical discussion and support public where practical, and I will not send unsolicited DMs or add anyone to a mailing list.

RE: PCBAtlas update: App Store release and Android free trial now available

EthanKang — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 17:31:10 GMT

KiCanvas looks useful for lighter review cases. PCBAtlas is aimed more at large board projects and broader format support.

On mobile devices, memory is often the main constraint, so we spent a lot of effort making boards with 10,000+ pins open and remain smooth even on a phone.

I agree this is still a niche use case today, but it fills a gap. As mobile hardware improves and AI-driven workflows grow, more PCB review work may move to tablets and phones.

RE: PCBAtlas update: App Store release and Android free trial now available

shabaz — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 16:48:08 GMT

I've found KiCanvas usable with a tablet (for the rare times I'm without laptop!), since component selection, pinch-to-zoom etc all works with the touchscreen with no mouse/keyboard. Agree it would be good to highlight the same selected component in different views, I'm surprised KiCanvas doesn't already support that, since it remembers component selection when switching back to the previous view. Probably an easy thing to implement as a result (might be worth putting in a feature request for that).

RE: PCBAtlas update: App Store release and Android free trial now available

BigG — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 16:22:46 GMT

Interesting, although it doesn't appear to be interactive like Altium365. I like to be able to click onto a component and it dynamically highlights the same component in different views (e.g. PCB, schematic, 3D view etc) and then provides you with the technical details (I found this option, at least in kicanvas).

RE: PCBAtlas update: App Store release and Android free trial now available

shabaz — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 16:13:47 GMT

The video didn't demonstrate much, but the ability to view and explore KiCad projects on desktop or mobile devices is already possible with KiCanvas (example PCB view).

Example schematic:

At least for hobbyists, that will go a long way toward reviewing, since third party tools can be used for capturing review meeting minutes and action items. That more informal method won't suit businesses of course.

RE: PCBAtlas update: App Store release and Android free trial now available

cstanton — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 15:20:14 GMT

[quote userid="250758" url="~/products/pcbprototyping/f/forum/57141/pcbatlas-update-app-store-release-and-android-free-trial-now-available/237678"]Agree, but how often do such households perform PCB layout reviews?[/quote]

Given most electrical makers I've seen at hackspaces are carrying phones and ipads, I suspect it's higher than you may think.

RE: PCBAtlas update: App Store release and Android free trial now available

misaz — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 15:08:22 GMT

Agree, but I can imagine use cases like some manager making some kind of reviews or just want to look at something on field, etc.

RE: PCBAtlas update: App Store release and Android free trial now available

misaz — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 15:06:47 GMT

Agree, but how often do such households perform PCB layout reviews?

RE: PCBAtlas update: App Store release and Android free trial now available

cstanton — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 10:30:22 GMT

[quote userid="121623" url="~/products/pcbprototyping/f/forum/57141/pcbatlas-update-app-store-release-and-android-free-trial-now-available/237670"]Why would any one want to review a PCB on a tablet[/quote]

There are an increasing amount of households that don't have a 'full fat' computer these days.

RE: PCBAtlas update: App Store release and Android free trial now available

BigG — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 10:30:08 GMT

I'd say this is for beyond the design room. One application I can think of is when field testing PCBs, where you're off to evaluate a problem out on site. It's a new board and you're not sure what you're looking at. You typically want to look at the PCB design to figure out what is doing what. A 42" won't help here.

RE: PCBAtlas update: App Store release and Android free trial now available

michaelkellett — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 08:56:46 GMT

I don't want to rain on your parade but,

Why would any one want to review a PCB on a tablet - I use a 42" 4K screen to do PCB design work I can't imagine attempting it on a tablet.

Lots of people use mouse (or supermouse) and keyboard to navigate PCB designs (you need to switch layers and position a lot) . By the time you have a tablet, mouse and keyboard why not just use a laptop if you have to do some work in the field.

RE: PCBAtlas update: App Store release and Android free trial now available

EthanKang — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:05:01 GMT

That is essentially correct for now. PCBAtlas is intended to provide a practical way to review PCB designs on mobile devices, especially tablets, rather than replace KiCad as a full design tool.

Once the core viewing and review functions are more complete, we plan to continue developing new features designed specifically around mobile-friendly interaction.

RE: PCBAtlas update: App Store release and Android free trial now available

stanto — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 22:02:22 GMT

So the difference to simply using KiCAD is that it's for ios and android?

EMFCamp Tildagon Badge 2026 Talk

stanto — Sun, 26 Jul 2026 16:43:31 GMT

Really nice to see the intention behind a "conference badge" that's designed to be re-used and interesting to hear the considerations around espressif's antenna requirements.

[View:https://ffmuc.media.ccc.de//events/emf/2026/h264-hd/emf2026-7001-eng-Design_decisions_behind_the_Tildagon_-_a_technical_walkthrough_hd.mp4:480:360]

Source: https://media.ccc.de/v/emf2026-70-1-design-decisions-behind-the-tildagon-a-technical-walkthrough

I'm surprised they considered using the USB-C ports as the 'lanyard connector' which is both a good and bad idea, in my experience USB-C does not latch properly, and this badge is not light!

You can read more about the badge here: https://tildagon.badge.emfcamp.org/

Help me convert allegro .alg file to Altium .pcbdoc

abtAmit — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 09:28:00 GMT

Hi everyone,

I recently came across the SK-AM62P-LP Evaluation board on TI.com. TI included the design files, and I thought analyzing them would be a great way to expand my knowledge of PCB design.

The project seems to have been designed using Allegro, and the provided file has an .alg extension. Since I don't have the software to open or convert this, could someone who has Altium Designer do me a huge favor?

I've attached the file. If anyone is kind enough to convert it into a .PcbDoc format and attach it in a reply, I would really appreciate it. Thanks in advance for the help!"

[View:/cfs-file/__key/communityserver-discussions-components-files/76/5873.PROC164E2_5F00_BRD.zip:415:123]

RE: Help me convert allegro .alg file to Altium .pcbdoc

beacon_dave — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 19:56:22 GMT

[quote userid="521287" url="~/products/pcbprototyping/f/forum/57016/help-me-convert-allegro-alg-file-to-altium-pcbdoc/235992"]i dont think i could visually inspect all 12 or more layer on the physical PC motherboard.[/quote]

You could perhaps use the included Gerber files for each layer to achieve that ?

Also looks like KiCad has a Gerber Viewer which can Export a Gerber to KiCad PCB.

https://www.kicad.org/discover/gerber-viewer/

Note though:

"....Converting to gerbers will not create a normal KiCad PCB design, it will be editable representation of the copper from the gerber..."

So you could perhaps try exporting from KiCad PCB to EasyEDA.

RE: Help me convert allegro .alg file to Altium .pcbdoc

abtAmit — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 19:15:35 GMT

i simple words.
i am currently using EasyEDA for pcb designing.
now i want to check the pcb layout of the SK-AM62P-LP.
but the problem is i cannot import it directly in easyeda, thats why i thought if someone could convert that alg to pcbdoc file i could import and inspect it.

RE: Help me convert allegro .alg file to Altium .pcbdoc

shabaz — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 19:03:40 GMT

Are we supposed to guess your goal? Guessing from your response you've implied the goal is not to learn a CAD tool, but possibly to learn *something* at a level that you are unable to do from visual inspection.

By importing from one format to another (and in your case across three formats it seems), you will almost certainly lose any layer attributes, distances between planes, probably even the link between the PCB and schematic (KiCad only imports the PCB as far as I can see) so you've straight away lost detail.

You need a goal before a plan.

RE: Help me convert allegro .alg file to Altium .pcbdoc

abtAmit — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 18:52:40 GMT

[quote userid="123345" url="~/products/pcbprototyping/f/forum/57016/help-me-convert-allegro-alg-file-to-altium-pcbdoc/235990"]you can learn a lot from visual inspection of existing PCBs; for instance, pick any PC motherboard and look at it.[/quote]

i dont think i could visually inspect all 12 or more layer on the physical PC motherboard.
i am using easyeda, my plan is to get the .pcbdoc file and import it in EasyEDA.

RE: Help me convert allegro .alg file to Altium .pcbdoc

shabaz — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 17:13:04 GMT

Hi,

It's unclear what problem you're trying to solve. If it's to learn a CAD tool, then importing from one format to another is one of the worst ways (CAD tools will use basic primitives and won't pick the best way to convert shapes and holes from one system to another, whereas someone designing the footprints will pick more suitable features in their CAD system).

If it's to learn about PCB features and not the CAD tool itself, then you can learn a lot from visual inspection of existing PCBs; for instance, pick any PC motherboard and look at it.

RE: Help me convert allegro .alg file to Altium .pcbdoc

abtAmit — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 15:53:51 GMT

i am using easyeda, my plan is to get the .pcbdoc file and import it in EasyEDA.
i will try KiCAD as you suggested.
which PCB design software do you use?

RE: Help me convert allegro .alg file to Altium .pcbdoc

wolfgangfriedrich — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 13:51:15 GMT

I am taking a guess here, as I don't understand your workflow: you want to use the free Altium viewer.

There are other options:

1) Use the .brd file from the TI project zip file, Allegro has a free viewer too.

2) Install KiCAD 10, it has a very capable Allegro importer and view the file in KiCAD. It is free and does not need a license.

3) Use the Gerber/ODB++ files to analyze the board with one of a the free Gerber/ODB viewers. There are too many to list them all.

RE: Help me convert allegro .alg file to Altium .pcbdoc

abtAmit — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 13:08:13 GMT

I don't have altium licence. So i can't convert it.

I tried to get 15days Free trial but i haven't got any licence from Altium.

RE: Help me convert allegro .alg file to Altium .pcbdoc

wolfgangfriedrich — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 12:29:16 GMT

.alg is not the native Allegro PCB format, it is an intermediate format used for transferring or migrating designs between Allegro and other PCB software.

Altium should be the software to convert this. Normally PCB software companies don't supply exporters to support their competition. It is up to your favourite software of choice to rely on their import capabilities for other formats.

Have you even tried the Altium import wizard? What problems did it have importing the .alg file?