1.6 kicon-europe-2024 2024-09-18 2024-09-20 3 00:05 https://pretalx.kicad.org Europe/Berlin Main Hall Talk 2024-09-19T09:00:00+02:00 09:00 00:15 Introduction session kicon-europe-2024-22-welcome-to-kicon-europe-2024 en false https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2024/talk/HDQVHR/ https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2024/talk/HDQVHR/feedback/ Main Hall Talk 2024-09-19T09:15:00+02:00 09:15 00:45 Lukas "minute" Hartmann, CEO, MNT Research GmbH discusses development of Open Hardware, specifically the MNT Reform Open Hardware laptop kicon-europe-2024-21-how-kicad-enables-the-open-hardware-future /media/kicon-europe-2024/submissions/UZWMHA/minute2022_WnS87RO.jpg en false https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2024/talk/UZWMHA/ https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2024/talk/UZWMHA/feedback/ Main Hall Talk 2024-09-19T10:00:00+02:00 10:00 00:40 Unlock unused potential of KiCad by learning how to create custom plugins that enhance functionality and streamline your PCB design workflow. This session will guide attendees through the process of building plugins using Python and the KiCad Scripting Interface, covering essential concepts from setup to deployment and uploading into the Plugin and Content Manager for others to use. Whether you're looking to automate repetitive tasks, integrate third-party tools, or introduce new features, this talk will equip you with the basic knowledge and tools to start developing powerful plugins that can significantly improve your design experience. kicon-europe-2024-17-how-to-build-awesome-kicad-plugins en KiCad is loved for many reasons. It's robust, open-source, and comes with a lot of features built-in. However, as a daily user, you might overlook its power in extensibility and automatibility through custom plugins. In this session, "How to Build Awesome KiCad Plugins," we will delve into plugin development for KiCad, enabling you to tailor the tool to your specific needs. We will begin with an overview of the KiCad Scripting Interface, explaining how Python code interacts with KiCad to allow for extensive customization. We will cover the initial setup process, including the necessary development environment and tools. You will learn how to navigate the KiCad scripting console and understand the basic structure of a plugin. This is followed by a brief overview of the API and what’s possible and what’s not. The core of the session will focus on practical, hands-on examples. We will go over the process of creating a simple yet functional plugin from scratch, demonstrating key concepts such as accessing and manipulating PCB data, automating routine tasks, and creating custom user interfaces. Additionally, we will take a brief look into popular and common plugins. You will also learn how to package and share your plugins with the broader KiCad community (and automate this process). We will also see a way to mitigate the still missing scripting interface for EESCHEMA. By the end of the session, you will have a basic foundation in KiCad plugin development and be equipped to start exploring and creating your own plugins, enhancing your productivity and unleashing new possibilities in your PCB design projects. Whether you're a seasoned KiCad user or new to the platform, this workshop will provide valuable insights and skills to elevate and automate your EDA experience. false https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2024/talk/3MCCFZ/ https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2024/talk/3MCCFZ/feedback/ Main Hall Talk 2024-09-19T11:00:00+02:00 11:00 00:40 A detailed talk about how to file a high quality bug report that minimizes the amount of work users and developers need to do to get bugs resolved as quickly as possible. kicon-europe-2024-6-how-to-file-a-kicad-bug-report en false https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2024/talk/QUETJC/ https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2024/talk/QUETJC/feedback/ Main Hall Talk 2024-09-19T11:40:00+02:00 11:40 00:40 As introduction I will talk about ngspice simulator, and its integration into KiCad/Eeschema. Next will be a discussion on what is required for simulation: symbols, circuits, ngspice device models. A simple circuit simulation will be set up and run live. More simulation examples will follow to demonstrate the broad variety of circuits and simulation types. kicon-europe-2024-7-simulation-circuits-in-kicad-using-ngspice en false https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2024/talk/LANB7Q/ https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2024/talk/LANB7Q/feedback/ Main Hall Talk 2024-09-19T13:20:00+02:00 13:20 00:40 Capturing schematics is a very important step in the development of new electronic boards, as it simplifies the process of PCB layout and documents the functionality of a circuit in a readable form. In this talk, we want to present our efforts in applying machine learning to quickly convert schematic images, broadly available on PDF documents such as application notes and reference designs, to native KiCAD format, thus reducing the time investment needed to reuse circuits in a project. Finally, we propose the integration of this functionality as a KiCAD plugin to be developed together with the community. kicon-europe-2024-9-converting-schematic-images-to-kicad /media/kicon-europe-2024/submissions/PSNC7W/image-to-kicad-importer_eqGVYZA.png en false https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2024/talk/PSNC7W/ https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2024/talk/PSNC7W/feedback/ Main Hall Talk 2024-09-19T14:00:00+02:00 14:00 00:40 This Talk will show you how to integrate easily UV printings on Kicad. kicon-europe-2024-31-how-to-integrate-uv-printings-on-kicad Main Hall en false https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2024/talk/7GZYE7/ https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2024/talk/7GZYE7/feedback/ Main Hall Talk 2024-09-19T14:40:00+02:00 14:40 00:40 In this talk, I'll share my experiences in collaborations between visual artists and PCB layout engineers, and show some of the methods for tricking KiCad into producing beautiful things. kicon-europe-2024-10-working-with-artists-to-design-beautiful-boards en I've had the pleasure of doing PCB layouts for a number of hacker events, and working with artists and designers who do beautiful things. There's an impedance mismatch between EDA tools and visual art tools, and an even bigger mismatch between the way PCB layout engineers and artists approach things. Both of those can be mitigated with suitable matching networks. I'm here to share what we learned along the way so as to save others from frustration. false https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2024/talk/FYXTLQ/ https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2024/talk/FYXTLQ/feedback/ Main Hall Talk 2024-09-19T15:40:00+02:00 15:40 00:40 Board complexity requires planning to execute a successful project. In this talk, I will discuss the successes and potential pitfalls when starting your next board. kicon-europe-2024-20-designing-complex-boards-in-kicad en false https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2024/talk/XNLMGJ/ https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2024/talk/XNLMGJ/feedback/ Main Hall Talk 2024-09-19T16:20:00+02:00 16:20 00:40 Moderated roundtable discussion with the KiCad developers on the state of the project, future directions and opportunities kicon-europe-2024-27-kicad-developer-roundtable en false https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2024/talk/CKTJMX/ https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2024/talk/CKTJMX/feedback/ Main Hall Talk 2024-09-20T09:00:00+02:00 09:00 00:45 The current state of the KiCad project. kicon-europe-2024-5-kicad-status en false https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2024/talk/HXTKAL/ https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2024/talk/HXTKAL/feedback/ Main Hall Talk 2024-09-20T09:45:00+02:00 09:45 00:40 Developing new electronic circuits often requires a complete redesign, which is resource-intensive and time-consuming. While there are open-source platforms sharing entire circuits, there is little focus on sharing smaller, reusable sections of circuits. This talk introduces the concept of Edgies—minimal functional basic blocks of circuits—that can be shared, reused, and tested more efficiently, revolutionizing circuit design in a way that mirrors modern software development practices. kicon-europe-2024-32-source-controlled-reference-designs-modular-circuits-for-efficient-development Main Hall en Edgies are the minimal functional blocks of a circuit that can be independently developed, shared, and reused. Similar to how software developers reuse libraries or modules, Edgies allow hardware designers to create, test, and reuse generic parts of circuits. This minimizes redundant work and accelerates development timelines. Like software functions, Edgies are independent, modular, and can be plugged into different projects. By isolating individual circuit components, each Edgie can be tested separately, analogous to unit testing in software development. This approach improves the reliability of the overall circuit by ensuring each part works as intended. Edgies use generic, standardized interfaces, which function as seams. A seam in software is a place where you can alter behavior without changing the surrounding code. Similarly, in hardware, Edgies are designed with standardized connectors, allowing them to fit seamlessly into different designs and systems. false https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2024/talk/YTJEZY/ https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2024/talk/YTJEZY/feedback/ Main Hall Talk 2024-09-20T10:40:00+02:00 10:40 00:50 This talk will enable you to quickly and efficiently create PCB assembly variants and switch between them conveniently and safely with KiVar. You will learn about the concepts of KiVar, how it is different from existing tools and how it can help you manage variants in your KiCad projects with ease. All variant management features are presented and illustrated using simple examples. The KiVar project: https://kivar.markh.de kicon-europe-2024-15-managing-pcb-assembly-variants-with-kivar /media/kicon-europe-2024/submissions/QMYVCL/kivar-icon-screen_ehSL1M9.svg en false https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2024/talk/QMYVCL/ https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2024/talk/QMYVCL/feedback/ Main Hall Talk 2024-09-20T11:30:00+02:00 11:30 00:30 Introduction to clearance and creepage, and the ongoing development for a creepage DRC check. kicon-europe-2024-30-clearance-and-creepage-for-safety Main Hall en Isolation comes in two flavors: functional and safety. When designing a product, it is important to respect both of them and comply with a chosen standard. This talk focuses on isolation for safety, presents the differences between clearance and creepage, and introduces the IEC 60664-1 standard, which deals with low voltage ( < 1000 V ) systems. The need for a creepage DRC check will also be discussed, as well as its current development. false https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2024/talk/RFTP8B/ https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2024/talk/RFTP8B/feedback/ Main Hall Talk 2024-09-20T12:00:00+02:00 12:00 00:30 The development of mobile networks made it possible to move to the next level of data transfer speeds. The potential of radio waves as an energy source is still waiting to be exploited. Recent developments in high-frequency electronics temptates to come back to Nikola Tesla’s idea of wireless energy transfer. Research in this area is difficult as it requires operating in centimeter wavelenghts, however, some progress in this matter is noticeable. Simulation comes with enormous help in designing of harvesters circuits, especially with shortening time in receiving results of experiments, which leads to lowering costs and speeding up the design process. There were some simulation environments levereged in the research: Simscape Electrical, LT Spice and last but not least KiCad. During this talk a way to simulate RFEHs in KiCad will be presented, parameters defining circuits performance will be discussed and results to other SPICE simulators will be compared. kicon-europe-2024-8-rf-energy-harvesting-circuits-simulation-in-kicad en false https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2024/talk/9U9MVU/ https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2024/talk/9U9MVU/feedback/ Main Hall Talk 2024-09-20T13:30:00+02:00 13:30 00:30 Kicad gets steadily more popular for commercial projects. A big step for bringing your newly desigend product to market is certification. The european CE certification process can be very daunting and people get easily confused by the multitude of regulations and directives. The mandatory documentation including product assessment, Risk analysis and technical documentation is often overlooked in the public discussion as only the manufacturer and authorities will get to see them usually. Developing Open source products has advantages for the required documentation and Kicad in particular can be easily utilized for fast and compliant results, once you figured out the workflow. kicon-europe-2024-3-ce-for-makers-leveraging-kicad-and-open-source-for-ce-documents /media/kicon-europe-2024/submissions/UG7BNW/Sticker_cutout_awn9Wiy.png en Kicad is not just a great tool for designing pcbs, it also is a great tool to document and prepare data for the required technical documentation in regards to CE . By combining some Kicad functionality, Scripts and Freecad workflows we can generate the required documents and keep them up to date easily. You will get a broad overview about how CE works in general and a dive into the required documents and how to create them with Kicad. A few examples of how Kicad files are used for preliminary CE assessment before the prototypes are even made, and some tipps to consider when designing products that need to be CE certified. false https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2024/talk/UG7BNW/ https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2024/talk/UG7BNW/feedback/ Main Hall Talk 2024-09-20T14:00:00+02:00 14:00 00:20 Discussion with European manufacturers on the challenges and promises of European circuit manufacture kicon-europe-2024-26-european-manufacturing-discussion-panel en false https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2024/talk/LRMYPY/ https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2024/talk/LRMYPY/feedback/ Main Hall Talk 2024-09-20T14:35:00+02:00 14:35 00:40 KiTorquer is a KiCAD plugin to generate optimized magnetic coil layouts for attitude control of small satellites kicon-europe-2024-4-kitorquer-auto-generation-of-optimal-magnetic-coils-for-small-satellite-attitude-control en The Chair of Space Technology at Technische Universität Berlin has launched 30 small satellites since the early 1990's. One of the current research goals is small nanosatellite formation flight which is carried out in the scope of the NanoFF mission. Here, two 2U CubeSats will demonstrate autonomous approach and formation keeping. For the attitude control system the twin spacecraft are relying on a combination of reaction wheels and magnetic actuators. The magnetic actuators are electromagnetic coils embedded into the PCBs that make up the outside walls - the so-called sidepanels - of the spacecraft. Due to the high degree of miniaturization and the complexity of the mission the four larger sidepanels have complex shapes. To come up with a coil design that is optimized in terms of magnetic dipole generation and power consumption we have developed KiTorquer - a KiCAD Action Plugin that automatically detects the shape of the PCBs including mounting holes, vias, component footprints, and keep-out areas, calculates an optimal coil design, and layouts the tracks on a multi-layer PCB. While the plugin is not fully mature yet, it has been used for the spacecraft of the NanoFF mission of TU Berlin and the HYPE PocketQube mission of AGH University of Science and Technology from Krakow, Poland. false https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2024/talk/E38C9J/ https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2024/talk/E38C9J/feedback/ Main Hall Talk 2024-09-20T15:15:00+02:00 15:15 00:40 The KiCon electronic badge is an Open Source device integrating a number of technologies and derived from reference circuits and several teams' work since 2022. The electronic circuits of this device were designed exclusively using KiCad, and during this hour we study the technology in depth. kicon-europe-2024-29-the-kicon-electronic-badge Main Hall en We designed and produced the KiCon electronic badge to distribute at KiCon 2024 in Bochum and elsewhere. Curious minds ask what technologies, materials, processes, and personalities contributed to the final result. While KiCad was the electronics design automation suite exclusively used for circuits, a number of other production work carried our achievements over the top and we hope to explain the evolution of the KiCon electronic badge up to the present day. false https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2024/talk/XRRVWL/ https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2024/talk/XRRVWL/feedback/ Main Hall Talk 2024-09-20T16:00:00+02:00 16:00 00:20 Tell us what you dislike about KiCad (succinctly). We'll summarize it live, write it down, and hopefully fix it. Let it all out! kicon-europe-2024-12-complaint-session-influence-the-next-version-of-kicad en false https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2024/talk/JADZYJ/ https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2024/talk/JADZYJ/feedback/ Main Hall Talk 2024-09-20T16:35:00+02:00 16:35 00:15 Wrap up for KiCon Europe 2024 kicon-europe-2024-28-kicon-europe-wrapup en false https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2024/talk/LLTLWD/ https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2024/talk/LLTLWD/feedback/ Workshop Room Workshop 2024-09-20T09:00:00+02:00 09:00 01:30 Hand assembly can be a time consuming task but there ways to speed it up. This workshop will show you how. kicon-europe-2024-35-speed-up-your-hand-assembly-with-the-pixel-pump Main Hall en true https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2024/talk/RGZKPH/ https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2024/talk/RGZKPH/feedback/ Workshop Room Workshop 2024-09-20T10:40:00+02:00 10:40 01:40 We are the library team. You can also be the library team! It's easy, low-pressure, and occasionally fun! We'll show you how. KiCad's libraries are created and maintained by an enormous volunteer effort. As more and more users use KiCad, the libraries grow and evolve with many. many user contributions. The library team sits between the many incoming contributions and the libraries we ship to users. We try to keep everything correct, consistent, and useful. For those tasks we can always use more help. There are plenty of contributions that need reviewing and tools we would like to improve. While it is helpful if you are experienced in electronics or software and know how to use git, those are not mandatory skills. In this workshop session, we will give you everything you need to get started as a librarian. kicon-europe-2024-16-become-a-kicad-librarian /media/kicon-europe-2024/submissions/YGGDXT/library-book-svgrepo-com_iIKf2kO.png en Main topics are * Who is the library-team, what does it do? * Library goals, non-goals, conventions and practices * Where did the libraries come from? * How to become a librarian * Let's review a symbol, footprint and 3D-Model * Generators are a superpower! * (not) super secret resources for librarians * Repository organization, workflows and CI * Topics where we could use more help * Your questions false https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2024/talk/YGGDXT/ https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2024/talk/YGGDXT/feedback/ Workshop Room Workshop 2024-09-20T14:35:00+02:00 14:35 02:00 We'll look at PCBs and driving KiCad from a visual design perspective, and understand how to prepare graphics for KiCad to use, and how to work with them. We will then make some pretty layouts. I'll bring cat pictures. You can bring other cute things. kicon-europe-2024-11-how-to-make-cat-pictures-and-other-visual-art-part-of-your-pcb en In this workshop, I'll show you how to think of the medium of a PCB for visual design, how to work with graphics so that KiCad is happy with them, and how to handle imported graphics inside a PCB design. Please install KiCad (v8 ideally), Inkscape, and Krita on your computer in advance. false https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2024/talk/333ZEQ/ https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2024/talk/333ZEQ/feedback/