1.3 kicon-europe-2026 2026-09-07 2026-09-08 2 00:05 https://pretalx.kicad.org Europe/Berlin Main Stage Talk 2026-09-07T09:15:00+02:00 09:15 00:35 Welcome message kicon-europe-2026-130-welcome-to-kicon-europe-2026 en false https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2026/talk/XHVVSA/ https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2026/talk/XHVVSA/feedback/ Main Stage Talk 2026-09-07T09:55:00+02:00 09:55 00:40 All of the latest KiCad project development. kicon-europe-2026-114-kicad-project-status en false https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2026/talk/PU8PZL/ https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2026/talk/PU8PZL/feedback/ Main Stage Talk 2026-09-07T10:50:00+02:00 10:50 00:40 For many years we've been wanting to automate the creation of board test rigs from our KiCad designs and now we are there. Let us show you how we design boards for test and how we have automated the flow from KiCad design to a fully working test rig. kicon-europe-2026-127-prod-to-go-board-test-rigs-from-kicad-automated en A picture says more than a thousand words. How about a video? :-) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJKvEdpKSwc. Please find further information about us and prod-to-go at https://www.eub.se/. false https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2026/talk/MCX8L3/ https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2026/talk/MCX8L3/feedback/ Main Stage Talk 2026-09-07T11:30:00+02:00 11:30 00:30 Discover how high-quality 3D component models enhance PCB layout, support seamless CAD integration, and enable realistic 3D-printed fit checks. kicon-europe-2026-125-from-layout-to-prototype-3d-models-in-the-design-workflow en This workflow helps validate mechanical compatibility early—reducing iteration time and improving confidence before production. false https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2026/talk/N8HJEB/ https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2026/talk/N8HJEB/feedback/ Main Stage Talk 2026-09-07T13:00:00+02:00 13:00 00:30 In the talk I will present the recent ngspice developments, up to the new release ngspice-47. The environment for open source ngspice has changed considerably. Funding for its development has become available. The art of coding has changed dramatically in the recent months (AI as a tool to support the coder, AI for vibe coding). Some ideas on how this might influence the future of ngspice will be discussed. kicon-europe-2026-108-ngspice-recent-and-upcoming-developments-for-kicad-s-simulation-engine en false https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2026/talk/MMCLQE/ https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2026/talk/MMCLQE/feedback/ Main Stage Talk 2026-09-07T13:35:00+02:00 13:35 00:40 [KiCAD-Prism](https://github.com/krishna-swaroop/KiCAD-Prism) is an open-source, self-hosted collaboration platform designed to bridge the gap for teams moving off Altium 365, OrCAD, or other closed source ECAD stacks who want KiCad’s freedom without losing quality of life features and library discipline. Initially developed to support satellite electronics development workflows at [Pixxel](https://pixxel.space), Prism keeps KiCad as the desktop editor and Git as the single source of truth. In this talk, we demonstrate how teams can import KiCad projects from any Git host (GitHub, GitLab, or self-hosted) to review and collaborate on schematics, PCBs, 3D renders, and BOMs directly in the browser. We will walk through comparing commits with visual diffs, cross-probing between views, and governing component libraries with submit-verify-release workflows using the Remote Symbol Provider. This talk is tailored for hardware engineers, team leads, and organization leaders evaluating open alternatives to commercial ECAD services. Attendees will see live demos of project review, library governance, and workflow automation, leaving with a clear understanding of KiCAD-Prism’s capabilities, differences from commercial tools, and how to deploy it on their own infrastructure. kicon-europe-2026-110-kicad-prism-git-native-self-hosted-collaboration-and-library-governance-for-kicad-teams /media/kicon-europe-2026/submissions/CVGKRE/kicad-prism-talk-banner_AAZhIss.svg en This talk follows Pixxel's move from Altium/OrCAD to KiCad for satellite avionics hardware, the workflow gaps that showed up after the editor switch, and how KiCAD-Prism was developed and adopted to bring back review, library governance, and release discipline on an open-source, Git-native stack. **KiCAD-Prism** is an open-source, self-hosted platform that keeps KiCad as the editor and Git as the source of truth. On top of your existing Git based project repositories, Prism provides: - Browser review of schematics, PCBs, 3D views, and BOMs with cross-probe and comment tracking - Commit history and visual diffs - Library Manager with submit, verify, and release workflows - Remote Symbol Provider for placing approved parts in desktop KiCad - KiCad jobset based workflows and an Assets portal for fabrication outputs and renders - Self-hosted deployment with OIDC SSO and role-based access ### Talk outline (~40 min) - Introduction and context (~5 min) - Workflow gaps and why Prism exists (~5 min) - Live Guided Demo: (~20 min) - Project import & Git integration - Interactive schematic/PCB review & visual diffs - Library Manager: Submit, verify, and release workflows - Placing approved remote symbols directly in desktop KiCad - Future roadmap and Q&A (~10 min) ### Prerequisites Basic familiarity with KiCad and Git. Experience using commercial ECAD collaboration platforms (e.g., Altium 365) is helpful context, but not required. #### Links Project links Repository: https://github.com/krishna-swaroop/KiCAD-Prism License: Apache Software License 2.0 Acknowledgements: [ecad-viewer](https://github.com/Huaqiu-Electronics/ecad-viewer), [KiCanvas](https://github.com/theacodes/kicanvas), [kicad-monkey](https://github.com/wavenumber-eng/kicad_monkey), [Interactive HTML BOM](https://github.com/openscopeproject/InteractiveHtmlBom) false https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2026/talk/CVGKRE/ https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2026/talk/CVGKRE/feedback/ Main Stage Talk 2026-09-07T14:20:00+02:00 14:20 00:40 KiCad provides excellent tools for designing individual circuit boards, but real-world product development extends beyond a single project or PCB file. Engineers also need to manage related projects, revisions, assembly variants, manufacturing panels and mechanical integration. This talk presents Kikakuka, an open-source application that adds these workflow dimensions around KiCad. It demonstrates visual schematic and PCB comparison, Git-aware revision browsing, build variants, interactive multi-board panelization, Gerber reconstruction and FreeCAD integration. The talk also discusses the implementation challenges encountered while building external tools around KiCad file formats and APIs. kicon-europe-2026-107-kikakuka-kicad-workspace-panelizer-build-variants-differ en This talk will cover: * The use cases that motivated Kikakuka and go beyond KiCad’s built-in capabilities * Managing multiple projects with the Workspace Manager * Visually comparing schematic and PCB revisions with the Differ * Creating panels and build variants * Importing and processing Gerber files * Automating workflows through the CLI * Integrating KiCad with FreeCAD * Multi-PCB assemblies * FPC bending * Current limitations and what still requires changes in KiCad itself Source code: [github.com/buganini/Kikakuka](https://github.com/buganini/Kikakuka) false https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2026/talk/X3AAFA/ https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2026/talk/X3AAFA/feedback/ Main Stage Talk 2026-09-07T15:15:00+02:00 15:15 00:40 Conventional spacecraft cable harnesses are costly, labor-intensive and difficult to integrate, particularly when numerous sensors and actuators must be distributed across a mechanically complex structure. For a deployable spacecraft system, we replaced much of the conventional harness with a custom rigid-flex PCB designed in KiCad. The spider-like assembly wraps around the mechanical structure and branches out to multiple functional locations, allowing sensors, switches, heaters and interfaces to be integrated without separate point-to-point wiring. The system was launched into low Earth orbit in March 2026 and has been operating reliably since April, including rigid-flex sections installed on the exterior of the spacecraft structure. This talk presents the KiCad design workflow, the close integration with mechanical CAD, the manufacturing and integration challenges, and the lessons learned from taking an unconventional rigid-flex design from its first fabrication run to successful operation in orbit. kicon-europe-2026-115-no-wires-attached-a-kicad-designed-rigid-flex-harness-operating-in-space /media/kicon-europe-2026/submissions/PPMGBN/coverimage_eAsStjM.jpg en Cable harnesses are a major cost, integration and reliability driver in spacecraft development. Conventional solutions require numerous individual wires, connectors, crimp contacts, strain-relief provisions and manual assembly steps. Depending on the application, connectors and cable terminations may additionally require securing or encapsulation. Every cable, connector and auxiliary material must also be assessed with regard to its suitability for the space environment, including material compatibility and outgassing requirements. For a deployable spacecraft structure, we therefore investigated whether a distributed sensor harness could be implemented as a rigid-flex PCB instead. The resulting design consists of a central interconnected structure with multiple flexible branches extending toward individual sensing locations. Sensors such as I²C and 1-Wire temperature sensors are mounted directly at the ends of these branches. The complete assembly wraps around the mechanical structure and provides broad sensor coverage without requiring a conventional point-to-point cable harness. A rigid-flex implementation can simplify material selection and qualification because the relevant substrate materials, coverlay or solder-mask systems, surface finishes and assembly processes are defined as part of a controlled PCB stack-up. This does not make the PCB automatically space-qualified, but it reduces the number of heterogeneous cable, connector and encapsulation materials that must be selected and assessed individually. The approach becomes particularly attractive when moving beyond a single prototype toward small- or large-series production. A conventional harness must be assembled repeatedly by hand, including cutting wires to length, stripping, crimping, routing, securing and adding strain relief. These labor-intensive operations must be performed and inspected for every individual unit. Once a rigid-flex design has been validated, however, the same PCB can be manufactured repeatedly from an unchanged design dataset. Producing one hundred units therefore does not require manually reproducing the complete harness one hundred times. This can substantially improve scalability, repeatability and quality consistency while reducing recurring assembly and inspection effort. A key part of the development process was the close integration of the PCB geometry with the mechanical CAD model. The three-dimensional folded geometry and overall envelope of the flex harness were developed in CATIA. A sheet-metal design workbench, normally used to model bent metal parts with defined bend radii, proved particularly useful for creating the curved, flat geometry of the harness. The resulting three-dimensional shape could then be unfolded into a planar contour and imported into KiCad as the basis for the PCB outline. This workflow made it possible to integrate the flex assembly directly into the mechanical design instead of treating the harness as a separate component added at a later stage. Despite the tight tolerances of the assembled structure, all harness components fitted correctly after the first fabrication run. The presentation will cover the interaction between CATIA and KiCad, the definition of rigid and flexible regions, routing through curved and mechanically constrained areas, component placement at remote sensor locations, manufacturing constraints, mechanical integration and the design decisions driven by the intended space environment. The system was launched into a 530 km Sun-synchronous orbit in March 2026 and has been delivering data since April. Parts of the rigid-flex assembly are installed on the exterior of the spacecraft structure and are directly exposed to the space environment, including temperatures ranging from −35 °C to +80 °C and atomic oxygen. The complete sensor network has so far operated without failures. The project originated from DLR technology-transfer activities and contributed to the formation of ADPERA, a spin-off developing deployable structures for creating large systems in space, such as instrument masts, photovoltaic generators and antennas. It provides a practical example of how KiCad can be used not only to design electronics, but also to replace a mechanically complex spacecraft subsystem with an integrated, flight-proven PCB solution. false https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2026/talk/PPMGBN/ https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2026/talk/PPMGBN/feedback/ Main Stage Talk 2026-09-07T16:00:00+02:00 16:00 00:30 KiCad is used to design an incredible variety of electronics. At APC, a CNRS research laboratory in Paris, we use it to develop readout electronics for cosmology and astrophysics instruments that operate under vacuum, in the radiation environment of space, and sometimes at cryogenic temperatures. For ESA's ATHENA space mission, currently under development, we are designing compact rigid-flex PCBs that must fit within a highly constrained mechanical assembly while satisfying the reliability requirements imposed by ECSS space standards. In particular, the final shape of the flexible sections must be accurately predicted before manufacturing to ensure proper integration, while avoiding overly conservative designs that increase mass and occupied volume. To address this challenge, we developed, together with internship student Martin Prêle, a physics-based tool to predict the 2D deformation of rigid-flex PCBs from their geometry and boundary conditions. The predictions were validated experimentally on fabricated PCBs, showing excellent agreement with measured shapes. In this talk, I will present how a practical PCB design challenge encountered in the development of space electronics led us to combine KiCad-based design workflows with physics-based mechanical modeling. The resulting approach enables more compact and predictable rigid-flex PCB designs. kicon-europe-2026-113-predicting-and-optimizing-flex-pcb-shapes-for-space-electronics /media/kicon-europe-2026/submissions/ARDDAY/flex_zBxfLgX.png en false https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2026/talk/ARDDAY/ https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2026/talk/ARDDAY/feedback/ Main Stage Talk 2026-09-07T16:35:00+02:00 16:35 00:40 AI PCB tools keep trying to automate the fun part. kicon-europe-2026-132-automate-the-boring-half en This talk targets the boring half instead: annotating designs with intent, enforcing a library style guide, and generating handoff docs - all in plain KiCad and markdown files. false https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2026/talk/EJRZTH/ https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2026/talk/EJRZTH/feedback/ Main Stage Talk 2026-09-08T09:15:00+02:00 09:15 00:40 The DRAM shortage broke the typical setup for connecting devices to a CI HW lab. Dropping a Linux SoC next to every device under test used to be cheap and easy. However, there's another way: instead of connecting a computer per device, we can share its USB over the network with USB/IP. This talk will explain the design of such a board which is built around an MCU that does not require DDR memory. Yet it still boasts USB 3.0 and Gigabit Ethernet, along with a secure element that proves each bridge is genuine before the lab trusts it. We walk through designing that board entirely in KiCad: routing all the USB and Ethernet differential pairs, handling the Ethernet magnetics, placing the secure element, and generating test points for easy QA checking. Lastly we'll showcase the USB/IP demo of connecting a DUT to the Linux host. kicon-europe-2026-117-open-hardware-usb-ip-bridge en USB/IP hardware is a good board to design in KiCad because it collides three demanding subsystems on one small board. The selection of the MCU is based on the whole point: to avoid the RAM that made SoCs expensive during the ongoing DRAM shortage. Therefore the board is built around a RISC-V microcontroller that runs entirely from on-chip memory. Almost 1 MB of internal RAM no external DDR and still integrates the two peripherals this job actually needs: - a high-speed USB port - a Gigabit Ethernet MAC That combination in a single, low-cost QFN package is what makes a per-device USB/IP bridge cheap enough to deploy. We'll cover USB and Ethernet from the signal up and look at what the differential pairs actually carry, why they need controlled impedance and length matching, selecting the Ethernet magnetics and more. Since the board is designed to be distributed to developers it needs to be optimized for manufacturing and easy bring-up. That means test points laid out so QA can be done efficiently without specialist knowledge. false https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2026/talk/GRNYRH/ https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2026/talk/GRNYRH/feedback/ Main Stage Talk 2026-09-08T10:00:00+02:00 10:00 00:40 This talk documents the reverse-engineering journey behind the OpenOrCadParser project, which implements a proof-of-concept OrCAD parser. Starting from scratch in 2021, we will walk through a systematic approach of decoding the binary DSN/OLB file formats. 1. Container Analysis: Discovering that OrCAD files use Microsoft's Compound File Binary Format (CFBF), which unlocks the ability to extract and analyze individual data streams. 2. Getting the Alignment Right: Using hex editors to identify dynamic structures and achieve correct parsing alignment, enabling a robust full-stream parser. 3. Understanding the Content: Decoding the meaning and purpose of bits and bytes to extract meaningful schematic information. The result is a proof-of-concept parser enabling an independently developed OrCAD to KiCad importer. kicon-europe-2026-126-openorcadparser-a-reverse-engineering-journey en false https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2026/talk/WTJGUF/ https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2026/talk/WTJGUF/feedback/ Main Stage Talk 2026-09-08T10:55:00+02:00 10:55 00:40 Standards for quality management systems like ISO 22163 require PLM starting at the component level. Using a custom editor for Database Libraries, we build a workflow to meet these requirements without relaying on external PLM Software and integrate KiCad seamlessly into existing archival and ordering processes. kicon-europe-2026-119-product-lifecycle-management-in-kicad en false https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2026/talk/XYGDDW/ https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2026/talk/XYGDDW/feedback/ Main Stage Talk 2026-09-08T11:40:00+02:00 11:40 00:40 German universities and research centers contribute to the development of electronics science and technology and maintain their own electronics teams for scientific instrumentation. This presentation highlights selected aspects and does not claim to provide a comprehensive overview. kicon-europe-2026-112-scientific-electronic-development-in-germany-transitioning-to-kicad- en An introduction to SEI, the conference of the scientific instrumentation study group, including some highlights, along with our proposal to SEI members to contribute to KiCad and its libraries, and some spotlights of electronics development at universities and research centers in Germany. see https://www.helmholtz-berlin.de/projects/sei/ false https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2026/talk/RNACET/ https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2026/talk/RNACET/feedback/ Main Stage Talk 2026-09-08T13:20:00+02:00 13:20 00:40 Even though KiCad has a good user interface, it is still confusing to learn for beginners. Teaching it in small classes is easy and fun. I will present my Workshop concept that used successful on plenty of events - I guess somewhere between 500 and 1000 people in total attended one of my workshops. After attending this talk you will be able to run similar workshops in your community. kicon-europe-2026-111-teachning-kicad-to-beginners en false https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2026/talk/3H7FZE/ https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2026/talk/3H7FZE/feedback/ Main Stage Talk 2026-09-08T14:05:00+02:00 14:05 00:40 PCBJam is a collaborative KiCad port that works on the web, with a lot of added features on top of KiCad. kicon-europe-2026-116-pcbjam-kicad-on-the-web en We're a team developing PCBJam, a collaborative KiCad port that works on the web. We have a non-collaborative demo at https://demo.pcbjam.com/ but our product that will be out ( fingers crossed ) in the following few weeks with Figma-like collaboration ( see other people's cursors, selection, follow them ), commentings, shareable libraries etc, a better plugin system etc. false https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2026/talk/3BHTZ8/ https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2026/talk/3BHTZ8/feedback/ Main Stage Talk 2026-09-08T15:00:00+02:00 15:00 00:40 To many electronic engineers, making the smallest possible design that fulfills a given functionality, is a valuable pursuit. From a high-end appearance of a slim design to minimizing cost from saving real estate, there are many reasons to desire a space optimized design. KiCad has several features that assists in making small designs, but other mechanisms must be driven by the designer by non-conventional means. This talk will describe methods for making tiny designs both by intrinsic features of KiCad and how to tweak your design by other means. kicon-europe-2026-118-miniaturise-your-designs-in-kicad en This talk will go through various ways of miniaturizing PCBs. The talk will present methods that are ranging from quite common to advanced hacks and some that challenge good design practices when space is constrained. Examples in KiCad will be presented when possible. false https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2026/talk/MKRHZS/ https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2026/talk/MKRHZS/feedback/ Main Stage Talk 2026-09-08T15:45:00+02:00 15:45 00:40 With all the fun of creating your circuits, it can be easy to forget to document them as well. This talk covers some general philosophy, and five approaches to documenting your schematics and PCBs directly in KiCad. kicon-europe-2026-109-five-levels-of-documentation-and-annotation en We will start with some general philosophy regarding the how, what and why to document. Then the main topics will be five general approaches, starting with simple text boxes and ending with fancy graphs. For each one we will show some examples and demonstrations from real projects in KiCad, to help illustrate how one can implement these ideas in practice. false https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2026/talk/GYMTBL/ https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2026/talk/GYMTBL/feedback/ Main Stage Talk 2026-09-08T16:30:00+02:00 16:30 00:40 One part, many packages. Each package numbers its pins its own way. Until now that meant making a copy of the symbol or every pinout. KiCad 11 fixes this, you keep one symbol, and a small table tells each footprint where the pins go. This talk shows the problem, the fix, how to use it in your projects. kicon-europe-2026-128-pin-to-pad-mapping-in-kicad-11 en false https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2026/talk/MQQA3H/ https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2026/talk/MQQA3H/feedback/ Main Stage Talk 2026-09-08T17:10:00+02:00 17:10 00:40 Manufacturer datasheets are PDFs built for human eyes. We parse them into one clean, structured page per component — parameters, pin tables, packages, symbols — that KiCad and your AI tools can read directly. kicon-europe-2026-134-wikipedia-for-datasheets-with-datasheets-md en A practical walkthrough of turning datasheet PDFs into usable library parts: layout recovery and OCR, schema-driven parameter extraction across manufacturers, pin table to symbol generation, footprint matching against the stock KiCad libraries, and provenance so every number links back to its source page. Ends with a live demo — PDF in, symbol and footprint out — and an open API plus MCP server for AI tools. Project link: https://datasheets.md false https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2026/talk/VW9GEN/ https://pretalx.kicad.org/kicon-europe-2026/talk/VW9GEN/feedback/