Idea for a new DIY PCB Software :D

[Zorox]

I'm in a stage of researching to build my first own custom keyboard. It was very nice to find many guides here. My most favourite ones which were developed for the community are Swill's Plate and case builder tool: http://builder.swillkb.com/ and Keyboard-Layout-Editor.

Both of them enable people with minimal experience with CAD can get something done with intuative UI and easy-to-use methods.

Now Im beginning to learn about PCB design, and it's would take long because I have no base knowledge about electricity. It's ok to learn, but takes time. And suddenly I have an idea of a PCB design software, which allows users to import their layout raw data. Some nice options maybe to add slots for LED, RGB or to choose which controller to intergrate. The software can determine which diodes should be used for each type of LEDs. The output should be a ready-to-oder file so you can send it to a manufactor of your choice without further editing.

Im not a software engineer nor programmer, so maybe cant help much bringing this to life. But I wanna share the idea, and hope that someone could be interested enough to begin with it.

Thank you for reading and pls spare my bad English ^^
May the clacks be with you.

[piemancoder]

I would love this idea! that would be so cool, since PCB design is already complicated. I won't be able to help since I know nothing about PCB design and don't have the programming skills, but I would definitelyy love if someone made this!

[MOZ]

Doing the basic switches placement along with diode and LED should be possible. Even basic routing of these components, problem would be for controller parts.

[Zorox]

Doing the basic switches placement along with diode and LED should be possible. Even basic routing of these components, problem would be for controller parts.

I think it would be already so nice if we has the switch placement with diodes and LEDs. It reduces many steps until the controller. And while we could have controller templates, it should be much easier

[hanya]

I've wrote small macro to place switches at specified position by CSV file  on KiCAD pcbnew. Placement is easy but if you want to do it on pcbnew, we need net file or schematic data.

[FrostyToast]

It would definitely be cool to have this!
The only problem is see would have to be with the awkwardness of the program not knowing where to put certain traces.
Since keyboards are relatively quite simplistic matrices it should be a little straightforward but it would be disastrous if a bug in the program messed up a PCB and someone wasted money having it produced.
I would, however, have to wonder how LEDs would be managed on the board. Every board has different ways of programming their LEDs and that part might be difficult.
Then you would also have to consider function layers and PCBs using multiple layers which would add more complications.

[jdcarpe]

skullydazed already made this, but you need EAGLE PCB software. It's called Kalerator.

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=74139.0

http://kalerator.clueboard.co

[Zorox]

skullydazed already made this, but you need EAGLE PCB software. It's called Kalerator.

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=74139.0

http://kalerator.clueboard.co

Wow, I seem to not digged deep enough, thank you for the links

[jdcarpe]

skullydazed already made this, but you need EAGLE PCB software. It's called Kalerator.

https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=74139.0

http://kalerator.clueboard.co

Wow, I seem to not digged deep enough, thank you for the links

You're welcome. That's why I'm the Curator.