Lab 01 — Introduction to PCB Software

In this lab, help you get started with getting your block diagram and example schematics into your preferred PCB software! We want to make sure you're able to easily get help with using the software before we leave you to design the full schematic for assignment 02. You should feel free to ask any of our staff your help! As a general rule, if it takes you more than 5 minutes for a simple task you think should take much less time, ask us and we can help get things moving.

Schedule Lab 02

Disclaimer: below are the opinions of the course staff. None of what is stated implies endorsement by MIT.

Go to Lab 01 - Altium Version

Pros:

Altium is widely used in industry. Many jobs will directly ask if you have experience in “Altium or other PCB layout tool”. If you plan to go into industry designing electronics, it will not hurt to start learning it now.

Cons:

Has a bit of large learning curve and is quite a complex software (though resources are very openly available for learning). Being a commercial EDA tool, costs for licenses are very high, though free for students. Currently, it is only available for Windows devices. Non-windows devices will need to either use a local Windows virtual machine

Go to Lab 01 - KiCAD Version

Pros:

KiCAD is open source and it works on all platforms for free. No licensing, and it works offline. It’s perfect for hobbyists who want a simple ECAD software without the features or the cost.

Cons:

It’s not used often in industry because it lacks many features like advanced PCB design (rigid-flex, signal + power integrity analysis). Going from KiCAD to Altium can be a lot, since Altium’s abundance of features mean it has a lot more menus and options for things to do.

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