While anticipation for KiCad 9.0 is building up, I’m thinking what’s next for KiCad Like a Pro. I feel I’ve spend too much time on the tool (i.e. how to use KiCad and what it’s various buttons and widgets do), and basic to intermediate PCB designs.
I’m considering taking the next step. This means getting into more advanced topics. The problem with advanced topics is that:
They are much more challenging to capture and explain in a coherent way.
Far fewer people are interested in them (because 90% of people doing PCB design will never need to do things like antenna & RF layout optimisation and the like).
However, I recognise that I am wrong for most things I assume I’m right, so I wanted to hear from you.
Where does Kickstarter comes in?
I’m considering treating this course project differently to all my previous courses, and to use Kickstarter as a way to fund its development, and confirm that there is interest in the community. Like most product, a new course usually looses money. But a course like an advanced PCB design course, being much more research intensive, can be very dangerous (financially) if my calculations and assumptions are wrong.
With Kickstarter, I can reduce the risk by securing pledges (not funding) ahead of the course development.
What would a course like this contain? Here’s a few item’s I’m considering to include in no particular order (there could be more):
- Layout Techniques & Strategy
- Net Classes & Design Rules (for advanced designs)
- Power Supply Design & Decoupling
- Antenna & RF Layout Considerations
- Panelization & Manufacturing
- BOM Generation & Supply Chain Management
- Assembly & Testing Provisions
- Project Planning
- Schematic Organization
- Project Documentation & Release
- Plus more
