Top 6 Python pcb-design Projects

OnBoard

1 338 9.6 Python

💡 Join 1,000 teenagers and make your first PCB with a $100 grant! (by hackclub)

Project mention: Steve Wozniak on PC board design | news.ycombinator.com | 2023-07-05

“Electronic products these days are based on chips with hundreds of connectors. Connecting them can involve hundreds of wires. A PC board is an inexpensive way to connect all the wires at once. When Steve Jobs and I started, with a blue box and then the Apple I and Apple II computers, I did the digital design, connecting hundreds of wires myself on the prototypes. Steve Jobs took the role of getting PC boards made so that we could manufacture sellable products.
After a short while we had outside companies create the PC boards according to my designs. I was extremely proud of one design that far exceeded what had been done before. That was a floppy disk interface card so you could attach a disk and type “Run Checkbook” to run the Checkbook program, rather than finding a cassette tape labeled ‘Checkbook’ and then playing it on a cassette tape player into the computer. I was super proud of my floppy disk controller board, with 8 chips rather than the normal 50 chips.
I wanted the PC board for this floppy disk controller to get done quickly but the company that made our PC boards was busy. So I set up a drafting table with mylar sheets and patterns that I could lay out myself, every night for a couple of weeks. I was in charge of the entire project, PC board and all. I was the last one to leave Apple every night for those weeks.
At the end I had a very tiny number of holes connecting the top of my PC board layout to the bottom. It was a tiny number of holes because I’d planned the layout of where the 8 chips went in order to minimize single crossovers, which required holes. But I then realized that if I’d designed a part to shift bits the other way, like from right to left instead of left to right, everything would work but I’d have fewer holes.
I stripped all my PC board layout and started over, for the next week or two, laying out my PC board according to my new, reversed, design. In the end I had only 5 holes in the PC board connecting from the top to the bottom sides. Nobody would ever know that I’d done that. It was my private perfection.
I realized that, in my head, this PC board represented myself, and that’s how perfect (as can be) I was. When you care, it’s not about money. It’s about yourself and your ability and your desire to do as good a job as possible.
I’m so glad that young people can create things like PC boards online. May your creativity have no limits!”
- Steve Wozniak
This quote is part of Hack Club's Onboard project, where we are funding $100 in PCB manufacturing costs for 1,000 high school students over the next year.
You can learn more at https://hackclub.com/onboard/, see people's projects at https://github.com/hackclub/onboard/, and make a tax-deductible donation at https://bank.hackclub.com/donations/start/onboard (every $150 funds 2-3 projects for a teenager).

JLC2KiCad_lib

1 201 7.3 Python

JLC2KICAD_lib is a python script that generate a component library (schematic, footprint and 3D model ) for KiCad from the JLCPCB/easyEDA library.
WorkOS

workos.com sponsored

The modern identity platform for B2B SaaS. The APIs are flexible and easy-to-use, supporting authentication, user identity, and complex enterprise features like SSO and SCIM provisioning.
pcbflow

2 107 4.8 Python

Python based Printed Circuit Board (PCB) layout and design package based on CuFlow.
svg2mod

1 85 0.0 Python

Convert Inkscape SVG drawings to KiCad footprint modules

Project mention: How to approach faceplate design? | /r/synthdiy | 2023-05-22

I really like svg2mod which lets you create multi layer KiCad footprint files converted from Inkscape (or whatever tool you like for svg).

panelize-plugin

1 52 0.0 Python

Automatic KiCad panelization plugin
kicad-parts-placer

4 15 6.3 Python

Auto place components into pcbnew from a centroid file. Useful for making pogo pin test jigs.

Project mention: There must be a better way | /r/KiCad | 2023-05-21

NOTE: The open source projects on this list are ordered by number of github stars. The number of mentions indicates repo mentiontions in the last 12 Months or since we started tracking (Dec 2020).