Popular open-source electronic design automation (EDA) package KiCad has hit its milestone 5.0.0 release, described by the team as “a new generation” of the software.
“Almost a year after the release of KiCad 4.0.7, the KiCad development team is proud to present a new and improved KiCad 5.0 release,” the project’s maintainers announced over the weekend, confirming the launch of the first stable build from the new 5.0 branch.
The list of changes since the 4.0 branch is impressive: new libraries for symbols, footprints, and 3D models all adhering to the KiCad Library Convention (KLC); a new 3D view and model plug-in architecture with STEP and IGES support; arbitrary colour scheme support; better high-resolution display support; the ability to directly import projects made in Eagle into KiCad; SPICE simulation in Eeschema; improved modern canvas in PcbNew; the first support for modern canvas in GerbView; new measurement tools; and more.
Full details, and links to download precompiled binaries and the project’s source code, can be found on the official KiCad website.
Gareth Halfacree is a technology journalist and technical author best known for his work on the Raspberry Pi User Guide and an upcoming book covering the BBC’s micro:bit project. A keen open source advocate and RISC-V fan, Gareth is responsible for curating our fortnightly community round-up posts.