fabPlane field notes
Notes from
the workbench.
Build logs, failures, and useful patterns from designing physical things in the open. Desktop nightlies also land on What's new.
What's new
All updates →Desktop 0.3.185
Desktop 0.3.185: Add per-ticket screenshots and publication acceptance notes, plus 7 more changes.
Desktop 0.3.184
Desktop 0.3.184: Add per-ticket screenshots and publication acceptance notes, plus 7 more changes.
Desktop 0.3.182
Desktop 0.3.182: A canvas workspace with Home idea drafts, sketches, artwork and GitHub import, plus contextual board tools and an assistant, plus 5 more changes.
Desktop 0.2.181
Desktop 0.2.181: Show simultaneous live review pointers for affected parts, plus 67 more changes.
Which open-source autorouter to use for each KiCad routing job
fastroute routed every whole board in under two seconds but passed 3 of 9 edits. drandyhaas/KiCadRoutingTools handled edits best. No router reliably kept a ground pour.
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All notes
7 articlesWhich open-source autorouter to use for each KiCad routing job
fastroute routed every whole board in under two seconds but passed 3 of 9 edits. drandyhaas/KiCadRoutingTools handled edits best. No router reliably kept a ground pour.
TraceMaker and the desktop homepage
Weekly public TraceMaker binaries, on-demand router install in the desktop app, and a homepage that leads with the download.
Three PCB autorouters on six KiCad boards: TraceMaker leads
We tested three PCB autorouters on six boards. TraceMaker combined passing routes with low CPU time, including 0.42s versus Freerouting’s 44.37s on a simple repair.
Why hardware needs version control
Treat PCB source as durable, reviewable project history: what Git should own in a hardware repo, what it shouldn't, and why releases are evidence bundles.
DRC cannot see every manufacturing problem
A real missing-solder-mask bug passed KiCad's DRC and reached board quoting. Why the check passed, how the repair was verified, and what a release gate needs.
Inside a production-ready hardware repository
The files that make a PCB project understandable, reproducible, and safe to manufacture, and how to keep generated artifacts auditable.
From a VAIO P display to a compact LVDS board
How the Koyomi LVDS HAT evolved from a Raspberry Pi display-testing board for the Sony VAIO P into a compact production candidate.