How to migrate an ECAD project properly?

As many of you in the hardware design community are aware, Autodesk recently announced that they will no longer sell or support EAGLE after 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟳, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲. This leaves many teams at a crossroads: should they continue with Autodesk’s Fusion Electronics or transition to a new tool?

At Rapid Proto Woerk, we’ve been exploring this transition for some time, and we’ve embraced KiCad for many of our new projects. 𝗞𝗶𝗖𝗮𝗱 has proven to be a powerful alternative, offering faster performance (even with complex 6-8 layer designs), seamless local file storage, and advanced features like one-click via filling. But let’s be clear—this post isn’t about promoting KiCad. Instead, we want to shed light on the 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝗖𝗔𝗗 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 and how to navigate them effectively.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗠𝗶𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

While tools like KiCad offer project import functions (e.g., importing EAGLE schematics and layouts), the process is far from plug-and-play. Here’s what we’ve encountered during migrations:

• 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗜𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲𝘀: Imported schematics often have disorganized or messy structures.

• 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀: Critical component attributes required for production may be absent.

• 𝗘𝗥𝗖/𝗗𝗥𝗖 𝗘𝗿𝗿𝗼𝗿𝘀: A complex 4-layer design we migrated had ~250 ERC errors and ~500 DRC errors post-import.

• 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝟯𝗗 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 𝗚𝗮𝗽𝘀: Footprints may lack features, and 3D models might be missing entirely.

• Net Mix-Ups: Nets can become mixed or misassigned, requiring careful review.

These issues highlight the importance of a t𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀. Simply importing a project is just the first step—what follows is a detailed review and correction phase to ensure the design is production-ready.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗪𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽

At Rapid Proto Woerk, we’ve developed a streamlined approach to ECAD migration, ensuring a fluent and error-free transition. Our process includes:

1. 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗲-𝗠𝗶𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗶𝘀: Identifying potential pitfalls before the migration begins.

2. 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗠𝗶𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁: A bullet-proof list of steps to address ERC/DRC errors, missing attributes, and other common issues.

3. 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁-𝗠𝗶𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Rigorous testing to ensure the design meets all requirements and functions as intended.

Whether you’re migrating from EAGLE to KiCad or another ECAD tool, we’re here to support you every step of the way. 

💬 Have you started your migration journey yet? What challenges have you faced? Let’s discuss in the comments!