NextPCB Invigorates Partnership with KiCad Through Strategic Support and Innovation

NextPCB, provider of electronics manufacturing services and Platinum KiCad sponsor, continues to demonstrate its commitment to advancing open-source electronic design automation through substantial contributions and strategic initiatives.

In a distinct partnership that extends beyond financial support, NextPCB's contributions span direct KiCad development, support for the KiCad community and efforts to foster KiCad's expansion across Asia. 
The addition of two full-time NextPCB employees to the lead development team has already yielded noteworthy contributions to the core KiCad build, such as the Zone Manager tool and long-awaited ODB++ export feature, both of which were incorporated into the recent KiCad 9 release.
In addition, the company's dedication to fostering the KiCad community is evidenced by its successful hosting of the KiCad Asia Conference for two consecutive years, which has significantly expanded KiCad's presence in the Asian market. This is supported by the development of the Huaqiu KiCad distribution, which has enhanced accessibility for Chinese users, supporting KiCad's mission of global reach.
Towards the end of 2024, NextPCB reinforced its support with a $15,000 contribution to the KiCad Fund Drive, earmarked for website maintenance and operational sustainability. This investment underscores the shared commitment of both organizations to provide world-class design tools and manufacturing services to electronic engineers globally.
Like KiCad, NextPCB also develops free design tools to aid seamless progression from design to manufacture. Their HQDFM PCB Design analysis tool provides actionable insights on over 150 Design for Manufacture and Assembly issues, while also providing useful manufacturing utilities such as a quick panelization tool, impedance calculator and footprint checker. For more details, please visit [nextpcb.com/dfm]Coinciding with the release of KiCad 9, NextPCB is proud to announce a new initiative offering complimentary prototyping services for select chips and modules. Designers can currently take advantage of the RP2040 chip prototyping program by visiting (https://www.nextpcb.com/blog/rp2040-free-pcba-prototypes-nextpcb-accelerator).
 

Try Free DFM SoftwareView NextPCB CatalogKiCon Asia 2024 Highlights

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