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DigiKey Announces Sponsorship of KiCad to Support Open-Source EDA Development
March 26, 2025 | DigiKeyEstimated reading time: 1 minute
DigiKey, a leading global commerce distributor offering the largest selection of technical components and automation products in stock for immediate shipment, is proud to announce its continued sponsorship of KiCad, the leading open-source Electronic Design Automation (EDA) suite, reinforcing a shared commitment to advancing open-source tools for the electrical engineering community.
DigiKey is proud to continue its sponsorship of the KiCad open-source Electronic Design Automation suite.
KiCad’s mission is to provide the best possible cross platform electronics design application for professional electronics designers. The organization has been instrumental in providing an accessible, approachable program, enabling engineers, students and professionals to design printed circuit boards (PCBs) without the constraints of costly software licenses. DigiKey has been supporting KiCad for seven years, including past fund-drives, promotions and securing the kicad.org domain to ensure the project’s continued accessibility to the global engineering community.
“DigiKey is thrilled to once again support KiCad, which provides an essential tool for electronics designers worldwide,” said Cody Walseth, digital product owner at DigiKey. “At DigiKey, we believe that accessible, open-source design tools are vital to fostering creativity, and advancing technology and our sponsorship of KiCad reaffirms our commitment to providing engineers with the best resources to bring their ideas to life.”
Through the fund-drive donation match campaign, DigiKey continues supporting the KiCad platform and community, helping to increase community-submitted donations to contribute to critical feature enhancements, usability improvements and long-term sustainability of KiCad version 10.
“KiCad is grateful for our longstanding partnership with DigiKey,” said Wayne Stambaugh, project leader at KiCad. “DigiKey’s continued support has helped the project to grow substantially over the years, and we look forward to many more years of bringing open-source electronic design to engineers around the world.”
As engineers and innovators continue to push the boundaries of electronics design, KiCad remains steadfast in its mission to support accessible, high-quality design tools, while DigiKey continues to be the leading source of products, helping shorten the design cycle and accelerate progress.
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Flexible Circuit Technologies to Host Free Flex Heater Webinar
08/18/2025 | Flexible Circuit TechnologiesGlobal Supplier of flexible circuits, flex design services, and assembly/box-build services, Flexible Circuit Technology will host their latest webinar, "Thermal Precision Meets Flexibility: The Technology Behind Heater Circuits" on Tuesday, August 26th, 2025 at 11 AM EDT.
Global PCB Connections: Understanding the General Fabrication Process—A Designer’s Hidden Advantage
08/14/2025 | Markus Voeltz -- Column: Global PCB ConnectionsDesigners don’t need to become fabricators, but understanding the basics of PCB fabrication can save you time, money, and frustration. The more you understand what’s happening on the shop floor, the better you’ll be able to prevent downstream issues. As you move into more advanced designs like HDI, flex circuits, stacked vias, and embedded components, this foundational knowledge becomes even more critical. Remember: the fabricator is your partner.
The Art and Science of PCB Floor Planning: A Comprehensive Guide
08/14/2025 | Cory Grunwald and Jeff Reinhold, Monsoon SolutionsPCB design is an intricate and crucial part of developing electronic products. One of the foundational stages of PCB design is floor planning, a phase where the placement of components and the flow of signals are meticulously mapped out. A good floor plan ensures that the PCB performs well, is easy to manufacture, and meets all mechanical and electrical requirements. We’ll explore the essential aspects of floor planning, from its objectives and process to the challenges that designers face.
EnSilica Establishes New EU Mixed-Signal Design Centre in Budapest, Hungary
08/12/2025 | EnSilicaThe facility strengthens EnSilica’s presence in the European Union and taps into Budapest’s deep technology ecosystem, which hosts numerous leading automotive and industrial multinationals. This expansion will increase the Group’s global headcount to around 210 employees.
Happy’s Tech Talk #41: Sustainability and Circularity for Electronics Manufacturing
08/13/2025 | Happy Holden -- Column: Happy’s Tech TalkI attended INEMI’s June 12 online seminar, “Sustainable Electronics Tech Topic Series: PCBs and Sustainability.” Dr. Maarten Cauwe of imec spoke on “Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) Models for Assessing and Improving the Environmental Impact of PCB Assemblies,” and Jack Herring of Jiva Materials Ltd. spoke on “Transforming Electronics with Recyclable PCB Technology.” This column will review information and provide analysis from both presentations.