[Ktechlab-devel] Some brainstorming...

[Thomas Winkel]

Hi List!

I have done some brainstorming and would like to present the findings.
Some of the ideas might be too hard to implement, stupid, or just the 
unrealistic dreams of an enthusiastic KTechlab user.
But maybe some of them are good can help to make an great app even
better. Take it as basis for discussion.

Rock'n'Roll,
Thomas



Usability:
----------
* Rotate devices by right-click while moving (like in cadsoft/eagle)
* Zoom in/out by mouse-scrolling (like in cadsoft/eagle)
* Copy & paste an object by Strg + left mouse buttom and move.
  Object should inherit parents property.
* Copy & paste an object only vertical or horizontal by Shift + left
  mouse buttom and move. Object should inherit parents property.
* Connect circuit points when touch after placement (like in cadsoft/eagle)
* Wires should be moveable
* Symbols should be visible while dragging from library
* Shortcuts should be consistent to other KDE apps. While translating I
  noticed, breakpoint setting ist different from kdbg, for example.
* Embed HTML pages in context help in order to allow formulas,
  example circuits, truth-tables, PIC instruction-set tables and
  continuative web links.
* Raise appropriate item selector on switching tab
* Make oscilloscope look&feel like a real digital storage oscilloscope
* Oscilloscope should be detachable from main window in order to support
  multi-monitor workstations
* Allow alternative symbols (US/European, for example) as option
* Probes instead of single oscilloscopes for oscilloscope measurement
  (like in Orcad/PSpice). Maybe a black one for GND and colored for the
  single voltages. Current probes can only be placed on pins in Orcad, I
  think this is a good solution.
  That is more concise, closer to real-world and less amount of cabling
* Create subCircuits by:
  - marking an wired area
  - right-click -> Create Sub Circuit
  (like in Simulink)
* I want to see a soldering gun instead of the pen for routing!!! :)


Features:
---------
* Give oscilloscope the features of a real digital storage oscilloscope
  (voltage/div, time/div, trigger, X-Y, add, FFT, etc.)
* Support user-defined functions and transfer-functions using GNU Octave.
  This would allow simulation of complex models and would offer powerfull
  DSP and control engineering options. Quasi a Simulink replacement :)
* SPICE support (like Orcad/PSpice), have a look at:
    http://www.orcad.com/download.orcaddemo.aspx
    http://ngspice.sourceforge.net
    http://www.geda.seul.org/tools/gnucap
    http://qwt.sourceforge.net


Devices:
--------
* Connection to aRts. In conjunction with the sound card this would offer
  a cheap digital storage oscilloscope or a simple waveform generator.
  Also this could be used for hardware-in-the-loop simulation, a very
  professional feature!
* AVR support, just to be listed ;)