[Cryptech Tech] design software

[Philipp Gühring]

Hi,

My point of view on design software:

For security critical things (everything from HSM's to barbie dolls
nowadays), we want a small core-team of developers and a large audience 
(something in the order of magnitude of at least 100) of people who can
audit it. 
The more people that are able to audit it, the better. 
So the important thing from my point of view is that the design files are
readily available in a file-format that anyone can open and work with. 
It's ok if a potential auditor has to install some specific software to be
able to open and read the schematics or PCB design. 
But he/she should have a good chance of actually achieving that, without
having to buy a special computer or special software. Those barriers would
keep most potential auditors out, I think.
So I think we need software that is at least in a read-only version freely
available, but a true OpenSource Multi-Plattform (Web or Linux, Windows,
OSX) would be strongly preferred.

For a similar security-related open hardware project, I have been
investigating the question of PCB file-formats, and auditability,
and I discovered that there is no standard fileformat for PCBs, and that
the opensource tools on the market are good for low-end and medium
projects, but for larger and more complicated projects, commercial tools
are necessary.
So for that project I decided that I have to let the PCB designers do the
design in their favourite commercial tool, and that I would have to
convert the design files afterwards to a fileformat useable for opensource
tools,
which makes the design auditable, transparent and reusable. 
I chose KiCAD for the target fileformat for Schematics and PCB, and I
think the decision was a good one. Even the developers themselves were
happy that they could open up their design and lookup details on any
computer now, even when they are away from their own workstation.

So my suggestion for Open Hardware projects is to have the designers try
to use KiCad or other OpenSource design software, if possible.
And if that isn´t possible due to limitations in the tools or the
designers being unwilling to use different software, 
try to find a way to convert the design files to opensource-useable
fileformats. (If you need help with that, I might be able to help)

Best regards,
Philipp Gühring