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Re: [Xylo-SDR] Comments on Board sizes & Eagle Light edition



There is a script available that will let you convert eagle libraries
to Kicad library format.  I have used it a few times and it works ok. 
Kicad libraries are ASCII files, so it is easy to create your own
library wizard if you can program a bit.  Any package you buy/use you
are going to have some kind of learning curve whether it is Eagle,
PADS, ORCAD, Kicad, gEDA, etc...

For someone who has not invested money in a package, Kicad is very
attractive.  There was a mention of some incompatibility in Kicad's
drill file output, but that is easily corrected with a patch.  At
first I just wrote a few line Python script to message the output into
the proper format.  Later I modified the source code.

73 de Phil N8VB

On 1/9/06, KD5NWA <kd5nwa@cox.net> wrote:
> Besides the built in library they have a FTP site where you can
> download components to your hearts desire, there are also many groups
> with components libraries.
>
> At 04:59 PM 1/9/2006, you wrote:
> >Don
> >
> >I downloaded the Free Eagle, and had only an hour or 2 to play. I did note
> >that the board size we are talking about was within it's handicap. Also
> >really like that all the libraries come with it, and there is eurocard stuff
> >in the libraries.
> >
> >Thanks! Yep, was going to open this subject up again (Enclosure/boards).
> >
> >The enclosures (about 20 bux) I am looking at (now) are standard EuroCard
> >100x160 and 2.3 inches and 2.5 inches high with top and bottom shell,
> >horizontal slide mount construction. I'll publish for ideas, however that
> >would give us connectors for 3 - 4 x 3/4 inch spaced cards.
> >
> >My thought now(open for suggestion) is that we go for the full case length
> >and mount one connector (if there is enough room on MB) horizontally on the
> >MB facing the rear of the enclosure. That would give us one board 4x4 inches
> >and adequate space to mount taller components like toroids, caps, carry the
> >power regulators to the buss etc.
> >
> >I guess there are trade off's to everything, but I think most of the modular
> >stuff we have been suggesting would have plenty of space on a 2x4.
> >
> >It's up to the group.
> >
> >Eric
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: xylo-sdr-bounces@lists.ae5k.us [mailto:xylo-sdr-bounces@lists.ae5k.us]
> >On Behalf Of Don AE5K
> >Sent: Monday, January 09, 2006 12:45 PM
> >To: xylo-sdr@ae5k.us
> >Subject: [Xylo-SDR] Comments on Board sizes & Eagle Light edition
> >
> >Thought I'd throw in a few comments after listening to the
> >xylo-teamspeak sessions and reading the talk on this reflector.
> >
> >One of the standard size "Euro" PCB boards is 100 x 160 mm.
> >(This is approx. 3.9 x 6.3 inches).  Current thought for our project
> >seems to be a size of 4 x 2 inches (or 100 mm by 2 inches in a mixed
> >measurement system?)   We might consider making them just slightly
> >longer than the 2 inch dimension and if so, how about 80 mm? Then the
> >size would be exactly 1/2 of a standard Euro board size.  In other
> >words, make the board size 100 x 80 mm (approx. 3.9 x 3.15").
> >
> >This also corresponds to the maximum size (how about that?) that the
> >free version of Eagle software will support.
> >
> >With current thinking (the DIN connector along the 100 mm side), unless
> >you required front panel connection, the 80 mm dimension could be made
> >shorter/less to save on board cost if that much real estate was not needed.
> >
> >Granted, maximum size we would support is based on some tradeoffs. Those
> >include cost of a little larger board (if needed for front panel
> >connection) vs. maybe using two smaller boards (with much added
> >connector cost plus longer signal paths) for a design.  My personal
> >preference is to put more on slightly larger boards and have fewer of
> >them, than to break it up onto smaller boards with more of them.
> >
> >Now some comments on Eagle Light (the free version):
> >http://www.cadsoftusa.com/freeware.htm
> >is the web page which lists info about it.  As mentioned above, it is
> >limited to *generating* boards 100 x 80 mm, two layers, and the
> >schematic must fit on one page (but the page can be very large!).  That
> >is for *creating* -- it does have the capability of displaying or
> >printing all sizes which are created by the full Eagle package.
> >
> >So if Eagle were used, those with the Light package could do a limited
> >amount of creation (including such things as library packages) to be
> >shared, but they could view and print anything greater than the
> >limitations (for instance 4 layer boards).  Those with the full package
> >would not have those limitations of course.
> >
> >[Side note: I also happen to have the Professional full package
> >(legally) and agree that Eagle has a steep learning curve, but once
> >learned is one of the nicest systems around.  Support is very good, and
> >there is a large user support group too.  It is supported directly by
> >many PCB fab houses, not just the Gerbers etc it produces, but some will
> >even take the basic Eagle files.  I am not pushing use of Eagle, just
> >supplying some info about it.]
> >
> >My 3 cents worth (inflation)...
> >
> >73,
> >Don AE5K
> >
> >--
> >Confidence is the feeling you have before you really understand the problem.
> >
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>
> Cecil Bayona
> KD5NWA
> www.qrpradio.com
>
> "I fail to see why doing the same thing over and over and getting the
> same results every time is insanity: I've almost proved it isn't;
> only a few more tests now and I'm sure results will differ this time ... "
>
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