New to PCB design and really need a hand.

Here is a quick tutorial I made that includes step by step instructions on how to create a PCB and manufacturing artwork:

Eagle Design demo

There are other tutorials on the web that may also help.

On 2/05/2015 5:34 p.m., Douglas Wong wrote:

Here is a quick tutorial I made that includes step by step instructions

on how to create a PCB and manufacturing artwork:

 

There are other tutorials on the web that may also help.

 

--

To view any images and attachments in this post, visit:

http://www.element14.com/community/message/148689

 

Pity you have instructional errors in the tutorial.

You should not use the WIRE tool to connect schematic parts. That is bad

practice and to many issues arise by doing so. You use the NET tool.

You will also not need to use the JUNCTION tool if you follow the

practice of using the NET tool as junctions will be set automatically if

you start or end on a net.

HTH

Warren

On 02/05/15 08:08, warrenbrayshaw wrote:

 

Pity you have instructional errors in the tutorial.

 

 

Eagle isn't the only tool affected by the Internet phenomenon of

"tutorials" written (or video'd) by people who apparently haven't taken

the trouble to go through the manufacturer's tutorial that comes with

the product

Thanks for the tip.

Warren,

Are you sure it's not just a matter of a different method rather than an "Error"?

I have just looked at the manufacturer's manual (V7.2 3rd edition) and it says you can use either the WIRE (page 59) or NET (page 61) tool for electrical connections.

Page 73 also says that if WIRES are used for layers 1-16 they are electrical connections.

The walkthrough (on page 121) just happens to use the NET tool and it goes on to say that JUNCTIONs are not necessarily automatically placed but a user configurable option.

On 3/05/2015 6:21 p.m., COMPACT wrote:

Warren,

Are you sure it's not just a matter of a different method rather than

an "Error"?

I have just looked at the manufacturer's manual (V7.2 3rd edition) and

it says you can use either the WIRE (page 59) or NET (page 61) tool for

electrical connections.

Page 73 also says that if WIRES are used for layers 1-16 they are

electrical connections.

The walkthrough (on page 121) just happens to use the NET tool and it

goes on to say that JUNCTIONs are not necessarily automatically placed

but a user configurable option.

Hi

When you quote the manual, please first understand the context.i.e Which

editor is being talked about.

Page 59 says "Draw line (this command is called WIRE because it is used

to define

electrical connections, i.e. wires, in the Layout Editor)." The Layout

editor is the board editor, not the schematic editor.

Page 73 is talking of the board or package editors. That is where you

find layers 1-16.

The Manual Page 121 says "Nets must be drawn with the NET command, not

with the WIRE command." and there is good reason.

Novices have some initial success using the wire tool but then they

appear on the forum asking why things aren't working so well for them.

There are some things that work better with the net tool rather than a

wire on the net layer.

The behaviour is different.

(1) The net command terminates when reaching a pin. The wire does not.

(2) The junction dot can occur automatically with nets but not with

wires on layer 91.

(3) Draw a wire on a layer that is not the net layer and you need to

switch to the wire layer manually when you wish to draw a net. Using the

net tool, the net layer is automatically selected.

(4) Try using a wire to pull a net name out of a Bus. You cannot do it

with Wire but Net permits it.

There are no doubt other reasons but the one I like the best is that net

represents a logical connection. As schematics become more complex you

do not wire between points you simply show the logical connection with

the net. Its a good practice to get into.

So, if you wish, you can use the wire tool for nets in most instances

but you loose some of the automation that has been given to the net tool.

HTH

Warren

Thanks Warren,

This issue must keep you quite busy.

My confusion is caused by the Schematic Editor's "Draw Line" tool being called and annotated as "WIRE" and defaulting to place a "NET".

(Plus the mentioning of electrical connections within the WIRE / Draw Line for the Schematic Editor).

Is there going to be anything done to remedy this confusion by a manual or software alteration?

Very Compact

On 5/3/2015 6:52 AM, COMPACT wrote:

Thanks Warren,

This issue must keep you quite busy.

 

My confusion is caused by the Schematic Editor's "Draw Line" tool

being called and annotated as "WIRE" and defaulting to place a "NET".

(Plus the mentioning of electrical connections within the WIRE / Draw

Line for the Schematic Editor).

 

Is there going to be anything done to remedy this confusion by a manual

or software alteration?

Hi Compact,

I've been fighting to get that thing renamed to LINE or something else

to alleviate the confusion. I've been seeing a glimmer of hope lately so

we'll see.

Like Warren said, stick to the NET tool if you do that everything will

work as expected.

Let me know if there's anything else I can do for you.

Best Regards,

Jorge Garcia

Hi Jorge,

From the behaviour observed from the EAGLE program and the information provided by Warren and yourself it appears that NET tool is derived from the WIRE tool with extra (or alternate) code attached to handle electrical net connections such as connections to busses and other nets.

Is this correct?

If so, is it possible as an added feature to EAGLE to adjust the behaviour of the NET tool so that when an existing net is connected to a BUS and when the net is not a member of the BUS to pop up a dialog box with the option to add the existing net to the BUS rather than just popping up an error message?

e.g. "Net D7 is not a member of D[0..6]. Add D7 as a member to the BUS?"

And/or add some logic to WIRE in the schematic editor to behave as NET tool if layer 91 is selected.

If both tools must be present is it also possible to change the NET's icon and position within the Schematic Editor toolbar so it appears before the WIRE/Draw Line tool be default?

This should prevent noobs from using the WIRE/Draw Line tool for placing NETs.

Best Regards

Very Compact

And also adjusting the BUS tool so that if a new one is placed over the ends of existing nets that it gives you the option to add those nets to the newly placed BUS?

This'll be very handy and speed up schematic capture.