Have a question about CadSoft EAGLE?  Ask our Expert, Richard! (Archive)

I am creating a Vector Board style PCB and want groups of 3 pads interconnected identically on the top layer and bottom layer.  Once I connect the airwires on one layer, it is impossible to connect the pads on the other wire - because the airwires are "used up".

I have tried to define a wirepad like this, but keep getting overlap errors or even a message that said "pad abuse"!  What to do?  Thx in advance.

Open the library you want to put the part in, then using the control panel navigate to the part you want to copy, right click (control click on mac), and there is an option to copy to the library, i.e. the library you have open.

Hi,

the script you are using for creating the cartridge is written for the layout editor. It places VIAs for the connections and it uses rectangles for the SMDs. And that is the problem. A rectangle can't be connected to a signal. It's a simple copper area.......

You have to modify the script and use it in the library in the Package editor. Therefore you have to replace the VIA command with PAD. And you have to replace the rectangles in Top layer with SMDs.

You can't use the RECT sequence for Top layer because a SMD is placed at it's origin (the center of the SMD).

Maybe it is easier to run the script in the package editor and replace the rectangles with SMDs afterwards manually.

For connecting it to the schematic you have to draw a symbol as well.

Regards,

Richard

Hi Richard

I spent so long looking for a micro-USB connector last night by browsing libraries, I ended up creating the part myself as it was quicker!

My life would be simpler if I could gather all my commonly used parts together in my own library, but I can't find a way to copy parts between libraries. Similarly I can't find a way of copying a group in a schematic and pasting it into anothrer schematic - the cut and paste only seems to work inside a single schematic.

Is there a way of copying between libraries or between schematics?

Cheers,

Urbie

Okay I'm working on a sort of cartridge:

I get given some code for this, but I have a problem because it doesn't show up the signal connections OUT,GND, IN...etc. How can you I add those each pad? Do I have to make a new library part? I also need it to be linked back to the schematic too.

Here's the code if needed:

GRID INCH;

CHANGE LAYER 20;

SET WIRE_BEND 2; WIRE 0 (0 0) (1.875 0) (1.875 0.400) (1.975 0.400) (1.975 1.5625)

(1.8125 1.725) (0.075 1.725) (-0.100 1.5625) (-0.100 0.400) (0 0.400) (0 0);

CHANGE LAYER 21;

WIRE 0 (0 0.5) (1.875 0.5) (1.875 0.900) (0 0.900) (0 0.5);

WIRE 0 (0 0.900) (0 1.500) (0.125 1.625) (1.750 1.625) (1.875 1.5) (1.875 0.9);

CHANGE LAYER 22;

WIRE 0 (0 0.5) (1.875 0.5) (1.875 0.900) (0 0.900) (0 0.5);

CHANGE LAYER 1;

RECT (0.0625 0.02) (0.1125 0.32) (0.1625 0.02) (0.2125 0.32) (0.2625 0.02) (0.3125 0.32)

(0.3625 0.02) (0.4125 0.32) (0.4625 0.02) (0.5125 0.32) (0.5625 0.02) (0.6125 0.32) (0.6625 0.02) (0.7125 0.32) (0.7625 0.02) (0.8125 0.32) (0.8625 0.02) (0.9125 0.32) (0.9625 0.02)

(1.0125 0.32) (1.0625 0.02) (1.1125 0.32) (1.1625 0.02) (1.2125 0.32) (1.2625 0.02) (1.3125 0.32) (1.3625 0.02) (1.4125 0.32) (1.4625 0.02) (1.5125 0.32) (1.5625 0.02) (1.6125 0.32)

(1.6625 0.02) (1.7125 0.32) (1.7625 0.02) (1.8125 0.32);

CHANGE LAYER 16;

RECT (0.0625 0.02) (0.1125 0.32) (0.1625 0.02) (0.2125 0.32) (0.2625 0.02) (0.3125 0.32)

(0.3625 0.02) (0.4125 0.32) (0.4625 0.02) (0.5125 0.32) (0.5625 0.02) (0.6125 0.32) (0.6625 0.02) (0.7125 0.32) (0.7625 0.02) (0.8125 0.32) (0.8625 0.02) (0.9125 0.32) (0.9625 0.02)

(1.0125 0.32) (1.0625 0.02) (1.1125 0.32) (1.1625 0.02) (1.2125 0.32) (1.2625 0.02) (1.3125 0.32) (1.3625 0.02) (1.4125 0.32) (1.4625 0.02) (1.5125 0.32) (1.5625 0.02) (1.6125 0.32)

(1.6625 0.02) (1.7125 0.32) (1.7625 0.02) (1.8125 0.32);

CHANGE LAYER 29;

RECT (0.0625 0.02) (0.1125 0.32) (0.1625 0.02) (0.2125 0.32) (0.2625 0.02) (0.3125 0.32)

(0.3625 0.02) (0.4125 0.32) (0.4625 0.02) (0.5125 0.32) (0.5625 0.02) (0.6125 0.32) (0.6625 0.02) (0.7125 0.32) (0.7625 0.02) (0.8125 0.32) (0.8625 0.02) (0.9125 0.32) (0.9625 0.02)

(1.0125 0.32) (1.0625 0.02) (1.1125 0.32) (1.1625 0.02) (1.2125 0.32) (1.2625 0.02) (1.3125 0.32) (1.3625 0.02) (1.4125 0.32) (1.4625 0.02) (1.5125 0.32) (1.5625 0.02) (1.6125 0.32)

(1.6625 0.02) (1.7125 0.32) (1.7625 0.02) (1.8125 0.32);

CHANGE LAYER 30;

RECT (0.0625 0.02) (0.1125 0.32) (0.1625 0.02) (0.2125 0.32) (0.2625 0.02) (0.3125 0.32)

(0.3625 0.02) (0.4125 0.32) (0.4625 0.02) (0.5125 0.32) (0.5625 0.02) (0.6125 0.32) (0.6625 0.02) (0.7125 0.32) (0.7625 0.02) (0.8125 0.32) (0.8625 0.02) (0.9125 0.32) (0.9625 0.02)

(1.0125 0.32) (1.0625 0.02) (1.1125 0.32) (1.1625 0.02) (1.2125 0.32) (1.2625 0.02) (1.3125 0.32) (1.3625 0.02) (1.4125 0.32) (1.4625 0.02) (1.5125 0.32) (1.5625 0.02) (1.6125 0.32)

(1.6625 0.02) (1.7125 0.32) (1.7625 0.02) (1.8125 0.32);

VIA 0.029 SQUARE 1-16 (0.0875 0.32) (0.1875 0.32) (0.2875 0.32) (0.3875 0.32) (0.4875 0.32)

(0.5875 0.32) (0.6875 0.32) (0.7875 0.32) (0.8875 0.32) (0.9875 0.32) (1.0875 0.32) (1.1875 0.32) (1.2875 0.32) (1.3875 0.32) (1.4875 0.32) (1.5875 0.32) (1.6875 0.32) (1.7875 0.32);

Thanks heaps

Hi Kenneth,

It sounds like your running a windows 7 machine. What you're experiencing is a byproduct of Windows 7's new security features.  The way we get around this is by running EAGLE in compatibility mode.

See the attached text file.

hth,

Jorge Garcia

Hi Richard

I have just made a new library. I can see the library when I open the control panel and brouse in the library directory, its OK

But when I tray to see / find the new library from windows, I cant see it, but I can see all other library.

When I open my lyberary in Eagle, there is a padlock on all icon

Kind Regards Kenneth K

Hi Rob,

I am pretty sure that the EXCELLON data you exported from EAGLE are correct. I suppose Viewmate does not exactly recognize the data format of the ecxellon data. It is 2.4 in inches.

Could you check the settings in your gerber viewer? Maybe it is supposed to be 2.3, so it would result in a 10 times too big display.

You could also test a slightly improved EXCELLON device definition. It states more about the data format in the header of the excellon file. Simply add the following section into the eagle.def file which is located in the eagle\bin folder. It is the definition file which contains all devices the CAM Processor offers.

[EXCELLON_24]

Type     = DrillStation
Long     = "Excellon drill station"
Init     = "M48\nINCH,LZ,00.0000\n"
Reset    = "M30\n"
ResX     = 10000
ResY     = 10000
;Rack     = ""
DrillSize  = "%sC%0.4f\n"        ; (Tool code, tool size)
AutoDrill  = "T%02d"             ; (Tool number)
FirstDrill = 1
BeginData  = "%%\nM72\nG90\n"
Units    = Inch
Select   = "%s\n"                ; (Drill code)
Drill    = "X%1.0fY%1.0f\n"      ; (x, y)
Info     = "Drill File Info:\n"\
           "\n"\
           " Data Mode         : Absolute\n"\
           " Units             : 1/10000 Inch\n"\
           "\n"

Regards,

Richard

Hello Richard, I am new to the software; Just started today with it. Have entered a schematics and have finished the pcb board. Without problems. Now I want to view the Gerbers in Viewmate. The copper traces from top and Bot look ok after export and import in Viewmate, but the drill holes not. I have tried several Devices, with different success. Best works the excellion but the scale is way of. Much to large in comparrisson with the copper traces. I tried to scale, but not good.

Is thre a sequence written somewhere in the doc how I can best prepare the drl file for Gerbers; and that it is working for Viewmate?

Thanks in advance,

Rob van VReden

Thanks a lot Richard,

By looking at the help section. I wasn't able to see such a property of the SMD command.

Regards

Rifo