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CadSoft EAGLE development team developing XML format for schematic, layout and parts libraries!

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hello makers -

 

this is my first post here, i'm the senior editor at MAKE magazine and also the creative director at adafruit. i've been part of a growing movement called "open-source hardware" for the last 5 years or so. today we just got some great news from the CadSoft EAGLE development team about the their long term commitment to text based file formats in the world of electronics development. with their permission i am posting this here and on MAKE (as well as adafruit). it's extremely exciting for those of us who wanted an XML format for files and we're thrilled CadSoft EAGLE has said they're committed to it!

 

here's the overview of what we learned:

 

  • CadSoft EAGLE (our preferred schematic/layout software) has told us they are committed to a text based format in the long term.
  • The CadSoft EAGLE development team is developing a new format for schematic, layout and parts libraries that is XML, this means every object and line will be written out in text description.
  • You won't have to worry about binary file corruption, you will be able to hand-edit or generate schematics and layouts and of course the magic of version-control (such as github) will be easier than ever with real text 'diff's!
  • This will be a fully documented format and also of course a converter for old CadSoft EAGLE binary-type formats.

 

 

this is a great direction and i encourage you to support EAGLE as you decide which tools to use now and in the future. but that's not all, i've chatted with the element-14 folks and they're all set up for your feedback, if they're very interested in Maker voices their product development. so here's your chance folks!

 

cheers,

pt

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  • I see this as only a good thing - especially for the libraries.  Too often there is a part that just has different labels or some other variation.  It is easier to edit XML (assuming they don't do something totally confusing) to change pin names or to type in the dimensions from the datasheet than to try to be precise in a GUI.

     

    Or automate the generation process - if there is some new fine pitch format, the polygons in each of the layers are typically copied out at fixed intervals.

     

    As to XML ambiguities - that is another beauty of XML - you can write verifiers and validators.

     

    I can see a lot of things becoming more compact or new utilities (same device, new package, if the description links to the package, just add in another link to the new package).

Reply

  • I see this as only a good thing - especially for the libraries.  Too often there is a part that just has different labels or some other variation.  It is easier to edit XML (assuming they don't do something totally confusing) to change pin names or to type in the dimensions from the datasheet than to try to be precise in a GUI.

     

    Or automate the generation process - if there is some new fine pitch format, the polygons in each of the layers are typically copied out at fixed intervals.

     

    As to XML ambiguities - that is another beauty of XML - you can write verifiers and validators.

     

    I can see a lot of things becoming more compact or new utilities (same device, new package, if the description links to the package, just add in another link to the new package).

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