Amega328p-au shorted pins ?

Hi James,

James Zelazny jr wrote:

 

Finally motivated myself into trying Eagle files only to see my original instincts told me NOT to bother.

I get it you are feeling frustrated, the first time I tried to use EAGLE it didn't go so well. I had to sit down and read the manual and tutorials to understand how it works as previously I had spent a lot of time with DxDesigner/PADS and OrCAD, and EAGLE was quite a change from both of these.

James Zelazny jr wrote:

 

The last thing I expected was not finding common components in the library.My first mistake to assume that an Atmega328p-au would be one of the easiest to find.Not so and had to search the ends of the earth to find it and manually place it into the LIBR directory.After a 4 hour search and finally having this IC in my schematic layout

So the issue here is assuming the bundled parts library is useful. As with the "free" parts libraries that are bundled with absolutely all ECAD packages, not just EAGLE, you get what you pay for. If you value your time and the integrity of your designs you'll just create your own libraries. It's actually quite easy once you've done a few parts. There are great tutorials to get you started on Adafruit and Dangerous Prototypes. To start this from scratch and do it properly yourself would have been a fraction of the time you spent searching.

James Zelazny jr wrote:

 

.After a 4 hour search and finally having this IC in my schematic layout I now see "shorts" on several pins of this chip in the BRD window.The worse possible places no less on 3.3v and ground !!

I can probably modify this file but now getting far deeper into a simple project I thought would be straight forward.

Is it a software glitch causing this or a bad library file ?

Anyone know where to find a working Atmega328p-au footprint

See attached screen shot of the issue.

It looks like it's just showing air wires between pins on the same net, not between nets i.e. it's connecting all the GND and separately all the 3.3V but I am a little perplexed why as it doesn't look like you have any nets added on the schematic and dropping in a part with multiple pads on the same pin of the part doesn't show air wires for me until I connect up a net in the schematic. Could you put the lib/sch/brd files up on here so we can take a look at what you have done please?

Best Regards,

Rachael

The screenshot is just me adding the very first component into the work space.I did nothing but add the library file for the Atmega328p-au,started the program and was the very first component selected.I did nothing but check the board view to find these pins already wired.

I spent an entire day downloading as many components for my project as possible and had it just about completed on the second day when I discovered many wires in places that should not have been.So,cleaned the slate and even re-installed Eagle and started over.

This time I wanted to place a component and do little at a time while checking for bogus traces.That is when I finally discovered these connections right off before even starting the project...just merely adding the component and this shows up.

I also would like to note that sometimes the program crashes and will lose my work unless I save each and everything I do.

Frustrated is a mild term at this point.

So basically,I open the program,create a project and the first thing I do is select the Atmega328p-au and put it into the schematic work space.and that is what I am getting.I have done nothing else

Here is the file I used and wonder if it is just a bad file itself ?

https://www.snapeda.com/parts/ATMEGA328P-AU/Atmel/view-part/

Give it a try and see what you get ?

Paul Ellison wrote:

 

Only just today I have downloaded the latest version of Eagle (for Mac) and attempted to create parts for a new design. Unfortunately the library editor seems to continually crash. It seems to be a known issue: https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/eagle-forum/editing-device-crashes-eagle-8/td-p/6879433

 

I would recommend you stick with version 7.7. At least for now.

 

I'm going to have a look at KiCad.

Yes, license issue aside (I don't want that to kick off in this thread too!), it seems the 8.0.x releases are not fit for purpose at the moment. I've had numerous crashes and the latest v8.0.2 seems to have the most dysfunctional library editor yet....

Fortunately I have a 7.7 Ultimate license which I will be sticking with until such time v8 works reliably and they have some worthwhile new features.

Best Regards,

Rachael

I appreciate the advice and the replies to help out.

However,the program crashes too much now every time I go to the board view.This will all be a waste of time even if I get a schematic finished.

By the time I drag all the components in board view it crashes and can not even check my work.

Since my project is to fly on balloons and never be seen again,I may just make hand crafted surfaces(cardboard/plastic) And glue the components to that. Then use very thin magnet wire to connect the components.The bright side is I can take normal showers,eat dinner,get normal sleep and save money on PCB`s

I even think I can reduce the weight over PCB materials which was the goal anyhow.

A fine tip soldering iron and steady hands will do the trick.

I just want progress.

Hi James,

Maybe don't give up just yet, maybe we can help get you up and running. Try one more thing. Download and install v7.6 and see if that is any more stable. I don't have any issues with v7.7 myself on Mac/Linux but I have seen elsewhere somebody having issues with v7.7 and saying v7.6 worked fine for them.

You can get v7.6 from ftp://ftp.cadsoft.de/eagle/program/

Another thing to check is that you installed it in the default location in C:\EAGLE<somethingorother> or did you change it to a custom location? It is known to not work right if you don't let it install to the default location.

Best Regards,

Rachael

James Zelazny jr wrote:

 

I even think I can reduce the weight over PCB materials which was the goal anyhow.

You can specify thinner than standard PCB's and they would be really light. Look at all the options on Eurocircuits as an example. You end up paying quite a bit more for non standard builds though.

Best Regards,

Rachael

Just to get an idea how NOT concerned I am with cosmetics but rather function here is previous builds.

My goal now is to reduce weight and wanted to go with surface mounted components.In reality,swapping out an Atmega328-pu with a 328p-au is a small reduction in weight.Adding the PCB pretty much replaces the weight I saved.so trying to be smart not pretty

https://www.qrp-labs.com/flights/u3s7

Since I hate to go down without a fight,here is an example of what is happening when I try simple things using Eagle.

Is it something I am doing wrong or is this an issue with software on my machine?

The version of Eagle I dug up from backup CD`s since V8 and V7 was not working.It appeared this older version was working much better but after making this video,it crashed while sitting in board view so now I have 2 issues again.

Here is a short video of what I am trying to accomplish starting with 3 components and a simple crystal connection.

https://youtu.be/oZavqxPt9U0

Ignore the sound,that was a ham radio tied into my sound card by mistake.

Also,this error popped up while processing this video and has been doing this on both working versions of Eagle.

But you can still see a missing connection on that crystal.

I may just be SOL with this project and will try a newer machine today and see how that goes.

Jim

All my problems are because of Windows XP C++ library issues and always no solution.Been down this road 100`s of times and this happens with some programs and not others.Not going to waste my life on fixing it.

However,installed the latest version of Eagle onto a newer laptop here,transferred my new LBR files and first shot everything works like it should.

Going to get to work,enough time wasted already.

Thanks for those who tried to help and maybe this posting will help someone in the future rather than wasting time.

Jim

Hi James,

Thanks for the updates. If you continue to use EAGLE on your newer laptop, there's plenty of people here to help out if you have any further questions.

Good luck with you project!

Best Regards,

Rachael

Rachael,

Thank you for your patience.

So far have made up some of my schematic.I`ll do a bit here and there and check over the work as I go.

Still some things to learn but feel pretty good about the way it works so far.No crashes yet and the latest version is far better to use with noticeable changes from previous versions tried.My circuit is very basic compared to most out there so should go fairly well.Even if it doesn't,at least this time have a chance

I`ll probably be back with some questions eventually and hope help will be available.

Jim

Thought to share the work done already on my schematic but pretty sure there are errors somewhere along the line.

The biggest hurdle so far is getting a crystal connected to an IC.

Not really sure why it does not show up properly in board view but here is my goal.

See drawing -

When I try this the caps end up on the IC pins and the crystal on the opposite side.I do not think the circuit will function properly this way.

I am making connections exactly as the diagram shows.Missing a step somewhere ?

Thought to share the work done already on my schematic but pretty sure there are errors somewhere along the line.

The biggest hurdle so far is getting a crystal connected to an IC.

Not really sure why it does not show up properly in board view but here is my goal.

See drawing -

When I try this the caps end up on the IC pins and the crystal on the opposite side.I do not think the circuit will function properly this way.

I am making connections exactly as the diagram shows.Missing a step somewhere ?

Here is my schematic and board view.

Seems the crystal pins should be connected to the IC and the caps after that to ground the way it was drawn ?

Maybe it is correct and I am not used to organizing things properly on board view?

Hi James,

I think it's probably ok. If you place the crystal where you want it, near the IC pins and then the caps the other side where you want them, if you then press the ratsnest button or type RAT <return> you should see it re-optimise the air wires to the order you expect.

The other thing to note is in the image of the schematic above it is warning about forward and back annotation being severed. You need to make sure you always have both the schematic and board open and never make any changes that will affect the netlist when one or the other is closed otherwise you will end up in a mess.

Best Regards,

Rachael

Thank you for the note.

Still need to learn about the options the program has yet plus need to orient my head to seeing a circuit rather than a diagram.

This has been a big transition to me since my projects were mostly been accomplished using diagrams rather than schematics.

I`ll get used to this yet.

Appreciate the help once again.I need to adjust my eyes and look this over a bit closer.

Auto routing helped a lot so far rather than a spaghetti of lines

Also,being very careful when checking from schem to board not to change anything to goof it all up.

After several days and many hours I am giving up on Eagle.

My project is too simple and struggling with this software is making it much harder than it should be.

This has been tried on 3 machines to eliminate OS as the cause.Searched high and low for footprints and symbols for my specific components.

Read every forum post and video and nothing works like is said or seen.

In the end,I took 3 simple components which were a pair of identical 5 pin headers and a 10 pin IC (Si5351a) and simply connected the pins to just that all by itself.

I get nothing but errors all day long.

Just downloaded the complete Adafruit Si5351a ,BRD/SCHEM and ran it into Eagle using all and every method learned from videos and forums and still it shows the same errors.

I changed drills,mils and mm`s and other settings and sizes with no results...not even slight changes.

Since my project is not protecting the universe,going to mount these tiny components onto thin light material using glue and soldering point to point.

The time spent on software and computers was time spent soldering

Thanks for the help but time to move forward.

I think someone needs to try the Si5351a synthesizer chip first and could be Eagle free version is incapable of using it?

Hi James,

Can you post up a sample of the errors you are seeing here please so we can see what's happening?

Also, can you attach the .lbr file you found containing the Si5351a and I will take a look at it.

Best Regards,

Rachael

I think this is what I have been using - https://www.snapeda.com/parts/SI5351A-B-GT/Silicon%20Labs/view-part/

Also,tried using this schematic and get the very same clearance issues with the Si5351a.

https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit-Si5351A-Clock-Generator-Breakout-PCB

I even tried to route my own but can not seem to make the traces small enough.They end up touching.But even using the plain Si5351a chip on a pair of 5 pin headers the clearance error continues.

I just can not seem to fix this error.

Had the entire schematic made and remade several times and getting tired.Tried the board portion equally as much and everything in between.

Following the video steps exactly and getting different results.

I should describe this circuit.My goal is to shrink down a circuit I already successfully use for high altitude balloons.

It consists of 3 stages,GPS SI5351 Atmega328p-au

My current working setup is crude and was hoping to go 100% surface mount to drastically reduce weight.My total weight now is about 28 grams and feel surface mount will greatly reduce it even more.The reason for this weight loss is also reducing balloon size and helium reduction therefore increasing altitudes.I only get around 30k feet and need to get at least 35 - 40k to avoid storms.

That is the plan anyhow.

Here you see my old build which may give you an idea what the goal is.

So if I hand solder onto construction paper or plain phenolic board,it will all work the same way.

Having one neat PCB was just a luxury and seems out of my reach

Jim

I`ll just upload my entire schematic.

This is not the same as it was since I decided to eliminate traces and thought it would be easier to section out the circuit into 3 sections.

Rather than a bunch of traces,tried using headers where later I can hand solder jumpers to avoid all these design issues.Everything will still be on one PCB but some hand tracing involved.

It seemed to reduce the headaches except that dreaded Si5351a clearance stuff.

Anyhow,here it is.

Found another possibility for footprint - CAD/CAE Schematic Footprints and Symbols | Silicon Labs

But another program to figure out to go with it .