[GreenKeys] PC board work.

[Bob kb8tq]

Hi

Eagle and KiCAD both have a lot of videos to show you this and that.
I will not claim that they all are *good* videos :) There also are lists /
forums / and a whole lot of blogs showing you what’s what. 

With either program, pick a simple project. Maybe a loop supply with
a couple of connectors on it. A full up TU, probably not. The idea is
to do something somewhat useful and to do it quickly. It’s the only way
to work out just how all the steps lock in to each other ….

Start with schematic entry. Fill in the parts list. Do the layout. Do the checks 
on the layout. Generate Gerbers. Send the Gerbers to JLPCB (or any board 
house). See what their design checks say about the layout. You want to
go through it all each time. That keeps you from having a disaster when 
you do that next step for the first time. 

Do that for maybe three designs. You don’t have to order them, but as cheap
as boards are … why not? I’d wait until all three are done to place the order.
Shipping will cost as much as the boards will, even done as a group. 

Each design you do will “teach” you this or that. As you run into gotcha’s
you will correct your process. Go back and check that first design once 
the third one is done :) :)

The world out there is metric. 10 cm x 10 cm is the “magic” board size 
these days. Stay at (or below) that size and things are cheap cheap 
cheap. It may not be ideal for every project, but understand the cost 
if you go bigger. 

You *will* need shelf space to store all those boards ….. I have evidence
to support that :)

Bob

> On Jan 25, 2021, at 1:10 PM, ad7i <ad7i at ad7i.net> wrote:
> 
> For those interested in KiCad, I found this video series very helpful.  Probably no need for anyone in GreenKeys to see Episode 1 as that's very basic.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2niS9ZRBHo&t <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2niS9ZRBHo&t> 
> 
> Paul, ad7i
> 
> 
> 
> On Mon, Jan 25, 2021 at 1:03 PM RETRO Innovations <go4retro at go4retro.com <mailto:go4retro at go4retro.com>> wrote:
> On 1/25/2021 11:58 AM, Jeffrey Angus wrote:
>> Okies, I guess I have a new project to do. 
>> I downloaded KiCAD. 
>> Unlearn ExpressPCB and learn KiCAD. 
>> 
>> It will import files from Eagle but not from ExpressPCB. 
>> That's the first thing I learned. ;-) 
>> 
>> 
>> 
> From what I understand, ExpressPCB is, unfortunately, a walled off garden of sorts.  I think you can generate gerbers with a paid version of it, but little else is possible.
> 
> FOr that reason alone, I stayed away.
> 
> And yes, KiCAD consumes EAGLE files, at least those in v6+ that are the XML variant.
> 
> Jim
> 
> -- 
> RETRO Innovations, Contemporary Gear for Classic Systems
> www.go4retro.com <http://www.go4retro.com/>
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