[kicad-users] Re: has anyone sent their designs to a fab company? what settings? I want to use ...
I've found that two very good (and free) tools are the ViewMate Gerber viewer from www.pentalogix.com and the free DRC check at the Advanced Circuits www.4pcb.com site. Regards, Bob --- In kicad-users@yahoogroups.com, Pedro Martin pki...@... wrote: Hi, As Kicar Gerber viewer has some limitations (although is works fine), I also use gerbv, from gEDA. Opensource and free. Regards, Pedro. Use Linux version of Kicad. It works perfect. Gerber viewer in Kicad is fine but it does not do all of the spacing tests. For that you have to use ERC checking in PCBnew. However, the PCB houses each have their own limitations and it is easier for me to use their checkers so that they flag any limitations they have. Martin NeonJohn j...@... wrote: Richard wrote: That said, I do recommend that you preview the Gerber files and the drill file using the free previewer ViewMate (http://www.pentalogix.com/). It's not FOSS but it is sort of a de facto industry standard. If everything lines up and looks correct in ViewMate then you're probably good to go. How does this compare to the gerber viewer included in KiCAD. I'm a Linux user so it's not so easy to test software that won't run under Wine and this one won't. Thanks, John -- John DeArmond Tellico Plains, Occupied TN http://www.neon-john.com-- email from here http://www.johndearmond.com -- Best damned Blog on the net PGP key: wwwkeys.pgp.net: BCB68D77
[kicad-users] Re: Removing inner pads with vias
--- In kicad-users@yahoogroups.com, kajdas [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Yes, I did that, I use standard vias, 0.01 drill. 0.025 pad, no micro, no buried, no blind. I just need to specify different pad size (or remove) on inner layer. I'd suggest making the via sizes an odd-ball number, say 0.026. That's close to the 0.025 you're already using and shouldn't cause any problems on the outer layers. It does, though, give you a unique Gerber aperture which will make it easy to strip them from the inner layer Gerbers. Note the aperture number in the table and search for the corresponding 'D##*' line in the file. You'd then just delete all of the lines from it down to the next 'D##*' line. Another option would be to use a Gerber editor to strip the vias from the inner layers. My personal preference is ViewMasterEZ. (about $50 from www.pentalogix.com) Regards, Bob
[kicad-users] Re: Comparing gerber files for changes
--- In kicad-users@yahoogroups.com, barkerben [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi, I have two sets of gerber files that I THINK are identical. Any ideas how to be sure? I can load multiple gerbers into the viewer, but if I load layer1 from one set and layer 1 from the other, they both seem to be loaded the same colour, so it is impossible to tell if there is a difference. You can use the PentaLogix ViewMate viewer (a free download) to import each of the Gerber files into a different layer. Doing this will display them in contrasting colors. Regards, Bob
[kicad-users] Re: Import other format
--- In kicad-users@yahoogroups.com, Carlo Garberi [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi. Please excuse me, but: you write... Check Files section. You can find there few utilities, also for conversion ... where is the FILES Section ? what is the file section? I'm using the Win's version of Kicad. The 'Files' section that's being referred to is part of the Yahoo group rather than part of KiCad. On the left side of the group's home page, it's the fourth link down in the list. You'll find it directly below the 'Home', 'Messages', and 'Post' links. Regards, Bob
[kicad-users] Re: Import other format
--- In kicad-users@yahoogroups.com, megasquirt_evolution [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hello everyone, I would want to know if there are addons that can import popular format like Altium Designer, Protel or Orcad, for schematic and PCB. I'm an altium designer user, and I would eventually switch to Kikad. Thanks in advance. Does Altium Designer have the capability to save files as ASCII text? If so, it *should* be possible to create a conversion program to translate from one format to the other. While it may take a significant effort to do this, it should still be possible to do. If Altium Designer has an ASCII save capability, can you post a simple schematic and its associated PCB to the 'Files' section of the group? It should only take a circuit with a couple of components to see what would be involved. Regards, Bob
[kicad-users] Re: Multiple board panels
--- In kicad-users@yahoogroups.com, cpudave50 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I usually try to squeeze several small circuit boards onto one larger panel. Can anyone tell me where I can find panelizing instructions for KiCad? Are you looking to do a step-and-repeat to place multiple copies of the same board onto the panel or do you want to put different layouts onto the panel? Step-and-repeat is very easy to do with simple edits to the Gerber files. I'll post a description and example files a little later today. First I'll have to figure out where I parked those files. :=) For merging different layouts onto a panel, I don't know if KiCad has that capability. I always use ViewMasterEZ from www.pentalogix.com for doing that. (ViewMasterEZ is a Gerber Editor that's available for about $50. It works very much like their free ViewMate Gerber Viewer but adds a lot of features for editing.) Regards, Bob
[kicad-users] Re: Orcad .OLB to KICAD
--- In kicad-users@yahoogroups.com, Robert Kondner [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi, For a sample EDIF export an OrCAD schematic or library. Unfortunately, I have no access to a system running OrCAD. You will need the EDIF 2.0.0 documents they cost a couple hundred dollars. I just found the spec - OUCH, it's US$372. That's a bit more than I was planning to spend on this effort. I'll have to see if I can get access to a copy without buying one. With a few example files, though, it should be possible to figure out the basics from the files themselves. The descriptions and examples that I've seen indicate that EDIF is a fairly straightforward format. If noone in this group is able to post a few EDIF files, I'll try to get someone over on the OrCADexchange Yahoo group to post some. If you really want to do this keep in touch, I have plans on doing the same at some point in the near future. Will do. Regards, Bob
[kicad-users] Re: Making panels in pcbnew (follow-up)
Sorry, I should have said 'inserted into' rather than 'appended to' with regard to step-and-repeat commands in Gerber files. I'll be posting the file 'StepAndRepeat.zip' shortly to the 'Files' section of the group which shows an example. Regards, Bob
[kicad-users] Re: Toaster oven soldering
--- In kicad-users@yahoogroups.com, hiroshi [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: It's intersting ! I googled Reflow Soldering Oven toaster and got many pages how to do with pictures with out any pay. I printed those pages and now start to read those pages. Another resource can be found here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/E-Z_Bake It's a very inactive group but the message archive and other sections of it have quite a bit of information. Regards, Bob Please read the Kicad FAQ in the group files section before posting your question. Please post your bug reports here. They will be picked up by the creator of Kicad. Please contribute your symbols/modules to the library folder in the group files section. For building Kicad from source and other development questions visit the kicad-devel group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kicad-devel SPONSORED LINKS Open source software Symbol software Symbols Open source YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS Visit your group "kicad-users" on the web. To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.
