Re: gEDA-user: Driving the netlist from PCB (instead of gschem)

[Rick Collins <erudite999@xxxxxxxxx>]

At 05:19 PM 9/28/2008, you wrote:

> > I prefer to open both tools
> at once and make the same changes in
> > both tools at the same time.
>
> I do something similar.  If I want to swap in pcb, I update the
> schematic, regenerate the netlist, and import it.  Then the rats
> know
> what I *want* rather than trying to play catch-up.  Now, if we
> could
> use DBUS to make that a one-click transfer...

I guess I don't understand.  If you wanted a rat line between pins,
why wouldn't you have done it that way the first time?  I guess I am
thinking in terms of having partially routed a net and found that to
continue, it is better to swap a pin at the unrouted end.  Are you saying
that you can see the problem without routing?  If you just update
the schematic and import the new net list, doesn't that cause the trace
for that net to be ripped up?  If not, that's great!  


> > Personally, I
> favor the idea of a unified data base for both layout 
> > and schematic.  So far no one seems to agree with this
> idea.
>
> It's been tossed around before, but there are drawbacks.  For
> example,
> gschem supports more backends than just pcb, so carrying around
> pcb's
> overhead when you won't use pcb is a waste.  Also, layouts and
> schematics have different needs for what is stored (gschem doesn't
> need to save line clearance info, via drill sizes,
> etc).

Sure, you can say it's a waste, but wasted what, disk space?  If you
create a schematic with no layout info, there wouldn't be anything in the
file for that, so no (or very little) overhead.  If a format such as
XML is adopted, then I think that has lots of overhead, but likely
without much impact really. 


> Still, the pcb file
> format is very old and probably due for a
> redesign.  I suspect if I ever find time to redo the internal
> layer
> infrastructure, I might end up changing it for
> that.

I would suggest that a broad perspective be considered when thinking of
changing the internal file format.  Maybe it is too early to tell if
the IPC ideas will take root, but certainly they can be considered. 
Just like all the layout vendors seem to prefer proprietary formats, it
appears that every open source layout and schematic tool has to reinvent
the file format wheel. 

Rick

Arius - A Signal Processing Solutions Company
Specializing in DSP and FPGA design      URL http://www.arius.com
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Frederick, MD 21701-3110

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