Re: gEDA-user: SMT assembly and gerbv lilbro.mosquito.net.nz

[John Griessen <john@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Stuart Brorson wrote:
>>>> Could gerbv be modified to generate lists of pads after finding where silk outline intersects
>>>> or encloses soldermask openings?
> 
> I've been watching this discussion with some interest.  I do think it
> would be quite difficult to implement this feature, since RS-274X is a
> very dumb format.

[jg]Hmmm...  I've just looked at the pick and place file parser...  could be useful...
Joined gerbv-devel.

   Starting with the 2.1
> versions (unreleased, not even complete in CVS), gerbv will first
> construct a big data structure corresponding to the Gerber file, and
> then it will render the drawing based upon what's in the data
> structure.

[jg]Sounds more like it.

> 
> Therefore, as Stefan said, it is in principle easier to implement some
> recognition of components based upon the newer stuff, but I gotta say
> that even with the new stuff, gerbv is only 10% further down the road
> to autorecognizing components than before.

[jg]All I'm looking for now is a way to identify a courtyard box on the silk layer
and relate that to pads enclosed on top soldermask layer.  Everything else would
be too "AI" to get far enough in time.  That much might have speedup value.
Juergen Haas's Pick and Place file GUI could be the other part that would let
you add to a PnP (Pick and Place) file based on the above simplistic
recognitions filed in groups that you would then check
visually and mark off with mouse clicks, then export.

For instance a recognition group would be: symmetric pad sets enclosed by silk box,
orientation unknown, centroid calculated.  Then the mouse actions could be:  rotate 90,
accept for export.

If you had that much, the remaining thing for a program that helped would be
manually create a footprint box and display it over the gerber view, then act on it with
commands to nudge XY location, rotate, enter refdes, accept for export.

Just those minimal GUI commands would be a usable program for creating or adding to a
XY PnP file.

> Another CAD format, ODB++, is a newer, smarter format for PCB CAD.

I doubt it is universal enough to be a business tool for Lil Brother
unless the top pcb making programs all output it.
a little googling says,  Eagle doesn't,
PADS   ,
P-CAD 2002 PCB supports Valor's ODB++

  CADSTAR supports manufacturing output formats for Gerber, extended Gerber RS274X, ODB++
Cadence supports the industry initiative towards Gerber-less manufacturing through its Valor ODB++
[jg]This one sounds like a $$ add-on, not default output...
2002  Altium implements ODB++ interfaces across its PCB products
[jg]That means protel 99SE doesn't....

[blah] Valor Computerized Systems, ODB++ is [blah] de facto standard
     How do I output ODB++ from my CAD system?  http://www.valor.com/en/Products/ODBpp.aspx
  explains how to generate ODB++ from the following CAD systems:
Allegro; Orcad
Mentor: Board Station; PowerPCB; Expedition
Visula; Cadstar; Board Designer (CR5000); PWS (CR3000) P-CAD; Protel Pulsonix PCB Easy-PC
Free ODB++ Viewer

But the link to a "conversion manual" and all like it are dead ones,
then I find this:

http://www.gencam.net/convergence.html

Gencam again.  It's still alive...  It's probably what we want to use rather than
a "ascii open format" that I can't find the spec for...  Look at the comment by Intercept Technology
especially.

John Griessen
-- 
Ecosensory   Austin TX
tinyOS devel on:  ubuntu Linux;   tinyOS v2.0.2;   telosb ecosens1


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