Re: gEDA-user: Using Veroboard style layouts in gEDA pcb ?

[Peter Clifton <pcjc2@xxxxxxxxx>]

On Thu, 2008-07-24 at 12:57 +0100, Simon Clubley wrote:
> I layout my circuits on Veroboard and I am currently using Vutrax because
> it has the capability to layout a Veroboard style track in it's PCB
> designer.
> 
> I would like to switch to an open source package like gEDA or Kicad,
> and after reading through the gEDA documentation, I don't see any similar
> functionality present, but it's possible that I may have missed it.
> 
> The way that Vutrax works is that it has the ability to execute a script
> file and the Vutrax owners have implemented a script that draws a
> series of tracks, 0.1 inch apart, with through holes in each track at
> 0.1 inch distances.

This should be possible using PCB. PCB doesn't have a built in scripting
language, however since it uses a text based file-format, it is very
easy to automate generating such layouts with a shell script / perl /
awk / python / ..... program.

> The script places the generated tracks on it's own layer (in this case,
> layer 10) and the through holes connect them to the rest of the circuit.

Do you then remove the through-holes in favour of placing specific
component footprints?

Do you go into layer 10, then delete and re-add segments where you want
to break a vero-trace?

The only issue I can see doing this with PCB, is that you may need to be
creative when selecting footprints for things with leads, like
resistors. (Depending on lead spacing / how you want to bend them).

How do you do flexible jump wires?

I've done this myself by using tracks on another spare layer, but you
have to avoid crossing the through-holes otherwise it would short things
out.

Regards,

-- 
Peter Clifton

Electrical Engineering Division,
Engineering Department,
University of Cambridge,
9, JJ Thomson Avenue,
Cambridge
CB3 0FA

Tel: +44 (0)7729 980173 - (No signal in the lab!)



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