Re: gEDA-user: pcb question : same structure several times on board

[Carlos Nieves Ónega <cnieves.mail@xxxxxxxxx>]

El lun, 09-05-2005 a las 13:40 +0200, Leva escribió:
> On Mon, 09 May 2005 13:21:50 +0200
> Bernhard Kraemer <Bernhard.Kramer@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> 
> > Hello,
> > 
> > I am creating a pcb board on which I have four times the same structure 
> > (four voltage stabilisators together with their resistors and 
> > capacitors). It would be very fine if I could copy one structure in a 
> > way that all the three other structures, together with their wiring, 
> > will look equal and straight. If a tool like this exists, I'd like to 
> > use it for another circuit where a couple of ever-the-same filters 
> > appear. Does a tool like this exist ?
> 
> Bonjour,
> 
> Well.... copy to the buffer, and then past buffer to board. This will mess up
> the refdes'.
> 
> I was trying to create such things, but if you make very crowded boards, your
> power supply will always be different too. 

Or not... it depends on the design. However, you can copy the layout
without the traces or nets you don't want to be copied, and then paste
the structure of those nets.

I guess this is not yet implemented, but how about using a hierarchical
blocks for that?. I mean:
	- Draw the basic structure in a single schematic.
	- Draw a new schematic with as many instances of the structure  as you
need (each as a block).
	- Now go to pcb, and do the layout of one structure.
	- Copy it to a buffer.
	- A new operation "Paste instance from buffer" is defined, which takes
the structure from the buffer, finds another instance of the block
(based on schematic blocks and subcircuits), and changes the refdes' to
the new one. It can also ask the user which one should be used.

Something like this is implemented in high-level programs, and it's very
useful. The problem is that there should be a tight integration between
gschem and pcb, or at least pcb should know the block hierarchy of a
component/block within the whole design....

Regards,

Carlos