Re: gEDA-user: Parts!

[Joerg <joergsch@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

DJ Delorie wrote:
>> That is what most CAD systems do. Usually you can't select farther down 
>> than footprint, like "oh, I want one with the solder mask tucked some 
>> more".
> 
> Well, real needs would be like: axial resistor: 0.4" vs 0.5" vs 0.6"
> spacing, TO-220 standing up or laying down, or the 0603[LMN]
> differences.  The last is probably project-wide, but the others depend
> on the specific layout of that part.
> 
>> That would require making a new footprint with a new name to it. 
> 
> Ah, but if we're clever with the names, PCB would know how to group
> alternative footprints that are for the "same" package.
> 

Yes, that could be done but requires the user to be more diligent. Or 
some warning mechanism like "You cannot start this name with D2PAK".


>> This would be leather seats plus champagne cooler :-)
> 
> Well, yeah, but it's a goal, not the "next step".  I often want to
> swap gate pins (or memory addr/data pins) in pcb to make the layout
> work.  Putting that functionality in gschem is useless; ...


Not useless. When doing analog stuff you often take a 2nd look and say 
to yourself "I think the phase noise cancels better if I swap U14B and 
U27C and re-shuffle the mixer drivers over there". Probably that's why 
Eagle (schematic) can do that. But it's not that hard to shove those 
around by hand so it would not be significant if gschem can't do it.


>       ... gschem doesn't know what the layout looks like.
> 

No, but the guy sitting in front of it hopefully does :-)


>>> footprint class (or specific) -> slotting(numbering) -> gschem
>>> (this is done in pcb)
>> That part would IMHO only make sense if or after the broken annotation 
>> and power pin issue gets resolved.
> 
> That too.
> 
>>> For SOP footprints, for example, we could "outline around pads" and
>>> "outline between pads" options, or project-specific alternatives like
>>> "extra clearance".
>>>
>> Nice, but it doesn't have to go that far. Most people are used to
>> making special footprints. Like one for Rogers, one for FR4 and
>> maybe one for <gasp> the super-saver phenolic projects, then keep
>> using them all the time.
> 
> All the more reason to have PCB give you a way to select among them
> for "that package type".
> 

Don't get me wrong, I think the idea is great. It's just that there are 
more pressing issues, like annotation. Just my 2c, only meant as input.

-- 
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/



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