Re: gEDA-user: Place to submit PCB footprints

[Matthew Wilkins <matthew_m_wilkins@xxxxxxxx>]

As for QA, I would suggest a forum-style web site where people can post
their elements under a topic and others can leave comments, ie. whether
the element worked for them or not, and whether it meets the standard
style guidelines.

When the Geda/PCB developers are looking to release a new version of
their software, they can scan through and find elements that meet some
criteria (like minimum of one report of successful use in a project,
and no reports of problems).  Those elements can then be added to the
main distribution.

It might take a little longer for elements to show up in the releases,
but at least the ones that get in should be of high quality, and the
rest would be available at the contribution web site.

Unfortunately I´m pretty clueless when it comes to web design, but I
think such a site would need a couple of people in an admin role,
moderating, checking symbols for style compliance, and deleting
pictures of DJ. I don´t mind volunteering for some of this duty.


Matt


--- Dan McMahill <dan@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> DJ Delorie wrote:
> >>Can you make a place on pcb.sourceforge.net or geda.seul.org to
> submit
> >>PCB footprints? We have just made a footprint for Bourns CM45 SMD
> coil.
> > 
> > 
> > We've talked about this before.  I don't know if SF has the
> technology
> > to do it, but there was also a concern about abuse.  We'd have to
> have
> > some sort of validator that proved (1) it was actually a symbol or
> > footprint, and (2) it was syntactically correct.  I don't think we
> > solved that problem, although I think there's a wiki somewhere.
> > 
> 
> The biggest thing which has prevented me from try to open up a way
> for 
> more footprint contributions is a clear policy on how they are made. 
> In 
> particular
> 
> 1) naming convention.  I'm in favor of using the latest IPC 
> recommendation here whenever possible.  What I want to avoid is 27 
> versions of the same thing.  so8 SO8 SO-8 SOIC-8 8_pin_soic, etc.
> 
> 2) style -- did you include appropriate silk?
> 
> 3) general QA.  I've seen some awful footprints in commercial libs, 
> corporate libs, and pcb libs.  I'd like to not feed things in without
> 
> some quality checks.  This is especially true when a number of 
> footprints are developed and "verified" via hand soldering or without
> a 
> silk screen and not evaluated for machine assembly or long term
> solder 
> joint reliability.
> 
> 4) a better way for versioning the footprints and updating footprints
> in 
> an existing layout.  The current method isn't great.  Basically, to 
> update footprints, one way is delete the ones you want to update, run
> 
> gsch2pcb to pull in the new ones and then replace them.  I'd rather
> have 
> a way for a footprint to know where it came from and how to see if it
> is 
> up to date and then a way for the user to say "update this one
> leaving 
> it in the same spot with the same rotation".
> 
> -Dan
> 
> 



	

	
		
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