Re: gEDA-user: symbol files

[Kelvin Gardiner <kelvin@xxxxxxxx>]

Well, easy problems are no fun  :-) .

I suppose that the possible solutions are:

Try to add something into current format. Such as a new symbol for a 
package followed by the package name then on following lines a pin list 
as now which ends with the next package, if this package line is not 
found assume the current format. Messy.

Use a new file format that allows multiple packages. But this breaks old 
symbols or if old symbols where also usable would be inconsistent. So is 
no good.

Use a meta field, which would allow the GUI to point at other symbols, 
may not be the most elegant solution, it relies on all symbol using the 
meta field, but an easy fix.

Use a meta file with symbol name, datasheet etc, and a list of symbol 
files. Each symbol file is in the current format, one for each package. 
The Gui could read the meta file and then fetches the selected symbol.


What ideas have been preferred in the past? I wouldn't mind giving this 
a go and seeing what can be done.

Kelvin


Peter TB Brett wrote:
> On Thursday 12 November 2009 20:23:22 Bill Gatliff wrote:
>   
>> Peter TB Brett wrote:
>>     
>>> On Thursday 12 November 2009 19:56:25 Kelvin Gardiner wrote:
>>>       
>>>> Having a quick look at a symbol file it seems there is no way to define
>>>> different pin positions and order for different packages. Which is what
>>>> Peter implied in his reply.
>>>>         
>>> Correct.
>>>
>>>       
>>>> Is there any plans to work on this feature?
>>>>         
>>> Not that I am aware of.  Feel free to submit patches though!
>>>       
>> This is a potentially tricky feature, because for example some of the
>> microcontrollers I have worked with have pins that aren't available on
>> certain packages.  There are also cases where the pin mapping is just...
>> wierd.  Consider even the lowly Atmel ATtiny45, which comes in DIP8 and
>> MLF20.  Yep, an 8-pin package and a 20-pin package.  Guess which one has
>> a bunch of no-connects?  :)
>>
>> IOW, I think that in the general case it isn't possible to pick a symbol
>> independent of its package.  True, it works for a lot of devices, but
>> not all of them...
>>     
>
> Yep.  The reason this sort of feature isn't being developed (and hasn't 
> already *been* developed) is because it's neither clear how to get it right, 
> even if it's assumed that it's something that actually fits into the gEDA 
> paradigm!  Believe me, Peter C. and I have spent many an hour in coffee shops 
> puzzling over the "right way" to do this kind of thing, and still haven't 
> worked it out... ;-)
>
>                                     Peter
>
>   
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