Re: gEDA: PCB HID status

[paulr <reichp-at-NOSPAMearthlink_dot_net>]

Hi everyone.

Had a question about PCB.  I came across:

     http://opencircuitdesign.com/pcb/

There is a version 3.0.81 of eaton's "PCB" program.
Is anyone aware of its existence?  Curious as to the
apparent "fork" in the code base????  Wonder if some
of the design work here is being duplicated?

I tried it, and it seems to work satisfactorily.
It has the Athena widget set.

Just thought I'd throw my 2c worth in.

FWIW,  I am an RF/microwave engineer. I found the
w-calc program and other high frequency applications
very interesting.  Wish I knew how to code.  I'd love
to use FDTD for antenna design.

Thanks for your excellent efforts at EDA. Looking
forward to the next release of GAF!

Happy new year,

Paul Reich

//////////////////////////

DJ Delorie wrote:
> At the moment, the lesstif, ps, eps, bom, and gerber HIDs seem to be
> working well.  Heck, I even designed a board with it!  Ok, so it was
> only a tiny SMD to DIP converter so I could read an 8 pin eeprom, but
> it worked!  Using the new PCB, I was able to load the symbols from the
> library (had to tweak the DIP symbol to move the pins apart), run the
> traces, export to postscript, print it on transfer paper, transfer it
> to a blank board[1], etch it, plug the converter into my son's Radio
> Shack Learning Lab, run a ribbon cable from that to my PC, wire it up,
> hook up my parallel port oscilliscope on the laptop for debug, write a
> little software, and voila!  I'm reading the eeprom.
> 
> What a hack.  No, what a *lot* of hacks.  But it all works!  And it
> was all free.
> 
> Anyway, at this point the remaining "big" to-do items for the HID
> project are to hook in the other interfaces.  Dan's offered to have a
> go at the Gtk interface.  Anyone want to try adding the old Xaw
> interface?  Or write a Win32 native interface?
> 
> Also, if people were waiting to try it out for usability feedback, now
> is the time.
> 
> http://www.delorie.com/pcb/
> 
> 
> [1] The funniest part of this was seeing the tiny toner letters
>     floating about in the water when I soaked the board.  I think I
>     need to NOT print the layer names on each postscript page ;-)
>     (or at least print them further away from the board)
> 

-- 
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Paul Reich                Electrical Engineer

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