Paul Koning wrote: > > > On Feb 17, 2017, at 2:35 PM, Noel Chiappa <j...@mercury.lcs.mit.edu> wrote: > > > > ... > >> From: Guy Sotomayor Jr > > > >> In terms of community supplied libraries, Eagle has those too and I've > >> found that by and large they are junk (it's easier/quicker for me to > >> create a part on my own > >> ... While I haven't seen a lot of KiCAD contributed libraries (that's > >> part of the problem) > > > > KiCAD came with a fairly large set of user-contributed libraries. For > > various > > reasons (including working with archaic parts), I've wound up adding quite a > > few, but i've usally found it pretty easy to modify an exising part from the > > libraries, to get what I need. YMMV. > > One thing I learned with Eagle (an old version -- I started with it on DOS, > with a physical license dongle) is that you can define library stuff via > scripting. This is very helpful when defining 120-pin PCB footprints.
I've made pcbnew footprints for PLCC Sockets in the past with some scripting. In the meantime the footprint format has changed to that .pretty. I don't had to make footprints with such big pincounts sine them again, but I don't think they made it simpossible to use scripting for that at all. > > I don't remember precisely, but I think you can export libraries from Eagle > in some sort of text form. If that's true, then it would be SMOP to write a > KiCAD library importer. The key question is whether the library semantics > are compatible. EAGLE is rather nice in the way it handles schematic symbols > vs. footprints and all that. You can select footprints corrsponding to a part in the schematic editor for each part. What's the problem? > > I used EAGLE long ago for one project, and more recently for another, but I > haven't found it sufficiently useful to buy it a second time to get the > non-free version. Not that I really need the autorouter, it isn't really all > that useful. But still, it's pretty steep for a hobbyist. I discovered > KiCAD, haven't used it yet, should give it a try. > > One nice aspect of EAGLE is that a number of PCB fab shops will accept EAGLE > *.BRD files directly, rather than asking for Gerber and drill files. > > paul > Why is that nice? This way the pcb company has your "sourcecode". Besides of that where is the real difference to going to "File->Plot", Select "Gerber" and push the "Plot" Button? That can't really be to difficult... Regards, Holm -- Technik Service u. Handel Tiffe, www.tsht.de, Holm Tiffe, Freiberger Straße 42, 09600 Oberschöna, USt-Id: DE253710583 i...@tsht.de Fax +49 3731 74200 Tel +49 3731 74222 Mobil: 0172 8790 741