docs/wiki/geda-faq-pcb.html

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  13 <p>
  14 <em>Translations of this page are also available in the following languages:</em> <a href="geda-faq-pcb.ru.html" class="wikilink1" title="geda-faq-pcb.ru.html">Русский</a>.
  15 </p>
  16
  17 <h2 id="pcbfaq">pcb FAQ</h2>
  18 <div class="level2">
  19
  20 </div>
  21
  22 <h3 id="whatispcb">What is pcb ?</h3>
  23 <div class="level3">
  24
  25 <p>
  26 &quot;pcb&quot; is software to help you draw (&quot;lay out&quot;) the wires for a custom &quot;printed wire board&quot; (&quot;PCB&quot;).
  27 </p>
  28
  29 </div>
  30
  31 <h3 id="howdoiinstallpcb">How do I install pcb?</h3>
  32 <div class="level3">
  33
  34 <p>
  35 See <a href="geda-installation.html" class="wikilink1" title="geda-installation.html">installation</a>.
  36 </p>
  37
  38 </div>
  39
  40 <h3 id="howdoilearnmoreaboutpcb">How do I learn more about PCB?</h3>
  41 <div class="level3">
  42 <ul>
  43 <li class="level1"><div class="li"> http://www.delorie.com/pcb/docs/</div>
  44 </li>
  45 <li class="level1"><div class="li"> FIXME: <em>more needed</em></div>
  46 </li>
  47 </ul>
  48
  49 </div>
  50
  51 <h3 id="howmanylayersdoespcbsupport">How many layers does PCB support?</h3>
  52 <div class="level3">
  53
  54 <p>
  55 &quot;Out-of-the-box&quot;, pcb supports 16 copper layers.  It has been patched by some users to support more, however.
  56 </p>
  57
  58 </div>
  59
  60 <h3 id="isittruethatpcbhasnowaytomakeamechanicallayertoshowthephysicaloutlineoftheboardanditsdimensions">Is it true that pcb has no way to make a &quot;mechanical layer&quot; to show the physical outline of the board and its dimensions ?</h3>
  61 <div class="level3">
  62
  63 <p>
  64 No. Lines on a layer with layer name <code>outline</code> will be interpreted as physical edges of the board. Also see <a href="geda-pcb_tips.html#how_do_i_make_a_board_outline_to_go_with_my_gerbers_to_the_board_maker" class="wikilink1" title="geda-pcb_tips.html">this note</a> in the more comprehensive <a href="geda-pcbtips.html" class="wikilink2" title="geda-pcbtips.html">PCB tips</a>
  65 </p>
  66
  67 </div>
  68
  69 <h3 id="howdoidesignapcb">How do I design a PCB?</h3>
  70 <div class="level3">
  71
  72 <p>
  73 This is well beyond the scope of this FAQ.
  74 There are a few tips at
  75 </p>
  76 <ul>
  77 <li class="level1"><div class="li"> <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=Printed%20circuit%20board&amp;btnI=lucky" class="interwiki iw_go" title="https://www.google.com/search?q=Printed%20circuit%20board&amp;btnI=lucky">Printed circuit board</a></div>
  78 </li>
  79 <li class="level1"><div class="li"> http:<em>en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Practical_Electronics/PCB_Layout
  80
  81 ==== Yes, but how do I design a PCB with pcb? ====
  82 Generally, you start with a schematic, run gsch2pcb to generate the netlist.
  83 See <a href="geda-faq-gsch2pcb.html" class="wikilink1" title="geda-faq-gsch2pcb.html">FAQ-gsch2pcb</a>. Then you might go through the <a href="geda-gsch2pcbtutorial.html" class="wikilink2" title="geda-gsch2pcbtutorial.html">gsch2pcb tutorial</a>
  84
  85 Then you ... Hey, did you know about the PCB manual, the <a href="geda-pcbtips.html" class="wikilink2" title="geda-pcbtips.html">PCB tips</a>, and the <a href="geda-pcb-quickreference.html" class="wikilink2" title="geda-pcb-quickreference.html">PCB-quick reference</a>?
  86
  87 ==== What about footprints? ====
  88 See <a href="geda-pcbfootprints.html" class="wikilink2" title="geda-pcbfootprints.html">PCB footprints</a>.
  89
  90 There are also some unofficial gEDA footprints at Open Circuits http:</em>opencircuits.com/PCB_Footprints.</div>
  91 </li>
  92 </ul>
  93
  94 </div>
  95
  96 <h3 id="ihadahardtimetofindinfoonpcbdueitsambigousnamewhydontyourenametheapp">I had a hard time to find info on pcb due its ambigous name. Why don&#039;t you rename the app?</h3>
  97 <div class="level3">
  98
  99 <p>
 100 The application is a fairly old project, with roots way back in the era of <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=Atari&amp;btnI=lucky" class="interwiki iw_go" title="https://www.google.com/search?q=Atari&amp;btnI=lucky">Atari home computers</a>. Its name has always been &quot;pcb&quot;. The current developers have no intention to break that tradition.
 101 </p>
 102
 103 </div>
 104
 105 <h3 id="isthereanyrelationbetweenthegedapcbandtheopencircuitdesignpcb">Is there any relation between the gEDA PCB and the opencircuitdesign PCB?</h3>
 106 <div class="level3">
 107
 108 <p>
 109 <a href="geda-faq-pcb.html" class="wikilink1" title="geda-faq-pcb.html"> gEDA PCB</a> and  opencircuitdesign PCB ?
 110 </p>
 111
 112 <p>
 113 Same thing, different generations.
 114 </p>
 115
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