docs/wiki/geda-faq-pcb.html

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  15 <h2 class="sectionedit422"><a name="pcb_faq" id="pcb_faq">pcb FAQ</a></h2>
  16 <div class="level2">
  17
  18 </div>
  19 <!-- EDIT422 SECTION "pcb FAQ" [1-21] -->
  20 <h3 class="sectionedit423"><a name="what_is_pcb" id="what_is_pcb">What is pcb ?</a></h3>
  21 <div class="level3">
  22
  23 <p>
  24
  25 “pcb” is software to help you draw (“lay out”) the wires for a custom “printed wire board” (“PCB”).
  26 </p>
  27
  28 </div>
  29 <!-- EDIT423 SECTION "What is pcb ?" [22-147] -->
  30 <h3 class="sectionedit424"><a name="how_do_i_install_pcb" id="how_do_i_install_pcb">How do I install pcb?</a></h3>
  31 <div class="level3">
  32
  33 <p>
  34 The recommended way to install pcb is to install the complete gaf package. See <a href="geda-installation.html" class="wikilink1" title="geda-installation.html">installation</a>.
  35 </p>
  36
  37 </div>
  38 <!-- EDIT424 SECTION "How do I install pcb?" [148-282] -->
  39 <h3 class="sectionedit425"><a name="is_it_true_that_pcb_is_limited_to_exactly_8_copper_layers_and_2_silkscreen_layers" id="is_it_true_that_pcb_is_limited_to_exactly_8_copper_layers_and_2_silkscreen_layers">Is it true that pcb is limited to exactly 8 copper layers and 2 silkscreen layers?</a></h3>
  40 <div class="level3">
  41
  42 <p>
  43 No. “Out-of-the-box”, pcb supports 16 copper layers and …
  44 </p>
  45
  46 </div>
  47 <!-- EDIT425 SECTION "Is it true that pcb is limited to exactly 8 copper layers and 2 silkscreen layers?" [283-437] -->
  48 <h3 class="sectionedit426"><a name="is_it_true_that_pcb_has_no_way_to_make_a_mechanical_layer_to_show_the_physical_outline_of_the_board_and_its_dimensions" id="is_it_true_that_pcb_has_no_way_to_make_a_mechanical_layer_to_show_the_physical_outline_of_the_board_and_its_dimensions">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 ?</a></h3>
  49 <div class="level3">
  50
  51 <p>
  52 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-pcb_tips.html" class="wikilink1" title="geda-pcb_tips.html">pcb_tips</a>
  53 </p>
  54
  55 </div>
  56 <!-- EDIT426 SECTION "Is it true that pcb has no way to make a mechanical layer to show the physical outline of the board and its dimensions ?" [438-824] -->
  57 <h3 class="sectionedit427"><a name="how_do_i_design_a_pcb" id="how_do_i_design_a_pcb">How do I design a PCB?</a></h3>
  58 <div class="level3">
  59
  60 <p>
  61 This is well beyond the scope of this <acronym title="Frequently Asked Questions">FAQ</acronym>.
  62 There are a few tips at
  63 </p>
  64 <ul>
  65 <li class="level1"><div class="li"> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Printed_circuit_board" class="urlextern" title="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Printed_circuit_board"  rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Printed_circuit_board</a></div>
  66 </li>
  67 <li class="level1"><div class="li"> <a href="http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Practical_Electronics/PCB_Layout" class="urlextern" title="http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Practical_Electronics/PCB_Layout"  rel="nofollow">http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Practical_Electronics/PCB_Layout</a></div>
  68 </li>
  69 </ul>
  70
  71 </div>
  72 <!-- EDIT427 SECTION "How do I design a PCB?" [825-1046] -->
  73 <h3 class="sectionedit428"><a name="yes_but_how_do_i_design_a_pcb_with_pcb" id="yes_but_how_do_i_design_a_pcb_with_pcb">Yes, but how do I design a PCB with pcb?</a></h3>
  74 <div class="level3">
  75
  76 <p>
  77 Generally, you start with a schematic, run gsch2pcb to generate the netlist.
  78 See <a href="geda-faq-gsch2pcb.html" class="wikilink1" title="geda-faq-gsch2pcb.html">faq-gsch2pcb</a>. Then you might go through the tutorial <a href="geda-gsch2pcb_tutorial.html" class="wikilink1" title="geda-gsch2pcb_tutorial.html">gsch2pcb_tutorial</a>
  79 </p>
  80
  81 <p>
  82 Then you … Hey, did you know about the pcb manual, the <a href="geda-pcb_tips.html" class="wikilink1" title="geda-pcb_tips.html">pcb_tips</a>, and the <a href="geda-pcb-quick_reference.html" class="wikilink1" title="geda-pcb-quick_reference.html">pcb-quick_reference</a>?
  83 </p>
  84
  85 </div>
  86 <!-- EDIT428 SECTION "Yes, but how do I design a PCB with pcb?" [1047-1363] -->
  87 <h3 class="sectionedit429"><a name="what_about_footprints" id="what_about_footprints">What about footprints?</a></h3>
  88 <div class="level3">
  89
  90 <p>
  91 See <a href="geda-pcb_footprints.html" class="wikilink1" title="geda-pcb_footprints.html">pcb_footprints</a>.
  92 </p>
  93
  94 <p>
  95 There are also some unofficial gEDA footprints at Open Circuits <a href="http://opencircuits.com/PCB_Footprints" class="urlextern" title="http://opencircuits.com/PCB_Footprints"  rel="nofollow">http://opencircuits.com/PCB_Footprints</a>.
  96 </p>
  97
  98 </div>
  99 <!-- EDIT429 SECTION "What about footprints?" [1364-1526] -->
 100 <h3 class="sectionedit430"><a name="i_had_a_hard_time_to_find_info_on_pcb_due_its_ambigous_name_why_don_t_you_rename_the_app" id="i_had_a_hard_time_to_find_info_on_pcb_due_its_ambigous_name_why_don_t_you_rename_the_app">I had a hard time to find info on pcb due its ambigous name. Why don&#039;t you rename the app?</a></h3>
 101 <div class="level3">
 102
 103 <p>
 104 The application is a fairly old project, with roots way back in the era of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari" class="urlextern" title="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari"  rel="nofollow">Atari home computers</a>. Its name has always been “pcb”. The current developers have no intention to break that tradition.
 105 </p>
 106
 107 </div>
 108 <!-- EDIT430 SECTION "I had a hard time to find info on pcb due its ambigous name. Why don't you rename the app?" [1527-1863] -->
 109 <h3 class="sectionedit431"><a name="is_there_any_relation_between_the_geda_pcb_and_the_opencircuitdesign_pcb" id="is_there_any_relation_between_the_geda_pcb_and_the_opencircuitdesign_pcb">Is there any relation between the gEDA PCB and the opencircuitdesign PCB?</a></h3>
 110 <div class="level3">
 111
 112 <p>
 113
 114 <a href="geda-faq-pcb.html" class="wikilink1" title="geda-faq-pcb.html"> gEDA PCB</a> and <a href="http://opencircuitdesign.com/pcb/" class="urlextern" title="http://opencircuitdesign.com/pcb/"  rel="nofollow"> opencircuitdesign PCB</a> ?
 115
 116 </p>
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