docs/wiki/geda_faq-pcb.html

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  25 <div class="toc">
  26 <div class="tocheader toctoggle" id="toc__header">Table of Contents</div>
  27 <div id="toc__inside">
  28
  29 <ul class="toc">
  30 <li class="clear">
  31
  32 <ul class="toc">
  33 <li class="level2"><div class="li"><span class="li"><a href="#pcb_faq" class="toc">pcb FAQ</a></span></div>
  34 <ul class="toc">
  35 <li class="level3"><div class="li"><span class="li"><a href="#what_is_pcb" class="toc">What is pcb ?</a></span></div></li>
  36 <li class="level3"><div class="li"><span class="li"><a href="#how_do_i_install_pcb" class="toc">How do I install pcb?</a></span></div></li>
  37 <li class="level3"><div class="li"><span class="li"><a href="#is_it_true_that_pcb_is_limited_to_exactly_8_copper_layers_and_2_silkscreen_layers" class="toc">Is it true that pcb is limited to exactly 8 copper layers and 2 silkscreen layers?</a></span></div></li>
  38 <li class="level3"><div class="li"><span class="li"><a href="#is_it_true_that_pcb_has_no_concept_of_a_solder_mask_or_paste_mask_layer" class="toc">Is it true that pcb has no concept of a &quot;solder mask&quot; or &quot;paste mask&quot; layer?</a></span></div></li>
  39 <li class="level3"><div class="li"><span class="li"><a href="#is_it_true_that_pcb_has_no_way_to_make_a_mechanical_layer_to_show_the_physical_outline_of_the_board_and_its_dimensions" class="toc">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></span></div></li>
  40 <li class="level3"><div class="li"><span class="li"><a href="#how_do_i_design_a_pcb" class="toc">How do I design a PCB?</a></span></div></li>
  41 <li class="level3"><div class="li"><span class="li"><a href="#yes_but_how_do_i_design_a_pcb_with_pcb" class="toc">Yes, but how do I design a PCB with pcb?</a></span></div></li>
  42 <li class="level3"><div class="li"><span class="li"><a href="#what_about_footprints" class="toc">What about footprints?</a></span></div></li>
  43 <li class="level3"><div class="li"><span class="li"><a href="#i_had_a_hard_time_to_find_info_on_pcb_due_its_ambigous_name._why_don_t_you_rename_the_app" class="toc">I had a hard time to find info on pcb due its ambigous name. Why don&#039;t you rename the app?</a></span></div></li></ul>
  44 </li></ul>
  45 </li></ul>
  46 </div>
  47 </div>
  48
  49
  50
  51 <h2><a name="pcb_faq" id="pcb_faq">pcb FAQ</a></h2>
  52 <div class="level2">
  53
  54 </div>
  55 <!-- SECTION "pcb FAQ" [1-21] -->
  56 <h3><a name="what_is_pcb" id="what_is_pcb">What is pcb ?</a></h3>
  57 <div class="level3">
  58
  59 <p>
  60  “pcb” is software to help you draw (“lay out”) the wires for a custom “printed wire board” (“PCB”).
  61 </p>
  62
  63 </div>
  64 <!-- SECTION "What is pcb ?" [22-147] -->
  65 <h3><a name="how_do_i_install_pcb" id="how_do_i_install_pcb">How do I install pcb?</a></h3>
  66 <div class="level3">
  67
  68 <p>
  69 The recommended way to install pcb is to install the complete gaf package. See <a href="http://geda.seul.org/wiki/geda:installation" class="wikilink1" title="geda:installation">installation</a>.
  70 </p>
  71
  72 </div>
  73 <!-- SECTION "How do I install pcb?" [148-282] -->
  74 <h3><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>
  75 <div class="level3">
  76
  77 <p>
  78 No. “Out-of-the-box”, pcb supports 16 copper layers and &hellip;
  79 </p>
  80
  81 </div>
  82 <!-- SECTION "Is it true that pcb is limited to exactly 8 copper layers and 2 silkscreen layers?" [283-436] -->
  83 <h3><a name="is_it_true_that_pcb_has_no_concept_of_a_solder_mask_or_paste_mask_layer" id="is_it_true_that_pcb_has_no_concept_of_a_solder_mask_or_paste_mask_layer">Is it true that pcb has no concept of a &quot;solder mask&quot; or &quot;paste mask&quot; layer?</a></h3>
  84 <div class="level3">
  85
  86 <p>
  87 No.
  88 </p>
  89
  90 </div>
  91 <!-- SECTION "Is it true that pcb has no concept of a solder mask or paste mask layer?" [437-528] -->
  92 <h3><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>
  93 <div class="level3">
  94
  95 <p>
  96 No. Lines on a layer with layer name <code>outline</code> will be interpreted as physical edges of the board. Also see <a href="http://geda.seul.org/wiki/geda:pcb_tips#how_do_i_make_a_board_outline_to_go_with_my_gerbers_to_the_board_maker" class="wikilink1" title="geda:pcb_tips">this note</a> in the more comprehensive <a href="http://geda.seul.org/wiki/geda:pcb_tips" class="wikilink1" title="geda:pcb_tips">pcb_tips</a>
  97 </p>
  98
  99 </div>
 100 <!-- 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 ?" [529-915] -->
 101 <h3><a name="how_do_i_design_a_pcb" id="how_do_i_design_a_pcb">How do I design a PCB?</a></h3>
 102 <div class="level3">
 103
 104 <p>
 105 This is well beyond the scope of this <acronym title="Frequently Asked Questions">FAQ</acronym>. There are a few tips at
 106 </p>
 107 <ul>
 108 <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>
 109 </li>
 110 <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>
 111 </li>
 112 </ul>
 113
 114 </div>
 115 <!-- SECTION "How do I design a PCB?" [916-1137] -->
 116 <h3><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>
 117 <div class="level3">
 118
 119 <p>
 120 Generally, you start with a schematic, run gsch2pcb to generate the netlist. See <a href="http://geda.seul.org/wiki/geda:faq-gsch2pcb" class="wikilink1" title="geda:faq-gsch2pcb">faq-gsch2pcb</a>. Then you might go through the tutorial <a href="geda_gsch2pcb_tutorial.html" class="wikilink1" title="geda:gsch2pcb_tutorial">gsch2pcb_tutorial</a>
 121 </p>
 122
 123 <p>
 124 Then you &hellip; Hey, did you know about the pcb manual, the <a href="http://geda.seul.org/wiki/geda:pcb_tips" class="wikilink1" title="geda:pcb_tips">pcb_tips</a>, and the <a href="http://geda.seul.org/wiki/geda:pcb-quick_reference" class="wikilink1" title="geda:pcb-quick_reference">pcb-quick_reference</a>?
 125 </p>
 126
 127 </div>
 128 <!-- SECTION "Yes, but how do I design a PCB with pcb?" [1138-1454] -->
 129 <h3><a name="what_about_footprints" id="what_about_footprints">What about footprints?</a></h3>
 130 <div class="level3">
 131
 132 <p>
 133 See <a href="geda_pcb_footprints.html" class="wikilink1" title="geda:pcb_footprints">pcb_footprints</a>.
 134 </p>
 135
 136 <p>
 137 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>.
 138 </p>
 139
 140 </div>
 141 <!-- SECTION "What about footprints?" [1455-1617] -->
 142 <h3><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>
 143 <div class="level3">
 144
 145 <p>
 146 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.
 147 </p>
 148
 149 </div>
 150 <!-- SECTION "I had a hard time to find info on pcb due its ambigous name. Why don't you rename the app?" [1618-] --></div>
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