Those are some strong words. Gadget Gangster is a for profit company. He can at times be very slow to respond but in my experience he does always get back to you.
Most of Gadget Gangsters projects are designed so he does not have to fork out much money himself up front. This allows him to sell all kinds of cool and strange projects. However if you are looking for him to make up circuit boards and worse yet have them populated with parts that are not in stock then it can get very expensive for him.
For example it costs me minimum $140US to get a batch of circuit boards made. But depending on the project that cost can be as high as $1200US. If you have boards you need made and Gadget Gangster can't help send me a email
I liked it better when you bought and owned software. This "floating license" stuff is just bollox.
Altium is a program I would like to use. It has some really nice features but the $195/month license was not something I wanted to do. The fact they now offer an out right buy for $4000 I may consider it assuming I can get a large run of boards made and sold to pay for it.
microcontrolled said...
I can't even figure how to rotate my DIP40 in Diptrace!! BTW, do NOT use Gadget Gangster to get your boards done...
Since when does Gadget Gangster make PCBs? Maybe, if a submitted project does well, he might decide to have a run of boards made for it but he has to send out to have them made like the rest of us.
To rotate a part all you have to do is select it and hit the space bar. If you want an angle other that 90 you need to right click and choose "Define Angle".
actually gerbers are easy to get if someone shows you how.
1) Download and save the attached file to the cam folder
2) From board view select file->Cam Processer
3) From Cam Processor select file->open->job
4) select file you saved in step 1
5) select process Job
6) Zip all files not ending in .sch, .s#?, .brd, .b#?, .epf
I was not bad mouthing DipTrace, I had just downloaded it a few days ago so I was just saying that where as in EAGLE these simple functions where easy I could find none in DipTrace. It isn't bad software, just unfamillier territory.
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I've been laying out circuit boards for 25 years and have used most CAD systems on the market. I've been layed off again due to all design work going to India and China. To kill time lately I've been designing a propeller based system and I'm just starting the layout process. I've found an Open Source <FREE> package that looks like it would do the job from schematic entry to gerbers. It lacks alot of the features of the high end systems but looks more than adequate for a propeller based system. I'm learning it now, it's called KICAD. google it and should get you started pretty quick.
I bought TangoPCB in 1985 to layout a project during a layoff and have been in the business ever since then.
As far as production goes, other than for major corps with big runs your better off with a local shop. They will work with you as you learn. The basics are pretty easy with relativity slow speed designs. Once you have gerbers you can shop it around for a quote pretty easy.
We don't make PCB's (see: Project Posting options). Rich has it right - if you publish a project, we might get a run done, but that's at our discretion. Do let me know if there's anything unclear on that page though - I don't want there to be any confusion.
I'm a big diptrace fan. I started with ExpressPCB, but the 'ecosystem' is limited. $60 for Gerber's is expensive, too. For Protos, I use Gold Phoenix or Advanced Circuits.
If you're looking for footprints, I post Diptrace files for all the projects I can - you can just right click on the component and 'save to active library'. Not a ton of footprints, but you might find something useful:
I've been laying out circuit boards for 25 years and have used most CAD systems on the market. I've been layed off again due to all design work going to India and China. To kill time lately I've been designing a propeller based system and I'm just starting the layout process. I've found an Open Source <FREE> package that looks like it would do the job from schematic entry to gerbers. It lacks alot of the features of the high end systems but looks more than adequate for a propeller based system. I'm learning it now, it's called KICAD. google it and should get you started pretty quick.
I bought TangoPCB in 1985 to layout a project during a layoff and have been in the business ever since then.
As far as production goes, other than for major corps with big runs your better off with a local shop. They will work with you as you learn. The basics are pretty easy with relativity slow speed designs. Once you have gerbers you can shop it around for a quote pretty easy.
Good luck.
Cheers,
James
Hear Hear!· I agree on KiCAD.· I use it myself for all the N8VEM home brew computer boards.· Coupled with FreeRouting.net it is very nice, fully capable, and unlimited.· You can't argue with the price either!
KiCAD has made tremendous progress of late and is much easier to use.· It still has a long way to go but as true FOSS type software it has a lot going for it.· The best part is trying it out is cheap and easy.· Give it an evening test run and I think you'll be sold on it.
Commercial EDA packages with equivalent capability costs hundreds if not thousands of $$$ (Eagle, DipTrace, etc).
KiCAD does everything from schematic capture to PCB layout to autorouting to Gerbers with everything in between.· There are a lot of parts libraries for practically every part and making your own library is possible for those which aren't available.
I whole heartedly endorse KiCAD as the first choice for EDA.· It is worth the investment to use and support.
lynchaj said...
KiCAD has made tremendous progress of late and is much easier to use.
It hasn't been updated in 11 months.
The subversion repository was updated 6 hours ago. It's still under active development, although it seems the posting of source snapshots has ceased. Compile from the repo for the latest code I guess.
Comments
Most of Gadget Gangsters projects are designed so he does not have to fork out much money himself up front. This allows him to sell all kinds of cool and strange projects. However if you are looking for him to make up circuit boards and worse yet have them populated with parts that are not in stock then it can get very expensive for him.
For example it costs me minimum $140US to get a batch of circuit boards made. But depending on the project that cost can be as high as $1200US. If you have boards you need made and Gadget Gangster can't help send me a email
squarerootofnegativeone at gmail
and I can help you get your boards made.
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24 bit LCD Breakout Board now in. $24.99 has backlight driver and touch sensitive decoder.
If you have not already. Add yourself to the prophead map
Altium is a program I would like to use. It has some really nice features but the $195/month license was not something I wanted to do. The fact they now offer an out right buy for $4000 I may consider it assuming I can get a large run of boards made and sold to pay for it.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
24 bit LCD Breakout Board now in. $24.99 has backlight driver and touch sensitive decoder.
If you have not already. Add yourself to the prophead map
Since when does Gadget Gangster make PCBs? Maybe, if a submitted project does well, he might decide to have a run of boards made for it but he has to send out to have them made like the rest of us.
To rotate a part all you have to do is select it and hit the space bar. If you want an angle other that 90 you need to right click and choose "Define Angle".
Rich H
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The Simple Servo Tester, a kit from Gadget Gangster.
1) Download and save the attached file to the cam folder
2) From board view select file->Cam Processer
3) From Cam Processor select file->open->job
4) select file you saved in step 1
5) select process Job
6) Zip all files not ending in .sch, .s#?, .brd, .b#?, .epf
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
24 bit LCD Breakout Board now in. $24.99 has backlight driver and touch sensitive decoder.
If you have not already. Add yourself to the prophead map
I can't understand why you're bad mouthing DipTrace. You said you couldn't figure out how to rotate something, with two exclamation points.
It sounds like you haven't used it very much. If you tried right-click, it's right there, or ctrl-R.
I certainly won't get into a shouting match about the benefits, but I think you gave it a bad rap [noparse]:)[/noparse]
Jim
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Computers are microcontrolled.
Robots are microcontrolled.
I am microcontrolled.
SX Spinning light display·
http://designedbymemicros.blogspot.com/
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Computers are microcontrolled.
Robots are microcontrolled.
I am microcontrolled.
SX Spinning light display·
http://designedbymemicros.blogspot.com/
I've been laying out circuit boards for 25 years and have used most CAD systems on the market. I've been layed off again due to all design work going to India and China. To kill time lately I've been designing a propeller based system and I'm just starting the layout process. I've found an Open Source <FREE> package that looks like it would do the job from schematic entry to gerbers. It lacks alot of the features of the high end systems but looks more than adequate for a propeller based system. I'm learning it now, it's called KICAD. google it and should get you started pretty quick.
I bought TangoPCB in 1985 to layout a project during a layoff and have been in the business ever since then.
As far as production goes, other than for major corps with big runs your better off with a local shop. They will work with you as you learn. The basics are pretty easy with relativity slow speed designs. Once you have gerbers you can shop it around for a quote pretty easy.
Good luck.
Cheers,
James
I'm a big diptrace fan. I started with ExpressPCB, but the 'ecosystem' is limited. $60 for Gerber's is expensive, too. For Protos, I use Gold Phoenix or Advanced Circuits.
If you're looking for footprints, I post Diptrace files for all the projects I can - you can just right click on the component and 'save to active library'. Not a ton of footprints, but you might find something useful:
These projects have diptrace files and they're all MIT license;
Battery Platform
SIDstick
Super GrooveAxe
ProtoPlus
OctoDriver
Just scroll to the bottom to the 'resources' section.
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Propeller Forums RSS Feed!
Gadget Gangster - Share your Electronic Projects
KiCAD has made tremendous progress of late and is much easier to use.· It still has a long way to go but as true FOSS type software it has a lot going for it.· The best part is trying it out is cheap and easy.· Give it an evening test run and I think you'll be sold on it.
Commercial EDA packages with equivalent capability costs hundreds if not thousands of $$$ (Eagle, DipTrace, etc).
KiCAD does everything from schematic capture to PCB layout to autorouting to Gerbers with everything in between.· There are a lot of parts libraries for practically every part and making your own library is possible for those which aren't available.
I whole heartedly endorse KiCAD as the first choice for EDA.· It is worth the investment to use and support.
Thanks and have a nice day!
Andrew Lynch
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Computers are microcontrolled.
Robots are microcontrolled.
I am microcontrolled.
SX Spinning light display·
http://designedbymemicros.blogspot.com/
But I will give it a try.
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April, 2008: when I discovered the answers to all my micro-computational-botherations!
Some of my objects:
MCP3X0X ADC Driver - Programmable Schmitt inputs, frequency reading, and more!
Simple Propeller-based Database - Making life easier and more readable for all your EEPROM storage needs.
String Manipulation Library - Don't allow strings to be the bane of the Propeller, bend them to your will!
Fast Inter-Propeller Comm - Fast communication between two propellers (1.37MB/s @100MHz)!
The subversion repository was updated 6 hours ago. It's still under active development, although it seems the posting of source snapshots has ceased. Compile from the repo for the latest code I guess.
kicad.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/kicad/trunk/kicad/?view=log
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Life may be "too short", but it's the longest thing we ever do.