Hi Wayne!
Fancy meeting you here! Although it's no surprise!
Yes, I think I may have been responsible for starting the thread on Eagle.
Funny, I think it was eagle that got me into this list when it was started.
Although that time I evidently was more interested in translating the Gerber
RS-274 files to Gcode then actually learning the schematic and layout
modules! I did eventually get a module of my STEP4 controller program
written to import Gerber and generate Gcode (well, actually Vectors PLC
first).
I'm just now getting back to PCBs; I'm on this 32 R/C servo board project
that just begs for a board. I'm now exploring routing the power for the
board, and I've experimented with allowing Eagle to auto-route the board.
Interesting!
KICAD could be interesting, due to it's open-source! However that would
mean ANOTHER project!
I got your Servo8 code translated into C, and had it running on a '452 demo
board that I use all the time. But with the CAM interface and 9-bit
addressing mode, I haven't gotten to "command" the board. I did manage to
set up some simple initialization values and send a servo or two to various
positions.
We hired an engineering tech for work, and HE has a 24-servo hexapod project
underway. All the legs with their servos, and a round base! He's working
on a PIC board to drive the servo using discrete servo chips, but expects to
abandon that in favor of a new design.
Alan KM6VV
>
> All:
>
> After seeing all those posts on Eagle and its board size
> limitations, I just thought I'd let people know that there
> is an open source PCB program called KiCAD. Here's the URL:
>
> <http://www.lis.inpg.fr/realise_au_lis/kicad/>
>
> The short summary is:
>
> - Multi-platform -- Windows, Linux, etc.
> - Schematic Capture
> - PCB's up to 16 copper layers and no board size limits
> - Gerber viewer
> - An active (and growing) Yahoo support group
>
> I haven't designed a board with it yet, but I've gone through
> a tutorial and it does not seem to have any show stoppers for
> me.
>
> Enjoy,
>
> -Wayne