Do the sheilds in the adafruit.lbr EagleCAD package create a shield shaped PCB?

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strykeroz
 
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Do the sheilds in the adafruit.lbr EagleCAD package create a shield shaped PCB?

Post by strykeroz »

Hi

I've made a few PCBs using the Seeed service using EagleCAD, and your library is so very useful - thank you for all the work that's gone into that.

I'm now making a shield so thought I'd use your footprints there, but in various gerber veiwers (mayhew's online, another standalone I have and also Viewplot) gerbers exported appear rectangular, rather than taking the familiar Arduino shape. Using other templates (principally from the DP Sick-of-Beige range) in Viewplot at least (the others don't) you can see the shape from the template and see how it will arrive in the post.

I'm using ARDUINO-BPLACE. Should that part define the shape of the PCB for me as the description says, and the viewers are wrong, or could there be an issue with the part and Eagle 6.5? Or is the idea to define a poly with a ground pour to follow the outline to get the shape? Or have I fallen into some n00b trap? That's more than possible too :D

Thanks
Geoff

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strykeroz
 
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Re: Do the sheilds in the adafruit.lbr EagleCAD package create a shield shaped PCB?

Post by strykeroz »

Hi

Further on this, using the shield footprint I just found the autorouter is happy to put wire outside of the shape, which it wont do for a sick-of-beige template, and with no errors reported as a result (screencap attached).

Geoff
Attachments
Autorouted sheild using Adafruit library part
Autorouted sheild using Adafruit library part
Shield.JPG (113.05 KiB) Viewed 682 times

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Franklin97355
 
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Re: Do the sheilds in the adafruit.lbr EagleCAD package create a shield shaped PCB?

Post by Franklin97355 »

Further on this, using the shield footprint I just found the autorouter is happy to put wire outside of the shape,
That is probably one of the reasons why Limor has in the past not recommended the autorouter.

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strykeroz
 
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Re: Do the sheilds in the adafruit.lbr EagleCAD package create a shield shaped PCB?

Post by strykeroz »

Potentially. Just wanted to double check before submitting a board to manufacture though. Nothing yet suggests this template is defining the PCB size or shape...

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adafruit_support_mike
 
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Re: Do the sheilds in the adafruit.lbr EagleCAD package create a shield shaped PCB?

Post by adafruit_support_mike »

PCBs are cut to the outline indicated in the Gerber files that you send the board house. Eagle generates Gerbers from the layers you tell it to include in each file.

If you include the outline in your Top Copper of Bottom Copper files, the board house will use that information to generate a routing path that will cut the PCB to that shape. Some houses also like you to include the outline in the Drill files so they can get good registration for the outline, the traces, and the holes.

Your best bet is to contact the board house you want to use and ask what they want specifically. The easier you can make life for them, the easier they can make life for you.

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strykeroz
 
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Re: Do the sheilds in the adafruit.lbr EagleCAD package create a shield shaped PCB?

Post by strykeroz »

Thanks Mike

I've had several PCBs made up by Seeed to date. This one isn't generating gerbers that are viewable in the shape I'm expecting. What I'll do is send them the files and get them to confirm it's shield shaped and just run with it.

Cheers ! Geoff

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Re: Do the sheilds in the adafruit.lbr EagleCAD package create a shield shaped PCB?

Post by adafruit_support_mike »

The shield outline lives in the 'Dimension' layer. When you run the CAM job that creates the Gerbers, make sure that layer is selected in each of the three panes listed above (or whatever layer Seeed prefers).

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strykeroz
 
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Re: Do the sheilds in the adafruit.lbr EagleCAD package create a shield shaped PCB?

Post by strykeroz »

Hi Mike

That really sounded promising. Unfortunately the dimension layer is selected in all layers aside from the drill one in their cam processor job. Just to be sure I selected it in that layer too, but it didn't result in a shield-shaped board in any of the viewers either.

I guess I'll just have to forge on, finish this and order a batch, and I'll let you know what comes back from the order.

Thanks for your assistance, Geoff

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Re: Do the sheilds in the adafruit.lbr EagleCAD package create a shield shaped PCB?

Post by adafruit_support_mike »

Hmm.. what version of the Adafruit Eagle library are you using?

Actually, you can find the layer you need with the Info tool: just click on any line in the shield outline. The popup window you get will show the layer where the line is defined.

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strykeroz
 
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Re: Do the sheilds in the adafruit.lbr EagleCAD package create a shield shaped PCB?

Post by strykeroz »

Hi Mike

Thanks so much for sticking with me on this. You've led me to finding & fixing the issue. If I open the part from the library the lines are all on layer 22 bPlace, not 20 Dimension so the outline is just on the silkscreen. I edited the package and moved the lines to layer 20, deleted and re-inserted the part in my schematic, deleted my board file and regenerated it. The result is now what I expected - the autorouter and any ground pours are confined to the shield outline, and the online gerber viewer now shows the attached (I just dragged the components onto the shield area and used autorouter to get to this quick and dirty proof).
Exported from webGerber viewer (http://mayhewlabs.com/webGerber/)
Exported from webGerber viewer (http://mayhewlabs.com/webGerber/)
fixedshield.png (427.8 KiB) Viewed 539 times
Do you still need me to verify the library version? Exactly where can I find that?

Cheers, and thanks!
Geoff

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Re: Do the sheilds in the adafruit.lbr EagleCAD package create a shield shaped PCB?

Post by adafruit_support_mike »

strykeroz wrote:Do you still need me to verify the library version? Exactly where can I find that?
As long as it works for you, we're good. I'm glad to hear you found the solution.

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