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Re: Polymide FPC ribbon cable designing
Hi all, and thanks. I'm a little embarassed, but i have to admit i couldn't figure out how to edit? existing templates or how to create new ones years ago when i last used Kicad. I really need a youtube video or something to follow for this.? I had an issue once? where i had a template for a transistor, which was perfect for what i needed for a?? project one time, except two of the pins were swapped.? I managed to figure out how? to swap them to the way i needed, but i couldn't save this as a new template (for? whatever reason).? This meant I couldn't turn off my laptop until I had completed my? entire project and saved the Gerber file i needed to send to China for manufacture!?? It was a nightmare.? I actually had to go through the manufacturing process TWICE,? because I didn't realise that the component footprint had swapped back the wrong way? the first time when i didn't appreciate i couldn't switch off my laptop if i wanted? to keep that component the way i needed it.? The wrong design was sent to China,? manufactured and i received it back.? It wasn't until i was soldering it up that i? realised something wasn't correct!?? So every time i open that project now, Kicad? complains, telling me that footprints? don't match and what do i want to do about it.? I had to edit that one component? every time I opened up the project.? Nightmare! If someone could do a simple to follow video for a novice like me to watch and? follow, it would be a lot of help.? I've never figured it out yet. So to clarify.? It's a flat Polymide style 30-pin ribbon cable i need to design for? manufacture.? Like this one here: https://goo.gl/images/7ffZKz So bascially, an array of 30 flat solder pad type pins on each end of the cable,? connected by lengths of printed circuitry on the cable.? It's not the connector i? need, it's the thing which connects INTO the PCB mounted connector and locks into? place at each end.? It's for joining circuitry together from a motherboard to a? daughterboard.? I had an accident with the original, whereby it got sanpped in half? (they're very fragile!) and you just can't get them for love nor money.? So i'm? having to make my own to replace the one i broke! |
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Re: Polymide FPC ribbon cable designing
Hi all, and thanks. I'm a little embarassed, but i have to admit i couldn't figure out how to edit? existing templates or how to create new ones years ago when i last used Kicad. I really need a youtube video or something to follow for this.? I had an issue once? where i had a template for a transistor, which was perfect for what i needed for a?? project one time, except two of the pins were swapped.? I managed to figure out how? to swap them to the way i needed, but i couldn't save this as a new template (for? whatever reason).? This meant I couldn't turn off my laptop until I had completed my? entire project and saved the Gerber file i needed to send to China for manufacture!?? It was a nightmare.? I actually had to go through the manufacturing process TWICE,? because I didn't realise that the component footprint had swapped back the wrong way? the first time when i didn't appreciate i couldn't switch off my laptop if i wanted? to keep that component the way i needed it.? The wrong design was sent to China,? manufactured and i received it back.? It wasn't until i was soldering it up that i? realised something wasn't correct!?? So every time i open that project now, Kicad? complains, telling me that footprints? don't match and what do i want to do about it.? I had to edit that one component? every time I opened up the project.? Nightmare! If someone could do a simple to follow video for a novice like me to watch and? follow, it would be a lot of help.? I've never figured it out yet. So to clarify.? It's a flat Polymide style 30-pin ribbon cable i need to design for? manufacture.? Like this one here: https://goo.gl/images/7ffZKz So bascially, an array of 30 flat solder pad type pins on each end of the cable,? connected by lengths of printed circuitry on the cable.? It's not the connector i? need, it's the thing which connects INTO the PCB mounted connector and locks into? place at each end.? It's for joining circuitry together from a motherboard to a? daughterboard.? I had an accident with the original, whereby it got sanpped in half? (they're very fragile!) and you just can't get them for love nor money.? So i'm? having to make my own to replace the one i broke! |
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Re: Polymide FPC ribbon cable designing
Andy Eskelson
Do you mean a row of contact fingers?
As in conectors>PCI-EXPRESS ? Andy On 10 Sep 2018 12:07:54 +0000 "paradox_440@... [kicad-users]" <kicad-users@...> wrote: I started trying to make my ribbon cable in Kicad at the weekend. I didn't get far i'll be honest. I'm willing to keep at it, but 2 questions have been raised as a result of looking at it over the weekend. |
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Re: Polymide FPC ribbon cable designing
Andy Eskelson
You don't mess about placing pads directly on the pcb. The connector
footprint does this for you. Ribbon cables (flex or otherwise) connect to the PCB using a connector, So the first thing to do is decide what connector you want to use, then sort out the footprint. If there is not a ready made footprint, then you make one up yourself. (You can usually find a close match footprint that you can modify, but even so the footprint is only really placing the pads in the correct place and size. Designing and modifying footprints is a basic task of any PCB-CAD that you need to get used to. To be very blunt about it, it's usually the case that it takes less time to make the footprint than it does to ask if anyone has xyz footprint :-) The footprint editor is simple to use, and no you don't have to edit every pad. Place a pad, it will normally be a through hole type,then select properties. From there you can change the type to SMD, and set it's sizes etc. There is also a button on the top bar that you can use to preset the properties. I generally forget to use that and just modify the first pad I place :-) Once done you can copy that pad, there are also tools that allow to to create a grid array of pads. Take the time to get to know the footprint editor, it's really very easy. So find the connector you want to use. if not already in the footprint libs, then get the mechanical drawing for the connector (The manaf may also have some info for the footprint requirements. (some do some don't) Work out the pin spacing and set your grid accordingly Place a pad, and set the pad properties type, shape , sizes etc (get the pad on the correct layer as well!) Duplicate the pad as many times as you need Place the rest of the pads. sort out the numbering. draw the Silkscreen lines, mounting holes if any being careful NOT to draw over pads. That's about it really apart from one last very important thing. before you use ANY footprint, either from some lib or your own make sure you check and double check that it is exactly what you need. The save it in your own libs tom protect it against changes. Andy On 10 Sep 2018 12:02:45 +0000 "paradox_440@... [kicad-users]" <kicad-users@...> wrote: I started trying to make my ribbon cable in Kicad at the weekend. I didn't get far i'll be honest. I'm willing to keep at it, but 2 questions have been raised as a result of looking at it over the weekend. |
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Re: Polymide FPC ribbon cable designing
I started trying to make my ribbon cable in Kicad at the weekend.? I didn't get far i'll be honest.? I'm willing to keep at it, but 2 questions have been raised as a result of looking at it over the weekend.
1.? I can see there is a specific 30-pin MOLEX ribbon cable connector available, but is there a 30-pin ribbon connector "array" for showing a row of connections like one would expect to find at the end of a ribbon cable? ...if not 2.? I have right now specified 30 individual solder pads as my ribbon cable "pins".? Right now, these are massive compared to what i actually want.? i think, from memory, 5mmx10mm or something.? Considering what i want is a 1mm pitch row of 30 terminals, which once considered with their spacing, come to an arrangement which is 31mm is width for my ribbon, is there any template of anything i can use for this already, or am i facing going the way i am, but then resizing each pad to be the sizes i need them to fit a typical standard molex connector type?? (Not actually knowing HOW i'm going to edit the templates if i have to go this route!? |
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Re: Polymide FPC ribbon cable designing
One other, severe restriction is that changes in track direction must be made using smooth curves. I resorted to making lots of footprints that were copper layer bends of 90 degrees and 45 degrees, each with a pad at either end of the curve. Each bend required a two pin "component" on the schematic. All in all a monumental PITA.
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Eagle does smoothly curved tracks, but after having one go at doing the job with Eagle, I just couldn't face doing another one and went back to Kicad. - robert On 06/09/2018 11:11, Andrew Chin gibson486@... [kicad-users] wrote:
This is more of a fabrication file thing. You make your pcb as you normally do, --
() Plain text email - safe, readable, inclusive. /\ |
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Re: Polymide FPC ribbon cable designing
This is more of a fabrication file thing. You make your pcb as you normally do, but you need to specify everything in your fabrication notes. What is different is the layer stack up. You typically use polymide as your material and the stack up itself is a little different than a normal pcb. Also, you cannot do planes as they will crack as they flex. There are a bunch of other restrictions as well...some you learn as you make these and others are well documented.
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Polymide FPC ribbon cable designing
Hi there! I'm used to using KiCAD for creating PCB's, but now i'm finding myself in a position where I'd like to produce gerber files for a Flexible Printed Circuit (FPC) ribbon cable (Polymide material variant) so that I can get a quote from China on manufacturing my designed part.? Is this something which is possible to do within KiCAD, or am I looking to have to use a different software for this task? Any help is appreciated.? Thanks :-) |
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Re: Better selection of 3D Shapes in PCB
Cirilo Bernardo
The feature you seem to be asking for has been there since the introduction of STEP support. Although I wrote the code I can no longer remember the details since I haven't used kicad for more than 2 years now. :(? Anyway, the feature should be described in the manual for kicad-pcb. You can add various root paths and then use an alias scheme for specifying file names manually, or else use the drop-down menu when selecting via the gui and select one of your base paths. - Cirilo From: "Brendan Simon Brendan@... [kicad-users]" To: kicad-users Sent: Thursday, August 23, 2018 11:06 AM Subject: [kicad-users] Better selection of 3D Shapes in PCB
?
I'm have downloaded various 3D shapes (step
files) for some components, as I couldn't find any suitable ones
in the standard Kicad `packages3d` directory.? I store my
downloaded step files in a directory in my home directory. When adding 3D shapes (or editing which 3D shape to use, as wrl files do not export to step), I find myself often having to traverse back and forth between my local directory of shapes and the standard Kicad directory of shapes.? This is painful using the tree file chooser. It would be great if:
BTW, is "3D model" better terminology than "3D shape" ? Brendan. |
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Re: OpenGL not found
To Stefano : I was also not able to display the 3d rendering. To Pedro : The workaround works fine for me, thank you very much. Kind regards. Danilo
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Re: OpenGL not found
It seems there is an issue with opengl and nvidia cards.
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I cannot test if the workaround works. Regards, Pedro. El 23/08/18 a las 20:20, ik5pws ik5pws@... [kicad-users] escribió:
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Re: Better selection of 3D Shapes in PCB
Andy Eskelson
Exactly,
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the basic rule is that you should ONLY ever use local copies for any shape, component, modules or whatever. That way you know exactly what you are getting. It also makes management very easy as well. Andy On Thu, 23 Aug 2018 14:06:11 +0200 "Pedro Martin pkicad@... [kicad-users]" <kicad-users@...> wrote: My recommendation is always have all the libraries in the home directory. |
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Re: OpenGL not found
开云体育Hi Danilo, i have the same issue, Not solved at this moment. Just a question, are you able to have 3d rendering? Thanks Stefano Pucci Ik5pws -------- Messaggio originale -------- Da: "Danilo Uccelli danucc@... [kicad-users]" <kicad-users@...> Data: 23/08/18 17:00 (GMT+01:00) A: kicad-users@... Oggetto: [kicad-users] OpenGL not found Hello everybody,
In my fresh install of "Linux Mint Mate 19", I installed Kicad 5.0.0 stable release but it seems I cannot work with pcbnew in? mode F11. The error message I get is :? "OpenGL 2.1 or higher is required!" But if I type the below command in a terminal, the OpenGL seems OK : du2@pc-du2:~$ glxinfo | grep "OpenGL version string" OpenGL version string: 3.3.0 NVIDIA 340.106 ...and glxgears run perfectly with about 60 fps What I missed ? Thank you in advance for any idea. Danilo |
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OpenGL not found
Hello everybody, In my fresh install of "Linux Mint Mate 19", I installed Kicad 5.0.0 stable release but it seems I cannot work with pcbnew in? mode F11. The error message I get is :? "OpenGL 2.1 or higher is required!" But if I type the below command in a terminal, the OpenGL seems OK : du2@pc-du2:~$ glxinfo | grep "OpenGL version string" OpenGL version string: 3.3.0 NVIDIA 340.106 ...and glxgears run perfectly with about 60 fps What I missed ? Thank you in advance for any idea. Danilo |
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Re: Better selection of 3D Shapes in PCB
My recommendation is always have all the libraries in the home directory.
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I have moved the offical libraries to a local directory. This way you can also add one or more folders under packages3d with other ed models. Having .wrl and .step files of the same model into the same folder makes kicad to use .wrl for rendering and .step for exporting the 3d model of the pcb. I usually have one library folder per project and use the KPRJMOD environment varialbe and a relative path to the library. I'm not an English native speaker so either model or shape or package are fine to me. Regards, Pedro. El 23/08/18 a las 13:06, Brendan Simon Brendan@... [kicad-users] escribió:
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Better selection of 3D Shapes in PCB
开云体育I'm have downloaded various 3D shapes (step files) for some components, as I couldn't find any suitable ones in the standard Kicad `packages3d` directory.? I store my downloaded step files in a directory in my home directory.When adding 3D shapes (or editing which 3D shape to use, as wrl files do not export to step), I find myself often having to traverse back and forth between my local directory of shapes and the standard Kicad directory of shapes.? This is painful using the tree file chooser. It would be great if:
BTW, is "3D model" better terminology than "3D shape" ? Brendan. |
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Re: "Create a new component from the current one"
There is no such icon.
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Now, just change the name of the symbol and save the changes. A new symbol is created with the new name. Pedro. El 12/08/18 a las 13:32, sineysitch@... [kicad-users] escribió:
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