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Electronics => PCB/EDA/CAD => Eagle => Topic started by: Chasm on December 22, 2010, 10:25:31 pm

Title: Cadsoft Eagle and Gerber generation
Post by: Chasm on December 22, 2010, 10:25:31 pm
Hi,

a question about Cadsoft Eagle and Gerber generation.

Is there a way to limit the Gerber output to the board size?
On some of the library parts (mostly SUB-D connectors) the silkscreen extend over the board dimension.
I could edit the library's but that is some work.
Title: Re: Cadsoft Eagle and Gerber generation
Post by: tyblu on December 22, 2010, 10:53:14 pm
Not any way I know of, short of editing the parts. I've never done a layout in which I didn't have to create or at least edit library parts. You can create a script to edit gerbers directly, but that is also some work. ;)
Title: Re: Cadsoft Eagle and Gerber generation
Post by: Chasm on December 22, 2010, 11:51:30 pm
Removing the silkscreen in the library is not that hard, but a bit annoying.
(Especially if I forget to backup&restore the originals.)

So let's see first if the cheap PCB service also accepts the files with too large silk screens.
Then there is the question if they'll actually manufacture a PCB at the limit (6mil) of their specs.
Title: Re: Cadsoft Eagle and Gerber generation
Post by: Neb on December 23, 2010, 01:25:44 am
When I have parts that do that, I move the offending segments to another layer like Measures or Document.  Most of my self-generated components have the same convention so I can just enable one of those layers to see the foot prints, but then leave it out of the gerbers.
Title: Re: Cadsoft Eagle and Gerber generation
Post by: Chasm on December 23, 2010, 02:10:54 am
Doh! Copy & Paste.

Or since it is Eagle: Group & Cut & Copy & Group & Change Layer
Title: Re: Cadsoft Eagle and Gerber generation
Post by: Chasm on December 23, 2010, 04:50:04 pm
After some editing I have to say that there are a lot of library parts that plain s*ck when it comes to the silkscreen.
Say an inductivity that fills most of the pads with screen. I doubt that this will improve the effectiveness of the buck converter...

And once again it is demonstrated why reviewing the Gerber files is not a waste of time.
Title: Re: Cadsoft Eagle and Gerber generation
Post by: TheDirty on December 23, 2010, 06:13:35 pm
You don't need to worry about silkscreen printed over bare copper pads.  It only prints on the board over the soldermask.