Eagle PCB software doesn't seem to work well (for me)

[Bolty_Guitars]

Has anybody got experience with eagle PCB software? I've been trying to create a PCB design from a schematic but when I click the generate PCB button, most of the components I've added to the schematic layout are missing from the PCB layout!

Any ideas what I'm doing wrong?

Thanks.

[smallbearelec]

If I understand right, you used EAGLE to draw a schem and then tried to get it to create a board layout for you. The advice I have seen here is that the schematic capture functions of programs like EAGLE don't work well for analog circuits generally. I have always designed stompboxes by:

• figuring out the mechanical layout of the pedal
• knowing that, figuring out the size and shape of the PCB
• drawing the outline of the PCB in EAGLE
• then doing the place-and-try manually

[chumbox]

Has anybody got experience with eagle PCB software? I've been trying to create a PCB design from a schematic but when I click the generate PCB button, most of the components I've added to the schematic layout are missing from the PCB layout!
Thanks.

You mean this button below right?  That's the one I always use to make sure it adds any changes to the board that I make to the schem along the way. I actually find it works great. 

Three things that come to mind:

1. Zoom out on the board layout, as all the parts first appear off the board and sometimes out of view.  Then select all of them and drop them on the board outline

2. (and this is an educated guess at best) I'm no Eagle expert but are you creating the schematic from a 'parts' library where there is a matching board part.  I'm 99% sure you can pick for example a generic resistor that will give you the schematic symbol but it won't actually relate to a matching part.  Again without being in front of it I can't say 100%.

3. If you are using any sort of 'auto route' button, other than the one I just pointed to, as smallbearelec said, those are hopeless.

Odd one, but I'm sure there is a simple solution if the rest of Eagle is running well.

[Bolty_Guitars]

Thanks for the help.

As it turns out, I was using a parts library for the schematic and those same parts were not  available in the board layout part of the software just like you said. hence they are missing

In the end I binned off eagle for now and started using Fritzing which seems much more novice friendly. Once I'm more experienced I'll try the big boys software again!

[chumbox]

Thanks for the help.

As it turns out, I was using a parts library for the schematic and those same parts were not  available in the board layout part of the software just like you said. hence they are missing

In the end I binned off eagle for now and started using Fritzing which seems much more novice friendly. Once I'm more experienced I'll try the big boys software again!

Don't give up though.  It's a great tool once you get your head around it.  There is a good tutorial and pedal specific parts library available here if you ever come back to Eagle.  Good luck!

http://gaussmarkov.net/wordpress/tools/software/eagle-cad/

[Marcos - Munky]

That's what I was going to say. Use Gaussmarkov's library or Madbean's (Madbean's is an uptade to Gaussmarkov's). They're made for pedal building.

[EATyourGuitar]

if there is anything you can not find in those libs you can ask me. I probably have it.