Any classes for Eagle CAD in NY/NJ/Philly area?

Started by mordechai, June 14, 2011, 09:40:07 AM

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mordechai

I'm wondering if anyone knows of any classes I could take to learn how to use Eagle.  The website tutorials are helpful but only to a point.  Anything between Philly and NY would be ideal, or any resources in Toronto during the month of July.

Thanks.

SISKO

#1
I think that most of us in here who knows how to (at least) make a pcb using EAGLE learnt all by their own using the software.

My advice is to take a simple project (it could be a booster, or any electronic circuit -it can be non music related-) and start diggin it.
Start by drawing the schematic, then the pcb layout.
Eagle has a learning curve a little bigger than other pcbs softwares (its a tad more complicated to learn how to use the software because its a little more professional than other editors), but nothing too complicated. (Other way would be to use a more simple soft)

When a doubt arrives to you, you can check how to solve it by searching on the net or right here. There are a lots of people willing to help you. And that is what a teacher would do, he would give you a simple project, and any doubt you have, he will solve it.
Using the forum you have more than one teacher to ask (more than one answer too!  :icon_lol:), you can work on it in any time you want, and you wouldn have to pay anything
--Is there any body out there??--

mordechai

Well, my biggest bone of contention with learning Eagle right now is I cannot find the simplest things to put into a schematicin the extant library...the symbols for an imput jack with one connection to ground...a PNP transistor...a variable resistor/pot...the library of items is huge, but have indecipherable number codes to identify them in the list, and even after spending an hour pouring through that list, I couldn't find the basic parts I need to draw the schem...

defaced

There are alot of libraries and this was one of my biggest things when starting, the number codes are the part numbers for the devices (usually).  I think I started/stopped Eagle 2-3 times before I got used to using it.  The ones you'll use most often are the following:

Supply 1 and 2 - these are for supply and ground symbols
RCL - resistor, capacitors, and inductors
Transistors npn/pnp - transistors

The only place I've found usable jacks and pots are the Gaussmarkov libraries - he's also added a bunch of other stuff including some of the above. His tutorials are also very nice because they're geared toward pedals.  His libraries are linked to in the second part of the tutorial. 

http://gaussmarkov.net/wordpress/category/tools/software/eagle/
-Mike

Hides-His-Eyes

Quote from: mordechai on June 14, 2011, 01:59:50 PM
Well, my biggest bone of contention with learning Eagle right now is I cannot find the simplest things to put into a schematicin the extant library...the symbols for an imput jack with one connection to ground...a PNP transistor...a variable resistor/pot...the library of items is huge, but have indecipherable number codes to identify them in the list, and even after spending an hour pouring through that list, I couldn't find the basic parts I need to draw the schem...


The libraries are good for using as templates for making your own components. It's best to make everything yourself. I've messed up before by using other people's libraries (the gaussmarkov ones mentioned) and them being unsuitable for my uses. Designing components is no harder than assembling Schemata.

cpm

usually there are some symbols that you dont need on the schematic. This is aimed to get a pcb. If you are not using pcb mounted components for jacks and pots you dont need them, just use pads for the connections. See "pad" symbol which is just a hole tu put the wires to the actual jack or pots

Most of the usual components, like transistors, opamps, etc are there, for example: just look for a generic npn instead of 2N5088 that matches the pinout. Other specialized ics like a PT2399, NE571, you wont find them on the standard libs. Maybe someone has already made a symbol for them that you can add to the library.
Sometimes you can just use a generic 16pin DIP package instead, as long as you use the correct pins according to the actual ic.
So the point most of the time is to get a pcb laid out, even if the schematic has some ugliness
Once you are comfortable with the standard usage you will find easy to create your own components, for a precise schematic symbol and accurate measurements for your pcb assembilng

look for gaussmarkov libraries, he has compiled some common symbols for the stombox usage.

caress

i'm pretty good at eagle at this point and live in philly.  feel free to send me an email!  brian@smallsoundbigsound.com
we can chat or get together, whatever...

derevaun

To the question, Eagle workshops are a staple of hackerspaces. NYC Resistor and Alpha One Labs are two examples in Brooklyn that have taught Eagle recently. Such classes can be kind of basic, but you can maximize your return by asking questions a lot. Especially strategies for sorting out the needle-in-a-haystack situation in the libraries. There's a list of hackerspaces at http://hackerspaces.org of all places  ;)

I'd recommend starting with the Gaussmarkov libraries just to get comfortable with the routine. The pads are probably too small for etched boards. But once the sense of the library paradigm starts to make itself clear, it's easier to sort through everything.

There are some helpful videos at Tangent Tutorials.

Gordo

+1 on the gaussmarkov libraries.  I set them up as my defaults and although I kept the others around in case I ever need anything exotic (or...yelp...start doing SMT) I don't even see them.  That way you're not wading thru stacks of libraries.  That's the biggest stumbling block.  You'll find once you start getting comfortable with the app it will REALLY start to snowball.  Then once you get comfortable you can start messing with pad sizes and trace widths.  One quick tip is that unless you're doing double sided boards, turn off the top layer so the autorouter doesn't go goofy on you. Like previous posts there's lots of help around and I can't stress the gaussmarkov pages enough.  Also take apart his files to see how he did stuff.

Madbean has threatened to do some tutorials as well and his layouts and boards are beautiful.  I've always considered his and FP's Tonepad layouts and build docs to be works of art.
Bust the busters
Screw the feeders
Make the healers feel the way I feel...

oldschoolanalog

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