Autodesk Eagle Windows 11
Olivie Inoue
Before we reveal the process of creating a printed circuit board with AutoDesk Eagle we should first see how the software works. Eagle's UI consists of several major interaction points including Library, Board, Schematic, and Control Panel. The library allows you to manage and edit parts, as far as the schematics where you draw the essential connections for a certain PCB. The board is where you lay out all the electronic components that are defined to be physically connected to the board. The control panel we will review separately as it is one of the most important features of the software.
The control panel remains the most important aspect of Eagle's UI and it is the main window in the software. Once closed, all related windows that it opened within will close as well. The control panel contains various categories:
To create a new project for a printed circuit board, start by right-clicking on the "eagle" and selecting "New Project". Then you will have to download a "Compass.pcb" from the options listed below and save it in Documents\Eagle\ex-Compass. If files are still not appearing in the Control Panel, simply hit "F5" to refresh and they should pop out.
There are several different ways to move in Eagle, for instance, you can do that with button 1 on your mouse, or with the "F#" keys on your keyboard, and even zoom in and out with the scroll bar. The schematic window provides you with complete freedom of a point of view, angle, and many other beneficial aspects.
Use the mouse's middle button to move around and the middle click to pin. To zoom in and out simply scroll back and forth. You can also use the F# keys, F3 to zoom in, F4 to zoom out and F5 to center the screen focusing your cursor.
In the board view window, you can move and explore the board the same way as in the schematic window, so we won't go over that again. The display functionalities are the same, except for the view of the different layers. By default, you will be seeing them all at once, but you are allowed to isolate each of them. We will cover everything about the Board Window later in the process.
Once you are ready to integrate parts in the schematic, it is time to make the connections. You can simply do that using the "Net" command. Do not use the "Wire" command to create connections, as we already mentioned that it is just for cosmetic add-ons on the schematic and they won't do anything. The best use for the "Wire" command is to illustrate something to check out how it looks and if it will work.
Use the "Label" command to name each of the nets easily and they will show up in the wire. Once all of the names are visible you can easily use the "Name" command to provide the wires with meaningful names that will help other engineers to easily navigate and understand that schematic board.
Use the "Value" located near the "Name" command to label all capacitors and resistors with their appropriate value. It is important to keep everything organized as inappropriate naming can result in a messy schematic. After all, navigating around the board nets is an activity all engineers go through multiple times per session so the rightful value will contribute to the overall process.
AutoDesk Eagle has its functionality for checking where you have messed up. By running an Electric Rule Check (ERC), the software will examine the output of your printed board and determine if there are any issues.
Once you have the schematic and parts connections ready it is time to export the project in board view by "File" > "Switch to board". It will warn you that there is no board existing and you should click "Yes" to create a new board based on your schematics.
Once the board is created you will be able to see all parts on the left that are in use. You won't be able to drag out any parts from the board box area and even if you try, AutoDesk Eagle will refuse to cooperate.
Now it is time to set locations for all parts that they need to go just like connectors. It is recommended to group all parts that logically make sense together and move these cluster groups altogether to achieve as little amount of crossed unrouted lines as possible. Make sure to move all parts far enough apart that you don't break any design rule and also meet at least the minimum of unrouted traces crossing.
As we know printed circuit boards have a bottom side that requires your attention as well. To get a view of the bottom part use the "Mirror" command and click on the surface-mount parts to switch them on the bottom later. You might need to use the "Move" or "Rotate" command to orient the parts in their rightful positions.
To route the parts use the "Route" command and click on any airwire. This way a blue trace will appear at the node of the airwire that is the closest to your click. On the other hand, if a red trace appears this is not what we want and the workaround is to change the layer TOP (red) to BOTTOM (blue). Click again on some other place to anchor a wire on this spot, right-click to change the angle's turn, or middle-click to create a via between the bottom and the top layer until it is all blue.
There is an integrated Design Rule Check (DRC) that will ensure that the board you design is following all rules and has no errors. However, do not disappoint if a lot of common mistakes are found, instead try to resolve them. It is completely normal to encounter many mistakes on the DRC check.
Some of the common mistakes that you can encounter are mainly related to distance, clearance, size, and shape. We will reveal some of the common tabs that you will have to fulfill for a proper DRC check execution:
After you fulfill everything required the right way, click "Check" and you will see the DRC Results. The fewer issues you see the better. Resolve issues and scan again until you have eliminated all the errors. In most cases, manufacturers fulfill all the printed circuit board design requirements and via DRC check they ensure that everything with the currently designed prototype is as per the customer's requirements.
Once you have finished with all the routing and have no DRC errors the printed circuit board should be completed. You may be looking for a reliable PCB manufacturer. PCBONLINE, a one-stop advanced PCB manufacturer since 1999, is highly recommended for engineers and makers. You can get one-to-one free technical support from PCBONLINE about your project, free samples for batch PCB production, and free design for manufacturing and excellence. This PCB printing company can also assemble your boards and source all electronic components on your bill of materials. Working with PCBONLINE, you can realize your idea perfectly.
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