Eagle Basics
Here are three videos I have put together over the Eagle basics and how to make a very simple PCB from schematic to fabrication. The point of this exercise is for people who have NEVER used Cadsoft Eagle and can be skipped by more advanced users. SparkFun also has a great introduction to eagle here.
Introduction to Eagle 1.1 goes over placing components in a schematic and how Eagle organizes its projects as well as the toolbar to perform basic schematic operations.
Introduction to Eagle 1.2 goes over generating your layout from the schematic designed in ItE 1.1 and how to connect the components as well as add a ground plane to your design. The board is extremely simple and is used strictly for learning the Eagle layout software.
Finally, Introduction to Eagle 1.3 shows how to get a board manufactured with OshPark. OshPark provides 2 layer boards at $5/sq in. with a 2 week turn time.
After watching (or skimming) these videos, you should be able perform the following operations in Eagle:
If you can do all of these (or most of them), you are ready to move on to rules of schematics.
- Create a new project
- Add components from various Eagle libraries such as: "rcl" - resistors, capacitors, and inductors, "supply1" - DC supply and ground nodes, "jumper" - pin outs, "conn-coax" - coaxial connectors, etc.
- Include libraries for a project
- Add a component to a schematic
- Connect components using the line tool, junction tool, etc.
- Use supplies and GND to keep the schematic clean
- Run ERC to check the schematic connections and correct any errors
- Generate the layout from a schematic
- Place components and connect them with the route tool
- Add a ground plane and use vias to make connections between layers
- Run DRC to check for layout errors and correct them
- Generate Gerbers (or just use the .brd file) to send out your layout to a fabrication house
If you can do all of these (or most of them), you are ready to move on to rules of schematics.
