When you design a board, you might want to have a few exact copies of it. In Eagle, there is a way to make multiple boards, on one sheet of paper or transparent.
This is the way I do what is called Panelizing.
1. Design the board
First things first. While making the schematic, I have Eagle Board Editor on the second screen. That way I know the footprintsize once the component is placed. When schematic is done, and the PCB layout is OK, I close the Eagle Schematic Editor.
2. Saving
So we don't mess up the original schematic and board, it is necessary to save our work under a different name. Both the schematic and the board.When I save, I use -pan after the name. I was working on a project and needed multiple boards, I saved it as 555-pwm-pan.sch. When designing the board and making a prototype, I named it 555-pwm.sch. So in the project folder, there are now 555-pwn.sch, 555-pwm.brd, 555-pwm-pan.sch and 555-pwm-pan.brd.
Delete the *-pan.sch file. NOT the *.sch or the *.brd files. These are our original files, and we do not want to mess with those.
3. Run panelize.ulp
For the panelize-ulp to work on all layer, we must show them. Click on the layer button, and on all. Now all the layers should be visible, and show all kinds of stuff. Now it is time to run the ULP. Click on the ULP - icon, and navigate to the panelize.ulp. It should be where the rest of your standard ULP's are. When panelize.ulp starts, it displays a message, click on execute. You notice that the names of your components have turned yellow.
Now you need to mark everything. Just like when you are moving two or more components. Click on the Mark - icon and mark the entire board. You will see that the board is highlighted.
We have now marked everything, next thing to do, is to put what we have marked in a buffer. This is actually a bit strange but, click on Edit, click on Cut. And now you need to tell Eagle where the boards basepoint is. I use the lower left corner. Click on that corner. Now we have placed a copy of our board in the copy/paste - buffer, with an reference point.
4. Placing the boards
Now all the tricky parts are done. All that is left is to place our copies. Click on Edit and Paste. You will now get a copy of your board floating around in Eagle Board Editor, with the lower left corner as an referent point. This copy can be rotated just as an ordinary component. Place it and use Edit -> Paste, to get a new copy.
The only limitations you have, is your version of Eagle.
5. Summarize
Save
Save as... (*-pan.brd)
Delete *-pan.sch (if it is there)
Exit Eagle Schematic
Show all layers
Run panelize.ulp
Mark all
Edit -> Cut
Click on reference/base point (lower left corner)
Edit -> paste.
Place new board.
Repeat Edit -> paste.
Repeat until you have reach Eagles limitations, or you have enough boards.
This is the way I get multiple Eagleboards on one sheet.
...Or you can drop me a *.brd, and I'll see what I can do...
My setup are:
Ubuntu Desktop 10.04 LTS
Eagle 5.7.0 - Hobbyist Licence.
... dual monitors
Disclaimer:
This is the way I do it. I will not take any responsibility for what others might do. Be careful and not delete the original files!
This is the way I do what is called Panelizing.
1. Design the board
First things first. While making the schematic, I have Eagle Board Editor on the second screen. That way I know the footprintsize once the component is placed. When schematic is done, and the PCB layout is OK, I close the Eagle Schematic Editor.
2. Saving
So we don't mess up the original schematic and board, it is necessary to save our work under a different name. Both the schematic and the board.When I save, I use -pan after the name. I was working on a project and needed multiple boards, I saved it as 555-pwm-pan.sch. When designing the board and making a prototype, I named it 555-pwm.sch. So in the project folder, there are now 555-pwn.sch, 555-pwm.brd, 555-pwm-pan.sch and 555-pwm-pan.brd.
Delete the *-pan.sch file. NOT the *.sch or the *.brd files. These are our original files, and we do not want to mess with those.
3. Run panelize.ulp
For the panelize-ulp to work on all layer, we must show them. Click on the layer button, and on all. Now all the layers should be visible, and show all kinds of stuff. Now it is time to run the ULP. Click on the ULP - icon, and navigate to the panelize.ulp. It should be where the rest of your standard ULP's are. When panelize.ulp starts, it displays a message, click on execute. You notice that the names of your components have turned yellow.
Now you need to mark everything. Just like when you are moving two or more components. Click on the Mark - icon and mark the entire board. You will see that the board is highlighted.
We have now marked everything, next thing to do, is to put what we have marked in a buffer. This is actually a bit strange but, click on Edit, click on Cut. And now you need to tell Eagle where the boards basepoint is. I use the lower left corner. Click on that corner. Now we have placed a copy of our board in the copy/paste - buffer, with an reference point.
4. Placing the boards
Now all the tricky parts are done. All that is left is to place our copies. Click on Edit and Paste. You will now get a copy of your board floating around in Eagle Board Editor, with the lower left corner as an referent point. This copy can be rotated just as an ordinary component. Place it and use Edit -> Paste, to get a new copy.
The only limitations you have, is your version of Eagle.
5. Summarize
Save
Save as... (*-pan.brd)
Delete *-pan.sch (if it is there)
Exit Eagle Schematic
Show all layers
Run panelize.ulp
Mark all
Edit -> Cut
Click on reference/base point (lower left corner)
Edit -> paste.
Place new board.
Repeat Edit -> paste.
Repeat until you have reach Eagles limitations, or you have enough boards.
This is the way I get multiple Eagleboards on one sheet.
...Or you can drop me a *.brd, and I'll see what I can do...
My setup are:
Ubuntu Desktop 10.04 LTS
Eagle 5.7.0 - Hobbyist Licence.
... dual monitors
Disclaimer:
This is the way I do it. I will not take any responsibility for what others might do. Be careful and not delete the original files!
