Setting up an Eagle project and integrating with Fusion 360

Eagle is a powerful electronic design automation (EDA) software that can be used to design and virtually test PCBs. It can also be used for computer aided manufacture (CAM) and basic schematics. Since Autodesk acquired it, they've been integrating it with their software. Recently they've integrated it with Autodesk Fusion 360, which will be demonstrated in this project.

Start by installing Eagle.

Open Eagle. When you open it, this is the control panel:

At the Hackaday Superconference workshop we used an audio amplifier that Matt Berggren created as our starter project. You can find it here: https://github.com/sfgit/Supercon2017

Clone and unzip the project files.

Using libraries

Go to: "Supercon2017-master/Audio Amplifier - Orig/Libraries/" in the project files.

There should be an ldr file "audio amplifier example." Ldr files are libraries in Eagle. Managed libraries allow you to publish a library to the web in real time.

Set up the directory for libraries.

Go to "Option">"directories"

Click libraries textbox and click "browse." Select the library from the download.

The libraries now show up in your control panel. Click the little dot next to the name to enable your library.

You can click on any component to view it.

Other directories

Design Rules: DRU file contains standard set of design rules.

User Language Programs: ULP is a scripting language for Eagle.

Projects: if you have an existing project, you can associate it here. We're going to start from scratch.

What is Spice?

Spice = simulate program with integrated circuit emphasis

In the 1960s, it was hard to model how a chip would behave. Spice is a simulator that lets you approximate how your chip will work.

Ltspice = linear technology spice

Ngspice = an open source version of the simulator

Create a New Project

File > New > Project

Name it "Audio amplifier."

Enable it by clicking the dot so it turns green.

Right click and select 'New'>'Schematic'

The Workspace

Rule #1: Don't change the grid

Rule #2: if you do change the grid, you can change it back in the active command line with the grid command. E.G. "Grid mm" changes to millimeters. "Grid mil" changes to mil. "Grid in" of course is inches.

The active command line is super powerful; it can be used for drawing coordinate points, changing grid size, etc. Use the up arrow on your keyboard to cycle back through previous commands.

For instance, when editing a line, type in a number. This will change the width of the line.

Placing components

Click "Add a part."

Find the audio amplifier library that you added previously.

If you click a part, it will show up in the part viewer.

You may have multiple packages attached to the same symbol. These will appear with a dropdown arrow next to them. For instance, we have several LEDs and resistors.

Start by placing the USB connection. Click the USB and select "OK." It's now ready to be placed. Zoom out using your trackpad. Left-click to rotate the part. Place it and hit 'escape' so that you don't continue to place parts with every click.

Next add the stereo jack. Flip it horizontally by hitting the 'mirror' button. If you want to flip something vertically, you have to first rotate it 180 degrees and then flip it horizontally.

Move components by clicking on the select tool and clicking the cross in the center of the component.

There are little down arrows next to some tools in toolbar. If you click and hold it, it will show you recently placed components.

Change component value

Some components have a changeable value.

Click the part and type the value, or right click and select "value." Type in the value. If you now select a second component of the same type, it will inherit the same value.

There's also a ULP for mass changing parts. If you use a lot of discreet parts, this can be really useful.

Netting

The term 'net' comes from 'network.' Netting is connecting parts so that they form a network, or circuit.

Enter 'net' in the command line to get into netting mode.

If you hover over a component, you'll see round green circles that mean that part is nettable. Click and drag to create a net line.

Right-clicking sets edges.

To select where your nets connect to, you simply name them with the name tool. For instance, naming your wire 'GND' connects it to ground. Right click on the wire and select 'Name' to name it. Each 'wire' gets a default name, like N$1 or N$2.

Label the wires. Right click and select "Label." The the name of the wire, or net, will show up when it is labeled. You can choose the label type from the icons. The flag label type usually means that the component goes from one schematic sheet to another.

Once you're in the name tool or label tool, you can continue to name and label parts simply by clicking on them.

Comments

You can add a comment by clicking the 'T'. Enter your text in the text box. Click 'ok.' Position it wherever makes sense.

Design blocks

You can build re-usable design blocks.

Note about pick and place software:

There are only two major software for manufacturing PCBs. Valor (by Mentorgraphics) and another one.

When you send your design to manufacturing, they throw away the pad geometry (solder mask) from your design and replace it with whatever they calculate as best. They calculate the size of solder pads and stencil thicknesses that work with their pick and place machines.

Now there is a regulatory body: IPC - the Institute for Printed Circuits.

They have spec #7351: land pattern geometry for PCB components. This is a standard for component geometry to work with manufacturing processes. All software is adopting these standard packages.

Settings

Go to 'Options'>'Set'>'Miscellaneous' to get to settings.

Eagle RC = default settings for Eagle. You can change everything here. If you delete the file it will be regenerated with default settings.

PCB

Select the toggle button (SCH/BRD) to toggle between the schematic and the board layout. We don't have a board file yet, so we'll have to create one. Create from schematic? Select 'yes.'

Use the move tool. Change the black canvas so the footprint approximates your group of components.

Start placing your components on the canvas.

The grid

Select the grid button in the upper left. Hold down the 'Alt' key. You can change the grid size and units.

The layers

Open the layer button.

Use the group tool. Grab all the components. Move the components to the canvas.

New feature in Eagle:

You can now flip the board, rather than just looking through it. This helps when making double sided PCBs.

FUSION 360

Open Fusion 360. Select the back axis from the move cube.

Select 'Sketch' > '2-D rectangle.'

Draw a rectangle that's 50mmx70mm.

Select 'Preferences' > 'Preview' and check the 'PCB Feature.' Select 'Apply.'

Now you'll see an option to 'Create PCB' when you select 'Create.' Choose this. You'll see your design tools change.

Select 'PCB Profile.'

Select the geometry you just created as the profile.

Select the center point as the origin.

Select "Finish PCB"

This will take you back to the draw layout, where you can see your PCB.

Back in Eagle, select 'Fusion Sync'

Select your PCB in Fusion.

Select 'Pull from fusion'

Move the components onto the new board footprint.

Note - this feature is new, so it might not always work. During the class, we weren't able to pull from Fusion, so we opted to push to Fusion instead.

Select 'Push to Fusion'

Once the project has been uploaded to Fusion, you can view your board and edit the layout there.