Getting drill guides from Eagle PCB

[iamjackslackof]

Hi all,

I occasionally make my own PCBs using Eagle, and one of the biggest things I'd like to be able to do is no reinvent the wheel and take advantage of all the Tayda pre-drilled enclosures. But I'm not sure how to accurately create a board layout that would match any of the standard PPCB formats. I'm a bit of a noob at Eagle, I can make functional boards, but I'm trying to get better at the dimensions and aesthetics, and part of that is getting the drilling accurate. This may be a question for @Robert, but I'm curious how he manages to make every board the same, using various templates I assume? I've not seen a way to do that in Eagle thus far.

Thanks!

 

[jimilee]

I often wondered his secret also.

 

[finebyfine]

The spacing between rows of pots is 25.4mm - columns are different for 3 & 4 (16.51mm from center, 33.02mm from each other) knobs and 5&6 knobs (can’t remember off the top of my head but I think 20.32mm?) If you keep the pot pad distances (the same pad of each pot) along those distances it’ll fit.

Switches are a little bit more complicated but if you place a potentiometer footprint that has the shaft marked you can use that to place a toggle - it ends up pretty close to the pot row above it.

 

[Robert]

I don't use Eagle, but the process is the same regardless.

I don't use templates or pre-fab designs, everything is done manually each time. Drill templates are derived from existing drill templates with adjustments made as needed.

I always start by placing controls first, then work around them. I start with the top row of controls, aligning them to the origin line.

For 2, 3, and 4 control designs I use a 0.65" spacing


For 5 and 6 control designs I use a 0.8" spacing


The next row of controls is always 1" below that.


The shaft of the pots sit at approximately 0.63" above their pads, so any toggle switches that should be aligned with a row of pots are placed accordingly.




I do have some pre-fab templates drawn up that would theoretically make things a bit easier / more streamlined, but I've yet to actually use them to design anything. I'm stuck in my old ways.

They do help to confirm that any out of the ordinary PCB dimension or shape will actually fit though.

 

[iamjackslackof]

Thanks Robert, that's absolutely what I needed! And I was so certain you didn't do it from scratch every time lol. But it seems like much less of a hassle that I initially thought. Excited to take advantage of Tayda pre-drilled enclosures for my own builds now.

 

[Robert]

Once you do it one or two (or a few hundred) times it becomes a habit.

That's not to say I don't still mess up from time to time.... I have a new prototype sitting here right now with the toggle switch in the wrong position. No idea how I got it so wrong, but it's way off. Ahh well, to the scrap box they go.

 

[Audandash]

This may help. I made this one day so i wouldn't have to measure every time. I also made a template in eagle for 1-6 knob depending on what circuit i am doing. I just copy the corresponding sch and brd file and save it to a new folder under the new circuit. My pots are always in the same place and same for power, input, output etc…. ( unless the circuit requires something different). It more of a convenience thing. I dont use the led holes though. I mount those next to my switch so you wont see those numbers listed here. Hope it helps.

 

[Audandash]

Just realized this was a really old post, lol. I just saw the new section on the forum and didn't look at dates. Oh well. Might as well leave the info up.