EaglePCB: Some questions regarding design

Community PCB Design
1

Hello, Im placing PIC32MX460 on a board and designing a board layout in Eagle 5.7. This will be a double sided board. It is my first experience in designing PCB like that. I have gone through some YouTube tutorials/videos. Now im placing components.

But here is what i cant figure out:

  1. When i create a schematic and then transfer to board, i want some components to be placed on top layer and another components on bottom layer, but it seems all components are being placed on top layer. How do i place specific components on bottom layer?

  2. The same is with routing wires, when i press to Route, and choose bottom layer, it automatically switches to top layer…how to make it route wires on bottom layer?

  3. Now lets say i want to route wire from one of the IC pins on a top layer to some point, and then from that point transfer it to the bottom layer and route it further to some other point on bottom layer… how would i do that? Do i have to place a VIA?

  4. If i place a via and i want to route some lets say IC pin to that via, how do i do that? For example, when i just directly do it…it just draws that route path on the via…but it doesnt “stick” to it to show me that its really connected…

thank you!

2

For your first three questions, the answer is the same: middle click. Have a play and you’ll see how it works. For swapping parts, choose the move tool, then pick the part up, then middle click to swap layers. For routes, chose the route tool, click the airwire, if the route starts on the wrong layer middle click to swap it.

3

You can also use the ‘mirror’ tool to swap sides for parts.

You just switch sides while routing and a via will be placed for you, like mentioned above. I think it’s important to note, if you place a via yourself, a wire, a polygon, or anything like that, you have to use the ‘name’ tool to name it the same as the net it is part of. If you name it with the same net name that you are routing thru it, then you will see an air wire appear for it to the other net items and you can route to it and it will ‘stick’.

4

Well, thank you guys for the advice! That was really helpful! About middle click, naming the vias etc!

Now im uploading two pictures, one is schematic view, and another is board view. And it was kind of an example of how i want to connect some component (resistor in this case) to an IC. So that IC is on a top layer, and a component on a bottom.

Please take a look and say me does that make sense now or not? Will it be manufactured the way i want it to be or not? As u see the idea was to connect a component to IC using vias…

Another question: If a fabrication house accepts Eagle files, do i need to run script and generate gerber files anyway or not?

thank you!

5

That is correct, but a few small points.

  • You have an airwire on the bottom layer at the top pad of the resistor. You should really complete the connection.

  • You should also make your vias round and of a smaller drill size, something like 15-20mil

6

thanks! i know about airwire the circuit is not complete yet.

what about this question: If a fabrication house accepts Eagle files, do i need to run script and generate gerber files for them also or not?

7

No, just send them the Eagle files. Some places that provide that sort of service even charge more for processing Gerbers, I know that PCB Pool does.