Hey guys,
Im pretty familiar with Eagle, and Ive been using it at least a couple times a week for well over a year now. Ive recently embarked on a project to create a basic dev board for the AT91SAM9260 ARM9 chip from Atmel. Ive done boards with large chips before, but never anything with this many pins!
Ive just finished up the schematic, and have started routing the board. This is where I need your help! This is the largest ratsnest Ive seen, and I have no clue where to start. Ive started off placing things like the usb connector and associated parts together, and just general grouping like that. But I have no experience in boards like this. I hang out here and read quite often so I know there are some of you guys who can do this in your sleep. Any little tips or tricks for routing a 208-pin part would be greatly appreciated!
I would first start out by putting the chip in the middle of the board and then placing the USB connecter and such in the corner closest to where the serial communications pins are. Try to put the holes on the edge of the board and organize the pins so that the wires to the pins dont overlap. Beyond that, I can’t really help without a screenshot of the components.
You can also select non-critical signals using the information tool, and check the box that hides the signal. This reduces the overall clutter, and should help you route the board.
I came across a [PCB Design Tutorial by David Jones of EEVBlog fame the other day. You might want to take a look as there’s some great information in the tutorial, including how to deal with large complex designs.](http://www.alternatezone.com/electronics/files/PCBDesignTutorialRevA.pdf)
Thanks for the tips, theyre greatly appreciated.
Jon, I sat down this morning and read the entire tutorial. Most of the information I was already familiar with but it was an excellent primer!
Ive attached screenshots of the schematic (which /should/ be correct) and the board. Please go easy on the board layout 
this is my first attempt at placing components around the board. Ive also placed all the decoupling caps near their respective power pins. I was thinking of mirroring them to the other side so they’re underneath the chips (I realize the ones for the arm chip are literally IN the chip, dont worry, they will be moved!) - is this a good idea? Im not used to being able to drop vias wherever I want! Normally I etch my own boards so its no vias for me 
EDIT it occurred to me as I was looking at the upload - I dont plan on keeping the parts spaced out as much as they are, that was just to help me reduce overlaps in the airwires. If you see any collisions between parts, feel free to point them out, but I will likely catch them when I do v0.2 
Looks like a good start. Swapping the locations of the two ICs at the upper right might lead to easier routing.
I’d leave a little more clearance around the power jack, the DB-9 and the coin cell holder. Leave a little more access around the SMT parts, especially if you’re hand-soldering.