Hi John,

Just curious, since you run Linux.  Have you tried gEDA?

Thanks,
   Keith


--- In tinycad@..., "joliva0123" <joliva63@...> wrote:
>
> Does anyone have a utility to convert an MDB to an SQLite3 library?
>
> I have installed TinyCAD under Linux Wine and I am using the latest version
with support for SQLite3 libraries.  The default package of libraries are
already provided in the SQLite3 format (thanks) but I would like to make use of
the user supplied libraries as well.
>
> Thanks,
> John
>

Does anyone have a utility to convert an MDB to an SQLite3 library?

I have installed TinyCAD under Linux Wine and I am using the latest version with
support for SQLite3 libraries.  The default package of libraries are already
provided in the SQLite3 format (thanks) but I would like to make use of the user
supplied libraries as well.

Thanks,
John

TinyCAD is really a good program and I would like to thank everyone that worked
on it. Great job!  A few comments:

- The connection bulls eye (circle) does not work when two pins touch, only when
using the wire tool (or when you first place a power symbol).
- You can't delete a power symbol with the DEL key
- The grid snap is problematic.  If you turn off grid snap and then move a
symbol and turn it back on, you can't get the symbol back on grid (I think this
has been noted before).  The grid should be fixed, not relative to the selected
component.
- When you search for a symbol and then select one, it would be nice to know
which library it is in.  This would also be nice for components already placed.
- TinyCAD keeps track of both the original name for a component and the name on
the schematic which allows the Replace Symbol feature to work.  It would be nice
if the info box showed both names (part type and part name).
- I would like to be able insert a ground symbol named GND but not see the
label.

I hope development on this simple, easy to use tool will continue.

Tom

I have entered the most basic passive circuit. A Resistor and a capacitor. I
select special/Create Spice file and get a result window. It says '2 errors
found' "C1 on sheet 0 has no model" and "R1 on sheet 0 has no model". I have
tried everything. I have read threads and the help file. I have mucked around
with the SPICE tab in the edit/update symbol library window. I just don't know
what to do. I could easily write a SPICE simulation file for a circuit like this
but I want to generate it to learn TinyCAD.

Hi Bill,

The process is simple if not immediately obvious.
With the schematic window containing your circuit active:-
From the menu bar: 'Special/Create PCB Netlist'
Choose the output format and target file name.
[Export]
A new window should open to show the netlist (It has been saved already)
If you want to print it either copy the window contents to a text editor and
print it from there or open the file with a similar application and do the same.
TinyCAD itself does not print netlists.

The only problem I can think of (Unless you've been netlisting a blank page) is
that your target directory is OS protected (XP, Vista etc. 'Program Files') and
it cannot be saved there.

Hope that helps
Phil

[Recommend that schematics and libraries are not kept in the 'Program Files'
directory. Prefer 'C:\PCB\TC\Libs\' and 'C:\PCB\TC\Schematics\', for example, if
you are likely to save your own libraries and schematics. ]

P.

--- In tinycad@..., "Bill" <billbrannon@...> wrote:
>
> Using 2.7.0 build 173 or 248, I am unable to print netlists. Whether I choose
TinyCad or Pads-PCB outputs. As a newbie, may be missing something. Thanks, Bill
B.
>

Using 2.7.0 build 173 or 248, I am unable to print netlists. Whether I choose
TinyCad or Pads-PCB outputs. As a newbie, may be missing something. Thanks, Bill
B.

Please read the 'Help/Help...' from the TinyCAD menu bar.
It is easy to make your own symbols with practice.
Possibly start by looking at symbols in the supplied libraries but expect to
make your own in the long term.
(In the library editor use 'Duplicate Symbol' from the <right click> menu to
create a 'Copy of xxx' symbol. Play with that to avoid overwriting the
original.)

The Microsoft Jet database was used by early versions, update to TinyCAD
v2.70.00 #248 recommended. It uses a different library database format although
it can read the previous one.

Phil

NB Keep the 'Snap to Grid' ON unless you have a *@!??#* good reason not to.

P.

--- In tinycad@..., "fictish@..." <fictish@...> wrote:
>
> I have a 40 pin microcontroller Pic16F1939 its 40 pin and I want to drive 3x 7
segment LED's from  the controller directly.
>
> I cannot find ether of these components in your software
> how do I create them please.
>
> Is their support software. I see this software uses a Microsoft database some
how.
>
> J Lex Dean
>

Please everyone - read the 'Help/Help...' from the menu bar.

It does show how to access and edit the symbol properties and many other things.
What you put in is up to you (within reason) it is for your infomation and any
one seeing the schematic.
If you are intending to make a PCB the 'Package' property should be present (add
it if not) and have the physical PCB footprint name you want to use for that
symbol. (Even this allocation can be performed later in FreePCB but takes time)
Other layout programs will have different footprint names. If you want to use a
different footprint you can edit it on the schematic (and any other parameter)
thus the same symbol type can have several different footprints on the PCB.
The supplied libraries are only an indication of what TinyCAD can do. Expect to
make your own symbols. I use my own for everything now.
TinyCAD can produce fully professional results when used correctly.
In my opinion it is better than some (expensive) commercial products.

To find the size of a PCB footprint called from a TinyCAD symbol you will have
to look at it in the PCB layout program. Generally they will have descriptive
(industry standard often) names and the program will supply a measurement grid
of some sort. Don't expect the name to be a particular component (741, BAS16,
CAP etc.) they will more likely be descriptive of the size and pinout. (300DIP8,
SOT23, C0805 or similar)

Phil

--- In tinycad@..., "Keith" <keith_ee_44054@...> wrote:

>
>
> I am also brand new to TinyCad, and I'm an EE.
>
> If I am wrong I hope someone posts the correct information.
>
> I think you first select your capacitor by clicking it in the parts list, then
click on it's image so you can then click in the workspace to insert the cap
into your schematic.
>
> When you click on the cap icon, a dialogue box should pop up, which is labeled
"CE Tool Options."
>
> In this box you choose your value and your label (Ref).
>
> To set the value, you double click on the line under the "Value" column
heading.
>
> I did not get any farther than this so I don't know yet if the value is
entered as farads or microfarads.  I would guess farads.
>
> Another thing I noticed is that the few parts that tried also have empty
parameters.
>
> So far example, the 741 op amp, I wonder if I have to enter in all of the
data?  I thought it would be there.  Under value is "741" and under Param is
"Name".  These are clearly not the proper parameters.
>
> Hopefully someone is putting together an operations manual or at least a
keyboard shortcut reference guide.
>
>
>
>
>
> --- In tinycad@..., "rdw0yoc" <bob@> wrote:
> >
> > From a totally new user of Schematic/PCB software ---
> > Whenever I select a component from a library, such as a capacitor, and put
it into the schematic, how do I know what size it will be on the PCB ???
> > If I place it directly on FreePCB's PCB page it shows the item so I can then
see it's size, but I have to try every component of that type that I can locate
to learn what size it will be --- there HAS to be a better (smarter) way to know
what your selecting.  Right?
> > Sorry to bother you by being so "green" and uneducated on this subject.
> >
>

I'm new here too.  Which PCB program is everyone happy with?  I just started
looking around and I think I would like to try a free one by Advanced Circuits.

What is everyone's favorite simulation program to use with TinyCAD?

Unless I passed over it, and I am still going over the posts, is there any
instruction manual on the format when adding part parameters, so the circuit can
be simulated and then exported to a pcb program?

--- In tinycad@..., "Keith" <keith_ee_44054@...> wrote:
>
>
> I'm new here too.  Which PCB program is everyone happy with?  I just started
looking around and I think I would like to try a free one by Advanced Circuits.
>
>

That's probably a bad idea. PCB manufacturer provided software typically doesn't
export gerber files unless you pay them. Advanced is no different. Try FreePCB
or KiCAD.

p.

I am also brand new to TinyCad, and I'm an EE.

If I am wrong I hope someone posts the correct information.

I think you first select your capacitor by clicking it in the parts list, then
click on it's image so you can then click in the workspace to insert the cap
into your schematic.

When you click on the cap icon, a dialogue box should pop up, which is labeled
"CE Tool Options."

In this box you choose your value and your label (Ref).

To set the value, you double click on the line under the "Value" column heading.

I did not get any farther than this so I don't know yet if the value is entered
as farads or microfarads.  I would guess farads.

Another thing I noticed is that the few parts that tried also have empty
parameters.

So far example, the 741 op amp, I wonder if I have to enter in all of the data? 
I thought it would be there.  Under value is "741" and under Param is "Name". 
These are clearly not the proper parameters.

Hopefully someone is putting together an operations manual or at least a
keyboard shortcut reference guide.





--- In tinycad@..., "rdw0yoc" <bob@...> wrote:
>
> From a totally new user of Schematic/PCB software ---
> Whenever I select a component from a library, such as a capacitor, and put it
into the schematic, how do I know what size it will be on the PCB ???
> If I place it directly on FreePCB's PCB page it shows the item so I can then
see it's size, but I have to try every component of that type that I can locate
to learn what size it will be --- there HAS to be a better (smarter) way to know
what your selecting.  Right?
> Sorry to bother you by being so "green" and uneducated on this subject.
>

wrewing001,
    I've used TinyCad for a couple of years to make all my drawings. I use it
mostly  just for drawings and not it's more sophisticated functions. The
difference between version 2.60.01 and the latest "beta", 2.70.00 build 248, is
pretty large. I remember seeing some (not all. Not the one described about
double parts) of the things you've been noticing and bringing to attention of
the group.
    At this point, I'd recommend that you do your testing with the latest
version, even though Don is calling it a beta. It's much better than the 2.60.01
version and the "beta" shouldn't scare you away. You may find you're wasting a
lot of time discovering and calling attention to problems that have already been
fixed.
     It can be downloaded at Sourceforge at:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/tinycad/

Jim K


--- In tinycad@..., "wrewing001" <bewing@...> wrote:
>
> This is a preliminary report on what might be a bug or at the very least a
stupid thing I am doing which I would argue is a mistake that is way too easy to
make.
>
> Using v2.60.01, I have a schematic which has had many, if not all, of its
components doubled up.  What I mean is that I would click on a component, drag
it to the side, and there would be the exact same component behind it.
>
> At first I thought I was accidentally putting down a duplicate component when
I placed the part.  But, interestingly, the duplicate components all have the
same Ref Des and values.  So, could it be that I succeeded in selecting both
parts and setting both of their properties to the same?
>
> While I have yet to track down the exact pathology, I wonder if this problem
has crept into my schematic even after I had things done correctly.
>
> The way this problem got noticed is a nice feature of TinyCad: there were
unexplainable junctions.  E.g., a big fat dot where a resistor connects to wire
that extends in one direction away from it.
>
> If anyone else is experiencing this problem, let's compare notes and see it we
can track it down.
>

I'll start by saying I really appreciate the authors of TinyCad providing us
this powerful program.  In the spirit of making it better, I hope my criticism
and frustration offends no one.

I was going nuts trying to use a MOSFET component that I had designed.  In the
schematic, the gate pin was not on the grid, so I could not connect to it.  So,
I went in to the library and edited the part.  I moved the gate pin around and
made sure that it snapped to the grid.  I also made sure that I was using the
standard grid.

Back in the schematic, I continued to have the same problem.

When I edited the part again, I noticed that the Gate pin was snapping to a
different grid than the other pins.  So, I deleted the gate pin and made a new
one by copying and pasting one of the well-behaved pins.

I also made sure all pins were not length of 5, which is reportedly buggy in
some version.  Their length in my component is 10.

The new part seems to work OK.  My suggestion is that once a pin gets on the
wrong grid it is doomed to frustrate you.

Every time I use TinyCad it seems like I find a bug or something that is hard to
use.  Maybe this time I did something wrong, but I wonder if you guys have tried
to be "too clever by half," as my Brit friends would say.

BE

This doesn't happen in 2.70 issue 248.

I think that you'll find that much of what is causing you problems has
fixed in this latest issue. I think that you'd be saving yourself (and
the rest of us!) a lot of angst if you install the latest issue and run
with that.

In a few weeks of use you seem to have run into more problems than many
of us who have used TinyCad for some time and completed numbers of
circuit schematics which have, via the netlist function, been the basis,
in my case, of both stripboard and PCB layouts.

I think that it is also pertinent to bear Phil's comments in mind in
that this is free software, supported by volunteers in their spare time,
and just because you don't like or maybe haven't sussed out how
something has been implemented does not necessarily make it a bug.

Dave

--- In tinycad@..., "wrewing001" <bewing@...> wrote:
>
> I didn't notice this in the bug database.
>
> Using v2.60.01, when I edit the text of a label, it immediately
becomes doubled up.  What I see is two labels overlapping each other.  I
am able to click on one and move it to a different location to verify
this.
>
> In further testing, I observed that this only happens when the label
is on a wire.  If the label is on its own, not connected to anything, it
does not happen.
>
> This bug seems to happen every time.
>

I have a 40 pin microcontroller Pic16F1939 its 40 pin and I want to drive 3x 7
segment LED's from  the controller directly.

I cannot find ether of these components in your software
how do I create them please.

Is their support software. I see this software uses a Microsoft database some
how.

J Lex Dean

I use FreePCB for PCB layout (as do quite a few others). Interface via PADS-PCB
netlist.
For simulation I use Simetrix from Catena. The free version does most of what I
want. I don't use TinyCAD for its schematic capture since it has its own.
I believe TinyCAD supports Spice in outline but I've never tried. It seems to
need a good understanding of Spice formats to make it work.

Phil

--- In tinycad@..., "Keith" <keith_ee_44054@...> wrote:
>
>
> I'm new here too.  Which PCB program is everyone happy with?  I just started
looking around and I think I would like to try a free one by Advanced Circuits.
>
> What is everyone's favorite simulation program to use with TinyCAD?
>
> Unless I passed over it, and I am still going over the posts, is there any
instruction manual on the format when adding part parameters, so the circuit can
be simulated and then exported to a pcb program?
>

I'm new here too.  Which PCB program is everyone happy with?  I just started
looking around and I think I would like to try a free one by Advanced Circuits.

What is everyone's favorite simulation program to use with TinyCAD?

Unless I passed over it, and I am still going over the posts, is there any
instruction manual on the format when adding part parameters, so the circuit can
be simulated and then exported to a pcb program?

When you're placing the parts directly on the PCB in FreePCB, you just
have to know which one to use for the particular part you are placing.
A better way is to associate each PCB pad layout with its schematic
counterpart, so that whenever you use that part in a schematic it always
selects that pad layout when you export the schematic to the PCB program.

David

----- Original Message -----

From: rdw0yoc

To: tinycad@...

Sent: Friday, November 13, 2009 6:41 PM

Subject: [tinycad] I don't get it ! How to know what PCB size a component is/will be ???

 

From a totally new user of Schematic/PCB software ---
Whenever I select a component from a library, such as a capacitor, and put it into the schematic, how do I know what size it will be on the PCB ???
If I place it directly on FreePCB's PCB page it shows the item so I can then see it's size, but I have to try every component of that type that I can locate to learn what size it will be --- there HAS to be a better (smarter) way to know what your selecting. Right?
Sorry to bother you by being so "green" and uneducated on this subject.

From a totally new user of Schematic/PCB software ---
Whenever I select a component from a library, such as a capacitor, and put it
into the schematic, how do I know what size it will be on the PCB ???
If I place it directly on FreePCB's PCB page it shows the item so I can then see
it's size, but I have to try every component of that type that I can locate to
learn what size it will be --- there HAS to be a better (smarter) way to know
what your selecting.  Right?
Sorry to bother you by being so "green" and uneducated on this subject.

Seems to be OK again now.
I too have 'lost' posts to this board.
Replies usually seem to be OK but new threads suffer.
Once I actually got messages saying that they had 'timed out' because they had
not been approved (looked at?) within 14 days.
(That's me off the Christmas card list now!)

Phil

--- In tinycad@..., "dsimsj" <dsimsj@...> wrote:
>
> No idea what is happening Phil but this forum does seem to suffer from
gremlins from time to time which don't seem to affect the other (Yahoo) forums
that I subscribe to. See my post re lost messages at the end of October for
instance - most odd!!
> Dave
>
> --- In tinycad@..., "a10d0n" <philipw@> wrote:
> >
> > I seem to be having problems accessing some (but not all) of the files in
the 'Files' area.
> > In one case I can access a file of mine for editing but cannot open it by
clicking on it. Several other files cannot be opened also.
> > I get a message 'The requested document is not accessible' when I try.
> >
> > Any ideas what is (not) happening?
> >
> > Phil
> >
>

No idea what is happening Phil but this forum does seem to suffer from gremlins
from time to time which don't seem to affect the other (Yahoo) forums that I
subscribe to. See my post re lost messages at the end of October for instance -
most odd!!
Dave

--- In tinycad@..., "a10d0n" <philipw@...> wrote:
>
> I seem to be having problems accessing some (but not all) of the files in the
'Files' area.
> In one case I can access a file of mine for editing but cannot open it by
clicking on it. Several other files cannot be opened also.
> I get a message 'The requested document is not accessible' when I try.
>
> Any ideas what is (not) happening?
>
> Phil
>

I seem to be having problems accessing some (but not all) of the files in the
'Files' area.
In one case I can access a file of mine for editing but cannot open it by
clicking on it. Several other files cannot be opened also.
I get a message 'The requested document is not accessible' when I try.

Any ideas what is (not) happening?

Phil

See comments in text;=
Phil

--- In tinycad@..., "bert_hoogenboom" <bert.hoogenboom@...> wrote:
>
> In the "tools options" when drawing a new symbol the textbox for the pin-name
is often to smal (can this made bigger)

The text box can hold many more characters than it displays.
Entering long pin names is easy but they will make the symbol very large as
well. (Unless you do not display them!)

> The bullet that you neet to put to connect tree wires are often very big. Can
this be made smaller or can it get a "tool menu" to set the size and colour

I have always used the automatic setting for this.
The size has never proved a problem on any schematic.

> When i move a block with components and wires, the wires are not the orignal
lengte any more specialy there where they are aconnected to a othe set of wires
with a junction bullet.
>

Sometimes a wire or junction is not fully picked up by a block move window.
Often this is because the wires are overlapped but coincident due to a previous
move.

> For the rest its a nice program to work with
>

In the "tools options" when drawing a new symbol the textbox for the pin-name is
often to smal (can this made bigger)
The bullet that you neet to put to connect tree wires are often very big. Can
this be made smaller or can it get a "tool menu" to set the size and colour
When i move a block with components and wires, the wires are not the orignal
lengte any more specialy there where they are aconnected to a othe set of wires
with a junction bullet.

For the rest its a nice program to work with

That's a good possibility but also see my message #1623 about grids.
(Others too.)

Phil.

I'm a newbie to this program.  I editted the 74245 chip in the 74xx library to
make it more symetrical by moving one of the pins on the bottom left to bottom
right, then I shortened the box.  I did this while using imperial units and snap
and grid of 0.1 inch.

I went back to my schematic, added a 6821 PIA and the 74LS245 (renamed by me). 
The pins don't line up!  I changed snap and grid to fine and metric but I can't
fix it.  When I re-edit the 74LS245, all the wires line up with a grid point.

Ideas?  How do I fix and prevent this from happening again?

I've used Orcad, Protel, PCad, Eagle, PCBSchematic...TinyCad is my choice!  Wow!
Powerful and so easy to use.