838-FLOW

[Shift838]

So last year I was talking with the Insane one and he gave me an idea, but i did not get to pursue it yet.

 

I have always used Eagle to design my small PCB's but more people I talk to are using Kicad, so hell I decided to give it a try and to try it out on this project.

 

This small board will hook up to a TI's RS232 Port 1 currently, i'm planning on getting it to work for port 2 as well.  The thinking is you can choose between 3 different options for communication just by enabling the dipswitch settings  Then you can just use a straight through cable.

 

1. Standard basic modem cable
2. Software Flow Control
3. Hardware Flow Control

 

this is just a basic rendering, still have to work out some things.  but just wanted to share.  

 

Maybe a 9 pin version too?  

 

 

[GDMike]

Awesome

[Shift838]

I was able to prove this out today on a breadboard!  I did have to add one more line to work with the TI for a basic cable setup (no flow control).

 

I have tested it with a straight through cable >> breadboard circuit >> WiModem232 V3.03

 

with :

 

• Basic No Flow Control - Works
• Software Flow - Works
• Hardware Flow - Works

 

of course this is only on RS232/1  I will need to create a circuit to be able to use it on RS232/2 or I may put in just 2 ports on the unit.

 

any thoughts if I should put in 2 ports and what about 9 pin ports?  does anyone think those would be beneficial?

 

I have tested at 38400bps

 

 

 

 

[+jedimatt42]

Since Eagle has a hobby/free license, I've started looking at it.  I have become extremely frustrated with every update to Kicad complaining madly about my older Kicad projects (it seems to load them fine, but it complains a ton about missing parts, that aren't missing from the project, just the common libs). And the Kicad folks have completely revamped the symbol and footprint libraries on me a couple times now... 

 

I'd be interested in impressions switching from Eagle to Kicad. 

 

-M@

[+mizapf]

Isn't free Eagle limited in the board size?

[+FarmerPotato]

2 hours ago, jedimatt42 said:

Since Eagle has a hobby/free license, I've started looking at it.  I have become extremely frustrated with every update to Kicad complaining madly about my older Kicad projects (it seems to load them fine, but it complains a ton about missing parts, that aren't missing from the project, just the common libs). And the Kicad folks have completely revamped the symbol and footprint libraries on me a couple times now... 

 

I'd be interested in impressions switching from Eagle to Kicad. 

 

-M@

I only spent a little time with free/student Eagle. Only used it to make some home-made PCBs.  I didn't like the interface then, but the Manhattan auto-router was ok. Kicad doesn't even have an auto-router. Looking back, I'm not sure Eagle was any worse in the interface department. Then there was their licensing change.

 

I had access to UltiBoard ($$$) after that, and it had a few issues importing Eagle files from the net, but excelled at visualizing Gerbers.

 

I wanted to get open-source and somewhat future-proof by switching to Kicad.  Now Kicad is what I have put all my learning effort into. It's accepted natively at OSHPark, but then I had no trouble sending them Gerbers (read one tutorial, go.)

 

But eevblog is always talking about free Altium Designer, which I think is now their free CircuitMaker offering. (love how he says  ăl-tee-um.)

 

I too got bit by the parts libraries upgrade from Kicad 4 to 5.   In Kicad, I keep all my favorite custom or downloaded parts in one global library. Including copies of the SOIC footprints I use from the library, because I am afraid of getting bitten by part renames again! (The SO and SOIC footprints are very confusing and I stick to the names TI calls them. I translate some NXP names.) It's a pain to sync custom libraries between machines, because part schematics aren't separate files, but I'm managing.

 

Kicad sucks at importing. Even from Kicad 4, it it tough to resolve missing parts from other people's schematics. I have not tried Eagle (the only sch and brd import format supported.)

Importing Gerbers, it doesn't know XLN (Excellon drill files?). And I have not been able to import to a PCB from Gerbers--it crashes PCBNew. (Example: your 32k Gerbers) I'm not sure what it would even do with an imported Gerber because there would be no schematic or netlist.

 

 

 

[Shift838]

8 minutes ago, FarmerPotato said:

I only spent a little time with free/student Eagle. Only used it to make some home-made PCBs.  I didn't like the interface then, but the Manhattan auto-router was ok. Kicad doesn't even have an auto-router. Looking back, I'm not sure Eagle was any worse in the interface department. Then there was their licensing change.

 

I had access to UltiBoard ($$$) after that, and it had a few issues importing Eagle files from the net, but excelled at visualizing Gerbers.

 

I wanted to get open-source and somewhat future-proof by switching to Kicad.  Now Kicad is what I have put all my learning effort into. It's accepted natively at OSHPark, but then I had no trouble sending them Gerbers (read one tutorial, go.)

 

But eevblog is always talking about free Altium Designer, which I think is now their free CircuitMaker offering. (love how he says  ăl-tee-um.)

 

I too got bit by the parts libraries upgrade from Kicad 4 to 5.   In Kicad, I keep all my favorite custom or downloaded parts in one global library. Including copies of the SOIC footprints I use from the library, because I am afraid of getting bitten by part renames again! (The SO and SOIC footprints are very confusing and I stick to the names TI calls them. I translate some NXP names.) It's a pain to sync custom libraries between machines, because part schematics aren't separate files, but I'm managing.

 

Kicad sucks at importing. Even from Kicad 4, it it tough to resolve missing parts from other people's schematics. I have not tried Eagle (the only sch and brd import format supported.)

Importing Gerbers, it doesn't know XLN (Excellon drill files?). And I have not been able to import to a PCB from Gerbers--it crashes PCBNew. (Example: your 32k Gerbers) I'm not sure what it would even do with an imported Gerber because there would be no schematic or netlist.

 

 

 

There is an autorouter plugin for kicad.  well kinda, it's called freerouting and can be found HERE

 

It also states it can be used with Eagle as well.  I have used Eagle for the last few years and become very comfortable with it, but I do think there is a limitation of board size with the free license but I need to check on that.  Also I like the option for Kicad that can implement a 3d board viewer right from PCB viewer with all your components as long as you have all the 3d models.  Eagle does not do that, but there Eagle has a direct interface to port your board over to Fusion360 to allow you view and to create 3d cases around your board with all it's components.  Fusion360 is FREE for non-commercial use too.

 

I know that eagle has quite a few more components loaded at install where Kicad I had to go find them.  Not too hard though using Ultralibrarian and other sources.

 

 

[Shift838]

6 hours ago, mizapf said:

Isn't free Eagle limited in the board size?

i looked into the free eagle being limitied in size and it is true it is if you just install eagle.  I created a generic PCB and I was able to get it up to 8x10 inches and upload the gerbers.

 

My assumption is since I have a free license for Fusion360 and Eagle now comes with Fusion360 that the license opens up all aspects of Eagle.

 

 

[+InsaneMultitasker]

On 3/31/2020 at 2:41 PM, Shift838 said:

• Basic No Flow Control - Works
• Software Flow - Works
• Hardware Flow - Works

What pinout and program are you using to test hardware flow control?  If you use PORT, be sure to use the color interpreter with hardware flow control - that is a good test as the v9938 is too slow to keep up with a full-tilt stream.

 

File transfers use interrupts only with possible exception of Ymodem-G provided I coded it right back then...