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Questions relating to designing PCBs
By trialex
#30593
Hi,

I can't find an Eagle library for and 8x8 LED matrix, but I did find a schemtaic that uses one. Is there a way to create a library from the part in the schematic?

Alternatively, can anyone point me to a library for an 8x8 single colour matrix?

Thanks!
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By bigglez
#30609
trialex wrote:Hi,

I can't find an Eagle library for and 8x8 LED matrix, but I did find a schemtaic that uses one. Is there a way to create a library from the part in the schematic?

Alternatively, can anyone point me to a library for an 8x8 single colour matrix?
Greetings trialex,

If the reference schematic you have was created in EAGLE (*.sch) right click on the part and the info box will indicate which library and other data.

You can copy the part to the same schematic page (using the copy command), or make a group and cut (EAGLE-speak for the the clipboard). Paste the copy on a different sheet in that schematic, or in a different schematic.

Making a new part is more work, and done in the Library Editor. Instead of starting from scratch find a similar symbol, copy and modify it as needed. Next, find a suitable package, copy and modify it as needed, finally create a new device, taking care to hook the symbol pins to the right package pins, and save it. The new part can be added to a schematic.

I haven't used the matrix LEDs (yet...) so I haven't created or borrowed any EAGLE libraries for them, perhaps someone else has done it?

Comments Welcome!
By trialex
#30624
bigglez wrote:
You can copy the part to the same schematic page (using the copy command), or make a group and cut (EAGLE-speak for the the clipboard). Paste the copy on a different sheet in that schematic, or in a different schematic.
Damn! That's awesome, thanks heaps.

I love Eagle, but i find it so non-intuitive to try to pick up from scratch. I had tried the normal copy tool that you would use to copy a part within a schematic, but it doesn't work in a new schematic. I even did try the cut tool breifly, but because it didn't actually cut out the part like the typical windows command, and there is no paste commant in the edit menu, i didn't persue it any further. of course actually TYPING paste worked sweet.

I have no problem creating a library from scratch, but why re-invent the wheel?! The PASTE command works within the library editor too, so i'm golden.

thanks again
By Philba
#30627
the thing about eagle is to presume it doesn't work the way you would expect a windows application to work. other wise you will get increasingly frustrated when things just don't work the way you think they should.

It has a consistency to its UI but it's just not a windows app. Once you make the conceptual leap, you will find it fairly easy to use.
By futrtrubl
#30669
If you want to have the device in a library but don't have to device's original library you can export all the devices from a schematic to a library with exp-project-lbr.ulp open it up in a text reader to see how it works.

Edward
By trialex
#30705
futrtrubl wrote:If you want to have the device in a library but don't have to device's original library you can export all the devices from a schematic to a library with exp-project-lbr.ulp open it up in a text reader to see how it works.

Edward
Sweet! Thanks heaps
By b_w_
#30863
Something else that came to mind, you need to have all layers visible to be able to 'cut' something to the clipboard. And what the heck is the difference between cut & copy? Eagle is so frustrating but it can be an amazing program once you get the feel for it.

And learning to design a library was such a bear. I used this site to get a handle on it and then started tearing apart other libraries to figure it out. Anti-intuitive all the way but it works.

-Brian