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References:	<alpine DOT DEB DOT 2 DOT 00 DOT 1812140530380 DOT 21900 AT igor2priv>
In-Reply-To:	<alpine.DEB.2.00.1812140530380.21900@igor2priv>
From:	Stephen Ecob <stephen DOT ecob AT sioi DOT com DOT au>
Date:	Sat, 15 Dec 2018 09:07:53 +1100
Message-ID:	<CAKakQcfwxCititS-gcKyAuuawZoA1men4-O5vQ85eK8Y3OKk_g@mail.gmail.com>
Subject:	Re: [geda-user] pcb: save connection data of - anyone ever used this?
To:	geda-user AT delorie DOT com
Reply-To:	geda-user AT delorie DOT com

Hi Igor,

I have used this feature to great advantage with FPGA based designs.
I modified find.c to output the data in PCB netlist format.  I then
used a reverse flow where most of the physical layout is done first
and leads to the netlist.  This is an advantage with FPGAs as they
have a very high degree of pin swapability and layout quality can be
greatly improved by keeping the FPGA pinout minimally constrained
(instead of completely constrained as occurs with a traditional flow).

I don't have any FPGA PCB work scheduled at this time, but next time I
do I will use this flow again.  I'll either dust off my 2010 era
modified PCB or port my code to pcb-rnd if I have time.

Best regards,
Stephen
On Fri, Dec 14, 2018 at 3:43 PM <gedau AT igor2 DOT repo DOT hu> wrote:
>
> Hi all,
>
> I'm doing a full rewrite on find.c in pcb-rnd. In fact the most important
> parts are already done, and I am mostly moving around or removing old
> code.
>
> There's a part that I always wondered if anyone ever use: in pcb, file
> menu, save connection data of submenu. It does some connection lookups and
> saves in a strange format.
>
> My questions are:
>
> 1. Does anybody here use this feature in practice?
>
> (Please note: I am interested in actual uses of the fetuare, not
> theoretical possibilites and speculation - I mean I can imagine what it
> could be good for, but I am interested if it's really used for anything.
> It's totally fine if we figure nobody ever use it.)
>
> 2. If so, what are you using it for and how? What software does it read?
>
> 3. Is this file format standard? Is it documented somewhere? Or is it
> totally custom, invented by whoever coded this part, for their own use?
>
> 4. The code seems to print __CHECKED__ instead of the connection list in a
> special case: if multiple pins are connected _within_ an element. What's
> the practical use of this special casing? Why is this better than just
> printing connections normally?
>
> 5. If you don't use this specific feature, but always wanted to have
> something similar that is slightly different (e.g. different file format
> or different summary of connections), what would that be and what would be
> the practical use?
>
>
> TIA,
>
> Igor2



-- 
Stephen Ecob
Silicon On Inspiration
Sydney Australia
www.sioi.com.au

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