topic Re: Passing PBC connector locations from Fusion to Eagle in Fusion Design, Validate & Document Forum

Passing PBC connector locations from Fusion to Eagle

rglissmann — Wed, 11 Jul 2018 00:39:15 GMT

I want a PCB that I'm designing in Eagle to have holes for headers that will connect to other PCBs. The locations of these PCBs needs to be precise. I know I can push a board outline to Eagle. How can I also indicate the location of the holes for the headers in the pushed PCB?

Re: Passing PBC connector locations from Fusion to Eagle

TrippyLighting — Wed, 11 Jul 2018 11:18:11 GMT

When you create a part in Eagle you'll have to define a pad layout that defines the pin-holes for the header.

You can then also associate the 3D geometry of that header with a part definition in Eagle.

Once you insert that part into your schematics and then position it on your board you can push this back to Fusion 360 and then can also see the 3D geometry of that part in Fusion 360.

I am not sure you can modify the location of that header on the board in Fusion 360 and then push that back into Eagle. As far as I can understand that is the ultimate goal in terms of functionality but it might not yet be implemented. It's worth a try.

Re: Passing PBC connector locations from Fusion to Eagle

ToddHarris7556 — Wed, 11 Jul 2018 11:30:48 GMT

I've tried, with no luck yet.

While you can move a component around in Fusion and push that back to Eagle, I haven't yet found a way to push reference/control sketch layouts back to Eagle - only the board outline.

Re: Passing PBC connector locations from Fusion to Eagle

TrippyLighting — Wed, 11 Jul 2018 11:36:14 GMT

~~I doubt pushing sketch stuff back to Eagle will ever work.~~

What I would be hoping for is that when you move a component in Fusion 360 that your layout in Eagle updates.

Edit: Getting sketches to translate into Eagle would be also very desirable so more complex pad layouts can be created with the sketch tools in Fusion 360 as opposed to the retarded tools in Eagle.

Re: Passing PBC connector locations from Fusion to Eagle

schneik-adsk — Wed, 11 Jul 2018 17:03:17 GMT

A process I have used is to create a board outline in Fusion based on my mechanical envelope. i push this to eagle and drop in the connectors i need in the schematic view and roughly position them in the brd. Then i push this back to Fusion. Now i can refine the connectors using the component move command in Fusion and i can edit the outline. this can happen in many revision while i work on the schematic in parallel. I'll keep refining component positions and only autoroute or had rout to ensure I'm keeping to the the number of layers i hoping to have in the final board.

This process has worked well for me on several recent projects.

Re: Passing PBC connector locations from Fusion to Eagle

TrippyLighting — Thu, 12 Jul 2018 01:03:00 GMT

@schneik-adsk thanks. that was exactly what I had in mind then trying to briefly describe the workflow. That also answers the question I had if this was already possible. It is!

Re: Passing PBC connector locations from Fusion to Eagle

ToddHarris7556 — Thu, 12 Jul 2018 12:28:41 GMT

That's our exact workflow, and we find it quite workable.

We'd played around with what the OP asked, because it would be useful from time to time to have some precise reference points in Fusion to push back to Eagle prior to doing the layout - board connectors, primarily.

I'm not really sure where these would get pushed back to in Eagle - I would think it would have to be a completely separate reference layer, but it would still help reduce the round-tripping back and forth (Board layout in Fusion>Component place in Eagle>Adjust components in Fusion>Route in Eagle>Publish to Fusion)

Re: Passing PBC connector locations from Fusion to Eagle

rglissmann — Thu, 12 Jul 2018 14:16:22 GMT

I see the connectors as components in the browser but when I right-click, there is no option to move the component. Is there another way to adjust their location?