HP97 The journey begins

[teenix]

Arrrrggghhh!!!

Murphy is still alive and mean as ever on this project.

One foot forward, ten steps back this time :-(

Everything was going ok, but yesterday the laptop I was using to design the circuit board wouldn't start up - dead as a doornail. I measured the power supply and it was showing zero volts. I had another supply which worked, so that was tried but still no go. I suspect either the laptop or power supply killed one another, or Murphy did.

More Arrrggghhh!!

This means I now have to migrate to a different PCB designer with all the associated problems. I started using KiCAD but understandably it only imports the gerber files. The data is imported as vias and tracks only, no components, pads etc. This means the schematic has to be redrawn, new components designed and then the PCB needs all the project components re-designed and the layout done from scratch. Many many hours of work. As I am unfamiliar with what this software creates, the final board would be a gamble and hope all the dimensions and a few important component placements stay the same or the board will be junk.


cheers

Tony