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From:	peter dudley <hdlguy AT hotmail DOT com>
To:	<geda-user AT delorie DOT com>
Subject:	[geda-user] PHDL to PCB conversion path?
Date:	Thu, 7 Mar 2013 03:21:38 -0700
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Hello All,

I am new here so please comply with the "gEDA Project Code of Conduct" in any replies to this posting.

I am currently part of a small group of people developing a new Hardware Description Language (HDL) specifically for Printed Circuit Board (PCB) development.  We call our language PHDL.  It is a open-source project and you can find some information about it here if you are interested, http://sourceforge.net/p/phdl/wiki/Home/.  We have written version 1 and version 2 of the PHDL compiler and quite a few utilities to support it.  

PHDL replaces schematic entry in the the PCB design flow.  As such, our compiler must write out netlist files in the correct format for each layout tool we want to support.  So far, PHDL 2.1 can write netlist files for Mentor PADS and CadSoft Eagle PCB.  We are currently doing a rewrite of the PHDL compiler to improve maintainability and extensibility and we would very much like to write netlist files that are compatible with the gEDA/PCB layout tool.

I am seeking advice here.  Can anyone offer an opinion as to the best file format to write in order to get our netlist into the gEDA/PCB layout tool?

I see gnetlist converts gEDA schematic files to something that geda/pcb can read.  Does it make sense for us to write gEDA schematic files?  Is there a simpler or more stable file format we should write to get into this open source layout tool.

I also stumbled across a webpage for a gEDA Translate project but it looks to be just conceptual at this point.

Anyway, all constructive advice is appreciated.

Regards,

    Pete Dudley
 		 	   		  

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