X-Authentication-Warning: delorie.com: mail set sender to geda-user-bounces using -f X-Recipient: geda-user AT delorie DOT com Message-ID: <4F4DA74F.4040209@innocent.com> Date: Tue, 28 Feb 2012 23:19:27 -0500 From: Gus Fantanas User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux i686; rv:10.0.2) Gecko/20120216 Thunderbird/10.0.2 MIME-Version: 1.0 To: geda-user AT delorie DOT com Subject: [geda-user] Vias smaller than 21mil; making REFDES disappear in PCB References: <4F4D2B16 DOT 9000802 AT gmail DOT com> In-Reply-To: <4F4D2B16.9000802@gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Reply-To: geda-user AT delorie DOT com Hello All, I am running the gEDA version that came with Ubuntu 11.10. I have two questions: (1) Is there a way to make vias less than 21mil across? Currently, I have declared a 10mil drill hole, but even if I make the drill hole smaller, say 5mil (this is just hypothetical; I am not going to order a PCB with 5 mil via holes), gEDA still refuses to let me decrease the copper diameter to below 21mil (5½´´ thickness of the annulus). I would like a copper diameter (via size) of 18mil. I cannot figure out why PCB refuses to let me go below 21mil. Commands like 'Changesize(selectedvias,18,mil)' do not work; they only work when I want to increase the via size. (2) I am laying out a board where the layout is very tight. There is no room for REFDESes. However, I will need the REFDESes in the printout of the layout because the board will assembled by hand. I would like a way to turn the REFDESes on the PBC selectively on and off, so when I print the gerbers to send to fab house, the REFDESes which take too much space will not show up, but I can still turn on the REFDESes at a later time, when I print the layout at some magnification. The silkscreen contains some items I would like printed on the actual PCB, so it is not an issue of turning the silkscreen on and off. I manipulated the PCB with vim, turning all REFDES sizes to zero. Unfortunately, PCB printed little blobs on the silkscreen then. Any ideas? Thank you in advance for your time. cf