Table

of Contents
Introduction
General Circuit Acronyms
Schematic Terminology
Board Terminology
Final Thoughts
Creating Projects, Library, and Schematics
Creating a New Project in Eagle PCB
How to Add Libraries to Eagle PCB
How to Create a New Schematic
Video Tutorial
Creating a Schematic
Top toolbar in Eagle PCB Schematics
Left Toolbar in Eagle PCB
Menus in Eagle
Video Tutorial
Add a Part into a Schematic
How does the ADD Window Work?
Which part should I choose?
How to Add a Part
Video Tutorial
Final Thoughts
Draw an Electrical Connection
Explanation: Voltage Divider
Adding the Parts into the Schematic
Draw a Net
How to add a Net Junction
Video tutorial
 Introduction
Welcome to the handbook for PCB desing using Eagle software. In simple terms, a PCB is
a physical board with electrical components which performs one or many electronic-based
activities. I will share my expertise in PCB schematic and board design through the use of
the Eagle PCB tool.
Which PCB Software will the Tutorials use?
I chose Eagle PCB because it is widely used by the beginner (DIY) community and has
a number of pre-made component libraries, e.g. resistors, integrated circuits, among
others, available. However, you can use any PCB software and the same principles will
apply.
What will I Learn?
In Part 1, you will learn how to:

Setup of PCB software to create projects, schematics, add libraries, among others
Definitions of important options and menus
How to add components
How to make electrical connections
How to label and add text for clarity
Tips and tricks on how to create an effective schematic
Tips and tricks on choosing components
Definitions and Acronyms
Designing a PCB with Eagle CAD tool can be a tough task. Not only does it require
knowledge of electronics but learning the jargon takes time. In this tutorial, I will layout
the various terminology you should know when trying to make a PCB. Achieving an
understanding of such acronyms and terminology will ease communication with other
people excited about taking their conceptual electronic circuit to a final board with CAD
softwares. Lets begin.
General Circuit Acronyms
Integrated Circuit (IC)

This is the brains of an electronic circuit. In most cases, you will use some sort of IC in
your design. As an example, a microcontroller is an IC. You will purchase ICs through
stores, such as Sparkfun.com. If your design requires computation and/or an interface to a
computer, you will use a microcontroller and in this case, you may resort to an Arduino
due to its easy-of-use.

SMD

This stands for Surface Mount Device. These are the small electronic parts (resistors,
capacitors, among others). In general, these are not your typical devices used in
breadboards or for testing. They are usually used on PCBs. They have a small footprint to
save space.

There are various sizes of typical SMD technology. They range from 0402, 0603, 0805,
1210, and more. The 0402 SMD parts are smaller than the 1210. The large components
(1210) take more space on your PCB. Therefore, depending on the size of the PCB and
your design, you can use smaller or bigger size. However, do note that the smaller sizes
are more difficult to solder.

GND

This refers to ground. A GND is necessary in circuit. It is the reference at 0 volts.

Therefore, all other voltages in the circuit are relative to GND.

VCC/Vin
This refers to the input voltage from an external source. The input voltage can be obtained
from AC power outlets, batteries, or even solar panels. In general, anything that can
supply power to the circuit. VCC is relative to GND. You can see an example of VCC in
the below image.
Schematic Terminology
Net

This is a virtual representation of a wire. In the real-world, you would use wires to make
connections between different components and ICs. On PCBs, wires are never used
instead a copper route is created on the PCB board. Such a route is represented in the
softwares by nets.

Pin
This is a connection point in an IC or component. For example, a resistor has two sides
which can be seen as two pins. An IC can have as low as 3 pins to as many as 128 pins
and beyond. As a designer, you will add net connections to these pins. In the image, the
VCC component has a one pin, which needs a connection.

Electric Rule Check (ERC)

After creating a schematic, you will run the ERC check. This will make sure you follow
the basic rules of electronics. It will generate errors, if for example, you connect VCC and
GND together. It will also give warnings (not errors) if some of the pins on ICs do not
have connections.
Board Terminology
Wire

After creating the schematic, you can now transfer that over to create the PCB board. Each
net created in the schematic now has a corresponding wire in the PCB board layout. This
is a visualization tool to show you that a physical copper connection must exist, otherwise
your circuit will not perform as designed. This wire can be see in the image in yellow
color. The items R1 and R2 are PCB representation of resistors (0402 size).

Route

Using the wires as a visualization, you can route those connections. A route is made of
copper when the PCB is being manufacture.

Vias

A via is a physical hole (with conductive copper) on the PCB board. If you are attempting
to create a compact PCB, then the routing may touch either SMD components or other
routes. This cannot happen because then you are mixing signals, e.g. VCC and GND
cannot touch. Thus, you can create a via which connects to a wire. This via then goes to a
second layer on the board (we will deal with only 2 layers representing the top and bottom
of the physical board). This second layer will be the bottom of the board where there may
be no or a few SMDs, e.g. resistors. This technique gives you more room to work with.

Layers

In these tutorials, I will deal with 2 layers for simplicity. Note that in most designs, 2
layers are enough. In this case, the two layers are referred to as the top and bottom, and
correspond to the two sides of the PCB. Copper routes can be created on both layers.

Design Rules Check (DRC)

Similar to the ERC in Schematics, the DRC is the final check before being sent to be
fabricated. The DRC ensures your design meets the standards set forth by the fabricator.
This check includes verifying the physical size of the board, width of routes, diameter of
vias, number of layers, distance from the edge of the boards to the nearest SMDs, and
much more. The DRC check can be a life-save since without it, you would have no way of
knowing if the PCB will turn out as planned. Most of the time the fabricators will provide
a DRC file for you to use. You will then run your design through the DRC file to see if it
everything works as planned.
Final Thoughts
I have laid out the acronyms and definitions you will need to succeed in creating your first
PCB. Of course, there are many more definitions. If you would like to see a list of all
definitions, refer to the glossary. However, these mentioned jargons are enough to begin
learning PCB design.
Creating Projects, Library, and
Schematics
In this tutorial, I will cover three basic aspects of Eagle PCB. They include creating a
project, adding a library, and lastly, creating a schematic. After following these steps,
you will know how to start off a new project and at the same time, understand the
softwares options. A step-by-step procedure is discussed below and a video tutorial is also
provided at the end of this tutorial. Before we begin, make sure to download the software.
If you need help with installation, please browse the Eagle website for instructions. Next,
determine a location where you would like to save your PCB files. Make sure this location
is accessible.
Creating a New Project in Eagle PCB
I am using a Macbook Pro laptop, however, the same menus exist for Windows 7/8
operating systems. To create a project, follow these steps:

1. Click on File -> New -> Project

2. A dialog box will open. Find the location to save the project.
3. Name the project and click Save.

I named my project 12CAD.com Tutorial. You can name the project however you
would like. If these steps are successful, you should see the project in the Eagle Control
Panel under Project option. The next image (Figure 1) shows this clearly.

Figure 1: Create a New Project

In the below image (Figure 2), the control panel is shown. This includes a list of all of
your projects and component libraries. The other options are not relevant at this
moment. By expanding the Projects, you can see the 12CAD.com Tutorial. If you can see
your project name here, then you have completed the first step!

Figure 2: Eagle Control Panel showing Projects and Libraries

How to Add Libraries to Eagle PCB
A PCB requires the use of components. Components are resistors, capacitors, integrated
circuits (ICs), and much more. In general, components are the core elements to creating
a PCB. I will use the Sparkfun Eagle Library, which I highly recommend. They have an
excellent selection of elements which you can buy from their website and use to create
your PCB.

Figure 3: Libraries in Eagle

To add the library, follow these steps:

1. Download the library, or any other library that is similar

2. Open your Eagle PCB folder.
If Apple Mac, this will be in the Applications folder.
If Windows, this will be in the Program Files folder
3. Open the directory lbr. Here you will see default libraries included with the
software
4. Add the Sparkfun Library folder into the lbr folder
5. Restart the Eagle software
6. If successful, Sparkfun Eagle Libraries options should appear under Libraries
(see Figure 2 and Figure 3)

The different components available in the library can be seen in Figure 3. Your library
should look similar. If it does, you have successfully added a library to Eagle. Good job!
How to Create a New Schematic
The last step in this setup tutorial is creating a new schematic. The schematic is the most
important aspect of the PCB, which allows you to make a layout of your circuit. It dictates
which components will be in your circuit and how they are connected. Each project, in
this case, 12CAD.com Tutorial must have a schematic attached to it. To do so, follow
these steps:

1. Click on File -> New -> Schematic (Figure 4)

2. A new window should appear. This is the schematic window (Figure 5).
3. Make sure to save (File -> Save As) after the schematic window appears

Figure 4: Creating a New Schematic

 Figure 5: Schematic Window in Eagle PCB
Figure 5 above shows the schematic window. I will discuss the important options and
menus in this window in a later tutorial. If you are able to view the schematic, you have
successfully finished the first tutorial. I encourage you to watch the video below. It will
give you a more in-depth explanation and guide you through the process.
Video Tutorial
For a detailed tutorial on these aspects, you can view the video below.

Check out the video tutorial on YouTube

Creating a Schematic
In order to send a PCB for fabrication, the first step is to create a schematic. A schematic
is visual representation of the electrical connections. In the previous tutorial, I explained
how to create a new project and schematic file so check that out before continuing here.
First, it is important to understand the numerous options and menus available at your
arsenal in the Eagle PCB software. There are two toolbars in the software: top and left. I
will explain these two toolbars in detail first. Then, I will explain the menus.
Top toolbar in Eagle PCB Schematics
In general, the top toolbar hold options related to saving, creating, and opening
schematics. In addition, it also has options for zooming in and out, and zoom to fit to
screen.

Figure 1: File and Zooming options

The highlighted red box on the left shows the open, save, and print options for your
schematic. The right box shows the zoom to fit, in/out, and selected zoom. This is fairly
straightforward.
Left Toolbar in Eagle PCB
This toolbar has a multitude of options that require explanation. Overall, this toolbar has
the important options when creating your schematic. It allows you to add a part, add a
electrical net connection, and more. Before continuing, make sure you understand the
definitions and acronyms in PCB design. Listed below are the most important options in
Eagle software. As you continue through these PCB tutorials, we will use these options
extensively.

Move, Copy, and Rotate (red box)

Move a object around the schematic window
Copy an object, e.g. resistor, in order to paste it
Rotate an object by 90 degrees

Paste, delete, and add a part (green box)

If you copied an object, then you can paste it using this command
Click the delete box then click the object you want deleted
Adding a part option allows you to add components, e.g. ICs, resistors.
Name and value options (blue box)
Change the name of the component for clarity
Change the value of the component

Draw a wire connection, place a junction and label (orange)

Draw a wire between two components to make an electrical connection
Place a junction between two connections
Place the name of the component as a label

Electrical Rule Check (ERC) and see errors/warnings (black)

Run the ERC to see if your schematic was created properly
Show errors/warnings from the ERC tool
Menus in Eagle
Similar to any software, menus are important. We will start off with the Edit menu as
shown in Figure 2. We can see that most of the options covered above in the left toolbar
are present here as well.

Figure 2: Edit menu

The next important menu is the File menu. All the options here are fairly straightforward.
I want to specifically discuss the switch to board option. Once you have created a
schematic, you can create a board layout. Eagle software will take each of your
components footprint (e.g. resistor would have a 0402 footprint) and place them into a
board file. Then, you are able to route your board which the PCB CAD fabricator will
follow.
Figure 3: File menu
Video Tutorial
Click here to check out the video tutorial
Add a Part into a Schematic
After you are successful in creating a schematic file in Eagle CAD, it is time to learn how
to add a part. A part refers to components such as resistors, capacitors, or even ICs
such as microcontrolers. Even GND (ground) and VCC (voltage input) are technically
parts when it concerns a computer aided design software for PCBs. The Eagles ADD
window will be explained in detail in this tutorial. You can check out the previous tutorials
to understand how to create a schematic and also the explanation of menus and toolbars in
the software. Lets begin. I will show you the different options available in the ADD
window of Eagle and how to find the right part. I will use a resistor as an example since
it is the simplest to explain. However, this tutorial can be applied to any part in Eagle.
How does the ADD Window Work?
The ADD window is by far the most important aspect of Eagle. The ADD window has 5
sections that I will explain. Please refer to Figure 1 below for the section numbering.

Figure 1: Different sections of the Schematic Window

Section 1 - Available Libraries

In this section, you will see all the libraries that have been added to Eagle. I only use the
Sparkfun libraries, however, you may have more libraries. If you expand a library, you
will see several parts you can add to your schematic. Note that it will be difficult to find a
specific part if you have many libraries. Thus, the search function comes in handy.

Section 2 - Search

By using the search, you can find exactly the part needed. For example, I can type
resistors and obtain a list of all resistors I have available in the libraries. As you can see
in Figure 1, after clicking on a part, in this case a resistor, you will see the symbol,
footprint, and descriptions.

Section 3 - Symbol

In this section of the ADD Window, you will see the parts symbol diagram. This is what
the part will look like in the schematic. Obviously, for a resistor, you have 2 pins to
connect too. In other cases, you may have 3 to as many as 128 or more pins. It all depends
on the part you choose. I recommend to go through the libraries to see the different
symbols available. Get familiar with this window because it will be used in every PCB
you make.

Section 4 - PCB footprint symbol

To the right of the symbol section, you will see the footprint section. This shows the
physical footprint of the part on a PCB board. There is also a scale (1 mm) showing the
relative size of the footprint. In addition, the footprint shows red-filled areas. These areas
represent the copper pads that will be placed on the PCB so you may solder to it. You can
see an example of this in the image on the right in Figure 2.

Figure 2: Resistor Copper Pads

As a sidenote, Eagle software takes the physical part and creates a 2D CAD layout of it.
This CAD layout can then be positioned on the PCB to your liking.

Section 5 - Description
When you choose a part, you can see the description in this section. At the minimum, it
will show the part name and the typical size. Any additional information provided is
optional by the manufacturer or designer.
Which part should I choose?
This is a question that I get asked by people. If you browse through the Sparkfun or other
libraries, you will find several options for the same part. Which one should you choose?
It depends. I will discuss how to decide on the footprint of a resistor, however, such
decisions are also relevant for other parts, e.g. ICs.

Do you want to use a Surface Mount Device (SMD)?

In a previous tutorial, I mentioned that most of the specifications, for example the value of
the resistor, are irrelevant because you can change them. If you look at Figure 3, I chose a
resistor that has a value of 470 ohm, maximum power of 1/10 W, and a tolerance of 1%.
Most importantly, the last specification shows the footprint size of the resistor. Typical
sizes are 0402, 0603, 0805, 1210, and others.

Figure 3: Example specifications for a 0603 Resistor

Check out Figure 4 for a chart showing the physical sizes and their corresponding
footprint values. I refer to the Imperial Code, when stating values like 0402 ad 0403,
because it is widely used by the industry.

Figure 4: Footprint sizes shown. Imperial Code is recommended. This figure was
obtained from here.
In short, pick a size and ignore the other specifications in Eagle. The specifications are
usually used to create a Bill of Materials (BOM) of all parts in your PCB. You can
always go to your favorite vendor for electronic components, e.g. Digikey or Sparkfun,
and look for the specific footprint size you need. After that, you can choose the value,
voltage, wattage, and other options. This is what works for me.
Extra Tips and Tricks: If you are creating your first PCB, I recommend a larger
footprint. The 0805 resistors and capacitors will be simple to solder to the board. As
you gain more experience, you can decrease the size to 0402.

Take it slow and choose Axial/PTH

Figure 5: Axial Resistor

For beginners, a SMD resistor can be difficult to solder. However, most beginners are
experienced enough to manage typical axial resistors. These are resistors with long leads
as shown in the image on the right in Figure 5. You can actually create a PCB with these
resistors. When choosing the resistor, make sure to pick the PTH or Axial footprint size.
An example in Eagle is shown below in Figure 6.

Figure 6: Example of a standard axial resistor

How to Add a Part
Now that you have a basic understanding, you can begin adding parts to your schematic. I
will use a resistor as an example. First, I like to use the search function (Section 2) as an
easy to way to find the specific part I am looking for. You can use the menus as well
(Section 1). To add a part, follow these steps:

1. Find the part, e.g. resistor

2. Find the correct footprint size, e.g. 0805
3. Select the resistor
4. Check the symbol and footprint to make sure it is the correct part
5. Check the description to double-check the size
6. Click on OK
7. The part will now be under the control of your mouse cursor. Choose a location
on the schematic and click. It will be placed in that location.
Video Tutorial
This video tutorial covers additional material about the schematic window and adding
parts. Click here to check out the video tutorial
Final Thoughts
This tutorial discussed how to add parts into your schematic. I used a resistor as an
example but this tutorial can apply to any part you would like to add. In the video, I also
discuss adding capacitors.
Draw an Electrical Connection
Now that you know how to add parts into your schematic, you are ready to learn the
process of connecting these parts electrically. In Eagle, this is known as nets. Similar to
the process in real-life (e.g. breadboard) where you make make electrical connections
between parts, Nets allows Eagle to understand how the circuit is built. It is a simple
procedure and I will use an example of a voltage divider with two resistors for illustration
purposes. Lets begin learning how to draw an electrical connection.
Explanation: Voltage Divider

Figure 1: Voltage divider

Even though the example is just a way to show the process of adding nets, I will briefly
explain a voltage divider. A divider requires two resistors as components connected in
series. These components receive an input voltage and are connected to ground. Between
the two resistors is where the output voltage is taken. An example of this is shown in
Figure 1 on the right and more a detailed explanation can be found here.
Adding the Parts into the Schematic
The first step is to create a new schematic file. After doing so, you need to add these parts:

Resistors (2)
Voltage input, VCC (1)
Ground, GND (1)

The name of the component is shown along with the number of parts needed in
parenthesis. Using the add a part window, you can either search or look through the
libraries to find the parts. After finding the parts, the schematic window should look
similar to Figure 2 below. I added the parts and rearranged them by moving and rotating
them. Now, we can start adding the electrical connections (nets).

Figure 2: Schematic window with the example

Draw a Net
If you were able to replicate Figure 2 successfully, you can now start adding nets to the
schematic. The add an electrical connection option is located in the left toolbar or the
Draw menu. See Figure 3 and Figure 4 below for the locations.

Figure 3: Left toolbar option

Figure 4: Draw menu option

To create an electrical connection, follow these steps:

1. Click on the add a net option (Figure 3 or Figure 4)

2. Click on the end of a part, e.g. one end of a resistor
3. Green line will appear where you clicked. Now, click on another parts end to
make a connection
4. Repeat steps 1 to 3 for all potential connections

An example of connecting the two resistors is shown below in Figure 5. All the parts
should be connected together in series. If you think of this in terms of electricity flow, if
you miss one of the connections, you will have no flow. The final outcome should look
similar to Figure 6 below.
Figure 5: Connecting two resistors

Figure 6: Completed voltage divider

How to add a Net Junction
If you refer to Figure 1 of the voltage divider, you will see that Vout is branching out
between the two resistors. The point in between the two resistors will most likely connect
to other parts of your circuit. Therefore, we need to add a junction which a net can
connect to. The junction option is located in the left toolbar and also in the Draw menu.
Below is Figure 7 showing the location of the junction in the toolbar.

Figure 7: Add a junction to eagle schematic

To add a junction, follow these steps:

1. Click on the junction option (Figure 7)

2. Find the location where you want to add the junction and click.
3. A green junction circle will appear
4. Click on the add a net connection option (Figure 3 and Figure 4)
5. Click on the prior create junction and an electrical connection will appear. Drag
the wire and click at your desired location on the schematic.

Steps 1 to 3 are shown in Figure 8 below. Steps 4 and 5 are shown in Figure 9 below.
 Figure 8: Add a junction

Figure 9: Final schematic

You have successfully creating a voltage divider in this Eagle schematic tutorial.
Video tutorial
In this video, I explain the step-by-step procedure outlined in this tutorial. I also go into
more depth on how to label the Vout node.

Click here to view the video tutorials

 Congratulations!
Congratulations on finishing the first part of many tutorial books on PCB design. You can
now use these skills to design a PCB. You learned how to:

Setup of PCB software to create projects, schematics, add libraries, among others
Definitions of important options and menus
How to add components
How to make electrical connections
How to label and add text for clarity
Tips and tricks on how to create an effective schematic
Tips and tricks on choosing components

Good luck! Go and design something!