Inserting tubes into Express PCB

[alexmoose]

Hey everybody! I just Downloaded Express PCB, and I am having all the fun in the world with it, but I can't for the life of me figure out how to put a tube on the board because it is not in the "Component Library" does anyone know where I can download a suppliment to the library? or do I just have to make my own. Thank you for any help

[kevinkr]

You'll have to make your own, its not too hard. I use ExpressPCB for tube stuff all the time. You'll make the part and save it in the custom part library.

[alexmoose]

alright, thank you so much. I'll see if i have any more problems with it

[David Davenport]

Hi Alex,

Be aware that many of the different tube sockets for the same type tube have slightly different footprints. I have found that to get it right I had to get one of the sockets and physically measures the pins and diameter of the circle for the pins.

Dave

[poobah]

Dave,

You are right on the money. Make your own patterns from the actual part you will use. Don't trust drawings from the net either... some of them have been converted to Imperial from metric and back again so many times that real errors creep in.

[pinkmouse]

Thirded. Design your footprints for the sockets you can buy. And if you're making the PCB for others to use, get them to send you dimensions of the sockets they can get.

[mod_evil]

Look in here: http://www.desmith.com/NMdS/Electronics/soculator.html

With this you can calcule the socket for EAGLE.

But for the Express PCB I haven't a option for you.

Best Regards,
Felipe Navarro

[jackinnj]

a little trigonometry helps -- a 7-pin miniature has spaces for 8 "holes" and a 9-pin miniature for 10 -- with a little work you can figure the X-Y coordinates for the socket holes in a custom component.

[David Davenport]

Originally posted by poobah
Dave,

You are right on the money. Make your own patterns from the actual part you will use. Don't trust drawings from the net either... some of them have been converted to Imperial from metric and back again so many times that real errors creep in.

Drawings from the net !!!! NO NO NO.

I have been burned several times by drawings off of the net with mistakes on them. I did not find out until I tried to mount the part on the board. Bummer.

Even if I do start from a drawing I always check it with a physical part.

Dave

[David Davenport]

Originally posted by jackinnj
a little trigonometry helps -- a 7-pin miniature has spaces for 8 "holes" and a 9-pin miniature for 10 -- with a little work you can figure the X-Y coordinates for the socket holes in a custom component.

I always make the pattern with 8 holes for a 7 pin tube and 10 holes for a 9 pin tube and save it as its own file. I copy that file onto the board I am working with and delete one of the holes at the last minute as I figure the best way to orient the tube.

Dave