Question for everyone!!

[markkanof]

I have been talking to Jason about using some of the features of the wiki to enable all users to create schematics on this site using a simple coding system of sorts. I think PassFan was actually the first to suggest this idea. It might work someting like the following.

You would type:

[[R W R ]]

What would be shown on screen when everyone else views your post would be an actual schematic of a resistor connected to a wire, which is connected to another resistor. A simple example, obviously there will be more features that will allow a full schematic to be drawn but you get the idea.

I think this system has a lot of advantages. First it could potentially save some space on the website server. It would allow everyone to create schematics in the same format without any special software at all, not even a graphics program. And most importantly, using the concept of the wiki it would be editable by everyone. For example I could post a circuit and ask for help. Then others could come and make small changes by just changing a symbol in the code instead of editing the drawing by hand.

Hope everyone gets the idea this post is getting pretty long. What I want to know is, would people be interested in this idea. If it sounds good then I will start doing the graphics. If not then I won't waste the time.

 

[tiroth]

Sounds like a fun project. I wonder how many people would learn the language and use it though...it seems that even relatively simple circuits would be syntactically complex.

Opamp with R--R---non-inverting input, with R to ground in the middle, and R to ground on inverting input bypassed?

[R W {[R W O1+], [R W G]}]
[O1- W {[R W G], [C W G]}]

I'm sure this is not exactly what you were thinking, but it looks complicated.

An alternative might be to implement a subset of spice netlisting, so that people could use the graphical tool of their choice, paste in the netlist, and get out a schematic. But then I guess what is the point when they could just use the image? Just thinking out loud.

 

[PassFan]

Pretty cool idea, but it wasn't mine. I screwed up in the sandbox and wrote over or under another member.

 

[markkanof]

Tiroth,

That is basically what I was thinking, but yes I agree that it is complicated. Maybe we could work out a way were users could insert the graphics directly and the scripting language would be an underlayment. I personally still like the idea of having a common method for everyone to use and for the schematics to be editable right here online. But I guess some more thought as to ease of use is necassary.

Mark

 

[Won]

I think the hard parts would be:

Having a language definition that people have a chance of writing without making too many errors

Doing the (automatic?) circuit layout...going from netlist to schematic is nontrivial

It might be better to just have a java applet that lets you draw them.

-Won