[PCB_FORUM] Re: X-Keys 20 key, any good?

Richard,

 

Thanks for the involved response!  Wow, that sure seems complicated just to
turn on some layers that make up Top Silk.  So the reason you do it this way
is that it's faster than just having it run an Allegro script?  When I run
my "ts" script for Top Silk, it takes just about a second to run.  Seems
reasonable to me!

 

Anyhow, thanks again.

 

Regards,

 

Gary E. MacIndoe

PCB Design Engineer

Advanced Micro Devices

Longmont, Colorado

 

  _____  

From: icu-pcb-forum-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:icu-pcb-forum-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of richard moffat
Sent: Tuesday, April 25, 2006 3:55 PM
To: icu-pcb-forum@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [PCB_FORUM] Re: X-Keys 20 key, any good?

 

Hi

 

This was one of the first things I did in Allegro - set up layer
combinations onto function keys, and later on, X-Keys.  I use the 58 key
version - now I wouldn't work without it.

 

With X-Keys, I normally run scripts (macros and Skill) through aliases.  I
find it may give a little more control.

 

Try Skill commands instead of script replays where you can.  They will be
faster.

 

Examples:

 

Here's a template of how I named the keys:

 

#   xk11  xk12  xk13  xk14  xk15  xk16  xk17  xk18  xk19
#   xk110 xk111 xk112 xk113 xk114 xk115 xk116 xk117 xk118

 

#   xk21  xk22      xk31   xk32   xk33   xk34      xk41  xk42
#   xk23  xk24      xk35   xk36   xk37   xk38      xk43  xk44
#   xk25  xk26      xk39   xk310  xk311  xk312     xk45  xk46
#   xk27  xk28      xk313  xk314  xk315  xk316     xk47  xk48
#   xk29  xk210     xk317  xk318  xk319  xk320     xk49  xk410

Here are a couple of lines from my env files:

 

alias xk14 replay 'k:'\allegro'\util'\allegro_scripts'\grid_eq_1.scr'

alias xk21 top silk

 

Expanding on the "Top Silk" bit...

 

Somewhere along the lines, 'top silk' is registered on boot (could be done
in different places):

axlCmdRegister("top silk" 'top_silk ?cmdType "general")

 

And what the 'top_silk.il" consists of (loaded on boot as well):

 

procedure( top_silk()
 axlVisibleDesign(nil)
 axlVisibleLayer("ref des/silkscreen_top" t)
 axlVisibleLayer("package geometry/silkscreen_top" t)
 axlVisibleLayer("board geometry/silk_box_top" t)
 axlVisibleLayer("board geometry/brd_id_silk_top" t)
 axlVisibleLayer("via class/soldermask_top" t)
 axlVisibleLayer("via class/soldermask_bottom" t)
 axlVisibleLayer("pin/soldermask_top" t)
 axlVisibleLayer("board geometry/outline" t)
 axlVisibleLayer("board geometry/silkscreen_top" t)
 axlVisibleLayer("board geometry/soldermask_top" t)
 axlVisibleLayer("package geometry/soldermask_top" t)
 axlVisibleLayer("route keepin/all" t)
 axlVisibleLayer("DRC ERROR CLASS/PACKAGE_TOP" t)
 axlVisibleUpdate(t)
)

 

 

Just some more ideas - there's no right or wrong way to set them up.  Hope
it helps.

 

Cheers,

Richard

 

 

 

  
__________________________
Richard Moffat
PCB CAD Manager
Allied Telesis Labs
ph. +64 (3) 3393000
richard.moffat@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


>>> gary.macindoe@xxxxxxx 25/04/2006 8:06 a.m. >>>

Thanks for the response David.  I was mainly wondering if it is worth
getting (easy to set up, reliable etc.).

 

One of the scripts I use is t.scr which turns on only top pads, etch
assemblies etc.  I have replay t aliased to t, so when I type t, Enter
it runs the t script.  So, can the X-Key keyboard be set up to perform
both t and the Enter?  That would be great to hit one key and have the
script run!  Hmmm, maybe I should think about the 58 key instead of the 20
key.

 

Sure, Im always open to ideas for scripts.  I have lots of them to set up
the initial database depending on a standard format (i.e. pci, lpc, atx,
mini itx etc.) and layer count (4, 6, 8, 10).  I also have several to change
views, grids etc.  I just had to bang on all of the set up scripts for them
to manual place format symbols since we went to 15.5.

 

Regards,

 

Gary E. MacIndoe

PCB Design Engineer

Advanced Micro Devices

Longmont, Colorado

  _____  

From: icu-pcb-forum-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:icu-pcb-forum-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of David Greig
Sent: Monday, April 24, 2006 1:24 PM
To: icu-pcb-forum@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [PCB_FORUM] Re: X-Keys 20 key, any good?

 

Using the ~56 key one. Got some scripts if you want ideas on setting it up.
Also use another for C programming and spice - fewer syntax errors that way.

 

Best Regards

 

David Greig

______________________________

GigaDyne Ltd

Buchan House

Carnegie Campus

Dunfermline KY11 8PL

United Kingdom

t: +44 (0)1383 624 975

www.gigadyne.co.uk <http://www.gigadyne.co.uk/> 

______________________________

 

 

  _____  

From: icu-pcb-forum-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:icu-pcb-forum-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Gary MacIndoe
Sent: 24 April 2006 20:08
To: icu-pcb-forum@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [PCB_FORUM] X-Keys 20 key, any good?

Hey again,

 

So heres another one.  Anybody use the Pi Engineering X-Keys 20 key
programmable supplemental keyboard?  Is it easy to program, works well?

Thanks for any input.

 

Gary E. MacIndoe

PCB Design Engineer

Advanced Micro Devices

Longmont, Colorado

 

 

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