pcb FAQ

What is pcb ?

“pcb” is software to help you draw (“lay out”) the wires for a custom “printed wire board” (“PCB”).

How do I install pcb ?

The recommended way to install pcb is to install the complete gaf package. See installation.

Is it true that pcb is limited to exactly 8 copper layers and 2 silkscreen layers ?

No. “Out-of-the-box”, pcb supports 16 copper layers and …

Is it true that pcb has no concept of a "solder mask" or "paste mask" layer?

No.

Is it true that pcb has no way to make a "mechanical layer" to show the physical outline of the board and its dimensions ?

No.

How do I design a PCB ?

This is well beyond the scope of this FAQ. There are a few tips at

Yes, but how do I design a PCB with pcb ?

Generally, you start with a schematic, run gsch2pcb to generate the netlist. See faq-gsch2pcb. Then you might go through the tutorial gsch2pcb_tutorial

Then you … Hey, did you know about the pcb manual, the pcb_tips, and the pcb-quick_reference ?

What about footprints ?

Yes. pcb_footprints.

There are also some unofficial gEDA footprints at Open Circuits http://opencircuits.com/PCB_Footprints .