How to create pin diagrams? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: zapta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 19, 2014, 06:31:47 pm
content: Pin diagrams like this one are very popular. Are that tools that make it easier to create them?

author: Mad ID
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 19, 2014, 07:37:53 pm
content: You can do it in MS Word or in MS Visio

author: zapta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 19, 2014, 07:46:57 pm
content: Quote from: Mad ID on December 19, 2014, 07:37:53 pmThanks, Is was hoping for a more specialized tool.

author: T3sl4co1l
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 19, 2014, 07:51:38 pm
content: You could use a TABLE in a variety of preferred environments (Word, Excel, HTML, LaTeX...), and add the lines and boxes as border or graphic elements. Specifically for LaTeX, there's likely a PGF/TikZ package that draws tables like this (even tabu alone will get close, but may not handle the bubble shaped outlines directly).You could also do worse than make partial or complete drawings in your preferred EDA environment. Most provide graphical primitives and a fixed grid referenced layout. Some schematic environments aren't as quantitative, but PCB environments can usually be used to draw proper scaled mechanical drawings, with dimensions and everything; certainly suitable for a diagram like this, though perhaps a bit droll (have fun getting colors on that .DXF).Tim

author: Alex Eisenhut
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 19, 2014, 11:55:59 pm
content: Paging Don Lancaster! We need you to hand-code some Postscript over here!

author: T3sl4co1l
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 20, 2014, 03:26:54 am
content: Quote from: Alex Eisenhut on December 19, 2014, 11:55:59 pmI've read many a Hardware Hacker and Tech Musings... never wrote a character worth of PS though.Tim

author: Richard Crowley
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 20, 2014, 03:37:38 am
content: Quote from: zapta on December 19, 2014, 07:46:57 pmLike what exactly?That is trivial to do in MS PowerPoint. I have done it a few times.

author: zapta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 20, 2014, 05:20:13 am
content: I ended up drawing it with Libre Office (free and OS agnostic, os a good for this OSH project). Will insert later the actual board picture.Source file and svg rendering herehttps://github.com/zapta/arm/tree/master/pro-mini/www

author: zapta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 20, 2014, 05:24:16 am
content: Quote from: Richard Crowley on December 20, 2014, 03:37:38 amDon't know, something that already understands the general format, takes care of formatting and alignment and just requires the core data. Can be GUI based, can be text based. Similar to that specialized signal timing diagraming tool that was mentioned here once.

author: Alex Eisenhut
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 27, 2014, 10:50:22 pm
content: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DGMLmaybe something like this? Check out the dot language too.

author: DonEduardo
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: December 28, 2014, 02:58:25 am
content: Which tool in Libre Office did you use? Draw?

author: zapta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 28, 2014, 03:30:12 am
content: Quote from: DonEduardo on December 28, 2014, 02:58:25 amYes, the source file is on github. The grid is your friend ;-)https://github.com/zapta/arm/blob/master/pro-mini/www/pin_out.odg?raw=true

author: zapta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 28, 2014, 03:34:04 am
content: Quote from: Alex Eisenhut on December 27, 2014, 10:50:22 pmThanks. I used the dot language in the past for program generated graphs, you defined the nodes and their relations and it automatically lays out the graph.For this application I was hopping for something more high level and application specific. E.g. define the center image, define labels on both side using let's say row/column notation and basic formatting (e.g. color) and the tool would do the rest. This style of pinout diagram is so popular that I am surprised that such a tool does not exist.

author: DonEduardo
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: December 28, 2014, 03:42:46 am
content: Thanks. Just grabbed a copy of the file. Looks great. Have never used Draw yet. Might be just what I need for documenting modules I've purchased from eBay that don't have good datasheets and I end up figuring it out by experimentation. That's fine for a couple months but when I need to go back a year or so later I can't remember what I did to get things working. Thanks for the tip.

author: Alex Eisenhut
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 28, 2014, 05:29:14 am
content: Quote from: zapta on December 28, 2014, 03:34:04 amThere's also LibreOffice Basic, although I find the documentation obtuse.tools -> macro -> organize macros-> libreoffice Basichttps://forum.openoffice.org/en/forum/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=46682