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## 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?

See installation.

### How do I learn more about PCB?

- http://www.delorie.com/pcb/docs/
- : more needed

### How many layers does PCB support?

“Out-of-the-box”, pcb supports 16 copper layers. It has been patched by some users to support more, however.

### 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. Lines on a layer with layer name `outline` will be interpreted as physical edges of the board. Also see this note in the more comprehensive PCB tips

### How do I design a PCB?

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

- Printed circuit board
- http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Practical_Electronics/PCB_Layout

### 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 gsch2pcb tutorial

Then you … Hey, did you know about the PCB manual, the PCB tips, and the PCB-quick reference?

### What about footprints?

See PCB footprints.

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

### I had a hard time to find info on pcb due its ambigous name. Why don't you rename the app?

The application is a fairly old project, with roots way back in the era of Atari home computers. Its name has always been “pcb”. The current developers have no intention to break that tradition.

### Is there any relation between the gEDA PCB and the opencircuitdesign PCB?

gEDA PCB and opencircuitdesign PCB ?

Same thing, different generations.