BLOG > Tutorial 1 for CadSoft Eagle: Schematic Design

This tutorial was featured on the CadSoft website on 06/19/2012

In the course of making my Arduino Tutorial Series (don’t worry, I have more of those in the works), I got a ton of requests for a tutorial series on how to design circuit boards.  Now, I’m answering those requests with my Eagle Tutorial Series!  Supported by element14 & cadsoft, this series will take you through the process of designing a complete PCB using the very popular Eagle CAD software.  In this first tutorial on CadSoft Eagle, I’ll show you how to get the program up and running, how to navigate the interface, how to design your first schematic, and how to use DesignConnect to build a Bill-of-Materials.

This tutorial has been made possible with support from CadSoft and element14. Learn more about Cadsoft Eagle here: http://www.element14.com/cadsoft
You can download CadSoft Eagle here: http://www.cadsoftusa.com/
You can download the Adafruit Eagle Library that I used in this tutorial here: https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit-Eagle-Library

You can download the files associated with this episode here: Eagle Tutorial 1 Files

Source materials for all my eagle tutorials can be found in my github repository.

GNU GPL License Distributed under the GNU General Public (Open-Source) License.
Please Attribute and Share-Alike.

Watch this tutorial at element14.com, or on youtube.  It’s embedded below:

86 comments

  1. I find this to be a great tutorial but I still find datasheets to be a bit daunting or possibly lacking in information although that could be from my lack of knowledge. I am really interested in what steps I need to take to be better at data sheets. Any way you could make a tutorial just on that? Thanks!

  2. Hi, Jeremy Blum.

    I use a program EAGLE-7.2.0
    I did not find the file in the folder.(renumber-sch.ulp)
    where you can download the file.

  3. Hey Jeremy, thanks for the tutorial! I learned a lot about Eagle much faster than I expected to.. Just one question, I built the device but it’s not working.. Both lights stay on all the time xD I can’t find your design anywhere else online so I thought I’d ask.. Thank you!

  4. I actually figured out the problem but not the solution. In the schematic you made for the YouTube tutorial, the two LEDs and two 100R resistors actually short with the battery to form a closed loop. I don’t know how to fix it, but I figured I’d share

  5. Well, nevermind on that…… I was just using the wrong type of capacitor. In the video I heard you say “normal capacitor” but the schematic showed a polarized one. I guess it won’t work with ceramic disk capacitors! it only works with a polarized one. Finally got it to work though :D

  6. A complete schematic is the foundation of the designing a PCB therefore, start with creating a schematic. From the file menu, name the project and open schematic editor window. There, using tools from the toolbar make the exact replica of your paper schematic by dropping components on the working space. Rotate and move components to make a clear to read schematic drawing. With done with this step, cross-check every component and make sure nothing is left like reference designator, value, and part number if necessary. Add net to every pin of the component and make correct connections.

  7. Thanks Jeremy for the excellent tutorial. I have 1 question.
    Near the end when you deleted the wire and made a connection to 2 different spots, you put a tag on them that looked like a tag that comes on a shirt. I think you changed N$2 to CONN. I have hunted all around and cannot find where you got the tag symbol.
    I am using version 9

    thanks

  8. Hi Jeremy,

    Could you please upload the schematic for the Blinky board I’m trying to copy your tutorial side by side so that I get used to the software, I seem to have made some mistakes in my schematic, so if you could upload it that would be great

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