Exporting csv data from kicad 2011

[caprisonne]

Hi folks,

we just finished assembling the liteplacer-machine. Our first pick-and place-project should be a ready designed pcb, which was once created in a kicad version of 2011.
(kicad-2011-07-08-bzr3044 / it wasn't processed correctly in a newer version of kicad)

Our problem ist, that the kicad-version of 2011 doesn't exported the csv-file with the X/Y coordinates, the current liteplacer software (2.0.0.44) needs to place them correctly
I attached part of the csv-file I got from kicad.

My question is: Does anyone knows a way to generate from kicad a csv-file, the liteplacer-software needs - or will I be forced to make a manual measure of the postion of the parts?

Thanks in advance for your help!

caprisonne

[JuKu]

Does this help? https://forum.kicad.info/t/xy-parts-coo ... -place/368

[caprisonne]

Hi Juha,

Thanks a lot for this hint!
I gave it a try but I had never used python modules before.
Even to start a module with python is quite a hard thing.
Would anyone please help me with a step-by-step instruction of using it?

Another problem: My kicad-2011-version is only exporting the dimensions in Inches, not in Millimeters the liteplacer software is needing.
Does anyone knows how to change this?

Thanks in advance!
caprisonne

[JuKu]

I can't help you with Kicad, as I don't have any experience with it. Excel reads and writes csv, so you can do the conversion to mm's there (until I add that to the software).

[caprisonne]

All right, thank you!

But again: Has anyone out there a hint how to run this translation-tool for the x/y-coordinates with python on the windows platform?

Some help would be great, thank you!
caprisonne

[JuKu]

In Kicad, there is an option in File->fabrication output->Footprint position. This generates a .pos file, which LitePlacer reads in directly. In today's software release the inches to mm's conversion actually works and is automatically applied, if the .pos file indicates it is in inches.

[caprisonne]

Thanks for this hint, we will try it!

I have some general questions about the csv-file of the postitions of components.

On
http://www.liteplacer.com/input-file-format/
you describe just the component center position ("Mid X","Mid Y") as important for placing.

The example snippet you attached also contains two other coordinates ("Ref X","Ref Y","Pad X","Pad Y")

My questions are:
For what kind of position do this coodinates stand?
Are this coordinates are needed in the actual liteplacer software -version for placing?
Are this coordinantes are generated automatically in the known cad-systems?

Thanks a lot for your answer!
caprisonne

[JuKu]

Those are not used by the LitePlacer software. I use Altium, and it outputs these. I updates the description in the web page, making the situation hopefully clearer. Sorry for the confusion!