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Originally Posted by SoftwareBug2.0
Maybe this is a stupid question but why do I need to use a SPICE simulation to figure out what the ports are doing? Why can't I just have a table with drive strengths and speeds and such?
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Well you don't HAVE to use anything. There are a lot of tools out there for creating schematics and layout. The NI tools however offer that, plus a lot more, including simulation. If you're going into electrical engineering (particularly analog design), SPICE is a really valuable tool.... and you get it for free! Also the template for the board outline is already loaded for you.
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And why do they assume that your circuit will be flat on the roborio and tell you clearances for stuff under where they think your PCB will be? Can't they just let you figure it out from the mechanical drawings?
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Yes, you can, and calling out backside clearance does not replace the need to do a good job on the stack up analysis and mechanical tolerance calculations. However it does remind people that the default board position offers limited backside space, and if you want backside components, or long through-hole leads, etc. you will need to move to a taller connector.