Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att-cb!att-ih!pacbell!ptsfa!ames!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!bloom-beacon!mit-eddie!bbn!rochester!PT.CS.CMU.EDU!SPEECH1.CS.CMU.EDU!phd
From: phd@SPEECH1.CS.CMU.EDU (Paul Dietz)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Posting schematics...
Keywords: schematics
Message-ID: <1059@PT.CS.CMU.EDU>
Date: 8 Mar 88 08:14:19 GMT
Sender: netnews@PT.CS.CMU.EDU
Organization: Carnegie-Mellon University, CS/RI
Lines: 30

A recurring problem in this news group is the need to post readable
schematics. ASCII circuit representations are just too painfull to
create, and are quite inflexible.

WE NEED A STANDARD FOR EXCHANGE OF SCHEMATICS!!!!!!!!!!!

Optimally, any standard would have interfaces on many standard
hardware configurations. (Mac, PC's, Xwindows, GKS, UNIX Plot, etc.)
Also, for those stuck with standard, non-graphics terminals, a human
readable form should be generated as a side effect.

This is a difficult project to get started, so maybe we should make
some initial comprimises in order to get the ball rolling.

Proposal: If I get sufficient feedback, I will start posting schematics
in binhexed MacPaint format. For you Macintosh hackers, this is a familiar
format. I've also heard rumor that various PC programs read MacPaint files.
Thus, I might be able to reach a large enough audience to generate a real
interest in getting together a universal schematic format.

So, what do you all think? Is this a viable way of dealing with this
problem until we get a real solution, or am I shutting out too much
of the sci.electronics community?

Paul H. Dietz                                        ____          ____
Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering        / oo \        <_<\\\
Carnegie Mellon University                        /|  \/  |\        \\ \\
--------------------------------------------     | | (  ) | |       | ||\\
"If God had meant for penguins to fly,             -->--<--        / / |\\\  /
he would have given them wings."            _________^__^_________/ / / \\\\-