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This post continues from "How to Design the Perfect PCB – Part 1." In part one we covered how to finish the pre-layout work like setting goals, visualizing your design, and selecting parts. In this post we focus more on the physical side of PCB design and discuss the caveats that may trip you up.
The featured image for this post is the Manga Screen designed by Elias Bakken, you can learn more about it and explore his work at Hipstercircuits.
Before we get started, I think it is worth saying that this is NOT a guide on how to use any specific CAD software. This article is meant to serve as a general guideline on how you can design the best possible PCB regardless of your experience level.
When I set out to design my first PCB I was told "Well, it's your first PCB so it probably won't work anyways, but that sounds interesting." Even though this was discouraging to hear, I didn't let it stop me and I ended up with a working design. I now want to take my experiences as well as the experiences of others and make it as simple as possible for you to design your own PCB.
Putting the Design into Software
Now that you have an idea of how you want the project to turn out, it's time to start moving the design onto your computer
Choosing a CAD Package
The first step is to choose what CAD package you will be using in order to design your PCB. There are a dizzying amount of options on the market and I don't know that I can even attempt to list them all, but here are some of your options:
- EAGLE (Free with limitations, upgrades from $70 – $1640)- A powerhouse in the hobbyist world, EAGLE probably has the most community support, but has some quirks that led me to choose a different suite.
- KiCad (Free and open source, no limitations) – This is my current personal favorite. As a FOSS option that is quite capable, you have nothing to lose by trying it out. I think it is better than EAGLE, and you can't argue with that price.
- gEDA (Free and open source, no limitations) – Another excellent FOSS option, gEDA and KiCad are often compared. I tried them both and felt that KiCad was a bit more polished, but you may want to try gEDA for yourself.
- ExpressPCB (Free, no limitations) – It seems like good software, I have never used it personally but enough people seem to recommend it. ExpressPCB is backed by, you guessed it, ExpressPCB so this makes it very easy to send your design for manufacture.
- DesignSpark PCB (Free, no limitations) – I had never head of DesignSpark until I started writing this post. I have to say I am very impressed by what they show on the landing page so I may check it out.
- DipTrace (Non-free, prices from $70 – $900) – DipTrace comes highly recommend, I prefer free and open-source software (FOSS) so I have never used it, but it may be worth your time.
- PCB123 (Free, more powerful packages non-free) – This software from Sunstone looks very promising, I'm sure there are some hidden limitations that I couldn't find, but I will be checking out this package when I start my next design.
- EasyPC (Non-free, $500-$2700) – I haven't used this software personally but it looks well designed (kind of reminds me of Altium Designer), the price is high for hobbyist use but wouldn't be too bad for a professional.
- Mentor Graphics PADS (Non-free, cost unknown, likely >$5000) – This software seems to have fairly poor user feedback, I don't know why you would choose to voluntarily use it. From what I can tell, most of its current user base is from engineers in a corporate setting that are required to use it for backward compatibility.
- Altium Designer (Non-free, >$5000) – Altium Designer has excellent user feedback, if you are looking for a professional suite to work with and can handle the price tag, Altium may be your best option.
- OrCad PCB Designer (Non-free, >$5000, upgrade path can push you north of $25000) – Cadence OrCad is a behemoth in the EDA industry, unfortunately they also throw that weight around by charging insane prices. If you absolutely need the features offered by OrCad then it may be worth your investment, but for the average user this is overkill.
So I wasn't lying, it's a big list! When we narrow it down and look at what's practical though, I think the first three options are the most interesting for hobbyists.
As I said in the summary, EAGLE is a very popular package and has a huge community of hobbyists that use it for their projects. Unfortunately there are some nagging issues with EAGLE that have caused me to abandon it in search of greener pastures
For various reasons, I ultimately decided on KiCad, but since this isn't a comparison article I won't go into details. If you are curious about my reasoning, this article does a good job of highlighting what I didn't like about EAGLE, though I don't fully agree with his assessment of KiCad.
During the remainder of this article I will be using KiCad for explaining concepts of PCB design. I will do my best to cover the topics at a high level so you can easily transfer these ideas into the CAD package of your choosing, but if you are undecided I wholeheartedly encourage you to try KiCad for your next design. If you are interested in specifically learning how to layout a PCB in KiCad you should subscribe to this blog or check back regularly.
Best Practices for Electrical Schematics
As far as I know, there are no standard guidelines for drawing schematics. Most of us learn by trial-and-error, pick up the habits of our teachers, or just never learn. I think it's time that these guidelines found a home.
The purpose of an electrical schematic is simple, to describe how components are electrically connected. A schematic does not necessarily indicate the physical relationship between components, though a good schematic will make this obvious when necessary.
The difference between a good schematic and a bad schematic is a matter of how easy it is to understand. If another person is able to look at the schematic and simply understand it, you have made a good schematic, if another person has to look at your schematic and decipher it, you have made a bad schematic. Here are my suggestions for making a good schematic.
Labels and Comments
Labels and comments on your schematic come at no cost to you so you might as well use them. You should always label your components. Most (or all?) schematic editors will do this automatically for you, but if yours doesn't then you must do this. There are some generally standard designators in use today, the most common are:
- R, C, L, and D – These are the default designators for your most common passive components. R is for resistor, C is for capacitor, L is for inductor, and D is for diode (including LED). These are standard designators and you should not use any other designator for these components. The only exception to diode marking is if you are using a Zener diode, in that case refer to it as Z.
- M and Q – Standard designators for transistors. MOSFETs are referred by M while BJTs are referred by Q. M can also stand for Motor, if you are using a motor in your design then refer to all transistors as Q.
- T or XFMR – Transformer
- S or SW – Switch, this includes pretty much any time of switch, even push-buttons. You can use either designator, but you should only use one. Consistency is key, I recommend SW.
- X or XTAL – Generally refers to crystal oscillators, X can also be used to designate subcircuits. I recommend XTAL.
- U or IC – Designates an integrated circuit, U is the most common designator but IC is just as clear and well understood.
- TP – Test point, these are handy and you should make generous use of test points in your circuit while it is in the prototype stage.
- JP – Jumpers
- J or P – These designate jacks or plugs, respectively. Jacks are generally female while plugs are generally male.
- F – Fuse
- FD – Fiducial
- BT or BAT – Designates a battery or battery connector
- X – Parts not covered by the above rules. You should leave a label near these parts to note their function.
These rules are extremely helpful when sharing your designs with others, or when you need to come back to your design in the future. However, having correctly referenced parts is not necessarily enough to make a good schematic. It is also good practice to comment on non-standard parts or on important performance details.
For example, if you have a component that requires a very large power trace or special shielding then you should note this on the schematic. For more advanced circuits, such as RF designs, you would also want to note required trace lengths or impedances.
There are too many examples to list all of the situations in which you should make use of comments, but a good guideline is to ask yourself "If I were to look at this circuit in one year, would I still know what it is doing and how to take it to layout?" If it passes this test then you are on your way to creating a successful design.
Another recommendation for making your schematics clear is to be mindful of where your labels and comments are placed. If a label is placed over another label or over a component outline then you might as well not have it there at all because it won't be readable. Take the few extra seconds to move your labels into a logical position near the component while not overlapping other components or labels.
The final guideline for proper labeling is to remember to label your most important nets. Don't go overboard with this, but a few net names to remind you of functionality is an incredibly simple way to ensure that you are making an understandable schematic. Additionally, keep the names as short as is reasonable, use all caps, and separate words with underscores.
This means that instead of "Pin going to output" as a label you would want to do something like "TO_OUT" or even better, just "OUT." This will ensure that you have readable schematics with signal names that are obvious and intuitive.
An example of good labeling against poor use of labels.
The Logical Schematic
I'm not certain where the convention came from, but it is always customary that inputs come from the left, outputs go to the right, power comes from the top, and ground or negative voltages go to the bottom. I recommend following this convention whenever it is possible and reasonable to do so.
Of course you can't always do it, but at the very least try to separate your power pins from your I/O pins. If you have multiple voltage rails, the more positive voltages are generally higher on the schematic, though this is not a do-or-die rule.
The standard common emitter vs. a completely illogical implementation of the same circuit. It was actually difficult to draw the circuit on the right.
Dot your i's and cross your t's. Well, something like that, this is a convention that comes from the days when low resolution photocopying was common. It is universally accepted that you should make a very clear dot where two wires form an intersection, your CAD package will usually handle this for you but it is good to keep in mind.
Related to crossing connections, you should also try to avoid 4-way connection points. This is another recommendation from the days of photocopying circuits, but it never hurts to design for longevity.
The proper way to connect three wires.
Using Hierarchy the Right Way
The final pointer in ensuring that your schematic makes sense is to utilize hierarchy effectively. This means that you separate logically different parts into a new sheet. By all means, if you can fit your entire design into a single sheet without cramping it together and still following the other rules, you should do that. Otherwise you might as well separate functionally different parts of the design into separate sheets.
There are different ways to do this in each CAD package, but the basic idea is the same. By keeping related components near each other and avoiding the clutter of other components you will be able to more easily verify and debug your design.
If your schematic doesn't necessarily require multiple sheets then you should still do your best to attempt to introduce a bit of order into the chaos that is an electrical schematic. My preferred method is to draw a box around a functional unit and then place a label inside the box to indicate what that design does.
While this schematic may not follow all of the rules in this guide, it does a good job of demonstrating functional separation. (Click to see full image)
Other Tips
In addition to the general guidelines above, I have managed to compile some other tips that will lead to a successful design. If you have some of your own, feel free to submit them in the comments below (along with an explanation) and I will add them to the list.
- Show decoupling capacitors near the device they are protecting. This is one of the few devices where it is important to indicate physical presence of a component. Decoupling capacitors are used to smooth out the ripples at the power supply of a component, in order to effectively do this, they need to be placed physically close to the component. This proximity should be made clear in the schematic.
- Design for easily printable schematics. While most schematics today are handled electronically, it is not at all uncommon to want to print the design out, either to share it in a meeting, or to review it with a pen in hand. For these reasons, you should always make sure your schematics are designed to be easily read and analyzed at whatever paper size is common in your area. For the U.S. this is 8.5″ x 11″ for Europe, the most common size is A4 which comes out to about 8.3″x11.7″ or 210mm x 297mm.
- Make your schematics understandable even if they are printed in black and white. Many office printers are not capable of printing in color. I also often find that I prefer the look of monochrome schematics when they are printed. If you design your schematic to be readable and understandable without color then it will make it easier to analyze your design later.
- Air wires. Use them when you have to, avoid them when it's practical. The point is to make your schematic as easy to understand as possible, so if it makes sense to put a label on a wire and connect it to others by using that label then feel free to do so. Just keep in mind that air wires can make it difficult to debug your circuit later since you must manually search for all of the connections.
- Consider revision control. Undoubtedly, you will end up making several versions of your original design. It is best to plan ahead for this and to manage your different versions intelligently. I like to use a combination of git with bitbucket to track my designs, but there are other methods such as manually saving version numbers or date codes into the project name.
Like I said, these are just a few tips I have picked up from my experience, if you have your own then submit them in the comments and I will add them to the article. Now that you know the best practices for getting your design into the computer, get to work! The next step is to start with the physical layout, this is where it starts to get interesting and you will want to have a solid schematic under your belt before you move on.
Final Preparations for PCB Layout
Now that you have your schematic entered into the computer and all the connections have been validated, you can move on to physical layout of your PCB. This is the most complex part of the design process and there are far too many different possibilities for any single guide to provide a full list of guidelines in a sensible manner. That being said, I will do my best to provide general guidelines for producing a manufacturable and electrically sound PCB.
If you are interested in the specifics of specialized PCB design techniques, how to use the various CAD tools, and other general workflow improvements then subscribe to this blog (in sidebar on desktop, below on mobile) to continue receiving articles and guest posts on improving your designs.
Choosing a Manufacturer
I'm sure it may seem like a strange suggestion to choose your manufacturer before you begin board layout, but I assure you there is a good reason for this. No two PCB manufacturers are the same and each one has different limitations.
Definitions: A "mil" refers to a thousandth of an inch. While most engineering processes have standardized on the far more understandable metric system, physical products still rely on imperial units. "Clearance" refers to the separation from the edge of one trace to the nearest edge of another.
While one manufacturer may be able to produce 6 mil traces with 6 mil clearances (3/3) another manufacturer may be limited to a (8/8) setup. You do not want to design your board and route all of your traces at a very small width only to find that your manufacturer cannot produce the board at that specification. This could leave you resorting to much more expensive manufacturing options, or receiving a non-working PCB when the manufacturing house attempts to manufacture your design anyways.
If you thought there were a lot of CAD packages to choose from, then you would be truly overwhelmed by the number of different manufacturers and assembly houses there are. Rather than compiling a huge list of all of the PCB manufacturers and assemblers, I am just going to post a short list of those that I either have personal experience with or that have made a strong impression on me.
- OSH Park (Low cost fabrication, U.S. based company) – If you just need to do a small order of PCBs, don't need assembly, and your design fits within their limitations, I fully recommend OSH Park. The turnaround time isn't stellar, but in the 2 weeks you may end up waiting for a board, you can always start working on other projects.
- Advanced Circuits (Incredible flexibility and turnaround time, also offer assembly, U.S. based operations) – I have never used their services personally but I have to say I am impressed with what they offer and others seem to be happy with their results. Their prices for short run fabrication are much higher than OSH Park, but their medium run prices (50+ boards) are perfectly reasonable and they offer a wide range of fabrication options. They also offer a "Barebones" option that is excellent for prototyping.
- Gold Phoenix (Cheap higher quantity orders, non U.S. based) – I have also never used Gold Phoenix but they are apparently often used by SparkFun and offer good prices on larger orders. Their services are based out of China and their boards are not as high of quality as Advanced Circuits, but they are worth a shot for medium run production.
- ExpressPCB (Software integrated solution, reasonable pricing) – ExpressPCB is the only one on this list that also showed up on the CAD list as well. From what I can tell, their quality seems to be about on par with Gold Phoenix with a similar pricing structure to Advanced Circuits.
- Seeed Studio (Reasonable pricing, not as many options as Advanced Circuits, but more freedom than OSH Park) – Seeed studio has made a point to focus on hobbyist work and their dedication is clear. You can get a 2-layer 5cm x 5cm board starting at $9.99, and they include free testing which is a great deal.
- SFCircuits (Not as low budget as others, better suited for large or complex boards, including assembly) – I've also never used their services personally but have heard good things. They offer a couple U.S. made hobbyist specials but it's not their core service. They are a good place to start for larger production runs and more complex layouts.
These are just some of my recommendations, but as I noted earlier, there are many, many more out there. Suggest your own favorites in the comments below.
Defining your Design Rules
After choosing a manufacturer you should make note of their manufacturing constraints. As an example, at the time of writing the minimum specifications for OSH Park were:
- 6 mil copper traces
- 6 mil spacing between traces
- 13 mil drill diameter
- 7 mil annular rings [Defined as (diameter of the pad – diameter of the hole) / 2]
This means that these should be the smallest features you use under any circumstances. Using smaller features will likely result in broken traces, overlap of traces and copper fills, or busted vias.
Once you determine these rules, you should head into your CAD software and define them. This will enable some design for manufacture (DFM) checks to take place as you design so your program will not allow you to perform operations that will cause you to have non-manufacturable boards.
This is one step of the process where EAGLE generally has a distinct advantage over KiCad, most board houses provide a design rules file that can be imported directly into EAGLE. This saves a few steps in defining design rules, and reduces the chances that you will end up with incorrectly defined rules.
Note: Just because your fabrication house can do a 6 mil trace doesn't mean you should use exclusively 6 mil traces. You should use the largest traces possible that will still allow you to fit your design in the required space. Using larger traces improves reliability, decreases parasitic resistance, and as a whole results in a better circuit.
Do I Need a Ground Plane?
One of the more debatable topics in designing a PCB is deciding whether to include a ground plane or not. While it is nearly standard practice to include a ground plane in your design, this is not always required and can in some cases actually result in worse performance. But how can you know when you should and when you shouldn't?
First, it helps to know what a ground plane is. Simply put, a ground plane is a copper layer on your PCB that acts as a common ground to many devices. It is called a ground plane because it often occupies an entire layer, which creates a planar surface to conduct charge.
This image from Circuit Calculator shows the difference between a trace, the PCB, and the copper plane that could act as ground.
What are the benefits of a ground plane? There are several benefits to using a ground plane in your design, the most common are to provide electromagnetic shielding, lower the resistance of the path to ground, and to assist with heat dissipation across the board. These benefits are excellent for the vast majority of designs, but there are also some drawbacks to using a ground plane in your design.
What are the drawbacks of a ground plane? Perhaps the largest drawback of using a ground plane is the increase in parasitic capacitance. Parasitic capacitance is an undesirable effect that will essentially cause your circuit to be less "responsive" than intended. For most applications this is just fine, but for exceptionally quick response circuits it may be worth removing the ground plane.
Ultimately, it is up to you to decide whether you need a ground plane or not. Here are a few guidelines to help you make the decision:
- If your design is not particularly high performance, it's your call.
- If your design includes RF range signals, you should always use a ground plane.
- If you have components that rely on fast changing input signals you may choose to not use a ground plane at all or to remove part of the ground plane around those inputs.
- If you're just not sure, use a ground plane. The chances are in your favor that the circuit will behave as expected with a ground plane, even if that is not required. The opposite is not quite true.
Special Considerations
In addition to considering the ground plane and adhering to design rules there are some other special cases in which you may need to consider other effects.
- Designing for RF – If your design will be operating in the radio frequency range or using similar high frequency components, there are many special design factors to consider. This topic is too in depth to cover right here, right now, but this post from EEWeb outlines some good notes to get you started.
- Mixed-signal designs – If your PCB carries both analog and digital signals then you will want to make certain that you have fully separated these signal paths. The fast changing voltages used in digital circuitry can cause your analog circuitry to behave erratically. Mixed-signal design is a whole field of study on its own (as-is RF) so if you are working with these designs it may be best to seek the help of an experienced designer.
- High voltage work – High voltage circuits require extra care when designing and testing so as to avoid exciting outcomes like heart-stopping electrocutions, electrical fire starting mishaps, or other disasters. If you are designing for high voltage applications then stop reading and seek the assistance of a grizzled old electrical engineer experienced in high-voltage designs.
Once you're absolutely certain that you should be capable of designing the circuit yourself, you can move on to the next step.
Get to Work!
Finally, what we've been working towards the whole time. Now that you are a few hours (or days, or weeks) into the design process, you can finally start working on what you have been planning so carefully for. But you do have one more decision to make first…
To Autoroute or Not?
Should you use the wonderful autorouting features of your CAD package or not? For those who don't know what an autorouter does, it automatically connects the traces in your board in a pattern that the software deems is most efficient. Some CAD packages also include an "Autoplacer" which will automatically place your components for you before routing.
In general you are probably better off avoiding both of these tools for simple hobby work or even moderately complex designs. Honestly, if you have a thorough understanding of your circuit, and you should by now, then you will be able to do a better job of placing and routing components.
There are of course a few exceptions to this guideline. If the design you are working on is complex and it would take you weeks or months to perform a proper layout by hand, then you should try to get access to an advanced CAD package to make use of the significant research these companies have put in to autorouting algorithms.
In addition, if you are just dreading the idea of sitting at a computer ensuring that your design is perfect, then you may just wish to place your necessary components, lock them into place, route the critical connections, and then run the autorouter. This is the recommended way to use the autorouter if you choose to do so.
Drawing the Board Outline
The first step is to draw the outline of your board. This layer tells your fab house where to cut to give you the right sized PCB.
BeagleBone Black cape, board outline layer. Yes it is boring looking, but that's all it is.
To draw the board edge you will begin by switching to the layer that is designated for cutouts. Depending on your CAD package, this could be "Edges", "Board", "Cutout", or something else along those lines.
After selecting the board edge layer make good use of your drawing grid to ensure that you have straight lines of a well-defined length. If your board needs to be a specific size then make sure you are using the correct measurement units for your grid. If you draw your board in mm instead of inches, you will get a little surprise when you try to place your parts and can't fit them all on the board.
A few tips for drawing your board edges:
- Set your drawing grid at a reasonable spacing and make sure your cursor is set to snap to the grid.
- If you are using EAGLE or another program that supports it, make use of the keyboard commands for defining lengths of segments.
- Consider using alternate axes (plural of axis). Most CAD software supports some method of setting an alternative origin point, this will allow you to draw lines of specific length without needing to subtract coordinates in your head. If your CAD package supports #2 then you may not need to use this feature, but I have found it helpful in KiCad.
- Ensure that all the edges line up exactly. If you have a spot on the board where two edges meet but don't quite touch, then you should fix that now. Trying to send your board to the fab house like this will result in them responding to you with a solid "No thanks." Fix this issue before it becomes a headache to fix.
Alternative Method: If your board doesn't need to be any specific size or shape then you may want to wait until the end to draw your board edge. But if you have any predetermined requirements for the board, you will want to start with this step.
Placing Components
Next up, you will want to place all of your components inside the board outline. You should start with components that have a set physical location such as connectors or sensors that can't be blocked.
After that, you will want to begin placing your ICs. Start with the largest ICs first and then place the smaller ICs as you go. ICs with more pins will require more room around them for routing traces and placing auxiliary components. Try to leave extra room around devices that have many pins.
Another thing to consider when placing devices is to try to keep all your ICs oriented in the same direction on the board. This is not a strict rule, but it can sure make assembly much simpler and is generally not a bad rule to follow. If it just isn't possible then don't worry about it.
Once all of your physical components and your ICs are in place you can place the supporting devices. Things like resistors, capacitors, diodes, etc. This is a good time to refer back to your design notes and make sure that any components which need to be physically close to an IC are in a good position. If you have components that have these requirements then I would recommend locking them in position after placement.
One final thing, you will want to consider leaving space for annotations and markings on the board. I'll discuss these things in more detail in a bit, but you'll want to make sure there is enough space around your components to leave some lettering near anything that may need it. For more info on this, jump down to the "Adding Some Style" section.
Making Connections
So, everything is in position and the board is starting to look like it will come together. The next step is to make it all work! You could just start by connecting pins all willy-nilly as you see fit, but taking some time to do it right will pay off in the end, which is coming sooner than you think.
There are two recommended ways of starting out laying your traces. You can begin by routing your power traces first and then focus on everything else, or if your design has high frequency signals you can begin by routing those first. Other than that, the rest of the connections are up to you.
While there isn't any single "right" way to lay-out the rest of your PCB traces, there are some methods that are "more right" than others. You can see my recommendations below, and I hope to see a few more additions come from the community.
- Make use of thick power supply traces. The power supply rail will most likely be the most active trace on your PCB and since it will be supplying the more current than any other trace it also deserves some special attention when determining how wide it should be. As a general guide I like to use 20 mil power traces. For low power circuits this is probably overkill and you could get away with less, for higher power circuits this may not always be enough. If you are designing circuitry that is going to draw current in the Ampère range as opposed to milliAmpère then I suggest taking a closer look at your trace width. This handy calculator will help you calculate the correct width to use for your traces.
- Avoid routing two (or more) high frequency signal traces in parallel with each other. According to Ampère's law (with Maxwell's correction) we know that a changing current induces a magnetic field around the wire, we also know that a changing magnetic field induces a current perpendicular to the direction of the magnetic field. This effect can cause two parallel wires to couple together so that a change on one wire can induce a change on the other. You can avoid this by keeping high frequency traces separate and only crossing them in perpendicular alignment.
- Try to group similar signals together. If you have a bunch of wires coming from a single device that all perform a similar function then you should try to keep them neatly grouped until it is absolutely necessary to split them up. This will allow you to more easily follow the signal path and will help you end up with a cleaner looking board after fabrication.
- Minimize your use of vias, but not at the cost of dramatically increasing signal paths. This recommendation may just come as a result of my fascination with aesthetic design, but there is also a practical reason to use fewer vias. The simple point is that vias are a manufacturing risk. While it isn't likely that your board house will mess up and drill a hole too large or break the conduction ring, it is completely possible. Having fewer vias on the board reduces this risk. Another benefit of reducing vias is that it results in a shorter signal path (even if only a tiny reduction). This type of caveat is really only important in RF designs, but if there is a way to improve a circuit, I'm always looking for it.
- On the other hand you could, use two inline vias at every signal pin. I know this may make me look like a hypocrite or an otherwise very confused person but there are also situations in which more vias could help. If you are working on a prototype circuit, extra vias allow you to easily create test points, and to simply cut and reconfigure traces. This recommendation comes courtesy of a reader, James Edwards I believe, but I couldn't find the original comment.
There are probably some more useful pointers that I'm just not thinking of, but nothing comes to mind right now. I will add more as I think of them.
Adding Some Style
You're almost there, the last major step before moving on to manufacture is to add the finishing touches to the board. This may seem like it's just aesthetics, but there are several practical reasons to include some extra markings on your board.
The first decision you need to make is whether or not you should include component reference numbers or values. As an example, do you want your final design to indicate that "this" resistor is R11 and has a value of 4.7k or do you want to just mark it as R11? Maybe you don't want to mark it at all?
This is really up to you. My thought is that you will be one of the few people who actually looks at the board components and if you are looking at the board you will be able to easily pull up a schematic for reference. For that reason, I do not include reference numbers or component values on my final designs.
Having said that, there are some components that can benefit from a bit of labeling. Generally you will want to label any LEDs, buttons, switches, connectors, or otherwise important devices. I guess the argument could be made that ALL the components are important, but I am specifically referring to parts that would be good to know when using the device.
SparkFun gives some good advice on labeling in their PCB guide. I specifically like the example shown below.
From SparkFun: Proper Labeling of an Accelerometer Breakout Board. Notice this includes the part number, pin functions, and even orientation axes.
After all of the functionally important components have been labeled, you may have a bit of room left over for more labeling. Don't overcrowd the board, but you may want to include your name or some sort of branding. Perhaps a logo? You can do this easily in EAGLE or KiCad using the built in tool or this online tool from Wayne & Layne.
Final Design Checklist
The design checklist is included as an appendix in the downloadable print-ready version of this guide linked below.
Manufacturing The Board
Since you should have chosen a manufacturer by now, this part of the process is going to be relatively easy.
The first step in preparing your design for manufacture is of course to perform the final design checklist. Since we covered that in the last section, it's okay to go ahead with the rest of the manufacturing process.
Run a Design Rules Check
Before going any further, you will want to run one final DRC. This generally checks that your PCB layout matches the schematic and that your layout follows all of the design rules that you defined. If the DRC catches errors, you should review each one individually and either fix the problem or mark it as a false warning.
Another thing to check is that all of your connection shave been made. Sometimes the DRC tool does not check connections, or your ratsnest may be too small to notice. You want to be extra certain that all of the board connections are complete before moving on.
Generate the Bill-of-Materials (BOM)
A bill-of-materials (BOM) is used by the assembly house, or for your own use. Either way, it is important to have a good list of your parts. Here are the important details to include in a BOM:
- Component reference designator
- Component package
- Quantity required for one PCB
- Description
- Manufacturer
- Manufacturer reference number
- Supplier
- Supplier reference number
- Cost per unit
- Alternative parts allowed, if applicable
- Comments
Most CAD software can export a BOM automatically, but you will generally want to format it and make sure that everything is correct.
One reason to make a good BOM, even if you are not using assembly services, is because many parts suppliers will allow you to upload this file directly to their website and automatically purchase components. I know Mouser and Digi-Key support this, others may as well. This method will save you hours of time searching for components and adding them to your order.
Export the Board Files
Each fabrication house will have different requirements for how you should submit your design but nearly all of them accept one common file format called "Gerbers." Some will even accept your CAD files directly, but this isn't universal and you shouldn't rely on it.
Each software has a different process to follow in order to get Gerber files out, here are some tutorials that show you how to export Gerber files from EAGLE, KiCad, and gEDA.
- Prepare EAGLE files for manufacture from Hack-a-Day
- KiCad Tutorial: Gerber file generation from Wayne & Layne
- PCB basics and gEDA/PCB Tips and Tricks from 5 Man Conspiracy
Final Manufacturing Checklist
The manufacturing checklist is included as an appendix in the downloadable print ready version of this guide linked below.
Send it to Your Manufacturer
That's it! Depending on the service you chose for manufacturing, the instructions will vary, but from here on out the process is relatively straightforward. Upload your files, cross your fingers, and hit submit.
The End
That brings us to the conclusion of this series, I know you've been hit with a lot of information. If you read both part 1 and part 2 in their entirety then you soaked up over 11,000 words of PCB designing goodies. That's more information than a silverback gorilla retains in its whole life*!
*Maybe, I have no data to back this up.
I hope you've found at least parts of this guide to be helpful and that you will make use of it in your future designs. I attempted to make it general enough to be useful for any CAD package at any point in time. When searching how to do stuff like this it is incredibly easy to stumble across information that just isn't relevant anymore, so I hope this will help.
I worked on this post off-and-on for about two weeks, even though I reviewed it several times before posting, I don't make any claim that it's perfect. If you see issues in my writing or think my advice is bad then feel free to let me know.
If you like the content of this post then I hope you'll consider subscribing, or at least checking back regularly. I have some interesting articles coming down the line such as:
- Quick guides for making add-on boards for the most popular prototyping systems.
- In depth tutorial on using KiCad to design PCBs.
- Product reviews of some common tools of the electronics hobbyist.
- And much, much more :)
If you have your own projects, articles, or reviews that you would like to write and you are a clear writer then I would love to add you as a contributor to this site. You can request contributor status by contacting me in the contact form at the bottom of my About Me page.
You can find a downloadable version of this guide which has been hand crafted for print and large tablet devices at the link below. Enjoy, and I hope to see you back soon![wpfilebase tag=file id=4 /]


text:
Volume Pricing (Log In to see Member Pricing)
Volume Pricing
To see and take advantage of our member pricing sign up for a business account or contact our sales team.
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The surge strip has 4 keyholes on the back, allowing it to be secured to a wall or other surface.
- 6 protected power outlets
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|Electrical Rating
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|UL File Number

subset: commoncrawl


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I grew up in North Carolina, where sausage meant spicy sage breakfast meat and was mostly sold as bulk meat, then made into patties. Delicious, but more of a side meat than a meal.
When I moved to Chicago, I was introduced to the wonderful world of German, Polish and Italian sausages. I quickly fell in love with sausages of all kinds, and though they are popular all year long, they are my favorite way to celebrate fall.
This recipe for hard cider-soaked apple-sage sausages is perfect for a tailgate, Halloween party, football Sunday or Oktoberfest. Everyone loves sausage, so it's good for fans of all ages. And, if you've happened to go apple picking and wonder what you are going to do with all the apples, here's the dish!
Once I got the hang of the basic "brat fry," I started experimenting with the less traditional "gourmet" sausages that are widely available today. My favorite of the new-fangled flavors is the chicken-apple sausage. This dish uses those for an uptown version of a Wisconsin brat fry.
And for those of you — like me — who aren't from Sheboygan, Wis., the brat fry is not about deep-fried sausages, but grilled (or pan fried) and simmered sausages. The "brat" in wurst comes from the German verb "braten," meaning to pan fry or roast. Thus the "brat fry."
The great thing about grilling the sausages first, then simmering them, is that you can grill the sausages the day before you plan to serve them. The simmering will add flavor and re-heat the sausages at the same time. It's also a great way to keep them warm and juicy if you are having a meal or a party where people are helping themselves and eating at different times.
You grill (or pan fry) the sausages first to cook them and seal in the flavors. This may be opposite from the way you have done it, or seen it done, in the past, but it is the best way to maximize the flavor, especially with lean chicken sausages. If you simmer first and grill second, you will lose most of the flavor, as the fat in the sausage melts into the soaking liquid as the sausage boils. And if you think about it, few of us like boiled meat!
You will concentrate the flavors in the sausage if you grill or pan fry them from the start. Once the sausages are cooked, they will absorb the hard cider or other simmering liquid, enhancing the sausage, not taking away from it. Make sure to place the sausages in cold liquid and slowly bring them up to temperature as the liquid gets hot.
HARD CIDER-SOAKED APPLE-SAGE SAUSAGES (Makes 8 servings)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 to 4 large sweet onions, sliced
8 uncooked apple-sage chicken sausages
Two to three 12-ounce bottles hard apple cider (regular apple cider also can be used)
8 hard or French rolls, warmed
Spicy honey mustard or German mustard
Prepared sauerkraut seasoned with fennel seeds
In a large stockpot over medium-high, heat the oil. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium then continue to cook until fully caramelized, about 20 minutes. If the onions dry out too much, add several teaspoons of water.
Meanwhile, heat a gas grill to medium or prepare a charcoal fire.
Place the sausages directly on the cooking grate and grill over indirect heat for 15 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally to brown all over. Alternatively, you can pan fry the sausages.
Pour the cider into a large stockpot. Add the sausages, making sure they are covered.
Bring the cider up to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat. Simmer over a medium-low heat for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the sausages have been flavored by the hot cider.
Place the sausages in the warm rolls, spread with mustard and top with caramelized onions and sauerkraut.
— Recipe by Elizabeth Karmel


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HARTFORD TOWNSHIP — Police were looking early this morning for three suspects who reportedly broke into a home in western Van Buren County and assaulted and robbed people inside at gunpoint.
According a police dispatch, a family member reported that a man at a residence in the 67000 block of 70th Street in Hartford Township, near the Berrien County line, called her and said that three males, each armed with a gun, had broken into the home then robbed and beat the occupants.
"He seems to think they might be from the Kalamazoo area," a Van Buren County dispatch to police said of the suspects. They may have left in a gold van, according to a later dispatch.
No further information was immediately available.


text:
Click on a procedure to get more details
Escape if safe to do so.
If you know location of assailant, consider escaping if a safe route is available.
If unsafe to escape:
If an armed intruder comes into your office or classroom:
Active Shooter: How to Respond (PDF)
Active Shooter: Informational Poster (PDF)
Charlestown: 617-228-2222
Chelsea: 617-228-3333
On-Campus Fire Emergencies Dial 911
Emergency Alerts and Procedures
No alerts at this time.
Contracted Security is on the premises 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Emergencies Only:
Charlestown: 617-228-2222
Chelsea: 617-228-3333
Campus Police General Information:
Charlestown: 617-228-2053
Chelsea: 617-228-3359
Contracted Security Desk: 617-228-2250
Charlestown Campus
Mon. - Fri., 6:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Saturday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Sunday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Chelsea Campus
Mon. - Thurs., 7:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Friday, 7:00 a.m. - Closing
Saturday, 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.


text:
Posts Tagged 'gamer'
High ScoreScott Kurtz has done the seemingly impossible: achieve 10 successful years in the webcomic biz.
Few people make it in the world of online comics. Few people probably even know that online comics exist.
Mario ImbroglioThe arcade fire starts over a Donkey Kong controversy in this enjoyable documentary.
Kristian Lin
A few weeks ago I called No End in Sight the best documentary so far this year.
Escalating the E-WarsKid, get back to that computer and earn some dough.
In Mr. And Mrs. Smith, Angelina Jolie plays a sexy professional adventurer, swinging through danger while never disturbing a hair on her sex-symbol head. Nice work if you can get it — but most of us can't. We don't get pa...


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Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson have been slowly opening up about their romantic relationship and now we have the photo of the couple's new home-away-from-home in LA.
After arriving at LAX togheter late Tuesday night, Rob and Kristen reportedly packed their things and headed to this hillside home next to Stone Canyon Reservoir in an upscale gated Bel Air community. The two have already nestled in to their new digs as you can see by Rob's classic Chevy Nova parked in the driveway.
The high profile couple has been dodging rumors of a romance for the past year but has also been caught in two PDA sessions over the last week. Pattinson joined Stewart in Montreal (where Kristen is filming the new flick On the Road) where the two were snapped cuddling and kissing in public.
After the whirlwind week they've had, we're pretty sure Robsten will enjoy spending some much-needed one-on-one time in this fantastic dwelling.
Wonder when the pregnancy rumors will start…
source http://www.twilightimprinting.blogspot.com via
Views: 120


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What is it? Making its worldwide debut in New York, the 2012 Dodge Avenger R/T adds a sporty variant to the top of the sedan range. Fitting with the Dodge spirit exemplified by the Challenger and Charger, the Avenger R/T has more visual attitude than the current, more pedestrian models, the Pentastar V6 engine, and a firmer suspension.
Building upon the significantly updated 2011 Avenger, the R/T adds a body-colored grille, unique 18-inch painted aluminum wheels, R/T "war paint" fender decals, rear spoiler, and obligatory badging.
Inside, the seats feature sporty fabric inserts and red stitching, an embellishment also applied to the steering wheel. The dash has a model-specific gauge cluster with a center-mounted tachometer, and pedals are finished with SRT-inspired covers.
The engine is the same 283-horsepower, 3.6-liter V-6 available on other Avengers and the Chrysler 200.
What's new or notable? The performance upgrade comes by way of the suspension. Already notably improved for 2011, the Avenger R/T features significant additional tuning to firm up the ride.
When will it be available? Third quarter 2011.


text: I'm rather new to THR and have received really good info and gained valuable knowledge already from the members. But not to start conflict, The general consensus for starting children, young adults, with a particular caliber is .243. Very good round not to be disputed. My dispute is I've read no advise on say a .308 with gun modification to Remington R3 or Sims recoil pad for better fit and later maybe a spacer for growth? Just a question, Like I said I'm new and Have Not researched threads pertaining to this. This is a simply and generally $30 major improvement in recoil, performed by a gunsmith for quality look. I do them myself for my guns. Just wondering? vince


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Click on the "FORMED" image for full details & to click on the link. Visit www.FORMED.org/register Enter Parish Code: YW2JXQ. We are excited to announce that our parish has subscribed to a dynamic new online platform called FORMED. Every…
Click on the heading or image for full details. The weekend Masses at Holy Redeemer Church are recorded and live-streamed. Click on the links below to access. Recorded Masses Live-streamed
The Church of the Holy Redeemer © 2016
503 West Lyon
Marshall, MN 56258 (map)
Parish Center: 507-532-5711Fax: 507-532-3262Carlin Hall: 507-532-2602
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Twenty-seven minutes and a couple thousand dollars later, the young Woodrow resident was giddy.
"I never thought in a million years I'd be buying two Dalis today," she said, her voice shaking. "Out of anything I can possibly buy, this is worth it."
Ms. Ferraioli was one of dozens of Staten Islanders who showed up at the Dongan Hills country club for what was publicized as a "divorce auction."
While there were a few originals at the auction — such as a piece by Danish impressionist Camille Pissarro — most were lithographs.
Dominic Briscoe, whose National Estate Marketing company organized the event, was charged with the task of liquidating the art collection in a 20,000-square-foot home in Cresskill, N.J. He could not name the owners, but he confirmed they were divorcing. He would not allow photographers in the auction.
The event also included work from the estate of an Englewood, N.J., resident who was selling his home and moving to Florida, Briscoe said, while he and an art consultant answered questions during an hour-long preview before the auction.
"We have everything documented so well to take the guesswork out for the layman," Briscoe said.
He explained the rules to the audience before starting the auction at 2 p.m. Items needed two or more bids to be sold. The sellers had no reserve prices for any of the items, though Briscoe set minimum bids for much of the art.
With that, the bidding was under way. A raise of a hand here, a raise of a hand there, and a 1956 portrait by Pablo Picasso went for $1,700. The next item up, a Toulouse- Lautrec, went to the same bidder for $1,100. A foot-tall bronze clock fetched $400. A guitar signed by Bob Dylan started at $500, and within seconds sold for $2,000. Similarly, a set of 10 Mick Jagger postcards by Andy Warhol started at $500 and quickly sold for $2,000.
Charles and Maria Berolo of Tottenville walked away with a Picasso and a Norman Rockwell for their living room. Their son, Marc, bought a 1919 Renoir for $800. It was a first for each of them.
Some pieces sold in less than a minute. Others didn't even make it to a bidding war.
An original pastel by the Danish impressionist Camille Pissarro drew only one opening bid for $2,000.
Like Ms. Ferraioli, Randall Manor residents Doug Fittipaldi and Tonya Knudsen were hoping to buy a Dali.
One hour later, they stepped into the lobby. Proud owners of three Dali pieces, the couple shared a celebratory kiss. The spoils of one couple's divorce became the foundation for another couple's art collection — a Dali gallery in their living room.
"It's our first auction, and I think we did amazing," Fittipaldi said. "It's quite a rush."


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Featured Product: Foundation Software Green Technology
Foundation Software Green Technology
Foundation Software has launched an eco-friendly green technology. With the addition of two Green Buttons, Foundation offers a fast and efficient method for users to file and retrieve an unlimited number of system reports, reducing the need for printed reports and hard-copy filing Green button technology enables busy contractors to set up separate default folders for reports generated through each module. Users can then simply click one button to save a report and another button to instantly look up a report. Green button technology offers maximum efficiency and flexibility without sacrificing security.


text:
There's no need to ever feel left out again at the water cooler conversation. Here's a rundown of the stories currently trending in the world, the country and your backyard.Yahoo
Did they have help: Several lawmakers are questioning whether the brothers
who have claimed responsibility for the bombings at the Boston Marathon acted
alone. On the ABC news show "This Week with George Stephanopoulos," Mike Rogers (R-Mich) said, "There are still
persons of interest in the United States that the FBI would like to have
conversations with." Homeland Security Committee chairman Mike McCaul (R-Texas) said the Obama administration may have been
wrong when it suggested the brothers had no help in planning the attack. Full story: The Boston Globe
Will background checks bill return: Joe Manchin, (D-W.V.), one of the Senators who drafted the legislation to
expand background checks for gun purchases, said Sunday he will revive the bill
that fell short of passage two weeks ago. Manchin said that the bill he drafted
with Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) was likely defeated because of "some confusion"
with a more stringent bill Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) was working on. (That, and not enough people voted for it.) Full story: CBS News
Trial begins today: The Michael Jackson wrongful death trial begins today in Los Angeles, and will see members of the pop singer's family take the stand to talk about Jackson's final weeks. Jackson's mother, Katherine, is suing the company that promoted the singer's 2009 tour that was to be called "This is It." The company, AEG Live, says they did nothing to endanger the singer's health nor did they hire Conrad Murray, a physician who is now serving time in prison for the misuse of an anesthetic that led to the singer's death. Full story: The Associated Press
U.S. role in Syria: Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is urging President Obama to ready himself to take action in Syria by being prepared with "an international force to go in and secure ... stocks of chemical and perhaps biological weapons." McCain, speaking on NBC's "Meet the Press," said he was not suggesting that the president send U.S. troops to Syria, but was encouraging that the president establish a no-fly zone and further arm rebel groups. Full story: NBC
Goodbye Possum: The public will be allowed to attend the funeral for country music legend George Jones. The service is set for Thursday at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville. There will be a private visitation for the family on Wednesday. Said Jones' widow, Nancy, of the support she has received, "Thanks to George's friends, fans, and loved ones for the outpouring of love at this terrible time. I love you all." Full story: USA Today
They're back: The letters "AMC" and "OLTL" may not mean anything to you,
unless, of course, you are fans of two
long-running (I mean looong-running) daytime TV dramas. "All My Children" and
"One Life to Live," canceled in 2011 and 2012 (respectively), will be back on the small screen today -- in
most cases, a really small screen. The soap opera stories are back (probably "later
that night") on the internet sites Hulu and Itunes. Full story: The Huffington Post
Click here for more world and national news
How the British do road rage. Geez, they are polite.
Sometimes, you just need a smile.
One dead after argument: An ongoing argument between three men Sunday morning led to murder, the seventh homicide in Mobile so far this year. Obrien Sanptor Russell, 26, was shot around 6 a.m. Sunday. He was pronounced dead on the scene. Police say Russell was shot during the dispute with the two other men. The men fled the area before police arrived.
Man killed when car hits bike: A man was hit and killed while riding his bicycle in Mobile Saturday night, and the man driving the car has been charged with vehicular homicide. Alexander Graf, 28, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol and vehicular homicide.
Follow Debbie Lord on Twitter at Follow @DebbieMLord


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Kimberly Hanna
For the first time in the program's history, the Mesalands Community College men's rodeo team clinched the Grand Canyon Regional Championship title in Las Cruces April 29-30. The men's team finished the season with a total of 6,841.5 points, ending New Mexico State University's 8-year winning streak.
"Normally we have one or two students that excel. This year we have many students that compete well in just about every event," C.J. Aragon, Mesalands rodeo coach, said. "Also this year our Men's Team dominated in steer wrestling, bareback riding and bull riding."
In Las Cruces, Jordan Spears of Palo Cedro, Calif. had a strong showing in bull riding, earning him the championship title. Spears also took third place in the men's all-around and fourth place in bareback riding.
Francis Marchand of Omak, Wash. also shined at the Grand Canyon Regional Finals Rodeo. He claimed the Men's All-Around Championship title and finished second in saddle bronc riding.
The Mesalands women's team ended the season strong, finishing in fourth place. Shelby Rita of Sunset Beach, Hawaii lead the women's team, taking sixth place in barrel racing and 14th in breakaway roping.
For the fourth consecutive year, Coach Aragon was named the Grand Canyon Region Coach of the Year. The Mesalands rodeo team also won a "Most Improved Rodeo of the Year" award for the college's efforts in organizing a successful on-campus rodeo each September.
"Our team's performance is pretty impressive," Aragon said. "We will have most of our students returning next year, so we are in good shape for a successful 2011-2012 season."
Other individual standings at NMSU include:
J2 Bridges
Second place, bareback riding
Fourth place, men's all-around
Fifth place, steer wrestling
Chase Massengill
Eighth place, team roping header
Ninth place, steer wrestling
Tenth place, men's all-around
Tenth place, tie-down roping
Tyrel Virden
Third place, steer wrestling
KC Peterson
Third place, bareback riding
Michael Ortega
Fifth place, team roping header
Nicole Kline
Sixth place, barrel racing
Ty Nuffer
Sixth place, saddle bronc riding
Dominic Silva
Sixth place, team roping heeler
Sawyer Stotts
Seventh place, bareback riding
Daniel Robertson
Eighth place, tie-down roping
Luke Hamilton
Eighth place, tie-down ropoing
William DeMarquis Tcherneshoff
Ninth place, saddle bronc riding
Cody Bullock
Ninth place, bull riding
Tegan Nevarez
Eleventh place, saddle bronc riding
Ferlando Tom
Eleventh place, bareback riding
Twelfth place, bull riding
Clay Elkins
Tenth place, steer wrestling
James Ellet
Eleventh place, steer wrestling
Tyler McCormick
Fifteenth place, steer wrestling
Tel Honeycutt
Fifteenth place, team roping header
Kalob Lepp
Thirteenth place, team roping heeler
Kayla Johnson
Fifteenth place, barrel racing


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Clackamas: Police are looking for a man who held up a convenience store at gunpoint this morning in the Clackamas area west of Happy Valley.
Light rail: Positively Clackamas, a group supporting the Portland-Milwaukie light rail extension, released an independent legal memo Tuesday questioning the constitutionality of the controversial anti-light rail measure on the Sept. 18 special election ballot.
Oak Grove: Ammon Covino stops by the old Black Angus Steakhouse building on Southeast McLoughlin Boulevard each month to check on the progress of the for-profit Oregon Aquarium he is installing. See how work is progressing with a video tour of the site.
Milwaukie: The Milwaukie City Council will hear the details of a scaled-back proposal to bring a West Coast League baseball team to the city at its meeting next Tuesday. And farms and frames -- bike frames that is -- will unite Sunday as Bike Milwaukie will lead riders on a tour of small local farms in the area.
Weather: With brutal triple-digit temperatures predicted later this week in the metro area, senior centers, county governments and some community centers are offering cooling centers this week to older adults and people with disabilities and other health conditions.
Fair: As the Clackamas County Fair and Rodeo kicks off today, health officials encourage Oregonians to enjoy their experience but exercise caution.
-- Yuxing Zheng
Now on the Twitter @ClackCoReporter


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Don't let it get away!
Keep track of the stocks that matter to you.
Help yourself with the Fool's FREE and easy new watchlist service today.
Has Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ ) lost its mind?
Late yesterday evening, after cooler heads had called it a day and headed home for some quiet time with the spouse and kids, the PC giant announced what is, quite possibly, its dumbest move yet: buying 3Com (NYSE: COMS ) .
I know, I know. I'm supposed to be in favor of HP's acquisition spree. Last summer, I praised Mark Hurd's decision to gobble up EDS, a move that promised to leapfrog Accenture (NYSE: ACN ) in worldwide IT market share, not to mention making HP a true force to be reckoned with, second only to IBM (NYSE: IBM ) . But this week's news isn't a case of HP getting bigger and badder. This time, HP's just getting bloated and worse.
Consider: When HP bought EDS, which had lower margins than HP's service division's margins, it already had deep experience and a proven ability to post strong margins in IT consulting. This lent every confidence that HP could improve the new business and reap great gains as it brought "EDS's" profit margins up to snuff.
Not so with 3Com. Here we have a hardware maker like HP, but one that earns less than one-quarter of HP's 9.2% operating margin, achieves barely one-fifth of HP's returns on equity, and isn't even growing as fast as HP's expected 10.7% five-year growth rate.
Maybe this would be a good idea if HP were getting 3Com for a bargain price, but that's simply not the case. When HP bought EDS last year, it paid roughly 60% of its own price-to-sales ratio to capture its prize. This time, HP is shelling out a net $2.7 billion for 3Com -- a ratio of 2.1 times sales, when HP's own shares command only 1 times sales. This time, HP is overpaying for an inferior product.
Now, I know what you're going to say: "But Rich, Cisco (Nasdaq: CSCO ) threw down the gauntlet when it stepped into the server market! HP has to retaliate by threatening Cisco with a credible rival in networking."
But the key word there is "credible." Can anyone honestly argue that 3Com is a worthy opponent to Cisco? Cisco's more than 25 times as big as 3Com by sales, and earns a profit margin five times as large. Maybe a combined HP-3Com can upset Brocade (Nasdaq: BRCD ) , but I don't expect giants like Cisco or Juniper (Nasdaq: JNPR ) to lose any sleep over this deal.
Foolish takeaway
HP buying 3Com isn't a threat to Cisco. It's an exercise in diworsification, plain and simple. Make no mistake: HP shareholders will rue the day HP logged on to 3Com.


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208 W29th St (bet 7th & 8th Ave) 2nd Floor #201, NYC 10001
(212) 967-9642
To create a compassionate and loving environment for the practice of various traditions of Yoga, and to achieve optimal wellness, healthy body, mind, and spirit. We also believe that global peace is attained through enlightenment, conscious living and awareness of our environment and of all human beings.
Ganesh is known in Hinduism as the Elephant Headed God who provides inspiration and determination to remove the obstacles from your life, be they physical, financial, social, emotional, mental, or spiritual.
To honor this spirit at YoGanesh, we provide classes:
1. For various levels (beginners to advanced)
2. Various styles (Hatha-Vinyasa, Power Vinyasa, Yoga Stretch, Dharma and a Jivamukti style Flow and Tai Chi.
3. With high quality instruction
4. At reasonable prices.
Read More...
Design by The Branding Studio


text:
Before editing, be sure to read the wiki's policies. Please sign your name on Talk and vote pages using four tildes (~~~~) to automatically produce your name and the current date. Be sure to verify your e-mail address in your preferences. Before attempting any major article rewrites please read the layout guide. If you have any questions, check out the policy and help pages (see here for editing help), add a question to the Community portal, view the forum or ask me on my talk page. Again, welcome!
Seth Cooper (talk) 22:26, July 31, 2013 (UTC)
Ted Lupin - Edward Lupin
This is per the newest update of Pottermore, which we accept as canon. ProfessorTofty (talk) 22:33, July 31, 2013 (UTC)
- Again, we accept the new information from Pottermore, which was just released today, as canon. And since the information is directly from J. K. Rowling, we accept that Edward is his proper name and that Ted/Teddy is a nickname. Hope that clears it up. ProfessorTofty (talk) 23:41, July 31, 2013 (UTC)


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edit my ex jumped on my fiance
Is it to late for me to get a restraining order on him. My mom and ex thinks I still should go to the hospital to get checked out since I'm still having really bad pains in my stomach, my head is still pounding and I'm having probs keeping anything down. I think the not keeping anything is more of bad nerves. They also say if I can get restraining order on him that will help with me getting full custody our newborn
Im sorry you are going through this. Your fiance should not be putting his hands on you like that whether he is drunk or sober. I hope you realize you are better off without him.
Must be easy being a heartless bitch hiding behind anon.
Quoting Anonymous:
This could have all been avoided had you broken up with the asshole the second he bacame abusive...
Why would you stay with someone that was abusive and why would you keep your kids around it? You obviously have help around.
I spent nearly five years in an abusive relationship. GET OUT NOW!!!! It will not get better. He will not change. It is not YOUR fault. He is broken andnot able to be repaired. GEt the eff out of their. Do not let your children see the shit that my children saw.


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Member Since: March 20, 2012
July 20, 2012 at 7:11pm
Hope their not profiling Muslims.
In reply to the story Theaters Increase Security Following 'Batman' Massacre
July 20, 2012 at 7:08pm
Until they can make the wind spontaneously combust it is not feasable.
July 20, 2012 at 6:44pm
Don't all the movies glorify the bad guy and he always gets away unless it's an old western movie who gets it in the end. And they wonder why kids grow up with a misconception.
July 20, 2012 at 6:35pm
O himself is a mockery and sad but true their are those that believe what he says.
In reply to the story 'He Is Mocking People': Krauthammer Takes on the 'You Didn't Build That' Philosophy
July 20, 2012 at 6:29pm
Only the uninformed sheeple would ever even think of such a thing.
In reply to the story Would You Register to Vote on Facebook? Some Worried About Privacy
July 20, 2012 at 3:46pm
@ oldguy49
Got to understand who belongs to unions.
July 20, 2012 at 3:43pm
Got to have priorities now who's a bigger threat to your job.
July 20, 2012 at 3:35pm
If Obama just took over your chosen profession wouldn't you see the end is near and go a little nuts ?
July 20, 2012 at 3:24pm
@ glennpatstu
Cars kill people to does that mean we shouldn't be able to own sports cars.
In reply to SiToNiTsOrOs1's comment on the story Suspect in 'Dark Knight Rises' Shooting Identified
July 20, 2012 at 3:07pm
All she knows is the tea party and Veterans are a threat to the homelands security.
July 20, 2012 at 12:10pm
Ob e usly he beeze 1 dem dare theeter creeticks and nevah seas de thingfish an de mammy nunn showze.
July 19, 2012 at 9:41pm
I bet if Mitt invested in some cool rims for his ride and some gold jewelry and tooth caps he could gain some black support.
In reply to mtcountrygrl's comment on the story DNC Trots Back From Attack Ad Featuring Ann Romney's Horse
July 19, 2012 at 9:25pm
Maybe they should just ask the drug cartels to pay their fair share I'm sure Obama logic would work.
In reply to MAMMY_NUNN's comment on the story 'Real News From The Blaze': US Partners With Mexico on Food Stamp Outreach
July 19, 2012 at 9:21pm
If the Mexican Government cared for their people they would institute a tax on remittance to their country to fund their own food program there.
In reply to the story 'Real News From The Blaze': US Partners With Mexico on Food Stamp Outreach
July 19, 2012 at 9:25pm
MAMMY_NUNN responded:
July 19, 2012 at 10:45pm
rickc34 responded:
July 19, 2012 at 9:08pm
That is true no secured accounts any longer it just goes to general funds now to be spent as they wish just like the famous lock box for Social Security.
In reply to MBA's comment on the story Is This Article the 'Ultimate Takedown' of President Obama's Rhetoric? Read And Find Out
July 19, 2012 at 7:03pm
Iz tink thoze kwestions bess b answard bi de evil printz ba don diz turb heem welz he be feestin on de pig azz ya mae wind in dee prison ware de tor ture neva stops and da blood go s dawn de dwain. B ugh sista jaz mine noxzema tapioca an sista obdu la X are de only unz dat no's mi tru i denty. Has en ya sean harry as a boy round ? Lass time I see's heam he be watchin de breifcase boogie.
July 19, 2012 at 1:42pm
Yuze be a frawd if n u knoze ya krator FZ wazz varey a ginn gubment intrusmum in de lives of dee peepoles if n de gubment had dey waze yuze not evin beez krated. Butt u beez so bizzy strokin de nakkin n payin dingel dangel dingel wit de membas of de ownz sex yuze fo get watts ameckas all boutz. Laze off n thee ga loot colog na and wakes up kuzz sump ton b gro win downz der and ditz not wight. Yazz patato beenz o va bacon.
July 17, 2012 at 6:10pm
You beez the frawd cuz you et the mashed potao's.
In reply to MAMMY_NUNN's comment on the story Report: Social Security Disability Benefits to Jump 71 Percent Over Next 10 Years
July 17, 2012 at 4:45pm
Learning to be a American is hard to do your best chance is to be born one first.
July 17, 2012 at 4:25pm
@ VanceUppercut
That was disgusting and offensive perhaps you should be the one raped.
In reply to kaydeebeau's comment on the story Banning Mosques? Colo. State Senator's Remarks Have CAIR Outraged
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text:
JAL "Old" First Suite Trip Report – JL 9 ORD-NRT January 2013
I had two interesting trip reports to share with you all, apart from the ANA San Jose inaugural flights. Not going to say much, but let the pictures speak.
In order to get to Asia for the inaugural flights, I used my AA miles to issue a JAL first class flight, which is something that I have wanted to do, as I had not gotten the chance to fly the first suite. I wanted to do it before the new generation of suite seats making its appearance. After a few clicks, I manage to find a first class award seat from ORD to NRT, which was cool. The booking process was relatively smooth and American Airlines was able to assign me a window seat on the JAL segments.
January 8, 2013
JL 9 ORD-NRT Lv1015 Arr1430+1 Boeing 777-300ER JA741J
JAL uses American Airlines as its ground agent in Chicago O'Hare now, which is definitely a big plus given how poor the lounge facilities at Terminal Five. There are a few JAL agents, but American Airlines agents also assist in the process. JAL First and Business Class passengers use the American Airlines Flagship Lounge and Admiral Club respectively.
Here is the check-in area at ORD – very organized with separate lines for first, business, premium economy, economy, and online baggage drop line.
First Class line
Familiar JAL sign
Entrance to Flagship Lounge
I did not take any pictures of the Flagship lounge, as there are two international flights departing within the 10am hours – one to Shanghai and one is our flight to Narita, and AA has its own Narita flight departing in two hours. The lounge was packed and it was pretty plain given today's standard and the JFK Flagship lounge. The food selection has further reduced to just a continental spread with a few sushi for the Asian flights. JFK features some hot dishes and I don't think it is too much to ask for some scrambled eggs, hash brown, and breakfast meats. The most ridiculous part was the lack of orange juice, and they completely ran out of the most basic beverages in any airlines' lounges.
Gate K19 – pretty standard JAL gate everyday
JAL Boeing 777-300ER JA741J being towed to gate from international terminal
Boarding began at 9:38am and priority boarding was strictly enforced. I was immediately escorted to my seat, as soon as the F/A spotted my first class boarding pass. The F/A already knew my name, as I approached my assigned seat 2K. It amazed me how they remembered before I boarded the flight. There were two other first class passengers today, but they were both at 1A and 2A. Unlike ANA, JAL has not reintroduced pre-takeoff beverages (served in plastic glasses though), but the F/A was busy passing out pajamas, newspapers, and amenity kits (I am glad that JAL now passes out the amenity kits before departure rather than after landing). And slippers are already in the seats. The purser also greeted me.
BOSE headset
We pushed back at 10:09am and we took off from R/W10 at 10:29am.
Flying time was twelve hours and thirty-two minutes, and our routing was rather typical, as we headed northwest after taking off. We stayed at 30,000feet and climbed to 32,000feet after passing Chisholm, and then heading towards Alaska. We crossed the Chugach Mountains, and then towards Anchorage, and then climbing further to 34,000feet, and then reached our final cruising attitude of 35,000feet after we enterted the Bering Sea.
Goodbye Chicago
Service began short after takeoff, with hot towel and linen service, followed by a canapé service featuring fried cheese, cheese sandwich with olives, and zucchini wrapped apple.
A glass of Champagne Salon 1999
The meals are very nice and the Japanese lunch was impressive. I personally called JAL service very functional and the meal service was not extravagant or carried in multiple courses. They are filling but the efficiency is emphasized throughout the flight.
Here is the wine list and menu:
Wine List
Champagne Salon 1999
Champagne Dom Perignon 2003
White Wines
Domaine Latour Girand Meursault 1er Cru Genevrieres 2011, Bourgogne, France
Cloudy Bay Te Koko Sauvignon Blanc 2009, New Zealand
Weingut St. Urbans-Hof Wiltinger Alte Reben Reisling Kabinett Feinherb 2011, Germany
Arvga Branca Vinhal Issehara 2011, Katsunuma, Japan
Red Wines
Chateau Rauzan-Segla Margaux 2007, Bordeaux, France
Domaine Michel Gros Nuits Saint Georges 2007, Bourgogne, France
Kenzo Estate "rindo" 2007, California, USA (Japan-New York/Chicago/Los Angeles/Jakarta routes)
Kusuda Wines Syrah Martinborough 2009, New Zealand (Japan – London/Paris/Frankfurt routes)
Premium Japanese Sake
Sekai no Tsubana
Preamium Japanese Shochu
Mori Izo


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text:
A Utica man will serve up to three years in state prison for stealing $2,679 worth of DVDs from the Oneida Walmart — even though he was previously banned from the chain for his part in a shoplifting ring.
John N. Makuch, 60, was arrested Nov. 25 and charged with third-degree burglary and fourth-degree grand larceny. He plead guilty to felony grand larceny in March. Madison County Court Judge Dennis McDermott issued his sentence Thursday morning.
It's nothing new for Makuch. He has been convicted of crimes 38 times in 43 years, including five previous stints in state prison.
Makuch was banned from Walmart in 2000 after being arrested for participating in a $35 million shoplifting ring operating in Onondaga, Madison, Cayuga and Oneida counties.
State officials said that Utica-based ring targeted national retail stores such as Walmart, Ames, Sears and Office Max and hit as many as 20 stores each day, sometimes making repeated trips to the same store. Popular items stolen included Disney videos, Nintendo games, calculators, electric razors and camera film.
Makuch admitted to stealing DVDs on four separate occasions last September from the Oneida Walmart. When probation officers in Madison County asked Makuch how he planned to support himself after his release, McDermott said he replied, "Probably rob again."
Makuch was sentenced as a second felony offender as a stipulation of his plea agreement. If he had been sentenced as a persistent felony offender, he faced a minimum of 15 years to life in state prison.
"This is a gentleman who decided one way of getting through life is to continue to commit crimes," said Assistant District Attorney Robert Mascari.
In other action
McDermott also sentenced a pair of Canastota men who broke into a home on State Street in Canastota and stole a safe containing $600 cash and other valuable papers.
Jonathan M. Coonrod, 19, of North Canal Street, and Justin Rose, 18, of Oxbow Road, pleaded guilty to third-degree burglary, a felony, after being arrested in December.
The men will each serve eight weekends in Madison County Jail as well as five years' probation.
McDermott told the pair that residential burglaries are serious crimes because of the impact on the victim.
"Once your home has been burglarized, it is a difficult thing to get a sense of security back," he said. "It's gone. The harm has been done."


text:
UPDATE: Egyptian Cleric Safwat Hegazy, Barred From U.K. and, Last Week, From France, Is Named Egyptian Presidential Candidate by Gama'a Islamiya (MEMRI)
Wait. You are just beginning to see the cracks -- Obama's disastrous foreign policy is an historical defeat for free peoples everywhere. He has set us back centuries. Obama's stone age:
Egypt MPs 'bar ex-Mubarak presidential candidates' BBC (hat tip David W)
The parliament in Egypt has passed a law banning senior officials who served under ex-President Hosni Mubarak from running in May's presidential election.
It means the former Vice-President Omar Suleiman would not be able to continue as a presidential candidate.
But the law would only come into effect if it is approved by the country's ruling military council, which took power last year. The justice ministry has already said the new measure is unconstitutional. The BBC's Jon Leyne in Cairo says the ruling military council is likely to block the law.
He says the law was adopted as a direct response to the decision of Gen Suleiman, the country's former intelligence chief, to run for president.
The Islamist [sic] Muslim Brotherhood is the largest political force in parliament.
The law also blocks anyone who was prime minister in the last 10 years.
This would bar the last Mubarak-era prime minister, Ahmed Shafiq, from standing.


text:
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Previous abstract Next abstract
Nova Cygni 1992 (NC92), the brightest northern hemisphere nova in nearly 20 years, has provided astronomers with the first detailed record of the temporal development of a nova explosion on an Oxygen-Neon-Magnesium (ONeMg) white dwarf (WD). Theoretical models of thermonuclear runaways suggest that these "neon novae" may be important sources of Neon 22, Sodium 22, and Aluminum 26, and that they may produce enhanced amounts of magnesium and silicon as well. Abundances of some of these isotopes in meteorites suggest that ejecta from neon nova eruptions may have contaminated the ISM cloud from which the primitive solar system formed. Infrared photometric and spectroscopic techniques for determining the abundances of elements in the nova ejecta will be reviewed. These include observations of thermal-infrared emission from solid grains that condense in the expanding ejecta, and measurements of the strengths of near infrared coronal emission lines that arise in the gas phase of the ejecta. Neon abundances can be estimated using the 7.6 micron line of [Ne VI] and the 12.8 micron line of [Ne II]. Recent results on NC 92 and QU Vul, the archetypal neon nova, will be emphasized. The temporal development of infrared photometric light curves as a tool for distinguishing between CO and ONeMg novae will be discussed.
Wednesday program listing


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For those not yet up to IM
Welcome Razor - hope your knee heals soon. Great to have you join us.
Welcome Jevans - you seem pretty well on your way to covering all the distances already. I think the ironman lurkers on here would approve of your booked tris.
Am very envious of you doing the Trentham Tri. I used to live in Stoke just a mile away from Trentham Gardens - the one bright spot in the whole area. We watched them transform the place and that is where I've been this week. Would love to go back for a tri.
Well, I think I'm a step closer to becoming a Pirate. My present this morning was two pirate water bottles! Probably the only bit of pirate kit I shall ever own considering the prices. My little girles think they are awful and can't understand why anyone would want something that colour yellow, let alone with a skull and crossbones on it!
there is something about the kit that makes everyone in the world want to support you and yell out "go on Pirate - Argggghhhhhhhhhhhh"
If you think too long n hard about it - it won't happen. JFDI.................
Had a really fun day. Went with the family to a posh health club, courtsey of them having an open day. Did a 30min body pump class and then 30min Combat class. That was excellent! grinning like this the whole way through the punches and karate kicks.
Then took my girlies into the pool whilst my hubby went to the gym. My big girl (who is the runner) has only swam about 10m. I told her that to do a kiddies tri she would need to swim 50m without stopping. "I can do that", she said. The determination on her face! She doggy paddled the whole 50m without stopping. I am so proud of her. But how on earth am I now going to keep her away from tri's!?!?!? And my twins are planning how they can do a relay!
I did lots of cycling training before my first Sprint Tri - 30k + hard bike rides at 30kph plus, 10k fast runs (40 mins), 1k hard swims (all hard for me!)..... BUT the bit of training I found most useful was to do with transitions. My Ironman mate recommended to me doing this bike/run brick:
Start at home - 3k loop ride (fast/sprinty), end back at home. Immediately into 1k fast run (stuff left in my garden as a transition zone!) loop out and back home. Repeat whole thing twice (s o you do it 3 times in all). Next time you do it, 4 times, and so on.
Helped me deal with changing equipment while out of breath, peeling off bike shoes, squeezing on run shoes (I love lock laces). Also helped me decide how I wanted to lay my stuff out on the floor in transition for easy access. Really useful! Hope this helps!
Hi Gang,
JEvaNs........Sorry to here about the bike spoiling your day, think you had better get tucked up with some Lemsip or something to get rid of that cold.
Things seem to be going ok for me at the moment, went for a ride out on the bike this morning (22 miles) and the knee is doing ok ,no problems, I will go for a run or swim tomorrow. (it will proberbly be a run because I can try out my new trainers that I bought today).
Good routine Ginger .........as long as nobody nicks yer bike whilst your running lol.
Chilibean .......sounds like Triathalon is in the Genes.
Ouch Jevans! - Sounds a rough ride. Ummm, does it help that I shall learn from your example and think I'd better learn how to change a tyre and make sure I take the stuff with me!
Ginger - your tip sounds painful! But yes, I can see how that would also be really painful.
Razor - Nice bike riding
I'm too sore after yesterday and too few hours sleep last night due to a feverish Smidge in my bed. So I decided to give it a miss. Will be back into it tomorrow.
My big girl is 8. She is the one who got me into running. She is very highly strung and in most things will crumble like a biscuit when under pressure of something that she is not sure about. However, she really is an excellent runner and that has built up her self-confidence no end. Why do i hesitate to let her do tri? Cos she is already running 5k Parkrun every other week and I don't want to push her too much. Even though I am not a pushy parent and this is definitely her desire.
Then there is the training issue. She doesn't have swimming lessons because we simply can't afford the London prices of £82 a term (we have 4 kids). Our local pool is very family unfriendly and the public times are weird. So improving her swimming will be a bit of a chalenge. And then there is fitting in her training (cos of course she is too young to go out on her own) when i'm struggling to do mine! (On top of three other children a part time job and voluntary work)
Sorry, a bit of a ramble. I just have to get my head round the practicalites. I don't know any other kids who do tri's. Anyone got any tips?
Jevans........adidas base layers at Sports Direct £18.99.long sleeves, £14.99. short sleeves, check em out
When I signed up, I noticed that the Crystal Palace Tri has kids' races.
Maybe minichilli wouldn't need that much training other than swimming, if she's already a good runner? The cycle and run legs are very short.
I guess it partially depends if you think she's likely to get upset if she struggles with it, as well as on the swimming practicalities.
Had first physio session - ouch it hurt, but has done some good, bit more flexing in the wrist, loads of exercises to do.
Cycled 1:15 on bike, listened to David Bowie greatest hits, not bad but will go back to Queen or U2 for my faster session.
Decent kit from Start Fitness online too - check out the More Mile stuff - Tri tops, shorts and suits, all good price and decent quality too. I'm not on comission by the way!
Did the Chernobyl 10k yesterday in Preston - full of a cold, felt crappy (get my excuses in early) but still managed 44mins - quite happy with that. Stiff today, although icy bath when I got home helped a lot.
Planning next race now - aiming for a 10K in Feb, then a Half marathon in March. Sprint TRi in March too, probably Ribby Hall in Lancs. Was planning to do Blackpool marathon too - heard its been cancelled???
Thanks ST. I guess it is doable- as I mentioned it is getting my head round it that is the difficult bit. As I am typing this I can hear her in the bath singing and talking to herself and practising going under water for when she does her triathlon! LOL. My 3yr old Smidge has just gone in and announced that the bath doesn't look like a swimming pool and so she can't be swimming. LOL Oh this is so funny...
I shall see if I can find to local kids races.
Steady - hope your wrist heals up fast.
Another terrible night with a feverish Smidge. Am so tired I could cry but didn't want to miss another day of training so have just done 10miles of hills on the bike. First ride in the dark. I have lights and high vis vest but still found it scary.
Gingergav .................which half marathon are you doing and which Sprint is that in March?
44min for 10k when your feeling crap.... not bad in my books mate, well done.
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CARLISLE — Digital parking meters giving motorists various pay options may start popping up in the borough this fall, resulting in possible rate increases as well.
Borough officials are considering replacing all 800 meters with smart meters, which would accept coins, dollar bills, credit cards, phones and smart cards, said Matthew Candland, borough manager.
The Downtown Carlisle Association will kick off a discussion on parking meter replacements at 6 p.m. on Feb. 25 at borough hall, 53 W. South St.
The total cost to replace the meters is $400,000 — or around $500 per meter — so Carlisle likely would switch out the old machines incrementally, Candland said.
The smart meters will be tested through a pilot program before they are permanently installed, he said.
"One of the things we are looking at right now … we can use our existing posts, and our existing meter housing, and you can kind of put new guts in it," Candland said.
The installation project could lead to higher parking rates to help cover costs, Candland said.
It now costs drivers 50 cents per hour to park at silver meters downtown, and the first 15 minutes are free.
It costs 25 cents per hour to park at gold-painted meters outside of the downtown.
"If we do incorporate that kind of meter, we will have to raise the rates, because those new guts, if you are going to pay by credit card, you're gonna have to have a modem inside that meter, which means there is like an $8 a month modem cost, and of course the cost of the new meter," Candland said.
"So the costs are higher for these new, smart meters, (but they are convenient because) most people don't carry change around anymore. ... But one of the negatives would be, in all likelihood we are going to have to raise the rate."
The existing meters take only nickels, dimes and quarters, and their replacement parts are more difficult to buy as they get older, Candland said.


text:
Master Car Restorer Wayne Carini was in studio this morning to help the Tribe with their classic car troubles, Dennis McAllister was in studio to help the Tribe with their relationship issues, specifically Dennis from Hamden who called in on his wedding anniversary to complain his wife is still using her ex-husband's last name! Plus, the strange and daring places the Tribe has had sex in honor of Hump Day!
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Quick question – do you know who the chairman of the Missouri GOP is?
Neither do I, and that's a huge problem. At the Federal level, progressives run the show. Establishment GOP is spineless, the media are mendacious and the people are deeply confused about what should be done by the Feds. Part of the problem, candidly, is a moral failing of the electorate. Too many of us have our hand out and are wanting the government to do those things that ought to be done in our communities and families or by ourselves. Another part is a lack of leadership.
Ed Martin is a leader. I have had the privilege of working with him for over four years through two campaigns. While he lost both the house seat and the Attorney General's office, he demonstrated an amazing ability to motivate people to a good cause. He is an indefatigable organizer, something I cannot say about anyone else in the MOGOP leadership.
Overrun in Washington DC, conservatives are going to have to retrench at the state level. It would be wonderful to have Ed fighting Washington DC from the attorney general's office, but having Ed in the bully pulpit of the MOGOP chairman's seat would provide an energetic shot in the arm for a demoralized, moribund party.
Over the years, the Tea Party has been ramping up, doing more than showing up and waving around Gadsden Flags. Many have been running for committee chairmanships, serving as precinct captains and the like. You can't see it, but things are changing in the GOP at the grassroots level.
Ed Martin was at the very first tea party rally in April of 2009 (as was I) and while some have come and gone, he has remained faithful to the cause. Ed is no sunshine patriot. He has sacrificed a great deal in a difficult environment to make a difference, foregoing four years of his career to run for office. If you consider his campaigns as incubators for grassroots action, the value of his leadership has been incalculable. Ed has a volunteer following who will do almost anything for Ed. Imagine if a true-blue consistent Tea Party conservative becomes the GOP chairman!
Ed is as frustrated with the bullsh*t as are you and I. The GOP owns the House and Senate, but we waste our time and effort on crony projects and ignore important fiscal issues. They fail to work to protect Missourians against the intrusions of the Federal Government. The Missouri GOP delegation passes on one opportunity after another in communicating the value and power of liberty.
Ed will not have that problem.
The establishment has lined up behind the other guy, but Ed is courting votes and could win this Saturday. If you know any of the 68 committee members who will be voting on the next chair, get in touch and encourage them to reform our state party by providing a proven leader with impeccable conservative credentials.