Tor Gjerde has published his *.fig templates (based on the XFig vector drawing program) for generating breadboard layout files. I have used them extensively to give my projects that official Philips EE look that is virtually indistinguishable from the original Philips EE versions.
His templates are published on his website: Link Tor Gjerde . These published templates as well as his EE2003 diagrams are in XFig Metric size units (not Imperial). He appears to use the XFig for creating his diagrams, not the more modern WinFIG - which I use.
Regarding WinFIG (MS-Windows) - XFig (Linux) interoperability of files it appears that the use of the Imperial instead of Metric units has the advantage of giving exactly the same results on printing, whereas in Metric format a correction is needed when WinFig is used. The background is explained by the author of WinFIG (Andreas Schmidt) in detail on his FAQ page under the section "Drawings that were created with Xfig using metric units (cm) are slightly smaller in WinFIG". As a conclusion he states: "You can avoid all that trouble by using imperial units only".
Therefore, here follow the links to the Imperial versions of Tor Gjerde's template files (which he does not publish in the mentioned link but which I received from him):
- Grid with battery and numbered external connection positions
- Various components (including trimming potentiometer and Push-Pull ("Class AB") board)
- Transistors in various orientations
- Resistors in various orientations
- Capacitors in various orientations
- Coils in various orientations
- Trimming potentiometer (is now part of the "Various components" file)
- ICs from the EE 2001 series (including an extra DIP8 variant)
In addition to these, I derived three extra FIG templates (and in parentheses their pdf print-ready versions):
- Single breadboard (12 x 14 holes) - single breadboard (pdf version)
- Large breadboard (20 x 14 holes) - standard A4 breadboard format as used by Philips for their printouts (pdf version)
- Large breadboard with all holes used (24 x 14 holes) - the total breadboard area with all holes used, see note below for printing (pdf version)
WinFIG parameters and settings for PDF generation and printing
For generatiog PDFs in WinFIG (for printing the layout), I use the Export function, select the custom file option at the left (not the pdf option), with the following extra fig2dev options to be specified in the appropriate input bar: -E latin1 -L pdf -l foo -c (note that in recent versions of Winfig the -E latin1 option is added automatically). PDF's should be printed in original size, no scaling/fitting applied.
Almost all of my layout diagrams for my projects are derived from the above templates and therefore are in Imperial units as well. In this way it doesn't matter whether they are processed in XFig or WinFIG, the result will always be accurate in size. In a few indicated options, my breadboard design is derived from an older design by Tor in Metric layout, in such a case the extra fig2dev parameter -m 1.0499 needs to be added as well (for proper scaling of the PDF result).
Also note that the print output for breadboard designs using the whole area (24 × 14) does not fit the standard A4 size anymore (like the last bullet item of the templates list). This PDF file can still be printed on two A4 papers effectively by using Adobe Acrobat in Poster mode for printing.
As a final remark: The WinFIG buttons at the left part (for various graphical actions on objects) are "sticky" buttons that act in a way that may be a bit unusual: instead of selecting the graphical object first and then apply the button for changing the object, one enables the "sticky" button first, then clicks on a dot in the object box; the operation will then be applied directly.