What is your favorite PCB software?
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From: Simon Clubley on 8 Apr 2008 08:40 On 2008-04-07, Joel <joelbenway(a)gmail.com> wrote: > Just curious about what everyone uses. I've been using Orcad PCB editor. Has anyone here looked at Vutrax (http://www.vutrax.co.uk) and if so, what did you think of it compared to the alternatives ? (I'm not associated with them, I have just used the free version occasionally in the past.) Thanks, Simon. -- Simon Clubley, clubley(a)remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP Microsoft: Bringing you 1980's technology to a 21st century world
From: John Devereux on 8 Apr 2008 13:48 Simon Clubley <clubley(a)remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP> writes: > On 2008-04-07, Joel <joelbenway(a)gmail.com> wrote: >> Just curious about what everyone uses. I've been using Orcad PCB editor. > > Has anyone here looked at Vutrax (http://www.vutrax.co.uk) and if so, > what did you think of it compared to the alternatives ? > > (I'm not associated with them, I have just used the free version > occasionally in the past.) I use it and am pretty happy with it. Pros: Does what I need, runs on linux and windows. (I use the linux one). It is pretty flexible and complete. Scriptable. Free version up to n pins (256?). Stable, no problem reading files I did 15+ years ago. Still actively supported and updated. Good technical support. Buzzword compliant, e.g. Heirarchical schematics, forward&back annotation/modification, 3D view, autoplace, autorouters. DXF import(?)/export. Design rule checking. Gerber RS274X, drill file generation. Export of parts lists, pick and place files. Extensive control of plotting and on-screen display. Cons: It has a steep learning curve and unfamiliar interface. Development has slowed in recent years. The best autorouter is 3rd party (Elektra), windows only(?) although quite good and reasonably priced IMO. Some lack of integration with operating system, more so on linux. -- John Devereux
From: rickman on 8 Apr 2008 14:32 On Apr 7, 10:19 am, "Joel" <joelben...(a)gmail.com> wrote: > Just curious about what everyone uses. I've been using Orcad PCB editor. I use FreePCB. It is an open source package under Windows only. I looked at Eagle and found it to be incredibly arcane and difficult to learn. I find it interesting that one person says that gEDA was too hard to learn, but didn't find Eagle to be awkward. FreePCB is fairly capable although there are some features that are lacking. Many of them are being added as we speak. The main thing I like about it is the high level of support available. It is better than I have seen with nearly *any* software package regardless of the price.
From: JeffM on 8 Apr 2008 15:54 rickman wrote: >I use FreePCB. It is an open source package under Windows only. > It will run under WINE (Linux) and on Macintosh computers under VirtualPC. >FreePCB is fairly capable >although there are some features that are lacking. > 2 big ones: As it doesn't have an integrated Schematic Capture capability. back-annotation is non-existant (as was mentioned recently). ....and no one has mentioned about EAGLE: **NEVER USE SOMEONE ELSE'S LIBRARY COMPONENTS ** until you have learned how to defeat the DRM that Cadsoft added.
From: Grant Edwards on 8 Apr 2008 16:01
On 2008-04-08, rickman <gnuarm(a)gmail.com> wrote: > On Apr 7, 10:19 am, "Joel" <joelben...(a)gmail.com> wrote: >> Just curious about what everyone uses. I've been using Orcad PCB editor. > > I use FreePCB. It is an open source package under Windows only. > > I looked at Eagle and found it to be incredibly arcane and difficult > to learn. I find it interesting that one person says that gEDA was > too hard to learn, but didn't find Eagle to be awkward. I believe that was me. What I couldn't figure out how to do was to get the gEDA/PCB stuff to work together: how to export a netlist from the schematic editor and then auto-route it, then modify the layout and back-annotate the schematic. In Eagle, all that stuff "just works". I've heard people complain about the Eagle UI. The library-related stuff is a bit clunky, but the basic schematic capture and board layout stuff seemed fine to me. -- Grant Edwards grante Yow! I want the presidency at so bad I can already taste visi.com the hors d'oeuvres. |