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advice on choosing right PCB design package

Hi,

In leui of a FAQ for this group, here goes with a likely hot chestnut...

I'm looking for a good schematic capture and PCB design package to replace our very flaky EasyPC.

We need both good schematic and PCB layout capabilities, ideally in one system.

Best I outline the requirements... We do pretty straightforward analogue and digital designs, and a lot of microwave RF designs. We create a lot of our own components (sch and PCB elements) as many of the parts we use are very often not in any libraries. Our boards (especially RF boards) are often multilayer, with blind vias, have curved tracks of need-to-be defined width and length, and always copper pours. (EasyPC copper pours lets us down a lot). We also need to export boards (with components) to 3D mech CAD (Solidworks) in some format. We need good autorouting for non RF boards of course.

The players I am looking at are: Electronics Workbench Eagle OrCAD Cadstar Pulsonix

I'd really appreciate comments from users of these packages about their suitability for our tasks, and if they are stable in use etc.

thanks

Reply to
megoodsen
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Check out sci.electronics.cad - they seemed to like Protel when I last looked.

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Bill Sloman, Nijmegen
Reply to
bill.sloman

Thanks Bill, I will check out Protel...

Reply to
megoodsen

You might need an upmarket system if your in the "professional" shpere. Try Vutrax or Bartells.

Reply to
cbarn24050

Some packages are better at schematic capture and some are better at layout. If I had my choice, I would use OrCAD for capture and PCAD for layout.

Reply to
AudioPhotonix

I've always found EasyPC very stable, there is a new version 9 available. I use Pulsonix now, it's excellent with very good support. I've formed a Yahoo group for it. If you want to see what users think of it, join:

formatting link

Leon

Reply to
Leon

Bill

Look at Kicad. I have not tried copper pour, but they have it, as well as 3D export feature. Best of all is price: free (GPL). Available for windows or linux

M Walter

Reply to
Mark Walter

I've finally got the gEDA package - including PCB - up and running on my Linux partition. I lurk on the gEDA mailing list and those who've tried Kicad weren't all that impressed.

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Bill Sloman, Nijmegen
Reply to
bill.sloman

I'm surprised you found EasyPC stable! Do you define your own library components much? I've found the "Libraries" button could justifiably carry a tooltip text that reads "Crash Here" ! I've been on to Number One systems a lot, they don't seem to be able to replicate it, and between us we have tried many things. Many installs, new PCs etc etc. I've had it since v8 too.

Also, the coppper pour often won't. It make pour in part of the area I intend, it may pour OVER tracks and pads it should, it may also pour partially at the set clearance, and other clearances it seems to choose randomly. Number One are aware of the pour problems, they know that curved tracks or slightly non-hor or vert tracks can cause these probs, but have yet to fully fix it. V9 is a bit better than 8 I must say. BTW, we've been with EasyPC since DOS days!

I tried the demo of Pulsonix recently. The look of it is so EasyPC-like, it is obvious they share technologies. This is enough to scare me away from it.

Note that uninstalling the demo of Pulsonix also un-installed required DLL's from my existing EasyPC installation. I was not pleased !

Reply to
megoodsen

grammar corrections:

Reply to
megoodsen

I learned to save all frequently, but it hardly ever crashes now- except on closing, which doesn't bother me.

No problem whatsoever, but I don't use the 3D facility.

they've also added a highlight so you can tidy up these tracks. My (W98) installation is pretty good at the moment. As regards clearances, I had an ongoing problem with this- it passed rule checks, but the Gerbers were in violation. I eventually found the cause- the plotter is set by default to software arc (i.e. straight lines) and the chord of these caused the violations. Setting to hardware arc cured it.

Paul Burke

Reply to
Paul Burke

look at Bartels their system does exactly what you ask for but not for free...

hth

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Michael Wieser
Reply to
Michael Wieser

Hi,

I am using OrCAD as well as Mentor graphics. Both the tools are ok. Mentor graphics provides more user friendly Layout design, signal Integrity analysis for high speed signals, and schematics cross probe etc.

have a look on Mentor graphic's Expedition PCB packages and Orcad.

Reply to
Pon

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