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Peter Howard Contact options for registered users 's Avatar (by Gravatar) posted on
October 20, 2005, 7:03 pm
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Anyone ever heard of, or used this outfit?
http://www.pad2pad.com/index.php

I stumbled across the site while engaged in a fruitless online search for
someone in Australia who could lay out and make a pcb for me.
Pad2Pad claim to make custom pcbs which you design and order using their
free download design tool. They're based in NJ USA though for all I know,
the pcb's are actually made by political outcasts in Chinese jails.
The website is glossy, informative and has attractive sample pricing
information. The downloaded design tool is quite nice to use by my untutored
newbie standards, with an extensive library of standard component
footprints.
Does anyone know of a better (free) pcb design tool or of anyone closer to
home who offers a similar service? I know of  RCS radio. I've used some nice
kit pcb's of theirs but too many hoops to jump through to actually get a
custom one made.

PH



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David L. Jones Contact options for registered users 's Avatar (by Gravatar) posted on
October 20, 2005, 10:09 pm
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Re: Pad2Pad


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Just stumbled across them the other day too.
The software looks quite nice, can't believe they can afford to write
it just to promote their main service. There are other sites which have
their own free softare too:
http://www.expresspcb.com /
http://www.pcb123.com /
http://www.pcbdesignandfab.com /

Not sure if they all use the same software or how good it is though.

Protel Autotrax (not to be confused with the other Kovac Autotrax
software) is excellent free PCB software and most manufacturers (all in
Oz) will support it.

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Lists of cheap PCB mail order manufacturers have been done in many
other posts. I can never remember them off-hand.

Dave :)


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Tom Contact options for registered users 's Avatar (by Gravatar) posted on
October 20, 2005, 10:47 pm
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Usually they supply free software that only they can understand to lock
you as a customer. You are probably better off using software that
outputs standard files - you'll be able to use any manufacturer then.


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Protel used to have 30 day demo on their website, possibly they still
have it. Their old DOS software is free and works good. Cadsoft has a
free version of Eagle Schematic/PCB editor (Win and Linux) limited to
pcb size. All of them produce standard output files.

Tom

Alan Contact options for registered users 's Avatar (by Gravatar) posted on
October 22, 2005, 3:41 am
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Re: Pad2Pad


On Thu, 20 Oct 2005 19:03:18 GMT, "Peter Howard"

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If you only want one board made then you would be better of to get a
copy of the old Protel Autotrax and learn how to do the layout
yourself, otherwise the cost could be quite prohibitive.

If you need a larger quantity then Jemal PCB in Perth (08 9356 1997 -
talk to Marc) will do layout and production.

HTH

Alan

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