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P-CAD unsuitable for networks

I'm shopping for an inexpensive CAD system for a small startup doing microprocessor-based servo stuff. I need fine-line multilayer for the digital stuff, and copper pours and weird copper structures for analog work.

I asked a buddy about P-CAD (what he uses) and he reports these serious deficiencies:

You can't save some things in pcad till all of the errors are gone. It > has been that way for a long time and the support people don't seem to > have much of a clue. > It is a real pain if you are making a large library part you can't > stop and save and come back to it later. It also does not always tell > you that the file you just tried to save was to a read only directory > and it did not really do anything. It also trys to reconnect to all of > the files you have used recently so you can't move them. same with > printers, if you remove a printer it has used recently you may not be > able to get it to run. or it will at least take quite a while to > startup....I have seen on the order of more than 10 minutes.

This is of course unacceptable. I'm of the "save-early-save-often" school, because one can never predict acts of god that clobber one's work. I don't want to lose hours of work because of this kind of thing.

Reply to
Kenneth Porter
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"Some things" are library components only, and it is possible to save work-in-progress, and I often make 1500 pin FPGA components with no problem.

Never encountered that, but can't recall that I've tried.

Thats just the library files that it connects to, and there are simple library and network management procedures that make this not a problem.

Never seen this and we have network printers all over the place, changing all the time. This may have been an issue several years ago, but is not with current version. PCAD2004 is "in the mail" and I'm looking forward to it.

I've got over a dozen PCAD licenses, both networked floating, and node licenses, and I manage the component library for a couple dozen users. I don't have a problem with anything you describe. Sounds to me like your buddy may be the problem.

Of course if you're looking for 'inexpensive', then you're probably barking up the wrong cad system in the first place.

Gary Crowell Micron Technology

Reply to
Gary Crowell / VCP

Hi Kenneth,

Did you look at Cadsoft Eagle? I believe the full version is about $800 for the US, plus another $400 if you need an autorouter.

Regards, Joerg

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Reply to
Joerg

Try the Pulsonix demo:

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and join the users group:

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Prices start at about $2000. It automatically saves your designs, every minute if you want, and you can save incomplete parts. Lots of other nice things, of course.

Leon

--
Leon Heller, G1HSM
http://www.geocities.com/leon_heller
http://www.kasamba.com/viewExpert.asp?conMemID=105725&Catid=1111&banID=2100
Reply to
Leon Heller

Gary Crowell / VCP wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

Can you expand on that? Pointers to FAQ's or other documentation would be fine.

Reply to
Kenneth Porter

See comments input below

You get what you pay for: The better ones are

Orcad Layout+capture Pads P-CAD "Windows version" Protel.

Sounds to me that your buddy is the one that should get a clue. There is one P-CAD, Called Pcad Master Designer. This was a dos based product and one of the best pcb tools of all time. There is a windows version not to be confused with the dos version called P-CAD its sold by Protel, it used to be sold by accel technologies and came from Accels Tango pro product.

While the dos version of master designer is no longer sold the windows version is pretty popular. In both versions you can save pcb's, schematics, library parts at any time. The system is designed to protect you from yourself with stringent error checking. This is to your advantage.

I have never seen any of the above items you mention. The problems you indicate are more akin to the operating system than the actual cad package.Or simple user operator error.

Are you really looking to purchase a cad tool or are you a sales drone from a competing cad vendor.

thank You. X711

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