advice on choosing right PCB design package

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

Thanks Bill, I will check out Protel...

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

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.

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:

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

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.

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 !

grammar corrections:

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

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

hth

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.