PCB Design/Layout Software

Have a look at Easy-PC:

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Leon

Reply to
Leon Heller
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Traxmaker is a dead end, Protel seems to have no interest in maintaining a low end product at all. I have no idea why they bought microcode the outfit that bought the non exclusive rights to the older Protel Dos PCB package that they made the Windows ported Traxmaker out of. Traxmaker has not been updated to run on Windows XP, and even produces some errors under Windows ME.

I recently started working with Easy-PC because a client uses it, very impressed with it, and it's pretty cheap too. I think it may be the 'best cheapest' out there right now. Their demo version is terrible though as you can't save anything. Eagles demo, and many others, allow you to do small designs for free.

Rocky

Reply to
Rolavine

Try using Electronics Workbench, Iuse it to test all my projects. L8TR, Mod

Reply to
ssparling

have

too

recommendations?

can't

Have a look at ExpressPCB. They have a free schematic cad program and a free board layout program. You order boards directy from them, on line, and their prices are not bad. It's great for small boards and small runs. Bob

Reply to
Bob Eldred

Folks sure do throw arond that word *free* a lot. This is properly called Hobbyist Demoware. (I almost said hobbiest.) No *functions* have been crippled, but the free version does 80mm x 100mm 2-layer boards maximum. For many folks that is enough. A biz (legally) needs to plunk down $50 to use it to make products.

To get 160mm x 100mm & 4 layers is $200 (layout module); the demo Schematic Editor will still work (sorta

--batch files to swap registered/demoware password).

Full usability is $400 per module; licence only what you need or go hog-wild.

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....but yeah. It's good stuff. At this point someone usually mentions the not-like-usual-Windoze-apps interface (which takes some getting used to).

OTOH, gEDA/PCB is/are gratis (and libre) and will run under CYGWIN (or natively under Linux--again, free):

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*-libre+Eric+Raymond

Reply to
JeffM

Hi Rocky,

But only for non-profit uses. I just bought Eagle and it's not expensive.

The regular copy of their limited 'Light Version' is just $49 plus shipping and tax in the US, I believe a wee bit more in Europe. Pretty good for what you can do with it. Also, when buying a license you get a nice handbook which is much easier than fumbling through a huge pdf file. Well, I guess you could print it out but that'll consume quite some money for toner or ink.

Regards, Joerg

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Reply to
Joerg

A very good freeware package that I have used for several years is Eagle

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You can either get support from Eagles good news group or the Yahoo group I setup located at
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Cheers

Wayne

Reply to
Wayne

OK, I was only pointing out that Easy PC's demo program is useless for doing any real work, while Eagles is not.

I used to hate Eagle because it wouldn't do things it should like make print outs, but I have a few clients that use it so I'm stuck. The latest versions are pretty damn good though. I like Easy PC better though and it is also pretty cheap for a basic set of tools.

Rocky

Reply to
Rolavine

I am looking for something basic to use at home for small projects. I have downloaded a few examples, PCB Wizard I like, Eagle Layout Editor seems too much. Has anyone used the PCB Wizard product? Any other recommendations?

I am also using the student version of CircuitMaker, which is GREAT! I understand at one time it had with it a product "TraxMaker"? but sure can't find it in the version I have?

Thanks! Jim Douglas

Reply to
Jim Douglas

Never had any problems getting EAGLE to print what I told it to. Sounds like operator error.

Reply to
JeffM

One additional note about Cadsoft's Eagle product. The freeware/light editions are fine for simple boards, but limit you to 1 schematic sheet and 2 layers (100x80mm area max.) If you need a little more complexity for your project and aren't using it to make money (eg. hobby or academic use), they have a single-user 'non-profit' version that is equivalent to their 'standard' version (4 layers, 160x100mm area, unltd. sch. sheets) for $125 US.

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-Troy

Wayne wrote:

Reply to
Troy Curtiss

I've been using it a few years, and while it has its faults, for the fairly limited PCB work I do myself, I'm not going to change.

But use "save all" very frequently indeed if you want to preserve your immortal soul, as cussers go to hell.

Paul Burke

Reply to
Paul Burke

too

can't

Eagle is by far the best package out there. The rest is mostly junk which fools people into thinking it's easy to use just because it has a Windows-like interface. Eagle does require some learning but if you read the tutorial manual you will be fine and in the end you will be much more productive with the Eagle interface.

Reply to
Henk Boonsma

A very good freeware package that I have used for several years is Eagle

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You can either get support from Eagles good news group or the Yahoo group I setup located at
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Cheers

Wayne

Reply to
WayneL

Eagle

group I

I have

seems

recommendations?

GREAT! I

sure

Reply to
Mark

I hate that stuff, I have sent messages to some things like that and they never show up. I asked and they said "Most users would not be interested in that!", I said bullshi%%!!

Reply to
Jim Douglas

Yeah, the experience is still bugging me. Granted, the bulletin borad does belong to the author, but the bulletin board link does say "discuss the PCB software with other WinQcad users". That's kinda hard to do when the arrogant SOB author removes posts.

Mark

Jim Douglas wrote:

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board.

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to

since

none

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Yahoo

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projects.

Editor

but

Reply to
Mark

The Cadsoft guys handle this by having 2 newsgroups:

1 ostensibly for user-to-user and 1 ostensibly for asking the company guys.
Reply to
JeffM

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