What schematic drawing tool do you use ?

Have a look at

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If you've got Linux on your computer, you might like to look at the (free) gEDA package

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----------------- Bill Sloman, Nijmegen

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bill.sloman
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Hi,

Could you please advise me ? I'm looking for an electronic circuit schematic drawing tool.

I tested the Capilano Designworks free evaluation version, which sounds good to me, but it is expired now. The licence is out of my price, so I would like to know if the same kind of tool exists in the range 40 to $100.

Thanks a lot !

Bruno

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Reply to
BrunoG

Hello Bruno,

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No worries, it's in English.

Regards, Joerg

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Reply to
Joerg

Hello Bruno,

The eval is just for non-profit work. But Eagle isn't expensive at all. If you create small circuits there is one version that costs under $100 depending on which country you are in.

Regards, Joerg

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Joerg

"Joerg" a écrit dans le message de news: iCYpf.35341$ snipped-for-privacy@newssvr29.news.prodigy.net...

Hi Joerg, I had an old broken evaluation version of Eagle on my computer, I thought I was not able to reinstall the latest one but it works 8-} There are much changes; it seems that I can't load the schematics made with DesingWorks but mines are not very sophisticated so I should quickly draw them again. That is worth the case because Eagle seems much more powerfull. I have to see now if the non-commercial licence would fit my needs within this licence agreement.

Thanks for your reply !

Bruno

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BrunoG

a écrit dans le message de news: snipped-for-privacy@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...

Hi Bill, thanks for your reply, I think I will return to Windows Eagle because I already use a Windows MikroC compiler. The list page you mention is very interesting by the way !

Bruno

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Reply to
BrunoG

Old DOS Orcad SDT is still a viable schematic program, even 10 years after it has been off the market. Modern video drivers are available. Check out

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--
Mark
Reply to
qrk

Try Kicad. It's free and runs on Widows and Linux. Find it at:

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Ian

Reply to
Ian Bell

Agreed Kicad is far ahead of gEDA I have drafted a circuit with this - quite quick to learn and complete. If this doesnt take your fancy I used the old Protel Autotrax in the old days - this was a capable program and I think is now free. It wont run on XP tho - you will have to use Win 98

R

Ian Bell wrote:

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Richard Hosking

"Richard Hosking" a écrit dans le message de news:

43a957b3$0$14694$ snipped-for-privacy@per-qv1-newsreader-01.iinet.net.au...

Thanks, Kicad looks great, I will try it !

Bruno

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Reply to
BrunoG

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I do all my schematics in raw PostScript using my Gonzo Utilities. Nothing comes remotely close for quality and flexibility.

Yeah, the learning curve is a bitch. On purpose.

Hundreds of examples on my website.

Gonzo utilities at

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--
Many thanks,

Don Lancaster                          voice phone: (928)428-4073
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Don Lancaster

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Can it write a netlist ?:-)

...Jim Thompson

--
|  James E.Thompson, P.E.                           |    mens     |
|  Analog Innovations, Inc.                         |     et      |
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Jim Thompson

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I use 22x34 blue-grid vellum, and a Berol Turquoise F pencil. Design automation is a Bruning electric eraser and a Boston electric pencil sharpener.

Learning curve is minimal.

John

Reply to
John Larkin

I'm glad you identified the pencil sharpener, I was going to ask.

--
 Thanks,
    - Win
Reply to
Winfield Hill
[snip...snip...]

From what I recall of Don's Postscript articles back in the day, it can probably do the netlist, auto-place and auto-route the circuit, create the gerbers, create a BOM, get three bids, do the purchase orders, and then place the orders for the boards and parts. ;-)

--
Rich Webb   Norfolk, VA
Reply to
Rich Webb

I don't agree with that opinion but then again I'm heavily biased. :)

gEDA is a collection of tools that have been successfully interfaced together. gEDA is certainly not as well integrated as Kicad, but this is actually a major strength for power users. It is fairly easy to add/substitute different programs into the design flow. The various interfaces (symbol, footprint, netlists, netlisters, etc...) or file formats are fairly well documented, so it is easy to customize/modify the design flow.

Three more things that gEDA has going for it: a very well established and stable support and development community, gEDA interfaces well with other design tools (non-free/commercial), and it has been proven to work well on fairly complex designs. Please see:

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for some successful projects

My humble recommendation is that newbies and people who want a fully integrated suite should use Kicad, while others who need the flexibility of an open design flow suite should take a look at gEDA.

-Ales

-- Ales Hvezda ahvezda AT seul.org

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Reply to
Ales

Eagle is what I use too. It is reasonably powerful, but be forewarned: there are a lot of bugs, limitations, and idiosyncracies that will have you pulling your hair out until you figure them out. I highly recommend reading the manual and the tutorial closely, even though they are not well written; and spend some time reading through the Eagle support newsgroups, because the same issues come up over and over again. Perhaps the two biggest issues are: "Cut" in Eagle means what "Copy" means in any other Windows program, and you need to use "Net" rather than "Wire" to create a wire in a schematic or PCB layout. (The toolbar icon for "Net" is not intuitively obvious.) Use the mouse scroll wheel to zoom in and out, to get rid of "screen junk" like leftover lines and text caused by the graphics bugs.

Also, be aware that the libraries contain errors, such as parts with incorrect PCB footprints. Never assume that the library part is correct - always check. And do learn how to make your own library parts; it is often faster to make the right part than to search through the Eagle libraries trying to find something that is not quite right.

-walter

Reply to
Walter Harley
[snip]

How's the weather up there? I had to turn on the air conditioning,

79°F outside right now ;-)

...Jim Thompson

--
|  James E.Thompson, P.E.                           |    mens     |
|  Analog Innovations, Inc.                         |     et      |
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Reply to
Jim Thompson

Hello Walter,

Absolutely. I had the "luck" that an injury made me lay flat on a bed for a couple days after I bought the license. Oh drat, right before Christmas and I was scheduled to usher one of the Christmas services. So I had plenty of time to study the booklet that came with it numerous times, cover to cover. That paid off. There are too many people who get the software, jump right in and then moan and groan about the more unusual stuff. For example 'cut' in Eagle is often like 'copy' in most other software. That alone can really throw you a curve.

I found the book written ok. A bit of 'German English' but since i speak German that wasn't an issue. The words they chose are sometimes a little outlandish. Took me a while to realize that a 'thermal' is not an ancient health spa back in the times of the Romans but a 'thermal relief'.

Got to be honest here. If I hadn't been forced to bed rest I'd have jumped right in like most everybody else. After all, engineers tend not to read manuals because it is not the manly thing...

Merry Christmas, Joerg

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Reply to
Joerg

to cool or heat?

Merry FSMisms

martin

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martin griffith

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