LockedGood PCB layout software.

Hi. Please, recommend me a good PCB layout functional evaluation software. Many thanks.

This question has been asked many time in the last few weeks, try a seach of this forum and you will find a few thread that will answer your question.

Personally I like eagle by cadsoft, it's free and it's powerful.

Ron

Hi Porcelina

If You try Cadsoft/Eagle (http://www.cadsoft.de/), I have a board to 16f877a developed in this software.
The Board works with a max232 to link to a computer and has three I2C devices
A pcf8583 (Real Time Clock)
A 24C256 (FRAM from RamTrom)
a 24LC256 (EEPROM from Microchip)
It uses a parallel cable to program the chip and uses the an589 (slightly changed) as the base circuit to program the chip. It does not need 13V, instead, it uses low voltage programming.

Antonio Leite

I have been using Target from http://www.ibfriedrich.com/english/index.htm in Germany. They have a free evaluation version. This was recommended by a German colleague and I find it very user friendly (in other words, I haven't printed out the instructions or bought a book).

There's a free pin-limited (100 pins) version available for a relatively new program called AutoTRAX (not the old Protel package). While it is still under development, there's a very active user group at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/autotrax/

I'm a group moderator over there. The program's author reads and frequently posts to the group.

I use the free Protel Autotrax. This has been public domain for three orfour years. It is much better than the older Public Domain Protel Easytrax in almost every way. Easytrax has been public domain for at least 10 years.

http://www.protel.com/downloads/files/atx161nd.exe
http://www.protel.com/downloads/files/easytrax.zip

Autotrax has no limitations, reads net lists, has an auto router, and does drc checks.

There is a GNU linux layout package http://bach.ece.jhu.edu/~haceaton/pcb/ which a friend of mine supports.

Both of these programs generate gerber files. Autotrax / easytrax do not generate 274x embedded aperture gerber files which many board houses require, so I wrote an application to merger the aperture files and 274d gerber files into 274x gerber files.

Les

ORIGINAL: porcelina

Hi. Please, recommend me a good PCB layout functional evaluation software. Many thanks.

I use Pulsonix:

http://www.pulsonix.com

It's the best of the mid-range packages, IMHO.

Easy-PC is from the same company, and is intended for less demanding applications:

http:/www.numberone.com

Leon

ORIGINAL: lesh11

I use the free Protel Autotrax. This has been public domain for three orfour years. It is much better than the older Public Domain Protel Easytrax in almost every way. Easytrax has been public domain for at least 10 years.

http://www.protel.com/downloads/files/atx161nd.exe
http://www.protel.com/downloads/files/easytrax.zip

Autotrax has no limitations, reads net lists, has an auto router, and does drc checks.

There is a GNU linux layout package http://bach.ece.jhu.edu/~haceaton/pcb/ which a friend of mine supports.

Both of these programs generate gerber files. Autotrax / easytrax do not generate 274x embedded aperture gerber files which many board houses require, so I wrote an application to merger the aperture files and 274d gerber files into 274x gerber files.

Les

Here are my autotrax utilities
http://www.lh1.org/AUTOTRAX/autotrax.html
Les

ORIGINAL: lesh11

I use the free Protel Autotrax. This has been public domain for three orfour years. It is much better than the older Public Domain Protel Easytrax in almost every way. Easytrax has been public domain for at least 10 years.

http://www.protel.com/downloads/files/atx161nd.exe
http://www.protel.com/downloads/files/easytrax.zip

Autotrax has no limitations, reads net lists, has an auto router, and does drc checks.

There is a GNU linux layout package http://bach.ece.jhu.edu/~haceaton/pcb/ which a friend of mine supports.

Both of these programs generate gerber files. Autotrax / easytrax do not generate 274x embedded aperture gerber files which many board houses require, so I wrote an application to merger the aperture files and 274d gerber files into 274x gerber files.

Les

Also, you just gotta have a look here for protel autotrax drivers and libraries etc. http://www.airborn.com.au

Regards,

Jim Robertson
NEWFOUND ELECTRONICS

ORIGINAL: newfound

Also, you just gotta have a look here for protel autotrax drivers and libraries etc. http://www.airborn.com.au

Regards,

Jim Robertson
NEWFOUND ELECTRONICS

I second this recomendation. I just recieved airborn's libraries, and they look great. Also, you site has a wealth of great advice. There is a layout tutorial on your site which I have printed out part of to use as a checklist when I finish a pcb design.

Les