Which is the best software for PCB design?

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K.Thiru

Joined: 20 Jan 2006
Posts: 1

20 Aug 2008 8:37 selecting pcb design software

To me take a look at DipTrace. I have used for my University project as now in work also. Try out the free version and see for yourself.
Note: I am the first customer outside the USA.

Chris56000

Joined: 19 Jan 2009
Posts: 49
Helped: 4
Location: Sutton Coldfield, UK

19 Jan 2009 19:52 pads mentor usd 2009

Hi!

The best way of finding a good suite is to ask:-

1) Do I want a freeware tool? Eagle and Kicad are really the only useful contenders here! - demo/free versions of the rest are too limited for much more than something like a 555 LED flasher!

2) Am I making boards for hobby/small projects or large digital designs? Most of the big names, Altium Designer, Mentor, PADs, Expedition etc., are best suited to large, complex digital designs, and don't have a great deal of analogue/discrete components in their libraries;

3) Am I wanting to use split power-planes, multi-layer or blind/buried vias, RF, differential-routing etc - then you'll need Altium, Orcad, PADs or Mentor;

4) Am I wanting embedded components? - then you'll need Altium or Pulsonix.

5) Do I want a good simulator - Orcad & Altium Designer are the best with Proteus Professional a good one for analogue/discrete designs.

6) Are my designs likely to be used commercially? If so then consider Easy-PC - don't forget the big names can cost as much as a good family car for a full licence (I recently saw a price for a commercial licence of Orcad at over £10 000!) - Easy PC is currently from about £450 up to £700-900 for the additional options.

7) How much are updates/support? Orcad, Mentor, PADs etc., all insist on a costly maintainence contract before you'll get updates, and I don't know if this is still the case, but you once couldn't even get the Mentor user manual without a support contract at (large!) extra cost!

Cool

Learning - all packages have a learning curve which can sometimes be mountainous, so one with good support/forums independent of the Vendor is well worth having - OrCAD and Altium score in this respect!

9) David L Brown's 25-page tutorial is worth looking at (Google'll find it!) by the way!

Sorry for being a bit long and rambling - I've tried to write this from an objective rather than a personal "I like PADS best"-etc. point of view!

Chris Williams

Enlightenment

Joined: 26 Jul 2006
Posts: 44
Helped: 2
Location: 3rd Rock From Sun

19 Jan 2009 20:56 what is the easiest to use pcb software

This question is like asking...what is the best vehicle...without giving a price range. We all would love to drive a $500,000 car, but few could afford it, thus the question is wrong.

The question should be:
What is the best Schematic Capture & PCB Layout Software in the ranges of:
#1 - Free.
#2 - Less than $100 USD.
#3 - Less than $1000 USD.
#4 - Less than $5000 USD.
#5 - Any price.

The above ranges will depend upon whether it is being purchased by a student, home hobbiest, small business, large business; because each one has a different range of budget to spend on it.

There are lots of killer software packages that I would love to use at home, but they are too expensive.

I am looking for a home hobbiest software. I want tools that are reasonably good, but not so limited that it is a joke. I can't justify spending $2000 or $5000. I would like to buy OrCAD Capture for Schematic capture, but it is $1729 USD, and OrCAD PCB Designer Basics is $4999 USD; which is above my hobby budget!

This is a very cool concept, integration with Digi-Key part database, but it is even more money, because you have to get the OrCAD Capture CIS, which is $4355 USD, plus the DigiKey database which is $1174, arg!!!!!!!
http://www.ema-eda.com/documents/DS_EMA_Capture_Digi-Key.pdf

azadmard20

Joined: 28 Sep 2006
Posts: 1

20 Feb 2009 23:39 diptrace teardrops

altium designer is good

suothricky

Joined: 15 Oct 2008
Posts: 4

23 Feb 2009 17:40 top 10 pcb design

Go to http://tvservicemenu.blogspot.com
Many electronic software there, I have download a few software & schematic diagram.
ALL FREE.

diegobb

Joined: 12 Jun 2003
Posts: 63
Helped: 6
Location: Montevideo - Uruguay - South America - Earth

23 Feb 2009 20:46 best pcb software

I've used those:

1) Or CAD: Not Free. Very good.

2) Eagle: Almost Free. I don't feel comfortable with it.

3) Kicad: Free. I use it sometimes when a want to see my boards in 3D, the UI is not so good. I know that you can make the same (3D viws) in Eagle, but i don't like it. It's really easy to make a new 3D package with Wings. Wings is where you design the 3D packages.

Regards.

Akramin84

Joined: 24 Feb 2009
Posts: 12

24 Feb 2009 5:36 top pcb software

im using dxp 2004 for my layout .im having prob to make teardrop ..so anyone can help me ???

dogler

Joined: 06 Mar 2009
Posts: 1

07 Mar 2009 16:36 the best program pcb

Why nobody mention ExpressPCB? I think its good for the first time user because its easy to learn.

dorsil

Joined: 10 Mar 2009
Posts: 1

10 Mar 2009 18:43 best pcb drawing software

oh, it is protel in Altium desginer packet

for ever

pranam77

Joined: 22 Apr 2008
Posts: 1071
Helped: 93
Location: Mangalore(India)

16 May 2009 12:43 best pcb designe software

Every one has thier own style of designning as per ones own requirement and likings. This may be an endless topic regarding "Which is the best software for PCB design?" Every software is good in its own aspects having its own merrits and demerrits for every user. Same applies to the topic "Which is the best Antivirus software" too.

Lev_Isaakovich

Joined: 17 May 2009
Posts: 2

18 May 2009 8:41 best pcb board design programme

I used EAGLE, OrCAD 9.2, Altium-6 and now start to learn Allegro. We use Mentor Graphics, too.
1. EAGLE is cheap, easy to learn, has very strong link between schematic and PCB (if you open BOTH, any changes in schematic will be reflected on PCB, and system does not allow you to change net-list from PCB). Part can have many footprint connected to symbol and you can swap them any time.
A lot of libraries and scripts are available. And you can write your own script, if you want.
Autorouter is not strong. No simulation, no RF support.
2. OrCAD 9.2 was terrible - both schematic and PCB layout was inconvenient to use and "help" to make mistakes (as make sporadic new connection or breaking existing circuit, or place two via in the same place). Yes, if you follow the roles... stll, it was nervous job...
3. Altium-6 is powerful, (but we could not afford simulator or FPGA layout), has some RF support.
Learning is not easy - my project leader (who was familiar with Protel-99, the root of Altium-6) called tecnhical support every second day.
4. Allegro/Cadence has everything - but, again, we could not afford FPGA or IC design (we use Mentor Graphics to design IC). We started one month ago - and we still cannot use it. Manual is useless - with my bad English, I was able to find only the sentences as " X is very powerful tool... Y does everything for you... ...only we have Z..." and no word where to find X,Y and Z and how to make them work.
So, if you need something urgent - forget Allegro.

5. The most power auto-router is "TopoR" (can import schematics from OrCAD). Unfortunately, its own schematic capture is not ready yet - but I keep my eye on them, they promise to finish system this summer.

6. If somebody is familiar with "Tina" system? -
- I think it is interesting.

Lev.

herlambang

Joined: 20 Apr 2009
Posts: 66
Helped: 1

22 May 2009 1:18 best pcb design software?

Yes, it's something that will never end..
I wish it's can give me advice and suggestions on choosing PCB software..

I love PROTEL.. (^.^)"

Dr Oetker

Joined: 22 May 2009
Posts: 9

22 May 2009 18:25 bst pcb software

Hi,

I am looking into Sch/PCB SW, and we narrowed down choice between Pulsonix and Altium Designer. I checked both (still evaluating) and am satisfied, so the tech side (UI, Options etc) is not a decisive issue. Can someone advise what is better choice, having in mind tech support, SW popularity, probability of SW being improved/neglected by supplier in future, what PCB manufacturers prefer (if they do) etc.

Routerr

Joined: 29 May 2009
Posts: 1

29 May 2009 10:41 best pcb package for amateurs

I'm use Altium. It's very easy and adaptable for me. but very poor autorute.

Dr Oetker

Joined: 22 May 2009
Posts: 9

29 May 2009 17:33 best circuit pcb designing software

Thanks, I am also inclined to take it. As for autorouter, I am yet to see the "perfect" one. Even those boards that come with the demo package (and are presumably autorouted) are not that great, there is a room for improvement. As ususal, it is best to place and route critical signals and pwr manualy, then let autorouter quckly do the work and repair it manualy again.

gaurav_sharma132

Joined: 03 Feb 2009
Posts: 26

28 Jun 2009 21:04 best pcb design software + forums

Proteus is better ...As all feature are integrated in it...Also occupy small size on your HDD.
And easy to learn. And you can easily make professional PCB.

Make schematic --> simulate --> PCB design

jet311

Joined: 07 Jul 2009
Posts: 1
Location: Philippines

07 Jul 2009 8:48 altium eagle kicad

Hi, Im Jet , the forum is nice and sensible.. everybody has its own expertise with its used software.. Im a PCB designer here in the Philippines Cebu for about 12 years now and the PCB cad that I use is Circad.. I dont know if it would be the best software but I used it this long till present.. the this software is very portable.. once you made your schematic and pcb layout you can open it in any computer you like without problem like no library for this and that component and the file size remain very small.. the signal tracing from schematic to your layout is very good.. just a matter of alt+n it will bring you to sch or pcb vice versa.. the component building is also very simple.. you can draw it from the pcb file directly or draw it from autocad and export it.. to have very nice detail of the component..and lots more..

Miib

Joined: 19 Nov 2004
Posts: 16

31 Jul 2009 3:30 top ten pcb designing sofwares

@ltium designer winter 09 is the best....

Try the free trial (full version)
http://www.altium.com/products/altium-designer/en/altium-designer_home.cfm

engr_najam

Joined: 10 Aug 2006
Posts: 135
Helped: 5

31 Jul 2009 3:44 tutorial wings create kicad 3d

i think OrCAD

akshay_d_2006

Joined: 31 Jul 2009
Posts: 26
Helped: 7
Location: Mumbai

01 Aug 2009 4:48 cadence orcad pcb designer with pspice blogspot

Hey Even DipTrace is nice and extremly user friendly... Any1 used it??

dmd4raj

Joined: 23 Jun 2008
Posts: 45
Helped: 1

01 Aug 2009 5:17 best pcb design cad

Am worked in Orcad Layoutplus.but now am learning Allegro,also we are using Pads PCB Expedition(Mentor Graphics)for the design based on customer requirements

Regards
Rajan.K

akshay_d_2006

Joined: 31 Jul 2009
Posts: 26
Helped: 7
Location: Mumbai

01 Aug 2009 5:26 design pcb comparison

Hey Even DipTrace is nice and extremly user friendly... Any1 used it??

dianzifashaoyou

Joined: 25 Nov 2008
Posts: 8

02 Aug 2009 8:00 top ten pcb design software

Altium Designer

doraemon

Joined: 21 Jun 2009
Posts: 141
Helped: 17
Location: Japan

02 Aug 2009 9:45 best pcb layout software for small company

Hello!

I am an Eagle user for some time.
But if somebody asks some info about any product, he wants of course to know
about the advantages, but I think he wants to be aware of the inconveniences.
So after advantages, I will focus mostly on inconveniences.

THE GOOD:
- There is a free version, unlimited in time, but limited to 2 layers. This version
allows you to make 50 x 100 mm 2-layers boards.
- There are a lot of free libraries

THE BAD:
- The libraries are provide on a voluntary basis, which means that you can have
the best and the worst. They are sometimes redundant.
- Suppose you want to create a library. You create the symbol and then the
package, which is good. However, if you need a standard package, there is no
way to reuse an existing one, you have to create it locally. For instance, you want
to add a FET transistor in SOT23 package. There is no way (at least no way I am
aware of) to reuse the existing SOT23. You can copy it from another library, but
this means that there are myriads of SOT23 defined in various libraries.
- The graphical interface is really not user-friendly, and here are a few examples
to give you an idea.

Example1 Moving an object
In most of the object-based drawing programs (for instance powerpoint),
if you want to move an object, you click it and you drag it. It will stay at the
point where you have released the mouse, and that's it.
Now the eagle way:
1. Select the move tool
2. Do the above operation.
If you don't select, then you do nothing. Well, this is only one extra operation,
but simply annoying.

Example 2. Moving a group of objects.
Let's take again the powerpoint example. If you want to move a group of objects,
you click the start point of the selection rectangle, and you select all the objects
you want. When you release the mouse, all the objects inside of the rectangle
will be selected, and then you can move them like a single object (see above).
Now the eagle way:
Suppose you want to move one selection of objects by 1 grid only.
Usually in this case, you don't want your selection to move more than necessary.
Here is what happens. I just made a fake board with a repeated component.
I want to move it by 1 grid, about 3~4mm on my screen.

1. Choose the selection tool (gray in the vertical left tool bar)
http://passworld.co.jp/ForumImages/2009/08/02/GroupTool.gif
2. Chose what you want to move:
http://passworld.co.jp/ForumImages/2009/08/02/Group.gif
3. Choose the move tool:
http://passworld.co.jp/ForumImages/2009/08/02/MoveTool.gif
4. Right-click what you have selected. A popup menu appeads
http://passworld.co.jp/ForumImages/2009/08/02/RightClick.gif
5. Choose Move Group at the bottom:
http://passworld.co.jp/ForumImages/2009/08/02/SelMoveGroup.gif
6. Once you have selected, your selection has moved by the height of the
contextual menu... which is probably not what you want.
http://passworld.co.jp/ForumImages/2009/08/02/SelectedMove.gif

- Beside this, there are also many other issues. For exemple, if you want
to choose the layers you want to display, a good thing is that as soon as
you click on a given level, it shows up or disappear. In Eagle, there is a
popup window for layer choice. But the window you are working in is
not refreshed until you click "ok". The popup disappear and the window
is refreshed.

- There is no way to change the preferences other than making a preferences
sheet with a text editor. No "save preferences" for Inch / mm.

- When you select mm for the units, you could expect to have line width
in mm (0.1, 0.15, 0.2, etc...). When you convert to millimeters, the widths
become: 0.254, 0.3048, ... 0.8128, etc... basically they are still in multiples
of 0.001 inch.

So in conclusion, I would say that the overall functionality is fair for the price.
But even if you start "zen" in the morning, I can tell you that at the end of the
day your blood pressure will climb and you will start saying weird things
about the Holly Mother.

Dora.

Quote:

How about Eagle?