Which CAD system is best?

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Buddy

Joined: 13 Feb 2004
Posts: 34

17 Aug 2004 8:19 best cad system

Hi,

I want to ask which is the best simulation cad system to use? Some suggested ones are:
1.multisim
2.orcad pspice

How about pcb routing:
1.eagle cad
2.pulsonix
3.orcad spectra

Are there better ones? Which one is easiest to learn? Which one has the best libraries? Any disadvantages? Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance. Shocked

delay

Joined: 11 Jun 2004
Posts: 219
Helped: 3
Location: Van Allen Belt

17 Aug 2004 15:55 best cad systems

OrCAD PSpice is best.
OrCAD with Spectra Router is best

rauol

Joined: 02 Oct 2002
Posts: 363
Helped: 11

17 Aug 2004 17:20 orcad vs proteus

Eagle is the lowest cost and has fallowing features. ( around 1200$)
1: Very good for full manual place and route.
2: Has a Grid based auto router.
3: supports a very good Cam processor
4: Script control

Pulsonix is a new entrant and has good features ( around 6000$)

1: User interface somewhat Like Eagle and Cadstar.
2: Grid based and Shape Based Auto router (Bartels Autorouter)
3: has similation facility

Orcad is one of the best and has a very powerfull autorouter, good for digital design and high pincount designs.

Before choosing any PCB tool note that no single PCB tool has all the best features and one has to choose based on his present and future requirements.

Please note that if a work can be done with a needle we should not use a sword in that place.

Best thing to do will be to download the Demo versions and try it by youself.
Regards.

ociredlu2

Joined: 13 Mar 2003
Posts: 24

18 Aug 2004 4:56 proteus vs orcad

I think
Orcad SPICE
Orcad PCB

flatulent

Joined: 19 Jul 2002
Posts: 4875
Helped: 324
Location: Middle Earth

18 Aug 2004 4:59 eagle pcb simulation

Pay close attention to the data sheets for these. There is a wide variety of the maximum number of layers in the PC card layout programs can handle. Also, if you are going to do ECL differential type circuits, some programs will automatically pair off the traces and make them always the selected distance apart and equal lengths.

platonas

Joined: 14 Aug 2004
Posts: 165
Helped: 5
Location: Universal Citizen

18 Aug 2004 5:53 spectra router

Hi,
Depends on your budget first and on functions provided by each package.
If you just need simulation you can use Circuit Maker with Trax maker for PCBs. Also a more expensive one is the Multisim (ElectronicWorkbench) which is better but with higher price.
If Your main target is to design PCBs then Eagle is very good and cheap.
On top of all is PROTEL DXP2004 or Orcad Spice.
I use Protel but only for PCB production and found it very good. Its simulation capability is very good also but I have no expirience with it.
Another one alternative at low price is Proteus from Labcenter.
You've better study the specs for each one.
Regards
Platonas

dora

Joined: 11 Jun 2003
Posts: 158
Helped: 2

18 Aug 2004 14:06 eagle cad alternative

If the analog simulation is important for you I would suggests PSpice, Hspice, Siber designer
As far as I know all this has the famous Berkeley's Spice3 so in general should are equivalent.

Cadance (orcad) is good as integrated tool but I am not very happy with its PCB.
(Don't have much experience however)

The recent Protel DXP is quite powerful but needs lot of system resources.
They try to include some FPGA functionality in their system which probably is redundant for most of their users.

For more complex designs Cadance Alegro.
I trid it and my first impression is that it is not intuitive but it seems very powerful.
Can some more experienced comment?

Best Regards
Dora

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18 Aug 2004 14:06 Ads

zanov

Joined: 09 Jun 2004
Posts: 61

19 Aug 2004 14:03 top cad systems

ociredlu2 wrote:

I think
Orcad SPICE
Orcad PCB

You mean OrCAD Layout? I tell you is the worst. Try Eagleware.

Buddy

Joined: 13 Feb 2004
Posts: 34

20 Aug 2004 4:37 deciding on best cad system to use

Hi,

Thanks for the info guys. But I think some simulation programs such as Orcad are really hard to use. But what I think is most important is the accuracy and reliability of the simulation. Like. some perhaps don't simulate capicitance leakage or opamp slew rate etc.

Do you guys know what is the most reliable?

Thanks again Surprised

fireplus

Joined: 31 Oct 2003
Posts: 195
Helped: 5

20 Aug 2004 8:20 alternative to eagle pcb

did you try Proteus ?

it's very good in simulation and the pcb

bye

Fire in the Wire :sm2:

elkimhoc

Joined: 24 Apr 2004
Posts: 106
Helped: 2

22 Aug 2004 12:39 what is the best cad system

hi,
Proteus and isis very good and simple softaware for CAD system
Cool

ertug

Joined: 27 Aug 2004
Posts: 37
Location: tr

27 Aug 2004 12:01 eagle cad simulation

Electronics Workbench (Multisim)

Protel

Question

SphinX

Joined: 25 Jan 2002
Posts: 1069
Helped: 28
Location: EGYPT

27 Aug 2004 12:25 best system for cad

Salam,

Proteus for Simulation
I have used OrCAD Layout plus for long time, it's not good.

I think PCAD or PowerPCB is very good.

SphinX

ravibg

Joined: 10 May 2004
Posts: 21

31 Aug 2004 17:31 cad systems ranking

I have worked on TSPICE, it is easy to handle and the whole CMOS designing can be done using this EDA..
It works on windows systems.

svicent

Joined: 11 Jul 2001
Posts: 413
Helped: 23

31 Aug 2004 21:26 orcad spectra

Proteus is very good for simulation. It's the best for microcontrollers based designs.

waxtomato

Joined: 01 Sep 2004
Posts: 98
Helped: 8

01 Sep 2004 1:59 protel proteus orcad

cadence of course!

manitooo

Joined: 30 Oct 2001
Posts: 142
Helped: 2

01 Sep 2004 14:58 eagle cad spice simulation

Because it's always a matter of choice (I am not sure that there is A real best CAD system) All are quiet equivalent and propose comparable features, some are simplier than others, some provides better interface...

We could not say that a software is not good enough. They all target special type of customers.

Simulation :
************
For my part, I've learned PSPICE at school so, i'm still using it but haven't tried other... (But I think I'll try proteus cause it can simulation digital design with firmware capabilities for MCU)

Schematic :
**********
My preference goes to Capture with CIS option. CIS is really important for sharing and managing component database
I've tried eagle, DxDesigner (from innoveda), PowerLogic (for a short time) and Lochmaster ( Laughing

)

PCB
****
I used to practice on Layout for a few years (cause it is the conveniant way to make PCB when you use capture), But recently I've tried PowerPCB for a professional requierement and I must admin that the interface is clear and friendly... so, I have changed my practices and use nowadays PowerPCB

But to sum-up : all is a matter of choice...

osamasaid

Joined: 16 Jul 2004
Posts: 10

02 Sep 2004 9:36 compare proteus orcad

I'll tell u about the simulation tools...
I'm working with the model sim CAD tool, it's very powerful in the complex simulation problems...and specially the modelsim XE 5.6 version

Andre3000

Joined: 25 Aug 2004
Posts: 18
Helped: 2

12 Sep 2004 17:20 eagle cad 0.01 alt what is it ?

eagle is the best

dreamcard

Joined: 11 Sep 2004
Posts: 51

26 Sep 2004 3:33 lochmaster import sch

I use Proteus for the MCU based simulation.

Rodres

Joined: 26 Sep 2004
Posts: 23
Helped: 1

26 Sep 2004 3:46 eagle pcb alternatief

orcad pspice for simulation and eagle for pcb designs because it is very simple

dark-fox

Joined: 28 Sep 2004
Posts: 2

28 Sep 2004 8:21 the best cad system for architects

i think u should try Cadence..

nill

Joined: 23 Sep 2004
Posts: 12
Location: USA

29 Sep 2004 11:02 caspoc vs. protel or proteus

For Student Level in Electric Circuit simulation I would suggest PSpice (any version 8.0, 9.0, etc). There is very good manual available by Franco, who also has Electric Circuits textbook.

For more advanced work, I mean circuits having many parts I would recomment Orcad 9.2.

prinsloo

Joined: 19 Sep 2004
Posts: 94
Helped: 1
Location: Bethlehem RSA

05 Oct 2004 22:00 cad systems best processor

Free downloads of SwCAD111 + BodeCAD,you get a lot for free.Also look at Express SCH.

vvviiii

Joined: 23 Sep 2004
Posts: 6

06 Oct 2004 0:28 proteus versus orcad

For Analog and RF ... I use cadence spectre/SpectreRF

For digital design either spectre of microsim

use simpel circuits etc you may want to use free student version of Pspice.

mopengfei

Joined: 10 Aug 2004
Posts: 41
Location: hangzhou of china

08 Oct 2004 1:39 best cad system?

Electronics Workbench (Multisim) is best

tochaHCM

Joined: 29 Sep 2004
Posts: 97
Helped: 1

08 Oct 2004 14:24 alternative eagle cad

There is no such the best CAD systems. You should ask which CAD systems is the best for your project with your budget and your experience

Wind of Darkness

Joined: 01 Jul 2004
Posts: 15
Helped: 1

11 Oct 2004 18:42 best cad system for large assemblies

i think proteus is best in simulate microcontroller circuit

flaxa

Joined: 07 Mar 2003
Posts: 33

13 Oct 2004 18:04 +spectra router manual

<flame> OrCAD </flame>
I think, that the question is wrong. If you want the best
go to Ca*ence or its competitors and pick the most
expensive product. Then you will get "the best".
But if you are money constrained (and who isn't)
then pick Eagle. $1200 for a complete suite is a bargain
comparing to others. And there is a huge community
which uses the Eagle so it is easy to get advisory/library parts/etc.
---
Personally I have bought OrCAD because I somehow
like it. Some people say that it is the most difficult (in terms of
control) CAD for PCB. I don't know. I like it.
And don't forget that there is another issue: once you start designing, drawing libraries, etc then after some time of doing that is
hard to switch to another product, especially when you can't
import your work into it.
This was the main reason why I picked what I picked.

Just my two cents...