RE: Schematic and PCB package

[nigel@xxxxxxx]

On 18-Nov-2000 Ian Oliver wrote:
> I'm after an easy to use (Windows interface rather than DOS)
> package to
> let me quickly enter a schematic and then produce artwork for
> double
> sided PCBs.

I use eagle, from http://www.cadsoft.de, and would recommend
it
thoroughly.  You'll probably find that most folk recommend the
package they use, as it's quite tough to change between PCB design or
schematic capture programs and usually expensive...

Whichever one you choose, there will be a bit of a learning curve,
but if you use it often it will probably become very efficient, so
it's quite hard to evaluate several different ones.

The freeware version of eagle is limited to 1/2 Eurocard PCBs on 2
layers, for non-commercial use.  There are a variety of other
eagle systems from about $99 for commercial use, larger boards,
multilayer etc.

I've used it on Linux and Windows, it works very well, they're quite
active in support and bringing out new versions (I'm an occasional
beta tester), it's customisable (if you want to- I haven't!), there's
a good selection of libraries supplied with it, the freeware version
has no other limitations apart from those above (IIRC), some freeware
versions (of other packages) have useful things like printing or
saving disabled...

The schematic capture works nicely, and is consistent to use with the
PCB designer.  The PCB designer can do basic autorouting, but isn't
very clever about it (I don't usually autoroute, as intelligent
autorouters are extraordinarily expensive, I'm fairly aware of how
to route tracks, and enjoy getting rid of that last wire link... some
folk find it a chore...)

It allows polygon fill (to save etchant!), and the multilayer
versions allow ground planes etc (but it's possible to do them with
the freeware one, with a little thought...)

The only downside that I remember from using it at first was that
it's a bit hard to remember what libraries some components are in (I
did a complete design, incredulous that there was no electrolytic cap
library, then found it was called polcap.lbr - all the others are
cap-tant, cap, etc etc!).  Similarly, the component naming convention
in the library is a bit confusing, you need to have a look in the
library editor to check that you are putting the right size of
resistor in when you are drawing the schematic.

Hope that helps,

Nigel

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