From: 2575brooksr@vms.csd.mu.edu (Ryan K. Brooks)
Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Subject: Summary of PCB CAD Advice
Date: 25 Dec 1992 23:04:32 GMT
Organization: Marquette University - Computer Services
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Here is the promised summary of all the advice I received about
my query concerning cheap and good PCB CAD software:

From:	IN%"mpaul@unlinfo.unl.edu" 29-NOV-1992 21:24:11.85
To:	IN%"2575brooksr@VMS.CSD.MU.EDU"
CC:	
Subj:	RE: PCB CAD prgs advice wanted
 
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From: mpaul@unlinfo.unl.edu (marxhausen paul)
Subject: RE: PCB CAD prgs advice wanted
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"Good" and "cheap", in PCB software, you can sure get from the PADS Software
shareware version, which is available on ftp archives all over the place
(SIMTEL, etc. - drop me  line if you want a list, I don't have it handy.)
What is PADS?  Well, they make a Logic program for making schematics, and
a PCB program for circuit boards, which can suck in the output from the 
schematic package nicely.  The main difference between the shareware version
and the $2000 commercial version is that the size of the schematic you can
draw is limited to 2 pages, and the PCB is limited in the number of pins,
traces, etc. to an extent that you can do roughly a 30 IC design.  Also,
they don't include their much-touted "SuperRouter" autorouter in the shareware,
but it DOES include a couple of less capable autorouters.
 
How good is PADS?  Well, we've used Aptos CRITERION schematic/PCB/autorouter
software, another multi-thousand buck package; I've also taken a peek at 
OrCAD.  PADs is very capable, a professional package with some very powerful
and flexible features.  Two drawbacks, which feed on each other:
 
1) PADS uses a quirky user interface that makes us of a whole series of 
10-item menus selected by function keys, and the mouse, and also a command
line at the bottom of the screen, and it's NOT intuitive.  If you don't know
what you're doing, you're sunk.
 
2) Your aren't going to get a fully comprehensive and exhaustive manual for it
   without buying the commercial package.
 
HOWEVER...the shareware release does include a couple of lengthy tutorial files;
in the very latest release (which may not be on the archives yet) these total
some 70 pages.  If you work through them completely and read EVERYTHING in
them, you can get up to speed with PADS and get a good understanding of how
they do things, and from there, you can figure out some stuff they don't 
document.  
 
A comment about autorouting: it ain't what it's cracked up to be.  We have an
autorouter with CRITERION, and some folks here have tried OrCADs autorouter,
and everybody always concludes that autorouting is VASTLY overrated.  YOu
simply are not going to be able to plunk down your chips, input a netlist,
and sit back and watch it all take care of itself - autorouters do some very
stupid routing and miss some really obvious connections.  There really is no
substitute for a good eye and careful thinking and layout.   We simply do not
bother using autorouting any more.  I've never heard anybody say they knew
of an autorouter that really did a good job.
 
ANyway, I think enough of PADS that I will be installing on our EE department
undergraduate computer lab machines for the use of our students: for every
feature where I scratch my head (or curse), I find one that I say, "Wow,
that's really slick!  Hey, come here and look at this!"
 
 
-- 
paul marxhausen .... ....... ............. ............ ............ .......... 
. .. . .  . . . university of nebraska - lincoln .  . . .. . .  .. . . . . . . .
 .     .    .  .   .     .   .  .    .   .  .   .    .   .  grace .   .    .  . 
.   .         .       .      .        .        .      .        .   happens .     
From:	IN%"Gregory.Vines@brunel.ac.uk"  "Gregory Vines" 30-NOV-1992 04:51:58.99
To:	IN%"2575brooksr@VMS.CSD.MU.EDU"
CC:	
Subj:	RE: PCB CAD prgs
 
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From: Gregory Vines <Gregory.Vines@brunel.ac.uk>
Subject: RE: PCB CAD prgs
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In article <00964579.53F93A00@vms.csd.mu.edu> you write:
>Hi!
>	I'd like to know what PCB cad (w/autorouting) prgs are available
>for free or at least cheaply.  Specifically I need to be able to handle
>a device with staggered PGA (one row on .1" centers, next row .05" down
>and indented .05", repeating).  I currently use BoardMaster on my Amiga,
>but it doesn't think much of this device :-(.   Something for MS-DOS
>or X would be acceptable.  Thanks!
>
I use XCAD on my Amiga for PCBs, having drawn up a library of symbols for
pads.
 
Advantages:	extremely flexible (you can always draw more symbols)
		cheap (depending on your definition of cheap)
 
Disadvantages:	hand routing only
		massive output (XCAD-2000 only gives output in HPGL, converting
		that into postscript gives a board drawn entirely with say 0.1mm
		lines...
 
I'd be interested to hear more about BoardMaster.
 
> ----------------------------
> Ryan K. Brooks                        "You're never dead till you're        
> 2575BrooksR@vms.csd.mu.edu                  out of quarters."     
> Marquette University EECE              
> NemeSys Corporation
> "Curtains for Windows" 
 
				Yours electronically,
								Greg
 
Clouds with silver linings tend to rain the hardest.
 
From:	IN%"eplunix!raoul@harvard.harvard.edu" 30-NOV-1992 10:23:19.02
To:	IN%"harvard!2575brooksr@vms.csd.mu.edu"
CC:	
Subj:	RE: PCB CAD prgs
 
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Date: 30 Nov 1992 10:40:13 -0500 (est)
From: eplunix!raoul@harvard.harvard.edu (Nico Garcia-Otero)
Subject: RE: PCB CAD prgs
To: harvard!2575brooksr@vms.csd.mu.edu
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Try the PADS freeware: It's ftp'able from the /mirrors/msdos/cad
directory on wuarchive.wustl.edu, as padslog.zip, padspcb.zip,
and padslib.zip. It's pretty nice and configurable, although the
manual set bites the big one.
 
			Nico Garcia
			CIRL/MEEI
			eddie.mit.edu!eplunix!raoul
					
Newsgroups: comp.robotics