Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!apple!oliveb!sun!pepper!cmcmanis
From: cmcmanis%pepper@Sun.COM (Chuck McManis)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Board Master Review
Keywords: Layout, PCB, not full autoroute
Message-ID: <111571@sun.Eng.Sun.COM>
Date: 21 Jun 89 20:31:31 GMT
Sender: news@sun.Eng.Sun.COM
Lines: 54


There is a "new" program out called "Board Master" from Black Belt Systems.
This is actually PCLOPlus rewhacked. The interesting thing is that while
PCLOPlus had a suggested list of $1095, Board Master comes in at $75. 

Board Master is a printed circuit board layout tool. It lets you put 
down traces and such and supports two layers easily, more layers with
a little trickery. 

Usage is fairly straight forward, the system routes to .050" grid will
a .025" allowance for diagonal routing so that you can run parallel
lines without having to waste a space. There are three routing algorithims
built in and they can be tried in turn to see which ones generate the 
best routes. You also can "partially" route to an intermediate point
to allow you to influence the route more directly, and of course you
can just put down traces where you feel like. It also lets you build
DIP, SIP, and PGA pads really easily. If you want to save resistor
pads, and transitor pads the way to do that is to lay it out and then
save it as a "block" for later inclusion into other PCBs. 

In it's .050 mode it can run one trace between IC pads, it can also be
run in "2X" mode where the grids are .025 so that you can run 2 lines
between IC pads. For most stuff you don't really need two lines. 

The workspace size is fixed at 256 X 256 gridpoints, which is 12.8" of
PC board space. This is reduced to 6.4" when you are in "two line" mode.

The "trick" you use to get multiple layers is that you layout the first
two layers, then rename the file containing layer 2 (the bottom) and 
lay out layer 3 as a new bottom layer. You can of course repeat this
as many times as you would like. What you can't do are buried vias 
but heck, for a personal board they are impossible to debug anyway so
thats not a real problem. The reason you have to keep layer 1 around
is that it maintains the holes/pads so you need that to sync up. 

Another interesting aspect is that this program is fully REXX controlable
so you can automate things like layer fiddling or some routing jobs.

The output of this program is 4 plots, layer 1, layer 2, holes, and silk
screen. They will plot on a couple of plotters or to an HP laserjet.
They fully document the file format so one could theoretically write
a PostScript plot program for laserwriters. The graphics are "rendered"
at 160dpi so than an 80dpi printer such as an epson can be used to generate
2X checkplots. 

Finally, it isn't copy protected which is essential for me. And the price
was right. I'm going to lay out my Z80 microcontroller on it to see how
well it works. 

--Chuck
--Chuck McManis
uucp: {anywhere}!sun!cmcmanis   BIX: cmcmanis  ARPAnet: cmcmanis@sun.com
These opinions are my own and no one elses, but you knew that didn't you.
"A most excellent barbarian ... Genghis Kahn!"