Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!mailrus!ncar!boulder!rainer
From: rainer@boulder.Colorado.EDU (Rainer Malzbender)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Need a good PC board layout system for PCs
Message-ID: <23253@boulder.Colorado.EDU>
Date: 9 Jul 90 05:59:32 GMT
References: <9353@rice-chex.ai.mit.edu> <25981@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU>
Sender: news@boulder.Colorado.EDU
Reply-To: rainer@boulder.Colorado.EDU (Rainer Malzbender)
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Lines: 28


I have and use both OrCAD SDT ($495) and PCB ($1495). Some of the comments
I've seen here and in magazine reviews might lead one to think this is the
greatest thing since sliced bread, so let me add a note of reason. These
are both fine products which may in fact be the best available for PC's
(haven't used other stuff), but they are definitely less than perfect. I
would probably encourage someone to buy these products, but OrCAD could use
a few programmers from Microsoft (flames > /dev/null) to enhance their user
interface, and just in general add functionality. I've found SDT to be the
better of the two and think that the price for PCB is outrageous, even with
an autorouter. I keep running into weird artificial limits in both programs
(e.g., drill size < 256 mils, what if I want to do a design at 4X ???).
Note that if you're using SMD chips with pad spacings at weird intervals,
like an 80 pin gull wing HV77 LCD driver with pads every 31.5 mils, the
autorouter won't work. Zoom is not continuously variable, grid sizes are
fixed (5 mil minimum), and you can't add little guide lines except by
using the 'place edge' feature. And why do I get a two-inch thick manual for
$495 and only a little half-inch thick one for $1495 ???

On the other hand, if your project is building boards for a PC using
mostly TTL, OrCAD's products will do the job very nicely. By the way, I
would prefer this note be construed as constructive criticism for OrCAD
rather than advising against purchasing their products. I just couldn't let
that comment about "INCREDIBLE" user interfaces go unnoticed.
--
Rainer M. Malzbender                          Technology recapitulates biology.
Dept. of Physics                (303)492-6829       rainer@hibachi.colorado.edu 
U. of Colorado, Boulder, USA                  malzbender%opus@vaxf.colorado.edu