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Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!mcvax!enea!luth2!luthcad!sow
From: sow@luthcad.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc,misc.wanted,comp.graphics
Subject: Re: Need Free/Cheap GOOD schematic editor and PCB layouter
Message-ID: <577@luthcad.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 10-Nov-86 12:27:26 EST
Article-I.D.: luthcad.577
Posted: Mon Nov 10 12:27:26 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 12-Nov-86 03:13:12 EST
References: <3881@nsc.NSC.COM>
Reply-To: sow@luthcad.UUCP (Sven-Ove Westberg)
Organization: University of Lulea, Sweden
Lines: 69
Keywords: pcb,schematic,editor,free,cheap
Xref: mnetor comp.sys.ibm.pc:38 misc.wanted:184 comp.graphics:5

In article <3881@nsc.NSC.COM> misha@nsc.UUCP writes:
>I have an immediate need for a Schematic Editor and a
>Printed Circuit Board Layout programs.

In august 1985 ther was a PCB program posted to net.sources.
I have not implemented the program so I do not know if it is
GOOD program. I enclose a copy of the advertisement for the
program.

Sven-Ove Westberg
Lulea University of Technology
Computer Aided Analysis and Design
S-951 87  Lulea,  Sweden

Tel: 46-920-91677               Telex:   80447 LuHS
UUCP:  {decvax,philabs,seismo}!mcvax!enea!luthcad!sow


PCB is an integrated router and editor to design printed circuits boards.
It adopts the 'correct by construction' principle, that is it will enforce
a certain set of design rules (such as cooper traces have to maintain a
minimal separation, holes have to be aligned etc). PCB maintains a data base
of the desired circuit to insure that signals of different net cannot be
shorted, to keep track of unfinished nets, to support the routers etc. 

PCB V1.24 features:
   * Interactive layout editing functions with on-the-fly design rule
     checking and enforcement.
   * Interactive placement functions.
   * Integrated routers that can be used interactively or automatically.
     (Completion rates of >90% were achieved on a board with about 1.9
     14 pin DIP chips / square inch)
   * Functions to move, shorten or straighten wires.
   * Supports the MOSIS process for 4 layer PC boards.
   * Update functions to allow changes to the circuit data base without
     re-routing the entire board.
   * Support for externally supplied geometry (such as connectors,
     text strings, logos etc).
   * Multiple wire widths.
   * Caltech Intermediate Form (CIF V2) output generator.
   * Versatec Plotter output for previews.

Required input files:
   * A list of device descriptions.
   * A list of used devices with optional placement information.
   * A net list of the desired circuit.

Required hardware:
   * A VAX running Unix 4.1 BSD
   * An unmodified AED-512 graphic terminal with a Bitpad-1 graphic
     tablet and a 4 key mouse.
   * (optional) A Versatec V-80 plotter

PCB is written in 'C' and it might be possible to port it to other
system configurations. It was successfully ported to 4.2 systems with
a different graphic hardware, however doing so requires some hacking.
A manual is included that gives some hints on how to port PCB.

The CIF output format is probably unpopular execpt for people with
MOSIS/Arpa connections. It is defined in the Mead & Conway book on
VLSI systems and PCB uses only a few constructs of it. In other words,
it should be easy to change the post-processor to produce other output
formats (I'm interested in any such code).

Please send me a message with your e-mail address if you use PCB.
This is because of curiousity and to have a way to send out bug-fixes.

  Andreas Nowatzyk       ARPA net:  agn@cmu-cs-vlsi.arpa
                          usenet:   ...!seismo!cmu-cs-vlsi!agn