Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ukma!rutgers!apple!apn
From: apn@Apple.COM (Alex Novickis)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Recommendations for PC board layout programs?
Message-ID: <24950@apple.Apple.COM>
Date: 29 Jan 89 05:16:36 GMT
References: <2794.23E998F3@mailcom.FIDONET.ORG>
Organization: Apple Computer Inc, Cupertino, CA
Lines: 44

In article <2794.23E998F3@mailcom.FIDONET.ORG> postmaster@mailcom.FIDONET.ORG (Bernard Aboba) writes:
>Just wondered if users of various PC board layout programs might be 
>willing to recommend an (inexpensive, if possible) program to layout a PC 
>board.  It would be nice if there were also an autorouting module 
>available for it.

Since you didn't mention for what computer, I will cover all the cases I know,
with a few notes:


in the PC world:
	Orcad/Schema	- I have friends that swear by this, although I have
			only played with it for a few hours and found it to
			be east to learn and full of most features required.
			this packeage is hopelessly copyprotected
	EE designer	- I evaluated EEII and EEIII. Not worth the diskettes.
			The manual would be usefull if printed on softer paper.
	Wintek/Smartwork- this is a toy... works only on CGA.. supports ONE
			plotter.
	AutoCAD 	- Not really a CAD package fore circuit design, but
			is a high enough quality package that it CAN be used.
			lacks support for auto-routing or rubber-banding.

in the MAC world	
	DCAD		- Douglas CAD seems to be the only one on the market
			currently that is a professional product.

	MacCad		- should have best been left as a public domain item.



there are a few incomplete public domain packages, but typically they will not
run on anything small (like a PC) or anything that is programmer hostile ( like
a MAC)



---- these opionions are mine and not my employers -----

Alex P. Novickis, Real Time systems demi-guru.  (W)   408-370-4541
ALINK:alex.n                                    (PAGE)    289-6678
UUCP: {afsg,amdahl,claris,voder,rutgers,amdcad,ames} apn@apple.com, apn@nonvon
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