What0s the best pcb design program ???

[Flatpicker]

[quote author="fum"]I've been messing with Rimu, and am printing eps to file ( using an HP laserjet driver), and converting to pdf using ghostscript ( all free), with good results...[/quote]Cool idea. Thanks for the tip.

 

[tk@halmi]

Rimu is just so easy to use. Many other layout programs had to be written for a Unix or some other crap like that because they go completely against the Windows paradigm. For about $125 the Rimu is a good deal. WinqCad has a world class autorouter, but I am not doing complex digital designs anyhow. Now, I just have to recreate all my components.

 

[Kev]

[quote author="fum"]and converting to pdf using ghostscript ( all free), with good results.[/quote]

with CM on windoze I just print to a PDF file straight from the printer control panel, as with any win program.

I haven't yet had a reply from Hutson Systems (Rimu). :sad:
If there were a fast library conversion and general management ... and the grey'd/transparent jpg feature would be great,
... I'd be in , in a flash.

 

[fum]

[quote author="Flatpicker"][quote author="fum"]I've been messing with Rimu, and am printing eps to file ( using an HP laserjet driver), and converting to pdf using ghostscript ( all free), with good results...[/quote]Cool idea. Thanks for the tip.[/quote]

Here's a link to a tutorial, thank you Oak Valley Hospital =)

http://www.ovhd.com/TechTools/HOWTOs/EasyPDF.html

 

[CJ]

Hey StDomingo, I downloaded that program and layed out all the pads for the Langevin AM16 board. I am now ready to connect the dots. The curved trace part of it is giving me problems, the arc tends to only bend one way.
Any ideas?
Thanks!
cj
(no pm or email, so had to bump this)

 

[CJ]

Thanks, Matt. I think I will just do the dot-trace thing and let someone else like Duka finalize it. This will save me from learning the program.

Hey, how do I do the bottom of the board? When I flip the board, you can still see the top copper layer pads and traces. Do I flip the board and then just add the bottom copper traces, which are blue, right over the existing top copper traces?
And will that program export Gerbers? What is the most common file type for this type of work?
Thanks!
cj

 

[digichild]

[quote author="electronaut"]For Mac users, my favorite by far is Osmond.

I like it better than Eagle running in X11 on Mac OSX.[/quote]

wow: a program for designing boards on a mac-supercool :grin:

can i open pdf schematics?

 

[electronaut]

[quote author="digichild"]wow: a program for designing boards on a mac-supercool :grin:

can i open pdf schematics?[/quote]

Osmond can place a PDF as a ghosted image in the background. This is helpful if you need to trace existing PCB artwork (which may be a copyright infringement).

But what do you mean by "Can I open PDF schematics"?


Incidently, I found this guy's site with links to many PCB layout programs for both Mac AND PC.

 

[digichild]

electronaut wrote:
But what do you mean by "Can I open PDF schematics"?

well, i never worked with pcb programs...i just try to figure out how i get a board out of it...and in osmond there is no "help"...

 

[electronaut]

There is an excellent tutorial that explains in detail how to create boards with Osmond. There is also an extensive reference section.

The tutorial is available here.

The reference section is here

Good luck.

 

[nrgrecording]

http://www.abacom-online.de/uk/html/sprint-layout.html

The easiest pcb program i'd ever seen! I love it. :thumb:

SMD, make a component library in seconds, auto ground plane, manual ground plane, test function, 2 layer, you can use *bmp as a background, rubberband-function, photoview, drag n drop, you can print directly to pdf if you have the pdf-writer installed, it can export gerber and excellon, many german pcb boardhouses accept the "sprint-file" directly, they have a free viewer... and everything for 39,90€!

I love numberonesystems easy pc, too. But thats a bit pricey. I tried eagle , bought 2 books, read many tutorials... and i don't like it... everything is different from what you think how it will work :wink: As long as I don't have to make pcbs bigger than 300x300... sprint will do the job.

Frank.

 

[chrissugar]

I can second Frank. I downloaded the demo version of Sprint Layout 4.0 and it is amazing. Soon will buy it. For 39.90 euros it is a great value.

chrissugar

 

[smorphet]

I've been using Harry Eaton's 'PCB' on Linux:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/pcb/

It's Unix/X11 only, so no native Windows or Mac versions, although I think it will work with Cygwin. It's free software (GPL) so you get to build it yourself from the source code. I'm sure this sort of thing appeals to a few DIYers.

I've been using an older version, which is quite basic but perfectly usable. I keep meaning to investigate the latest versions, which appear to include many nice new features such as auto-routing, and background images.

Steve.