Engineering Software 2

[DanDel]

I trying to find out the differences among the various electrical engineering software pakages - ETAP, EDSA, SKM, CYME, etc. Any input will be helpful, but basically I'm trying to find out the strong/weak points of each such as: ease of use, cost, support; comments from users for large systems(100-200 buses or more), AC & DC capabilities, 3-phase and single-phase modeling, device modeling, curve library, any problems with exporting/importing, etc. I have been using ETAP for 10 years and would be very much interested in anyone who has used both ETAP and another package, particularly SKM. Thanks.

 

[dpc]

Just to complicate your evaluation, you might also want to look at Easypower (

http://www.easypower.com).

In evaluating the responses you will receive, you need to consider how the software is being used and for what purpose. A consultant doing multiple projects at once with limited time and budget has different needs than a plant engineer who is maintaining a model for a single facility.

Also, you need to determine what your primary needs and requirements are. These programs all have similar core functionality but there are a lot of differences in the complete feature set.

But there is no substitute for actually using the software to determine its ease or difficulty of use. You should be able to obtain trial versions of each program you are considering. It's good to give them each a test drive to see how they match up with the way you work.

Good luck.

 

[DanDel]

Thanks, dpc, that's a good point about how the software is to be used. It will be used for consultant-type work, multiple projects.