which PCB design package to use ?

[DTSFA]

Hi

I have a choice between Easy Pc and Cadstar Lite,

please can anyone recommend which one has the edge, so to speak

thanks

( I appreciate there is substantial cost difference )

 

[ScottyUK]

What are you designing? And how frequently are you using the software?

 

[itsmoked]

T'wer me I'd stay away from Cadstar simply because they won't tell you the price. That means you're not going to get your money's worth. When you ask for the price and they demand to know your entire life story you are going to get worked on the pricing.

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[ScottyUK]

Ha-ha, things must be different with Zuken. Back in Racal's day you just needed to be sitting down with a stiff drink in your hand and a bottle to top it up a few times!

 

[MikeHalloran]

At one time I had access to a corporate site license, so I didn't personally have to pay for CadStar. (Right before the Zuken transition). The thing was, I loved it while I was doing the tutorials, and immediately thereafter, but if I was away from it for more than a couple of days, which I was because driving it was not specifically my job, I forgot how to drive it, completely, and had to review the tutorials. The guys who used it every day, for a living, loved it, or at least said they did.

I have no knowledge of Easy PC or of the current version of CadStar Lite.


Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[DTSFA]

thanks for replies,

I will be designing, programmable controller ICs, lots of digital I/O , boards around 300mm square, bridge rectifier, relays, that sort of detail

probably 4 layer at most,


getting mixed vibes on Cadstar, and is does cost. Used it 5 years ago, seemed ok, but that was my first introduction to PCB design,

seeing quite good reports about Easy PC, is around £500.

need to make decision soon, need to crack on with designs

 

[drhoo]

I would check out cadsoft and Eagle program.

It is easy to use and not very expensive.

 

[mcgyvr]

Diptrace hands down.. Its very user friendly.. Very cheap and very capable..

 

[SceneryDriver]

PCB123 has a nice, capable, and free software downloadable from their website. It allows you to define component footprints, etc... but it will lock you into using their fab services.

-rpoet

 

[djs]

In the Linux world there is a free package line called GEDA. Consists of a schematic editor and various utilities. For designing the PCB there is PCB. I used these tools to design and build a microcontroller based chlorine and pH pool controller.

For those who are Linux phobic, I suggest trying to run Ubuntu in a Windows based virtual machine. I like Oracle's VirtualBox. Does a great job of running Ubuntu.

 

[TomDOT]

djs - I might suggest the Mint distro. Ubuntu has been slipping the past few years - now they have put adware in the distro.