Hi One very basic question to ask yourself:
Do you want / need a program that checks the schematic against the layout? It's a feature that probably isn't needed for a really simple circuit. It's something that will save you a hundred dollars (one PCB run) pretty quick on things of even moderate complexity. You can indeed do the schematic on the back of an envelope and do the layout from that. Print out the layout and get out the colored pencils. Color this here and that there as you check it. Been there done that. Gets old pretty quick. Next basic question: How big are the built in / available libraries? If not built in are they free or an extra cost option? All of these programs have the very basic stuff in them. Even simple designs seem to get past the basics pretty fast. RF connectors, regulators, stuff from Mini Circuits, something gets in there. Even a big library won't have everything. Doing two things instead of ten is a lot less tiring. The library thing goes to both ends. Having a schematic with a bunch of numbered boxes in it isn't very helpful. Having a layout made up of a random bunch of pads makes changes (and checking) tough. Again, loose one PCB run to a mistake and you have paid for a license to some of these programs or the library upgrade. No, I'm not trying to sell you on any specific program. I'm just trying to complicate the decision process. It's better to look at all the issues before you spend a couple months learning how a package works than to run through three or four packages (and a years worth of agony). Bob -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Jim Hickstein Sent: Thursday, February 23, 2012 7:39 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [time-nuts] Schematic capture, anyone? What do people use these days for schematic capture (and just possibly PCB layout), for low-budget homebrew stuff? It's been so long since I did this, I still own a T-square and a pile of contemporary relics like rules and triangles. I'll get out my pencil sharpener if I have to. But really, this must be a solved problem by now. For less than $300? I only need TTL, not striplines or any black magic like that. I'm a Mac shop, but can of course run Windows if need be. And to make matters worse, I prefer ANSI logic symbology over shovels-and-spades (or, really, over plain rectangles where you're expected to know what the part number means). This comes from exposure to Control Data, who were big on it back in the day. I even used to be on the mailing list of the standards committee. I suppose that all sank without a trace? If it's still controversial, I apologize in advance for trolling. _______________________________________________ time-nuts mailing list -- [email protected] To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there. _______________________________________________ time-nuts mailing list -- [email protected] To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there.
