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Re: CAD software for PCB engineering and routing



On Fri, 20 Jun 2008 10:30:52 -0700 (PDT)
owens@peak.org wrote:

> > Hello Larry,
> >
> > Am 2008-06-18 11:35:04, schrieb owens@peak.org:
> >> Michelle
> >> My (no defunct) company went through a similar search as you.
> >> What we found was some very good and very expensive software,
> >> primarily ported to
> >> Suns, and some reasonably good and reasonably inexpensive software,
> >> unfortunately ported to XP.  Perhaps others can suggest something
> >> that combines the XP-like cost with (some of the) UNIX-like
> >> features.  Due to cost reasons we ended up with the XP stuff.
> >> Hope you find something that
> >> matches your needs.
> >> Larry
> >
> > My VariCAD is runnin on Debian and there is nothing which beat it.
> > Handling, Usability, Performance and Price <SIGH>  20.000 Euro.
> >
> > Do you mean a Layout-Software for PCBs?
> > What "expensive" and "less expensive" was it?
> >
> > Thanks, Greetings and nice Day/Evening
> >     Michelle Konzack
> >     Systemadministrator
> >     24V Electronic Engineer
> >     Tamay Dogan Network
> >     Debian GNU/Linux Consultant
> 
> Michelle
> The software I used included a schematic capture package, and a PCB
> layout package.  As do most layout packages this one required some
> human input for the layout rules (line widths, hole sizes, etc.) and
> for routing in case the built-in algorithm got "stumped".  The output
> of the PCB layout package was a file in standard (e.g. Gerber) format
> that one could send to someone to make the boards themselves. The
> schematic package was called Circuit Maker and the companion PCB
> board layout package was called TraxMaker. The packages at that time
> were relatively inexpensive (e.g. several hundred US dollars) and
> only ran on XP.

I am using the freely downloadable student edition of Circuit Maker, and
it works well enough for university tasks. And it runs nicely in wine,
so I assume the full version runs also. I know, I know: this is not
professional. :))
The other one I like is eagle. It is distributed with Debian, in the
non-free section.

> I believe both packages and the (Austrailian)
> company that developed them were bought by someone else but some
> Googling will tell you the new names if you are interested. Again
> these were more for boards that had perhaps up to a few hundred
> components and for relatively small boards--"perfect" for a small
> company doing in-house layout but out-house board manufacture. Larry
> P.S.  The Sun packages were Mentor Graphics' and VERY complex and VERY
> expensive (several tens of thousand US dollars as I recall).  These
> are used, for example, by the PC motherboard companies (multilayer
> boards, plated-through holes, vias, etc.)
> >
> >
> > --
> > Linux-User #280138 with the Linux Counter, http://counter.li.org/
> > ##################### Debian GNU/Linux Consultant
> > ##################### Michelle Konzack   Apt. 917
> > ICQ #328449886 +49/177/9351947    50, rue de Soultz         MSN
> > LinuxMichi +33/6/61925193     67100 Strasbourg/France   IRC #Debian
> > (irc.icq.com)
> >
> 
> 
> 


-- 
Nyizsa.
http://nyizsa.uni.cc


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