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CAD Software and Board Manufacturer Recommendations


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#21 JerseyTechGuy

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Posted 17 May 2012 - 01:31 AM

I purchased Eagle Light, but I am finding it extremely difficult to use. Nothing is intuitive to use. The board size is limited to 3.2" x 3.9" (80mm x 100mm), only 2 layers boards.

The only thing I have found that I liked is the Auto Router.

Do any of the other programs mentioned in this thread have an auto route feature?

Chuck


DesignSpark not only has a great auto-router but it has an auto-placer for components. It can help to rough in a board.

#22 carb

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Posted 17 May 2012 - 01:36 AM

DesignSpark not only has a great auto-router but it has an auto-placer for components. It can help to rough in a board.

Thanks Dave,

I just just downloaded DesignSpark. Will play with it tommorrow.

Chuck

#23 Magpie

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Posted 17 May 2012 - 04:42 AM

I tried Kicad and found it pretty much unusable. It's probably good for very basic stuff, but found it to be lacking functionality.

That is so not true. You just have to follow the one of the video tutorials.
It has quite a few of the advanced features such as real time Design Rules Check, 3d modelling with 3d components.
I guess on your board Dave, you haven't put in the actual 3d models, that is why it is unpopulated.

Kicad has 2 autorouters, one is built in and not very good, the second one goes to a web based 3rd party auto router and I am sure it would be better than any of the other autorouters in the other packages.

But really once you get used to doing the routing it is actually better and quicker to do it yourself.

The best thing about Kicad is that it is open source.
I know I don't need to explain this but I will anyway.

If you are a programmer and you don't like something, you can change it and rebuild it in Windows. ( I must admit I haven't built it myself but have communications with people who do).

To reiterate the good things about open source are:
  • It's free.
  • No licence activation stuff to do.
  • No false limitations.
  • You can make your own changes.
  • You can understand how it works through the source.
  • You can find tricky bugs by going through the source.
  • You can access the actual coders without going through a whole series of hoops designed to protect IP and a companies legal rights.
  • The warm feeling that any help you give the project will go back to other people trying to make there own boards.

STEFF Shield High Powered Led Driver shield.

#24 nakchak

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Posted 17 May 2012 - 07:50 AM

I purchased Eagle Light, but I am finding it extremely difficult to use. Nothing is intuitive to use. The board size is limited to 3.2" x 3.9" (80mm x 100mm), only 2 layers boards.

The only thing I have found that I liked is the Auto Router.

Do any of the other programs mentioned in this thread have an auto route feature?

Chuck


Design spark does have an ok auto router, as does kicad (both are free, either through creating a design spark account, or in kicad's case its GPL) although even on multi thousand $$$$ pcb design systems, auto routers tend to leave a lot to be desired, the main issue with auto routing is the tendency to add a lot of uncessary vias (connections between layers) which can significantly increase fabrication costs. Thats not to say autorouters dont have their place, but i certainly would never entertain the idea of auto-routing an entire board.

Admittedly PCB routing is a bit of a black art which takes a lot of practice to get good at (much like coding, i certainly wouldnt be happy to use drag and drop auto coding tools), however it can be very satisfying when it all just clicks into place, although that maybe because i loved dot to dot pictures as a child ;).

Here are some good tutorials i can recommend (all from the same guy, Dave Jones of EEVBlog fame)

PCB Design
PCB Design For Manufacture Part 1
PCB Design For Manufacture Part 2
PCB Layout Part 1
PCB Layout Part 2

The last 2 are part of a series about building an arduino based lab power supply, however I reckon it would be pretty cool to adapt it to either be a shield, or netduino mini based project...

Nak.

#25 carb

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Posted 17 May 2012 - 10:07 AM

Thanks Nak, I will take a look at the tutorials today after work. I played with DesignSpark some last night and so far it has been a lot easier to use. Now I have to find some libraries for the Netdunio boards. chuck

#26 nakchak

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Posted 17 May 2012 - 11:06 AM

Thanks Nak,

I will take a look at the tutorials today after work.

I played with DesignSpark some last night and so far it has been a lot easier to use.

Now I have to find some libraries for the Netdunio boards.

chuck


Hey Chuck

Have a look at the arduino shield library i have used it to create some ND shields before.

If time allows I will formalise my modifications to the lib with ND pin labels and modified part without a board outline i have used for my designs and upload here and on design spark site. The part i have made without an outline is useful for weird shaped and over size shields as it is just the pad spacing for the shield headers...

Nak.




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