[sci.electronics] Printed circuit creation software...

jp@unix.cis.pitt.edu (Jefferson Provost) (08/09/90)

Greetings,

I'm looking for some software for the Mac that will, given a schematic
diagram, produce a printed circuit layout.  


Good shareware or public domain stuff would be ideal.

Any info would be appreciated,

Thanx,

Jeff Provost
(jp@unix.cis.pitt.edu)

apn@Apple.COM (Alex Novickis) (08/11/90)

In article <26953@unix.cis.pitt.edu> jp@unix.cis.pittsburgh.edu (Jefferson Provost) writes:
>Greetings,
>
>I'm looking for some software for the Mac that will, given a schematic
>diagram, produce a printed circuit layout.  
>
>
>Good shareware or public domain stuff would be ideal.
>
>Any info would be appreciated,
>
>Thanx,
>
>Jeff Provost
>(jp@unix.cis.pitt.edu)


If you find some shareware stuff let me know :-) :-)

However, in the meantime, I'll tell you what I have used and some of the 
prblems..... I have Douglas CAD (from Douglas Electronics) and provides a 
reasonable layout program and an autorouter that is for the most part useless.
If you are not autorouting, or don't mind large PCB's ( in which case you can
sucessfully use the autorouter) than that would be OK. For schematic entry and
simulation I use designworks from capilano... Excellent product, a few bugs here
and there.. but otherwise excelent.
If you want to get a real autorouter, than one is available from VAMP, inc.
 called TrailBlazer.  However, their (Vamp's) schematic entry system does not
TrailBlazeer.... It's good.  .. very good.. Fast, does multilayer if you want.

 provide the functionality that I need...

I wish real-world software was simple... Ahhh.. what a fool I am!!



SO... here's my mac solution for PCB's:

Designworks for entry and simulation

----- Enter schematic
----- maybe do some simulation ( mostly digital, although spice is available)
----- generate net list/report for router

Use VAMP Trailblazzer layout
---- place parts
---- autoroute 
---- generate gerber file


---- photoplot at your local photoplotter ( where else ?)
---- drop it off at the board shop.


Ok, so,  you ask... what does modern automation cost ?

Designworks is about $1200.00
Douglas cad ( which I no longer use ) about $500
Spice ( I don't have this yet, as I don't do much analog that I need
   to simulate)   $4500
Vamp's entry system is $1250.00

and the autorouter option is

VAMP's trailblazer is $4995


So...automation is not cheap.


-- 
Alex P. Novickis, Real Time systems demi-guru.  (W)   408-370-4541
ALINK:alex.n                                    (PAGE)    989-6678
UUCP:{amdahl,claris,pyramid,sun,decwrl,well,ubvax,ames}!apn@apple.com,apn@nonvon
"I think... I think it's in my basement. Let me go upstairs and check"-Escher.

fmgst@unix.cis.pitt.edu (Filip Gieszczykiewicz) (08/11/90)

	Greetings. A possibility: ($0.02 worth)

	On Simtel, in one of the MS-DOS subdirectories, you
	should find a program called PCB.ZIP. Once un-zipped,
	it becomes a collection of C and ASM files.

	The ZIP file consists of an autorouter, a viewer,
	and a plotter modules. The autorouter should
	be compiled without modification but the
	viewer and plotter files will require porting.

	It's designed for the IBM but if you are into
	software, you could port it to MAC. The software
	is shareware.

	Take care.

	P.S. It works well for large boards but seems to
	choke on small boards with lots of components - even
	using double sided boards and plate-through holes...
-- 
_______________________________________________________________________________
"The Force will be with you, always." It _is_ with me and has been for 10 years
Filip Gieszczykiewicz    "A man without a dream is like a fish without water."
FMGST@PITTVMS  or  fmgst@unix.cis.pitt.edu "My ideas. ALL MINE!!"