Pro Audio Design Forum

What are your preferred programs for schematic and pcb designs.

It's been some time I don't design pcbs and I have to again. The problem is the one I used to use was (believe it or not) a DOS program called TRAX.

Even if it was very simple, it was very powerful and I had got to master it quite well. My preamp two sided pcb was designed with it, with absolutely no problems.

The Windows version of it, and the one I used to print my pcb files with, was Protel.

My partner, which is far more up to date, uses Altium. which is a completely different beast. I'm getting quite a beating following the tutorial.

Are there other programs that you recommend or prefer?

hi calmart;
fancy seeing you here

i use DipTrace now.
i prefer to have schematic capture because i'm old and forgetful now.
it's easy to use, does a great job and meets my budget (free or cheap) for home projects.
if i'm doing something REALLY simple and I just don't need a schematic or it's very unlikely i can screw it up, i use Sprint. it is the easiest PCB layout tool i have EVER played with.
actually, i find i don't use sprint often even for easy stuff these days because i've gotten so comfortable with Diptrace and sometimes after the fact i need to share the schematic with a friend.

mlloyd1

Well, I'm not sure things will be simple all the time. They are for now,

I will have a look at DipTrace. Thank you.

I use ExpressPCB http://www.expresspcb.com

Its an easy-to-use application for layout but requires the boards to be manufactured by them.
They do excellent 2 and 4-layer work with quick prototype turn-around but are costly.

Thanks, no expresspcb for me.

This is a commercial product we are talking about, so I am trying to see my options.

Apparently nobody has dealt with Altium, because I would appreciate comments from anyone who has.

I use a very old version of Eagle... I'm too cheap to pay the license fees for a more modern release.

JR

Well, if I could I would use an old DOS program that served me very well. It was called Trax, and I got to do great things with it.

Unfortunately it doesn't run in XP or Win 7. It did in Win 95, but it's no use trying to run it in anything new. It won't.

The files I could import with Protel and used it for printing the pcb files, but only that. I didn't have the patience to learn the program, which maybe I should have.

New programs seem to work in a different way, so maybe I should try them. And the person I'm working with is familiar with Altium. In this case version 10.

Though the Tutorial is not as precise as it might be, and it's frustrating when I try to do something or expect something to happen and it doesn't.

I call those the "secret handshakes" and all software has them...

JR

If it does I couldn't find it.

I've discovered more than a few things refuse to load/run under 64-bit Win 7, so I'm nursing along my 15 year old Compaq tower running win98SE.

As for a design app, KiCad is where I've been spending some time. Open source, lotsa support.


Bri