Shop OBEX P1 Docs P2 Docs Learn Events
PCB layout/router — Parallax Forums

PCB layout/router

MTEMTE Posts: 1
edited 2011-02-14 01:40 in General Discussion
Can anyone recomend a PCB-layout-router that includes schematic capture for a two sided board?

Comments

  • LeonLeon Posts: 7,620
    edited 2011-02-11 13:35
    Design Spark is very good value:

    http://uk.rs-online.com/web/generalDisplay.html?id=pcb&cm_sp=Homepage-uk-_-electronics-_-Secondary-Banner

    It's free, BTW!
  • SteveW719SteveW719 Posts: 40
    edited 2011-02-11 19:37
    I was going to ask the same question. I was told Eagle is a good package with a free version for experimenters. I don't have any experience with PCB layout so I would appreciate some feedback if EAGLE would be a good package to learn with.

    Thanks
  • Dr_AculaDr_Acula Posts: 5,484
    edited 2011-02-12 02:34
    I use Eagle all the time. See the link below for boards. Free version is the size of a beer coaster, and there is a student version for $125 that is 160x100mm which is a standard Euro card and more than big enough for most needs. Indeed, the free beer coaster size can do most circuits. Lots of tricks with Eagle, but lots of good support too. Draw the schematic, then run the autorouter (I always use the autorouter). Then email it off to a PCB fab house.
  • max72max72 Posts: 1,155
    edited 2011-02-12 06:05
    other options are diptrace (free for non commercial use, pin limited version, there has been a long discussion about Diptrace vs Eagle recently originated by Parallax itself, and you'll find many in the forum).
    Or in the free software realm you can check kicad (linux and windows), tinycad+freepcb (windows), and Geda (linux).
    Leon posted a library for Designspark, somewhere there are eagle libraries, and diptrace too. Probably the best place to start with propeller based diptrace models is gadget gangster.
    I suggest you to test as many as possible.
    Massimo
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2011-02-12 19:03
    I suspect that most importantly is that you stay with your first choice until you master it. I have been using Eagle for years and I am very happy with it inspite of what others might claim as limitations. Begin a hobbyist and having come to the world of SMDs, I find no reason to go beyond the free version.

    Once you get to the point you can do anything you want in it - then is the time to consider paying bucks for more features that you are aware that you really need. Eagle is available in Linux as well as Windows and I use it in both.
  • TonyDTonyD Posts: 210
    edited 2011-02-14 01:40
    I second Leon about DesignSpark. I found it a easy package to use and it can import Eagle files (the importing is a bit of a chew but it works)
Sign In or Register to comment.