Shop OBEX P1 Docs P2 Docs Learn Events
PCB Design w/autorouting...a consensus? — Parallax Forums

PCB Design w/autorouting...a consensus?

ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
edited 2000-10-30 20:34 in General Discussion
Sooo...

I know this topic has been beaten thoroughly. Is there any consensus on
a good tool for the money that provides autorouting and Gerber files? I
*really* like the expressPCB software. It is intuitive and simple and
robust--have yet to make the program hang, which is monumental in the
Windoze world.
I can definately see the value of being able to input a schematic and
basic parts placement, and let the computer do the routing though...
My circuits are getting complex enough, that a small change takes a lot of
time rerouting. Looking for something under $300 that can do that and store
it in Gerber files, with something like the intuitive, simple, robustness
mentioned above. [noparse]:)[/noparse]

Thanks,

Rich


>From: "William Cox" <william@c...>
>Reply-To: basicstamps@egroups.com
>To: <basicstamps@egroups.com>
>Subject: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] Fw: Basic Stamp Emulator
>Date: Sat, 28 Oct 2000 21:03:23 -0400
>
>Can you answer this Q?
>-William
>
>
>
Original Message
>From: <CAKbots@a...>
>To: <william@c...>
>Sent: Friday, October 27, 2000 10:01 AM
>Subject: Basic Stamp Emulator
>
>
> > William-
> > Our programmer is looking for an emulator for the BAsic Stamp 2. He
>only
> > found one for the Basic Stamp 1, and doesnt know if one exists for the
>stamp
> > 2. Do you know anything about this program? thanks.
> >
> > cody smart
> >
>
>
>
>
>

_________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.

Share information about yourself, create your own public profile at
http://profiles.msn.com.

Comments

  • ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
    edited 2000-10-29 12:24
    I doubt you'll find much in the way of an autorouter at that price. I do
    layouts for a living, using several expensive packages, and I never use
    the autorouters. If I did, the customers would stop calling me, and
    if they worked, they would also stop calling me ;^) They just don't cut it
    in most cases.

    Stew Benedict

    The power in technology lies in getting it to
    work the way you do, we can help.
    Stew Benedict *** AYS Enterprises *** stewb@c...
    http://www.crosswinds.net/~stewb ICQ: 18063833
    http://www.aysenterprises.com Phone/Fax: 216-228-3983

    On Sun, 29 Oct 2000, Richard Warner wrote:

    > Sooo...
    >
    > I know this topic has been beaten thoroughly. Is there any consensus on
    > a good tool for the money that provides autorouting and Gerber files? I
    > *really* like the expressPCB software. It is intuitive and simple and
    > robust--have yet to make the program hang, which is monumental in the
    > Windoze world.
    > I can definately see the value of being able to input a schematic and
    > basic parts placement, and let the computer do the routing though...
    > My circuits are getting complex enough, that a small change takes a lot of
    > time rerouting. Looking for something under $300 that can do that and store
    > it in Gerber files, with something like the intuitive, simple, robustness
    > mentioned above. [noparse]:)[/noparse]
    >
    > Thanks,
    >
    > Rich
    >
    >
    > >From: "William Cox" <william@c...>
    > >Reply-To: basicstamps@egroups.com
    > >To: <basicstamps@egroups.com>
    > >Subject: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] Fw: Basic Stamp Emulator
    > >Date: Sat, 28 Oct 2000 21:03:23 -0400
    > >
    > >Can you answer this Q?
    > >-William
    > >
    > >
    > >
    Original Message
    > >From: <CAKbots@a...>
    > >To: <william@c...>
    > >Sent: Friday, October 27, 2000 10:01 AM
    > >Subject: Basic Stamp Emulator
    > >
    > >
    > > > William-
    > > > Our programmer is looking for an emulator for the BAsic Stamp 2. He
    > >only
    > > > found one for the Basic Stamp 1, and doesnt know if one exists for the
    > >stamp
    > > > 2. Do you know anything about this program? thanks.
    > > >
    > > > cody smart
    > > >
    > >
    > >
    > >
    > >
    > >
    >
    > _________________________________________________________________________
    > Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.
    >
    > Share information about yourself, create your own public profile at
    > http://profiles.msn.com.
    >
    >
    >
    >
  • ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
    edited 2000-10-29 14:37
    I have been using Orcad til version 9.1 when they got bought out. I have
    found that in non-critical circuits, its basically good to use their
    autorouter. I always go back and touch up paths. I spend sometime cleaning
    up my layouts before the customer sees it. Part of the layout, in my eyes,
    is the look of the board after all netlists have routed and all circuits
    have been isolated, etc.

    Jay K.
    Original Message
    From: Stew Benedict <stewb@c...>
    To: <basicstamps@egroups.com>
    Sent: Sunday, October 29, 2000 4:24 AM
    Subject: Re: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] PCB Design w/autorouting...a consensus?


    >
    > I doubt you'll find much in the way of an autorouter at that price. I do
    > layouts for a living, using several expensive packages, and I never use
    > the autorouters. If I did, the customers would stop calling me, and
    > if they worked, they would also stop calling me ;^) They just don't cut it
    > in most cases.
    >
    > Stew Benedict
    >
    > The power in technology lies in getting it to
    > work the way you do, we can help.
    > Stew Benedict *** AYS Enterprises *** stewb@c...
    > http://www.crosswinds.net/~stewb ICQ: 18063833
    > http://www.aysenterprises.com Phone/Fax: 216-228-3983
    >
  • ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
    edited 2000-10-30 14:50
    Jay,
    I agree wholeheartedly about the "look" of the PCB. I deal mostly with
    prototype PCBs and they are rarely exactly what the requestor thought they
    wanted. I think it is just as important to make the board easy to follow
    and repairable as it is to make it functional. PCBs are where electronics
    and art meet.



    At 06:37 AM 10/29/2000 -0800, you wrote:
    >I have been using Orcad til version 9.1 when they got bought out. I have
    >found that in non-critical circuits, its basically good to use their
    >autorouter. I always go back and touch up paths. I spend sometime cleaning
    >up my layouts before the customer sees it. Part of the layout, in my eyes,
    >is the look of the board after all netlists have routed and all circuits
    >have been isolated, etc.
    >
    >Jay K.
    >
    >
    Original Message
    >From: Stew Benedict <stewb@c...>
    >To: <basicstamps@egroups.com>
    >Sent: Sunday, October 29, 2000 4:24 AM
    >Subject: Re: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] PCB Design w/autorouting...a consensus?

    Lee Harker
    258 Metals Development
    Ames Laboratory
    Iowa State University
  • ArchiverArchiver Posts: 46,084
    edited 2000-10-30 20:34
    On Sun, 29 Oct 2000, Richard Warner wrote:

    > Sooo...
    >
    > I know this topic has been beaten thoroughly. Is there any consensus on
    > a good tool for the money that provides autorouting and Gerber files? I
    > *really* like the expressPCB software. It is intuitive and simple and
    > robust--have yet to make the program hang, which is monumental in the
    > Windoze world.

    I haven't used expressPCB, but I quite like eagle cad. Unfortunately, it's
    not under $300 for the full pro version, but the demo one is free and you
    can do up to about 10 square inches with it.

    Sean T. Lamont, CTO / Chief NetNerd, Abstract Software, Inc. (ServNet)
    Seattle - Bellingham - Vancouver - Portland - Everett - Tacoma - Bremerton
    email: lamont@a... WWW: http://www.serv.net
    "...There's no moral, it's just a lot of stuff that happens". - H. Simpson
Sign In or Register to comment.