DipTrace PCB software

[Arouse1973]

Found a nice free PCB software easy to use and is limeted to 300 nodes for lite version. I am designing a new power supply using it. It has a very comprehensive library of parts.

www.diptrace.com

Adam

 

[Supercap2F]

Hey Adam! I just downloaded Diptrace, and have used it for about 30 mins. It seems like it's a lot better then what I was using! My projects may start to get a lot neater.

Thanks so much for saying something about that program!

Dan

 

[BobK]

Can it produce Gerber files?

Bob

 

[Supercap2F]

Yep

 

[KrisBlueNZ]

I just recently did a survey of EDA packages for schematic capture and PCB layout. I haven't tried these out; if anyone does, please post your opinions.

Free and budget:

• 123D Circuits - Web-based
• AutoTRAX DEX 2020 (http://www.dex2020.com/) - Free trial; full price USD 49
• DesignSpark (http://www.rs-online.com/designspark/electronics/page/designspark-pcb-home-page) - Free (non-commercial and commercial); affiliated with RS Components
• Eagle (http://www.cadsoftusa.com/) - Windows/Linux/Mac. Widely used. Free version has limitations.
• EasyEDA - Web-based
• Fritzing (http://fritzing.org/) - Supports schematics, PCBs, breadboard and stripboard layouts
• FreePCB (http://www.freepcb.com/)
• gEDA suite (http://www.geda-project.org/) - Posix/Linux; GPL
• KiCAD (http://www.kicad-pcb.org/) - Open source

Professional with free limited versions:

• Cadstar (http://www.zuken.com/en) - Free version limited to 300 pads and 50 components
• DipTrace (http://www.diptrace.com/) - Windows/Linux. Free version limited to 300 pads and 2 layers.
• Target 3001 (http://ibfriedrich.com/) - Free version limited to 250 pads and 2 layers

Professional without free or cheap versions:

• Altium
• EasyPC (http://www.numberone.com/) - Free version can’t save nor generate output
• EDWinXP (http://www.visionics.a.se/) - Evaluation period is 14 days
• OrCAD (http://www.orcad.com/)
• PADS
  
• Proteus (www.labcenter.com/)
• Pulsonix (http://www.pulsonix.com/)

 

[(*steve*)]

Kris, that list above is the start of a good resource! We get asked this question often enough to put the answer somewhere prominent.

 

[KrisBlueNZ]

Agreed. When Ian is back from his holiday I will mention it.

 

[(*steve*)]

As an all-powerful moderator type person you can just add a resource

 

[davenn]

Professional without free or cheap versions:

• Altium

Altium, I'm unfortunately aware of they took over Protel. I used Protel up till earlier this year. Very respectable software
All the PCB's I do for my commercial manufacturing have been done with it.
Unfortunately it wont run on Win7 ( it did on my old XP puter)
when I enquired about an upgrade They wanted AU$7,500 .... yeah like that's going to happen

so unless I can find another prog that can read my xxx.DDB or xxx.PCB files, I'm going to have to set up an old PC just to be able to access my PCB layout files grrrrrrrrrrrr

Dave

 

[davenn]

OK

tried to D/L EDWinXP (http://www.visionics.a.se/) - Evaluation period is 14 days

but their downloader doesn't work

downloaded and installed the eval. version of Proteus (www.labcenter.com/)

but it doesn't recognise my Protel files

more tries to come

EDIT

downloaded and installed Pulsonix (http://www.pulsonix.com/)

its says it will read Protel 98 files but it wont
cannot register on their forum ----- some unspecified error occurring

this is becoming a real hassle hahaha

D

 

[KrisBlueNZ]

As an all-powerful moderator type person you can just add a resource

There isn't an appropriate category. Perhaps Ian could allow us to add categories.

Altium, I'm unfortunately aware of they took over Protel. I used Protel up till earlier this year. Very respectable software.

Yes, I have used PFW 2.8 since it came out. It has a few bugs but they're consistent and avoidable, and it's quick to use and has all the features I need.

Unfortunately it wont run on Win7 (it did on my old XP puter)

I run it on Windows 7 x64 under Windows Virtual PC: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=3702

You need to allocate a virtual hard drive of at least 1.5 GB, and install XP on that. Then it boots the virtual PC into Windows XP, and you can install and run PFW. You need to install some drivers into XP to get access to the real hard drives on the machine, and you have to use the XP file manager to copy files in and out because the real hard drives don't appear in PFW. Also, PFW doesn't run as smoothly as it does under real XP. But it's usable IMO.

What version of PFW do you have?

 

[davenn]

PFW ?
I don't know that one

I have Protel 98


Dave

 

[(*steve*)]

I suppose you've tried the obvious things like setting up the shortcut to run the program in compatibility mode?

You can pick Win 98 compatibility mode if you need to, but I'd start with XP.

 

[davenn]

it wont even install on Win7 tried right clicking and choosing run as admin. no go
may see if I can figure out's Kris' virtual PC way

D

 

[KrisBlueNZ]

PFW? I don't know that one. I have Protel 98

Protel for Windows 2.8. Dated April 1995. I tried installing it using compatibility modes but no go.