Homebrew PCBs

Regarding any of the free PCB design software out there, what seems to be 
the favorite?

Chuck
WB2EDV

Express PCB

At 10:32 AM 2/18/2008, you wrote:
>Regarding any of the free PCB design software out there, what seems to be
>the favorite?
>
>Chuck
>WB2EDV
>
>
>
>Be sure to visit the group home and check for new Links, Files, and Photos:
>http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Homebrew_PCBs
>Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>

         73,
         Mike, K4GMH 

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Speaking of Express PCB, is there am extemded library of part for 
this or do things like traics need to be made up?

Daryl.

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Mike <k4gmh@...> wrote:
>
> Express PCB
> 
> At 10:32 AM 2/18/2008, you wrote:
> >Regarding any of the free PCB design software out there, what 
seems to be
> >the favorite?
> >
> >Chuck
> >WB2EDV
> >
> >
> >
> >Be sure to visit the group home and check for new Links, Files, 
and Photos:

> >http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Homebrew_PCBs
> >Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
> 
>          73,
>          Mike, K4GMH 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

Check out Diptrace.

www.diptrace.com

The free version is only limited by the number of pins (250) and the number
of layers (2). any size board can be made, Full manufacturing  and printing
outputs are included..

Myc

On Feb 19, 2008 2:00 AM, logicresearch <logicresearch@...> wrote:

>   Speaking of Express PCB, is there am extemded library of part for
> this or do things like traics need to be made up?
>
> Daryl.
>
> --- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com <Homebrew_PCBs%40yahoogroups.com>,
> Mike <k4gmh@...> wrote:
> >
> > Express PCB
> >
> > At 10:32 AM 2/18/2008, you wrote:
> > >Regarding any of the free PCB design software out there, what
> seems to be
> > >the favorite?
> > >
> > >Chuck
> > >WB2EDV
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >Be sure to visit the group home and check for new Links, Files,
> and Photos:
> > >http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Homebrew_PCBs
> > >Yahoo! Groups Links
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> > 73,
> > Mike, K4GMH
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
>
> 
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Try www.freepcb.com

There are several addons so look for them, such as an online router.

Brian G.


At 09:32 AM 2/18/2008, you wrote:

>Regarding any of the free PCB design software out there, what seems to be
>the favorite?
>
>Chuck
>WB2EDV

Don't forget to check the Links section, under PCB_Schematic_CAD_Programs

Steve Greenfield

I tried a lot of different packages, I finally decide to use Kicad:
http://www.lis.inpg.fr/realise_au_lis/kicad/

It's open source and does have any limit like some others do, and does
not cost anything unless you want to donate to there project.

I has a lot of libraries that come with it plus more at:
http://www.kicadlib.org/

Of course it has it's own set of quirks like any software does. I
haven't done any actual PCB yet using it, but will shortly. I have
done a number of schematics and with some practice it's not to bad.

Tom



--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "Chuck Kelsey" <wb2edv@...> wrote:
>
> Regarding any of the free PCB design software out there, what seems
to be 

> the favorite?
> 
> Chuck
> WB2EDV
>

I'm one of those Eagle partisans.  The basic version is free and it's fairly easy to use.  There's a great intro one instructables.com, as well.
If your board is really simple, there's always Pad2Pad or PCB123's free layout wares.  
After all is said and done, having used everything from tape & acetate, HiWire, OrCAD, PADS, and Altium... every single layout package has features I absolutely despise and rant about.
It is my fervent hope that some video game wizard will apply his talents to making a CAD package that doesn't make me want to take hostages every time I use it....

       
---------------------------------
Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile.  Try it now.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I prefer easy-pc myself. but the price puts me off getting the full 
version.

If there are any programmers out there, why not write something that 
actually IS good - easy selection of components, direct transfer to 
PCB, good autorouting, etc.

If we loose any more hostages who will do my washing?


--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, sam kimery <offlogic@...> wrote:
>
> I'm one of those Eagle partisans.  The basic version is free and 
it's fairly easy to use.  There's a great intro one 
instructables.com, as well.
> If your board is really simple, there's always Pad2Pad or PCB123's 
free layout wares.  
> After all is said and done, having used everything from tape & 
acetate, HiWire, OrCAD, PADS, and Altium... every single layout 
package has features I absolutely despise and rant about.
> It is my fervent hope that some video game wizard will apply his 
talents to making a CAD package that doesn't make me want to take 
hostages every time I use it....
> 
>        
> ---------------------------------
> Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile.  
Try it now.

> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

----- Original Message ----- 

From: "logicresearch" <logicresearch@...>
To: <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, February 21, 2008 5:15 PM
Subject: [Homebrew_PCBs] Re:Free PCB software


>I prefer easy-pc myself. but the price puts me off getting the full
> version.
>
> If there are any programmers out there, why not write something that
> actually IS good - easy selection of components, direct transfer to
> PCB, good autorouting, etc.

Pulsonix has got all that, and costs less than other professional PCB 
software.

Leon
--
Leon Heller
Amateur radio call-sign  G1HSM
Yaesu FT-817ND transceiver
Suzuki SV1000S motorcycle
leon355@...
http://www.geocities.com/leon_heller

> logicresearch wrote:
> <SNIP>
> If there are any programmers out there,
> why not write something that actually
> IS good - easy selection of components,
> direct transfer to PCB, good autorouting,
> etc.

Last time I checked there was a guy called
DJ who was pretty famous doing something
with GCC on satans boxes that was working
on a decent free PCB software.

Strangely enough it was called PCB and if
you do a search in google for the word
"PCB" it is the 3rd link down (right after
the "Perth Convention Bureau" and a
wikipedia article about some chemical
Monsanto are probably about to tout as the
next big thing in artificial sweeteners)

The software is getting very tidy these
days.  It has a group of brothers called
gEDA for doing schematics and other things

It is definitely ahead of where most
commercial offerings where 10 years ago and
is probably ahead of many of the $0..few-K
efforts around today.

It is not anywhere near cadence/pulsonix
or any software in the $20K++ mark yet.
Though I would bet that in a few years
time that it will be.

Worst point at present is the autorouter.

Grab a linux box and give it a try.

"Andrew" <andrewm1973@...> writes:

> Last time I checked there was a guy called DJ

That would be me :-)

> who was pretty famous doing something with GCC on satans boxes

That would be DJGPP, still popular.

> that was working on a decent free PCB software.

:-)

http://pcb.sourceforge.net/

> It has a group of brothers called gEDA for doing schematics and
> other things

http://www.geda.seul.org/

> Worst point at present is the autorouter.

Yup.  We keep looking for some MS/PHD candidate who wants
to work on that.

> Grab a linux box and give it a try.

Or a Mac :-)

Or, if you're adventerous, a Windows box.

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, DJ Delorie <dj@...> wrote:
>
> 
> "Andrew" <andrewm1973@...> writes:
> 
> > Last time I checked there was a guy called DJ
> 
> That would be me :-)
> 
> > who was pretty famous doing something with GCC on satans boxes
> 
> That would be DJGPP, still popular.
> 
> > that was working on a decent free PCB software.
> 
> :-)
> 
> http://pcb.sourceforge.net/

Sigh... you couldn't name it something more unique? ;'/

That link didn't work, searching Sourceforge for PCB came up with 55
matches. I thought I'd have to manually search the list, then had the
bright idea of listing them by ranking... tada! First on the list.
Well done.

http://sourceforge.net/projects/pcb/

"Steve" <alienrelics@...> writes:
> > http://pcb.sourceforge.net/
> 
> Sigh... you couldn't name it something more unique? ;'/

It wasn't my call.  Contrary to popular belief, PCB isn't my project,
I'm just a contributor.

> That link didn't work,

It worked for me just now.  Odd.

> http://sourceforge.net/projects/pcb/

That's the project page.  The url I posted was the home page.

>>> <SNIP ABOUT PCB>

>> Steve wrote:
>> Sigh... you couldn't name it something
>> more unique? ;'/

> DJ wrote:
> It wasn't my call.  Contrary to popular
> belief, PCB isn't my project, I'm just
> a contributor.
> <SNIP>

Damn those unimaginative atari st users.

logicresearch wrote:
> If there are any programmers out there, why not write something that 
> actually IS good - easy selection of components, direct transfer to 
> PCB, good autorouting, etc.

Have you tried KiCAD (<http://kicad.sourceforge.net>)?

Grab the 'stable' installer and the latest SVN update; there are some really 
nice features in the latest version... like SPECCTRA exporting. That and the 
FreeRouting.net autorouter gets you a very capable CAD system.

Bad points?
   - Library management is tremendously nasty
   - DRC/ERC is pretty pedestrian, even compared to EAGLE
   - Built-in autorouter is dire. Use FreeRouter instead.
   - Workflow is a little long-winded
   - No back-annotation (though I rarely find I need it, just a nice-to-have)

On the plus side...
   - Feels a lot like ORCAD SDT/386, but with a shiny GUI front-end.
   - Full hierarchical design support. If there's a bit of the design that you 
keep repeating, copy it into a separate sheet, then drop a sheet symbol on the 
parent sheet and wire it up. Very nice for handling large-ish designs. EAGLE 
doesn't do this... :)
   - SPECCTRA export/import support. Export a DSN file, feed that to SPECCTRA, 
ELECTRA or FreeRouter, then pull the SES file back into KiCAD and tweak it.

I'm starting to like it, but I think I might have to do some severe 
redesigning of the standard component libraries...

-- 
Phil.                         |  (\_/)  This is Bunny. Copy and paste Bunny
ygroups@...         | (='.'=) into your signature to help him gain
http://www.philpem.me.uk/     | (")_(") world domination.