Electronics WorkBench

[Buck Buchanan]

At 03:56 AM 11/15/98 -0600, Clarissa Fragile wrote:
>Speaking of which, i've been thinking a lot about these layout programs .
>Which one (opinion flag up) do you (yes, you!) think is best, and why? 

Hello Clarissa and all,

Your post attracted my immediate attention because I have been working with
Electronics Workbench (the new version) and wanted to use it as the layout
tool it claims to be. If anyone out there feels my claims are false, please
contact me and I'll stand corrected.  But it should be stated that all
these problems I report come straight from Interactive's tech help line
(and they are very helpfull! - excellent staff!)

While EW is a great simulator for the price (and I highly reccomend it as
such), as a layout package it is a TOTAL DOG!  Why?  The the "schematic
capture" (which is part of the simulator) had several main problems that
render it TOTALLY USELESS:  A) You cannot create a part from scratch.  You
can sort of fudge a part using it's sub-circuit feature but this doesn't
really work well.  Certainly not like any real schematic capture - you
can't even label pins properly! B) For whatever reason, you cannot import a
netlist of the schematic capture into the layout package!  How crazy is
that?.  C) You cannot define a net or port name!  Completely unacceptable.
That's right, your schematics/simulations have power supply lines running
all over the place!  How they even get off calling it "schematic capture"
I'll never figure out.  These are the three biggies that kept me from
buying the layout part of the package.

Now I must say, that for the price, I've been very happy with EW as a
simulation design tool.  But the advertisements touting the "integrated
schematic capture and layout package" are rediculous.  Interactive's tech
support says they won't have some of these basic features implemented for
some time!  I have to mention that I have not even seen the layout part of
the package.  I'm told it works by itself just fine - but if it can't
import a netlist from their own "schematic capture" forget it!

On a positive note:  EW has been very helpfull as a simulator!  And their
tech support staff is fantastic!!!!  Free support and they're very cool.

Now I realize you asked what was good, not what wasn't good.  So I'll say
in closing that I'm currently evaluating IVEX schematic capture and layout
and will be posting my results to the list.  So far, it seems pretty good
but if there's anyone out there with IVEX experience, please don't hesitate
to contact me.

Take it easy,

Buck

Buck Buchanan  AA-436   x84377
RF Eng. Tech  Advanced Technology

---------------------
Interviewer:  Have you ever had an original idea?
Mark Ryden: When I painted Abraham Lincoln lyning on the ground giving
birth from his cheek to the baby Venus delivered by Colonel Sanders - I
thought that was pretty original."
-Mark Ryden from interview in Juxtapoze"-