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...
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