--- In
Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "g6lbq" <ah.electronics@...> wrote:
>
> Hi all.
>
> can anyone recommend a PCB software package that has a library of good RF components like Toko Inductors and coils plus trimming capacitors.
>
> Failing a full software package recommendation can anyone point me in the direction of 3rd party Libraries with these components and maybe I can get a package to suit.
>
> Anyone help with this would be appreciated, I have PCB Wizard but drawing symbols etc is deffo not for me :)
>
> Thanks all.
>
> Andy
>
I've used PCB Wizard and have found the symbol creation tools in it are the worst of any package I've tried. The fatal flaw is that it (as far as I can tell) does not let you break apart included symbols and alter them to build your own, and the drawing interface is just a pain in general, unfortunate since it does many things pretty well.
It's worth your while to learn the symbol creation process on whatever package you use. No matter how much it comes with, you will almost always have a part in your design that is not included. Your drawings don't have to be fancy, they just have to have the pads in the right place. Usually you can set the grid spacing to the lead spacing of the part and plonk down appropriately sized pads. Trust me, you will save a lot of time and headaches in the long run if you take the time to learn.
Take a look at the free ExpressPCB software, it's not the end-all, be-all but it's free, and it's very easy to draw schematic symbols and layout patterns. Once you learn a few CAD packages, learning others gets easier.