Homebrew PCBs

On Tue, 05 Dec 2006 18:36:16 +0100, Ted Bruce KX4OM <kilocycles@...>  
wrote:

> Well, I tried Target 3001! for a few hours.  It does come with a
> limited number of basic components, as advertised, but the ability to
> connect to the internet while inside the schematic editor's Add
> Component function and download a transistor or whatever to the
> library is interesting.  I was successful on many searches.  I
> couldn't find the SA612 mixer chip, but I did find it's obsolete NE602
> predecessor.  No 2N5109, but I found the 2N3866 (RF transistors).

I found with any layout software i need to maintain my own libraries.
It only takes a couple minutes to make a new component from something  
similar.

> I added a few components to the schematic, and switched to the board,
> and it was blank.  Surprising, because the one-click switch as in
> EAGLE is an advertised feature.  Maybe the "wiring" has to be
> completed first.

You need to tick a box to automatically place parts as you go, in the  
layout.
I prefer not to use the feature because sometimes i want to change  
footprints.
But it does work.

> Also, I could not figure out a way to simply change the value of a
> resistor, or any other component on the schematic.

Just double click on it, ideally the cross shaped "handle", not the text  
(the selections properties determine if clicking anywhere on it works  
too). If you have selected it, you can also press \ufffd on the german  
keyboard, i do hope they changed that to something else in the
english version or you might have a problem there. ;-) Now that would be  
really stupid, there must surely be another key.


> The Help contents
> didn't give any easy-to-find clues.  Maybe that can't be done easily
> as in EAGLE and DipTrace because Target 3001! also does simulation,
> and the integrity of the component must be maintained.

Course it can be done easily, the sim used the value you give it, no  
problem there.

> I saw enough of it to say "I don't like it".  For those who say that
> EAGLE is non-intuitive (including me, but I've gotten used to it), I'd
> say this program goes an order of magnitude beyond that
> characterization.  Even for native German-speakers, I would think.
> Those descriptions of components in the library web downloads are in
> German, by the way.

It is a bit strange at first, in places. But it's only a matter of getting  
used to it.

When i looked at the english version, the translations were quite bad in  
many places. I don't know why they don't do something 'bout that.


Anyway, i use it almost every day and it's quite allright. A few things  
are a bit "special", but at least there are almost no errors now, you  
should've seen it 5 years ago.
I said that before, but the difference between orcad and target is that in  
orcad you can do all things in many different ways. In target there is  
usually just one way to do it efficiently, and before you figured that out  
it's no fun, but once you know your way around it's efficient.

What i hated most about eagle is that all things seemed to be done via a  
very huge menu on the left side. At least in target i can click on things  
to get an editing dialog.


ST