Affordable PCB Layout Software ???

> For all that you guys *did* blockquote in this bit of salesmanship,
> you managed to snip out the _name_ of the app
> for those who would stumble upon this post:  Sprint-Layout.

Just tried the demo.  Managed to create a layout without reading the manual.
The icons and mouse clicks work the way you think they should...  well they
did for me.  I'll continue trying it.

On Aug 4, 12:19 pm, JeffM <jef...@email.com> wrote:
>
> >john@ jjdesigns.fsnet.co.uk wrote:
> >>Found it thanks!. Has all the bits I was looking for.
> >>My specific needs tend to revolve around knocking up  (sodding!)
> >>surface mount chip adapters, with maybe one or two  extra components
> >>added for convenience.
>
> James Arthur wrote:
> >You'll like the Footprint Wizard then.  Specify or design a pad,
> >enter horizontal and vertical spacings, number of rows and cols,
> >hit 'go', and the program generates the pattern, with perfect spacing.
>
> >Select the lot with the mouse, store it as a macro,
> >and you've got a new footprint.
>
> >Great for BGAs, SMD ICs, connectors, etc.
>
> >>For the sake of an hours work with the PC, printer
> >>and some etchant I can have a prototype in hand.
>
> >Yep.  For that use and this price it's hard to go wrong.
>
> For all that you guys *did* blockquote in this bit of salesmanship,
> you managed to snip out the _name_ of the app
> for those who would stumble upon this post:  Sprint-Layout.

When using copper pour, does this program tell you if any sections of
the copper are not connected to the others?  Does it do a proper job
of keeping track of pin connectivity when pins are connected to the
copper pour (same thing really)?

I used FreePCB and it did not do this.  You could have traces cut up a
copper plane and it would not warn you that they were disconnected.
It would also not warn you if this resulted in pins being unconnected
from the rest of the net.  Once you connect a pin to the copper plane,
it considers it connected to the entire net.

I don't recall FreePCB having any other issues that concerned me.  It
also has a pretty nice user interface and did not require a lot of
learning except for how to do a few things like connect pins to copper
pours.  But it has a very helpful bunch of users and an active support
forum.  The support is actually ***MUCH*** better than any commercial
product I have ever used!

Rick

Alt Beer wrote:

>Just tried the demo.  Managed to create a layout without reading the manual.
>The icons and mouse clicks work the way you think they should...  well they
>did for me.  I'll continue trying it.

Find it here:
http://www.abacom-online.de/uk/html/sprint-layout.html

sPlan: schematic editor

Sprint-Layout: PWB Layout	
	
LochMaster: tool for strip board projects

FrontDesigner: front panel CAD

DMM-ProfiLab / Digital-ProfiLab / ProfiLab-Expert
/ AudioWave" a seroes of products somewhat like labview

Each costs 39.9 Euros (roughly 61.6 US Dollars).

-- 
Guy Macon
<http://www.GuyMacon.com/>

"Guy Macon" <http://www.GuyMacon.com/> wrote in message
news:HOCdnTwj94H2xAfV4p2dnAA@giganews.com...
>
> Alt Beer wrote:
>
>>Just tried the demo.  Managed to create a layout without reading the
>>manual.
>>The icons and mouse clicks work the way you think they should...  well
>>they
>>did for me.  I'll continue trying it.
>
> Find it here:
> http://www.abacom-online.de/uk/html/sprint-layout.html
>
> sPlan: schematic editor
>
> Sprint-Layout: PWB Layout
>
> LochMaster: tool for strip board projects
>
> FrontDesigner: front panel CAD
>
> DMM-ProfiLab / Digital-ProfiLab / ProfiLab-Expert
> / AudioWave" a seroes of products somewhat like labview
>
> Each costs 39.9 Euros (roughly 61.6 US Dollars).
> -- 
> Guy Macon
> <http://www.GuyMacon.com/>


The people at Eagle should try it out and learn something from the
experience.... icons and mouse clicks working the way you think they should

On Aug 7, 5:58=A0am, "Alt Beer" <exam...@example.com> wrote:
> "Guy Macon" <http://www.GuyMacon.com/> wrote in message
>
> news:HOCdnTwj94H2xAfV4p2dnAA@giganews.com...
>
>
>
>
>
> > Alt Beer wrote:
>
> >>Just tried the demo. =A0Managed to create a layout without reading the
> >>manual.
> >>The icons and mouse clicks work the way you think they should... =A0wel=
l
> >>they
> >>did for me. =A0I'll continue trying it.
>
> > Find it here:
> >http://www.abacom-online.de/uk/html/sprint-layout.html
>
> > sPlan: schematic editor
>
> > Sprint-Layout: PWB Layout
>
> > LochMaster: tool for strip board projects
>
> > FrontDesigner: front panel CAD
>
> > DMM-ProfiLab / Digital-ProfiLab / ProfiLab-Expert
> > / AudioWave" a seroes of products somewhat like labview
>
> > Each costs 39.9 Euros (roughly 61.6 US Dollars).
> > --
> > Guy Macon
> > <http://www.GuyMacon.com/>
>
> The people at Eagle should try it out and learn something from the
> experience.... icons and mouse clicks working the way you think they shou=
ld

Actually, the latest version of Eagle (5.x) goes a long way towards
being more standard-behaviour compliant (right click context menu,
ctrl-z for undo, etc.)

"Alt Beer" <example@example.com> wrote in message 
news:nHzmk.50191$hR4.496@newsfe24.ams2...
> The people at Eagle should try it out and learn something from the
> experience.... icons and mouse clicks working the way you think they should

I fully expect that the folks at Eagle know how most people think icons and 
mouse clicks should work and are simply convinced that there way is better. 
:-)

I used ProBoard/ProNet way-back-when on an Amiga computer and it was the same 
way -- made little attempt to use the standard Amiga OS conventions of 
"mousing around," instead substituting what they thought was "better."

Guy Macon wrote:
> Alt Beer wrote:
> 
> 
>>Just tried the demo.  Managed to create a layout without reading the manual.
>>The icons and mouse clicks work the way you think they should...  well they
>>did for me.  I'll continue trying it.
> 
> 
> Find it here:
> http://www.abacom-online.de/uk/html/sprint-layout.html
> 
> sPlan: schematic editor
> 
> Sprint-Layout: PWB Layout	
> 	
> LochMaster: tool for strip board projects
> 
> FrontDesigner: front panel CAD
> 
> DMM-ProfiLab / Digital-ProfiLab / ProfiLab-Expert
> / AudioWave" a seroes of products somewhat like labview
> 
> Each costs 39.9 Euros (roughly 61.6 US Dollars).
> 
   May i presume that Sprint-Layout allows one to make all of the 
requisite Gerbers?

Robert Baer wrote:
>
>Guy Macon wrote:
>
>> Alt Beer wrote:
>> 
>>>Just tried the demo.  Managed to create a layout without reading the manual.
>>>The icons and mouse clicks work the way you think they should...  well they
>>>did for me.  I'll continue trying it.
>> 
>> Find it here:
>> http://www.abacom-online.de/uk/html/sprint-layout.html
>> 
>> sPlan: schematic editor
>> 
>> Sprint-Layout: PWB Layout     
>>       
>> LochMaster: tool for strip board projects
>> 
>> FrontDesigner: front panel CAD
>> 
>> DMM-ProfiLab / Digital-ProfiLab / ProfiLab-Expert
>> / AudioWave" a seroes of products somewhat like labview
>> 
>> Each costs 39.9 Euros (roughly 61.6 US Dollars).
>> 
>May i presume that Sprint-Layout allows one to make all of the 
>requisite Gerbers?

Yup. Gerber for the traces, Excellon for the drilling, and HPGL 
with tool path calculation if you prefer isolation milling.
They also have a .lay file format with some vague talk of extra 
dimensioning info.



-- 
Guy Macon
<http://www.GuyMacon.com/>

>>> Alt Beer wrote:
>>>
>>>>Just tried the demo.  Managed to create a layout without reading the
>>>>manual.
>>>>The icons and mouse clicks work the way you think they should...  well
>>>>they
>>>>did for me.  I'll continue trying it.
>>>
>>> Find it here:
>>May i presume that Sprint-Layout allows one to make all of the
>>requisite Gerbers?
>
> Yup. Gerber for the traces, Excellon for the drilling, and HPGL
> with tool path calculation if you prefer isolation milling.
> They also have a .lay file format with some vague talk of extra
> dimensioning info.
> -- 
> Guy Macon
> <http://www.GuyMacon.com/>

Re Sprint-Layout
I am trying to make a standard 16 pin dil footprint with rectangular pads
with through hole.  There doesn't seem to be a way to specify a drill hole
for other than a round pad?  Rectangular pads are assumed to be smt.
Am I doing something wrong?

Alt Beer wrote:
>>>> Alt Beer wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Just tried the demo.  Managed to create a layout without reading the
>>>>> manual.
>>>>> The icons and mouse clicks work the way you think they should...  well
>>>>> they
>>>>> did for me.  I'll continue trying it.
>>>> Find it here:
>>> May i presume that Sprint-Layout allows one to make all of the
>>> requisite Gerbers?
>> Yup. Gerber for the traces, Excellon for the drilling, and HPGL
>> with tool path calculation if you prefer isolation milling.
>> They also have a .lay file format with some vague talk of extra
>> dimensioning info.
>> -- 
>> Guy Macon
>> <http://www.GuyMacon.com/>
> 
> Re Sprint-Layout
> I am trying to make a standard 16 pin dil footprint with rectangular pads
> with through hole.  There doesn't seem to be a way to specify a drill hole
> for other than a round pad?  Rectangular pads are assumed to be smt.
> Am I doing something wrong?

I can edit any pad, and make it any size/shape I want,
with any drill size.

Sprint-Layout comes with a bunch of DIP patterns pre-defined,
so I'm not sure exactly why you need a custom one, but here's
one way to do it:

1) Open the Macro toolbar by clicking on the icon, then
2) choose a DIP pattern from the list.

The pattern will appear in the bottom of the window.

3) Drag and drop the pattern onto your board.

4) Unlock the pattern by clicking on the Unlock icon.

This breaks the DIP pattern into individual pads.  Now
you can edit each pad however you want.

If the Properties sidebar isn't visible, right-click a
pad to turn it on.

There you can adjust the pad shape, dimensions, and
drill size.

If you want to save the edit as a new pattern, select
the whole, lock it all together with the "Lock" icon,
then copy at will, or save as a new macro.

HTH,
James Arthur