CircuitMaker or Protel

Hello,

I realize Altium produces both, but can Gerber files be produced for a
moderate sized (50 component) double sided board requiring SMT and no
VLSI in either, with the same end results?

In otherwords, is Protel DXP overkill or necessary to achieve desired
plot files for manufacture?

Ivan

 

[Andrew Tweddle]

ivanzr1@aol.com wrote:

Hello,

I realize Altium produces both, but can Gerber files be produced for a
moderate sized (50 component) double sided board requiring SMT and no
VLSI in either, with the same end results?

In otherwords, is Protel DXP overkill or necessary to achieve desired
plot files for manufacture?

Ivan
DXP has a rather nice flood fill, it also has a nice rip up and relay

function,neither of which IIRC isn't in Circuitmaker for smaller size
projects like yours, other than that it will make little difference to
your design.

Andrew

 

Thank you sir, for your prompt and informative reply.


Ivan


On Wed, 02 Feb 2005 15:53:27 +1100, Andrew Tweddle
<sarason_not_me@alphalink.com.au> wrote:

ivanzr1@aol.com wrote:

Hello,

I realize Altium produces both, but can Gerber files be produced for a
moderate sized (50 component) double sided board requiring SMT and no
VLSI in either, with the same end results?

In otherwords, is Protel DXP overkill or necessary to achieve desired
plot files for manufacture?

Ivan
DXP has a rather nice flood fill, it also has a nice rip up and relay
function,neither of which IIRC isn't in Circuitmaker for smaller size
projects like yours, other than that it will make little difference to
your design.

Andrew

 

[richard]

Hello,

Have you had a look at the CAD tool TARGET3001!
It is impressive tool at a low cost.
...richard

 

Andrew,

Thank you. I would like to email you directly about CM/DXP, providing
you wold permit me.

If so, please send your email addres to me.

Thank you.

Ivan








On Wed, 02 Feb 2005 15:53:27 +1100, Andrew Tweddle
<sarason_not_me@alphalink.com.au> wrote:

ivanzr1@aol.com wrote:

Hello,

I realize Altium produces both, but can Gerber files be produced for a
moderate sized (50 component) double sided board requiring SMT and no
VLSI in either, with the same end results?

In otherwords, is Protel DXP overkill or necessary to achieve desired
plot files for manufacture?

Ivan
DXP has a rather nice flood fill, it also has a nice rip up and relay
function,neither of which IIRC isn't in Circuitmaker for smaller size
projects like yours, other than that it will make little difference to
your design.

Andrew

 

[R.Lewis]

<ivanzr1@aol.com> wrote in message
news:dci001970l2gkv912er0js98qahlfic5aq@4ax.com...

Hello,

I realize Altium produces both, but can Gerber files be produced for a
moderate sized (50 component) double sided board requiring SMT and no
VLSI in either, with the same end results?

In otherwords, is Protel DXP overkill or necessary to achieve desired
plot files for manufacture?

Ivan

Both output Gerber files for manufacturing the pcb's.
I doubt that there is *any* purchasable pcb cad that does not output
Gerber's (why would anyone buy it if it did not).

If it is simple hobbyist stuff Circuitmaker will be OK.
If it is anything more serious don't use either of those you have mentioned.
Grab Terry Pinnell's (? spelling?) excellent list of pcb cad and try the
demos of several of the cheaper ones to see which one you fancy best.
Don't spend a fortune on overgrown bloatware (Protel, Cadstar, etc) - they
are certainly functional but are overly expensive and designed with lots of
bells and whistles to attract (un)technical management (accountants) and not
the engineers that use them. All the bloatware gives them a desperately
steep learning curve.

Every pcb designer has their own favourite - i.e. the one they know - and
will assure you that their choice really is the best.
However remember that multilayer SMD pcb's were commonly laid out with DOS
based software - the big increase in productivity came with moving from tape
and film artwork to cad artwork - and just about all windoze pcb cad
outstrips those old DOS packages.