Circuitmaker

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Brad Schultz

Guest
Hi all!

Just wondering if there are any other options for producing Protel 99 SE
compatible PCB files from any other program? (ie a cheaper program).
Protel is great, but it's overkill for our smallish applications and we
definitely can't afford it! However all the local PCB manufacturers work
best with Protel files.

Does Circuitmaker (also produced by Altium) produce acceptable PCB files?

Any comments appreciated!

Brad.



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Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
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Brad Schultz wrote:
Hi all!

Just wondering if there are any other options for producing Protel 99 SE
compatible PCB files from any other program? (ie a cheaper program).
Protel is great, but it's overkill for our smallish applications and we
definitely can't afford it! However all the local PCB manufacturers work
best with Protel files.

Does Circuitmaker (also produced by Altium) produce acceptable PCB files?
Click to expand...

All PCB suppliers I've used accept Gerber files, which can be produced
by any package.

Leon
--
Leon Heller, G1HSM
Email: aqzf13@dsl.pipex.com
My low-cost Philips LPC210x ARM development system:
http://www.geocities.com/leon_heller/lpc2104.html
 
"Brad Schultz" <superbrudd@hotmail.com> wrote:

Hi all!

Just wondering if there are any other options for producing Protel 99 SE
compatible PCB files from any other program? (ie a cheaper program).
Protel is great, but it's overkill for our smallish applications and we
definitely can't afford it! However all the local PCB manufacturers work
best with Protel files.

Does Circuitmaker (also produced by Altium) produce acceptable PCB files?

Any comments appreciated!
Click to expand...
Its sister program, Traxmaker, does that.

--
Terry Pinnell
Hobbyist, West Sussex, UK
 
"Brad Schultz" <superbrudd@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:XZcYb.781$KW.44509@news.optus.net.au...
Hi all!

Just wondering if there are any other options for producing Protel 99 SE
compatible PCB files from any other program? (ie a cheaper program).
Protel is great, but it's overkill for our smallish applications and we
definitely can't afford it! However all the local PCB manufacturers work
best with Protel files.

Does Circuitmaker (also produced by Altium) produce acceptable PCB files?

Any comments appreciated!
Click to expand...
I would be somewhat nervous of a pcb manufacturer who 'worked best with
Protel files'.
Are you sure about this?

Protel produces gerber files - as does just about every pcb layout programme
no matter how cheap/expensive - for the manufacturer to produce the artwork
for the screens for the pcb's.
If the manufacturer is printing out (on what?) from the .pcb files to
produce the screens, unless your work is very undemanding, do not use them!
 
Basically all Australian manufacturers seem to use protel files as standard.
Seems to cause least manufacturing problems? I'm not an expert in the field
by any means - it just seems to be the opinion of several manufacturers
we've talked to.

"Brad Schultz" <superbrudd@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:XZcYb.781$KW.44509@news.optus.net.au...
Hi all!

Just wondering if there are any other options for producing Protel 99 SE
compatible PCB files from any other program? (ie a cheaper program).
Protel is great, but it's overkill for our smallish applications and we
definitely can't afford it! However all the local PCB manufacturers work
best with Protel files.

Does Circuitmaker (also produced by Altium) produce acceptable PCB files?

Any comments appreciated!

Brad.



---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.588 / Virus Database: 372 - Release Date: 13/02/2004
Click to expand...

---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.588 / Virus Database: 372 - Release Date: 13/02/2004
 
"Brad Schultz" <superbrudd@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:siwYb.799$KW.45770@news.optus.net.au...
Basically all Australian manufacturers seem to use protel files as
standard.
Seems to cause least manufacturing problems? I'm not an expert in the
field
by any means - it just seems to be the opinion of several manufacturers
we've talked to.
Click to expand...
I think you have some misunderstanding of what you mean by 'Protel files'.
If, as you say, all aussie manufacturers use protel files, I wonder why no
other country in the world uses them as standard, or indeed why anyone
anywhere would standardise on a non-standard file format such as the .pcb
format used by protel.

I think you mean the gerber files produced by protel.
These are not specific to protel - as I stated in a previous post, just
about every pcb package, from the very cheapest to the most expensive ,
produces gerber files.
(Gerber files are specifically produced by whatever pcb cad package, when
you have finished the layout of the pcb, for sending off to the pcb
manufacturer. With these gerber files there is also (generally) one or two
'drill files' that tell pcb manufacturer the size and position of the holes
in the pcb.
Most commonly these are called 'NC drill' or 'Excellon' or sometimes just
'drill' files.
Again these are produced by all the pcb cad packages and are not specific to
protel in any way.)
 
Brad Schultz wrote:
Basically all Australian manufacturers seem to use protel files as standard.
Seems to cause least manufacturing problems? I'm not an expert in the field
by any means - it just seems to be the opinion of several manufacturers
we've talked to.
Click to expand...
AS has been already discussed. I would like to know how you have talked
to. Maybe the web site of these board houses would give a explanation.

thanks
 
Guys,
Through other contacts in OZ, I can confirm exactly what Brad Schultz
has stated. I have heard this same story and confirmations of the story from
other Aussie designers. Aussie board houses will commonly take Protel PCB
files and do all of the gerber and drill file generation. In my opinion, a
hazard waiting to happen, but then again if they are simple boards without
tight constraints there is not a lot of risk and the fab house takes full
responsibility for the produceability for the boards.
FYI this is semi-unique to Oz, seemingly because Protel holds a near
strangle hold over the CAD business in OZ. I am not sure if somewhere along
the way Protel gave software to the fabrication houses for free or something
of the sort.

--
Sincerely,
Brad Velander

"hamilton" <hamilton@deminsional.com> wrote in message
news:4032d659$1_4@omega.dimensional.com...
Brad Schultz wrote:
Basically all Australian manufacturers seem to use protel files as
standard.
Seems to cause least manufacturing problems? I'm not an expert in the
field
by any means - it just seems to be the opinion of several manufacturers
we've talked to.

AS has been already discussed. I would like to know how you have talked
to. Maybe the web site of these board houses would give a explanation.

thanks
Click to expand...
 
Jamie,
Yes, the Gerber file format was originally developed by Gerber
Scientific long ago.
--
Sincerely,
Brad Velander

"Jamie" <jamie_5_not_valid_after_5_Please@charter.net> wrote in message
news:103621uclbp43bf@corp.supernews.com...
is the gerber file format anything to do with
Gerber Scientific Manufacture ?
the make cutting machines to cut a variety of materials from
metals to fabrics using PC's controlled cutting and motion.
i was just wondering because i happen to know some big shot there
and one of their main offices is only about 15 miles from me :)
Click to expand...
 
is the gerber file format anything to do with
Gerber Scientific Manufacture ?
the make cutting machines to cut a variety of materials from
metals to fabrics using PC's controlled cutting and motion.
i was just wondering because i happen to know some big shot there
and one of their main offices is only about 15 miles from me :)



Brad Velander wrote:
Guys,
Through other contacts in OZ, I can confirm exactly what Brad Schultz
has stated. I have heard this same story and confirmations of the story from
other Aussie designers. Aussie board houses will commonly take Protel PCB
files and do all of the gerber and drill file generation. In my opinion, a
hazard waiting to happen, but then again if they are simple boards without
tight constraints there is not a lot of risk and the fab house takes full
responsibility for the produceability for the boards.
FYI this is semi-unique to Oz, seemingly because Protel holds a near
strangle hold over the CAD business in OZ. I am not sure if somewhere along
the way Protel gave software to the fabrication houses for free or something
of the sort.
Click to expand...
 
interesting, i almost got a job there or should i say took a job there
they wanted to be one of the guys to just jump into a plane and fly
with what they call the men in black!, those are the guys they send out
to a problem site after their techs fail to resolve an installation
issue or a repair issue on their machines. this guy had the role of
looking at the problem at hand to see if he or the person with him
(that would have been me doing the Electronics and programming
debugging) could come up with a working solution. if that failed then
this person (the man in black ) that would have been the guy it
traveled with, make the final say as to what is done..
that all sounded well and all but i did remember receiving phone
calls from him while he was away in various parts of the world and i
mean far away in area's that i would have never wanted to be!
:)
that was the part that told me i didn't want any part of it.
the rest of time he would hang out at the main office, that didn't
sound do bad :)
... oh well.


Brad Velander wrote:

Jamie,
Yes, the Gerber file format was originally developed by Gerber
Scientific long ago.
Click to expand...
 
"Brad Velander" <spamthis@nowhere.com> wrote in message
news:33BYb.27165$D_5.19492@edtnps84...
Guys,
Through other contacts in OZ, I can confirm exactly what Brad Schultz
has stated. I have heard this same story and confirmations of the story
from
other Aussie designers. Aussie board houses will commonly take Protel PCB
files and do all of the gerber and drill file generation. In my opinion, a
hazard waiting to happen, but then again if they are simple boards without
tight constraints there is not a lot of risk and the fab house takes full
responsibility for the produceability for the boards.
.............
Click to expand...
In a similar vein:

In the fairly recent past I submitted some cad (gerbers, drills,& profiles
etc) to several subcontractors in mainland China for a pcb to be produced.
More than one of these subcontractors responded that they could not open the
files and could I send the data as Protel files.
After investigation I found that once they received the Protel (.pcb) file
they merely 'output to file for production' and whisked them away to the
screen manufacturer.
They had no idea that this action produced the gerbers (et al) that they had
been sent in the first place (they had never heard of gerbers)

I have not enlightened them.
The business was successfully placed with one of the more knowledgeable
manufacturers in that continent.
 
On Tue, 17 Feb 2004 08:45:25 +0000,
terrypinDELETE@dial.pipexTHIS.com said...
"Brad Schultz" <superbrudd@hotmail.com> wrote:

Hi all!

Just wondering if there are any other options for producing Protel 99 SE
compatible PCB files from any other program? (ie a cheaper program).
Protel is great, but it's overkill for our smallish applications and we
definitely can't afford it! However all the local PCB manufacturers work
best with Protel files.

Does Circuitmaker (also produced by Altium) produce acceptable PCB files?

Any comments appreciated!

Its sister program, Traxmaker, does that.
^^^^
Click to expand...
you mean "sinister", which both programs are.
--
Best Regards,
Mike
 
On Tue, 02 Mar 2004 00:29:14 GMT, Active8
<mTHISREMOVEcolasono@earthlink.net,invalid> wrote:

On Tue, 17 Feb 2004 08:45:25 +0000,
terrypinDELETE@dial.pipexTHIS.com said...
"Brad Schultz" <superbrudd@hotmail.com> wrote:

Hi all!

Just wondering if there are any other options for producing Protel 99 SE
compatible PCB files from any other program? (ie a cheaper program).
Protel is great, but it's overkill for our smallish applications and we
definitely can't afford it! However all the local PCB manufacturers work
best with Protel files.

Does Circuitmaker (also produced by Altium) produce acceptable PCB files?

Any comments appreciated!

Its sister program, Traxmaker, does that.
^^^^
you mean "sinister", which both programs are.
Click to expand...
Do you mean, "on the left" ?:)

...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson, P.E. | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona Voice:(480)460-2350 | |
| E-mail Address at Website Fax:(480)460-2142 | Brass Rat |
| http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |

"Will you love me when I'm sixty-four?"
 
On Mon, 01 Mar 2004 17:35:16 -0700, thegreatone@example.com said...
On Tue, 02 Mar 2004 00:29:14 GMT, Active8
mTHISREMOVEcolasono@earthlink.net,invalid> wrote:

On Tue, 17 Feb 2004 08:45:25 +0000,
terrypinDELETE@dial.pipexTHIS.com said...
"Brad Schultz" <superbrudd@hotmail.com> wrote:

Hi all!

Just wondering if there are any other options for producing Protel 99 SE
compatible PCB files from any other program? (ie a cheaper program).
Protel is great, but it's overkill for our smallish applications and we
definitely can't afford it! However all the local PCB manufacturers work
best with Protel files.

Does Circuitmaker (also produced by Altium) produce acceptable PCB files?

Any comments appreciated!

Its sister program, Traxmaker, does that.
^^^^
you mean "sinister", which both programs are.



Do you mean, "on the left" ?:)

...Jim Thompson

"From hell", "on the left", whatever. "POS"...
Click to expand...
--
Best Regards,
Mike
 
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