How good is Protel?

C

Clayton Gumbrell

Guest
To all you user of Protel - is it any good?

I am considering purchasing it (a considerable investment for a 1 person
company) to replace the package I currently use (Labcentre Proteus).
The project in mind is high density 8 layer PCB. The last version took me
about 2 months to hand route. So the real question is will Protel save a
significant amount of this time.
I have the evaluation system up and going, but short of designing my whole
system it is hard to get a good feel for how it will do my job.
The interactive routing (that shoves tracks aside as you route new ones)
looks like a good start, and even the auto-router may be up to the job.

I have read old reviews that say the Protel 99 is buggy and hard to use. How
do the new versions rate?

How good is the auto-router on high density PCBs?

Is the FPGA integration any good?

Thanks in advance for your comments.

Clayton

============================
Clayton Gumbrell
CE Solutions Limited / CamSensor Technologies Limited
NEW ZEALAND
============================
 
"Clayton Gumbrell" <clayton@cesolutions.co.nz> wrote in message
news:42310073@clear.net.nz...
To all you user of Protel - is it any good?

I am considering purchasing it (a considerable investment for a 1 person
company) to replace the package I currently use (Labcentre Proteus).
The project in mind is high density 8 layer PCB. The last version took me
about 2 months to hand route. So the real question is will Protel save a
significant amount of this time.
I have the evaluation system up and going, but short of designing my whole
system it is hard to get a good feel for how it will do my job.
The interactive routing (that shoves tracks aside as you route new ones)
looks like a good start, and even the auto-router may be up to the job.

I have read old reviews that say the Protel 99 is buggy and hard to use.
How
do the new versions rate?

How good is the auto-router on high density PCBs?

Is the FPGA integration any good?
Click to expand...
Also have a look at Pulsonix (http://www.pulsonix.com). It comes with an
excellent autorouter and is cheaper than Protel. It also has far fewer bugs,
and any that are found are fixed very rapidly, which does not appear to be
the case with Protel. It has optional track pushing and spring-back when
routing manually, of course, including vias.

Pulsonix will give you a 30 day full license for a proper evaluation on
request.


Leon
--
Leon Heller, G1HSM
http://www.geocities.com/leon_heller
 
Hi There

As a long time user of Protel .. I should first warn you ... you are asking
in the wrong place...
Make sure you look at the kiwi price too.. its cheaper here than anywhere
else thanks to Mike Lander.. the rep.
Carl Watts, the new rep just sent me an email $11,750 +GST come April .. but
30% less right now! so its a good time to invest.

Go to the Altium web site and into the DXP groups .. the support from real
users there will answer any questions you can dream of.

If the board you are trying to do is high density and any kind of speed..
then the "cheap" autorouters won't do any good. You have to get Specctra
and many thousands of dollars so its hardly worth it... and even if you do..
90% of the work is setting up the do file.

If your only doing one board.. then talk to Lomax .. he runs a design
service and would be far cheaper than buying the software.

But as far as saving time.. hard to say.. my previous work has shown you can
either do it quickly or not.. mostly its due to the skill of the operator
and nothing to do with the software itself. I have done boards in a week
that my boss took 2 months to do... that's why I did the cad and he didn't.

Protel 99 was a bit buggy... Protel 99SE has been rock solid for 6 years..
that's why they don't sell it any more
DXP has a lot of followers who swear by or at it.. depending who you talk
too. I have used it as part of the Kiwi-satellite design.. was very good
IMO but still has a long way to go to be as good as 99SE.

Don't forget that to use the push and shove.. takes more and more horse
power the denser the board gets. I tend to use the follower mode more..
place one track and lay then next along side.

If you want more info.. give me a buzz back.

Simon (go hurricanes)



"Clayton Gumbrell" <clayton@cesolutions.co.nz> wrote in message
news:42310073@clear.net.nz...
To all you user of Protel - is it any good?

I am considering purchasing it (a considerable investment for a 1 person
company) to replace the package I currently use (Labcentre Proteus).
The project in mind is high density 8 layer PCB. The last version took me
about 2 months to hand route. So the real question is will Protel save a
significant amount of this time.
I have the evaluation system up and going, but short of designing my whole
system it is hard to get a good feel for how it will do my job.
The interactive routing (that shoves tracks aside as you route new ones)
looks like a good start, and even the auto-router may be up to the job.

I have read old reviews that say the Protel 99 is buggy and hard to use.
How
do the new versions rate?

How good is the auto-router on high density PCBs?

Is the FPGA integration any good?

Thanks in advance for your comments.

Clayton

============================
Clayton Gumbrell
CE Solutions Limited / CamSensor Technologies Limited
NEW ZEALAND
============================
Click to expand...
 
P.S. Protel is huge in NZ and Aussy.. so if you buy and get stuck.. there
are a few people in the same time zone who can lend a hand

Simon

"Clayton Gumbrell" <clayton@cesolutions.co.nz> wrote in message
news:42310073@clear.net.nz...
To all you user of Protel - is it any good?

I am considering purchasing it (a considerable investment for a 1 person
company) to replace the package I currently use (Labcentre Proteus).
The project in mind is high density 8 layer PCB. The last version took me
about 2 months to hand route. So the real question is will Protel save a
significant amount of this time.
I have the evaluation system up and going, but short of designing my whole
system it is hard to get a good feel for how it will do my job.
The interactive routing (that shoves tracks aside as you route new ones)
looks like a good start, and even the auto-router may be up to the job.

I have read old reviews that say the Protel 99 is buggy and hard to use.
How
do the new versions rate?

How good is the auto-router on high density PCBs?

Is the FPGA integration any good?

Thanks in advance for your comments.

Clayton

============================
Clayton Gumbrell
CE Solutions Limited / CamSensor Technologies Limited
NEW ZEALAND
============================
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for the info Simon.
I'd be interested in discussing this further. You are obviously local (I
think we have some acquaintances in common) so can you call me or provide
your number. I'm at 5702171 (wk)
Regards
Clayton
--
============================
Clayton Gumbrell
CE Solutions Limited / CamSensor Technologies Limited
Lower Hutt
NEW ZEALAND
============================

"Simon Peacock" <nowhere@to.be.found> wrote in message
news:423172b2@news2.actrix.gen.nz...
Hi There

As a long time user of Protel .. I should first warn you ... you are
asking
in the wrong place...
Make sure you look at the kiwi price too.. its cheaper here than anywhere
else thanks to Mike Lander.. the rep.
Carl Watts, the new rep just sent me an email $11,750 +GST come April ..
but
30% less right now! so its a good time to invest.

Go to the Altium web site and into the DXP groups .. the support from real
users there will answer any questions you can dream of.

If the board you are trying to do is high density and any kind of speed..
then the "cheap" autorouters won't do any good. You have to get Specctra
and many thousands of dollars so its hardly worth it... and even if you
do..
90% of the work is setting up the do file.

If your only doing one board.. then talk to Lomax .. he runs a design
service and would be far cheaper than buying the software.

But as far as saving time.. hard to say.. my previous work has shown you
can
either do it quickly or not.. mostly its due to the skill of the operator
and nothing to do with the software itself. I have done boards in a week
that my boss took 2 months to do... that's why I did the cad and he
didn't.

Protel 99 was a bit buggy... Protel 99SE has been rock solid for 6 years..
that's why they don't sell it any more
DXP has a lot of followers who swear by or at it.. depending who you talk
too. I have used it as part of the Kiwi-satellite design.. was very good
IMO but still has a long way to go to be as good as 99SE.

Don't forget that to use the push and shove.. takes more and more horse
power the denser the board gets. I tend to use the follower mode more..
place one track and lay then next along side.

If you want more info.. give me a buzz back.

Simon (go hurricanes)



"Clayton Gumbrell" <clayton@cesolutions.co.nz> wrote in message
news:42310073@clear.net.nz...
To all you user of Protel - is it any good?

I am considering purchasing it (a considerable investment for a 1 person
company) to replace the package I currently use (Labcentre Proteus).
The project in mind is high density 8 layer PCB. The last version took
me
about 2 months to hand route. So the real question is will Protel save a
significant amount of this time.
I have the evaluation system up and going, but short of designing my
whole
system it is hard to get a good feel for how it will do my job.
The interactive routing (that shoves tracks aside as you route new ones)
looks like a good start, and even the auto-router may be up to the job.

I have read old reviews that say the Protel 99 is buggy and hard to use.
How
do the new versions rate?

How good is the auto-router on high density PCBs?

Is the FPGA integration any good?

Thanks in advance for your comments.

Clayton

============================
Clayton Gumbrell
CE Solutions Limited / CamSensor Technologies Limited
NEW ZEALAND
============================
Click to expand...
 
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