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What do you think of: Protel DXP2004 = very buggy software = very strange
behaviour = shit ?
behaviour = shit ?
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What do you think of: Protel DXP2004 = very buggy software = very strange
behaviour = shit ?
Simon Peacock wrote:
so who is the biggest fool... the one who sells the software.. or the
one
who brought it ?
"F1AUAZ" <f1auaz@kekeboubouille.cbi> wrote in message
news:42627c7b$0$308$a3f2974a@nnrp1.numericable.fr...
What do you think of: Protel DXP2004 = very buggy software = very
strange
behaviour = shit ?
The interface is different that I expected (I'm not a PCB designer) and
took a bit of getting used to.
But it works just fine. I've places and routes a 4 layer 10x14" with
1300 placements and board is up and running.
I also have done 2 small 3x5 " 2 sided boards and both worked first
pass.
My 2 cents
george
And that is the secret of EDA. Its a small market so if you
make it too
much like other companies... then users can swap
I have been working with Protel for many years.. 15 or more...
and each time
they do a major release it has more bugs than windows 2.
That being said, service packs come out thick and fast.. some
add new
features, others fix 'issues' as there are no bugs anymore
So if you find it buggy.. make sure you install the current
service pack.
Its very important.
Simon
Simon,
C'mon guy, you are not being completely honest. Current
DXP2004 SP2 has a reasonable number of bugs or issues. Anybody
only has to monitor the DXP support listserver for a couple of
days to see that.
The bright point is that Altium personnel are participating
on the listserver and they seem to be seriously addressing these
bugs and issues when compared to the old days. There was a time
when you would wonder if they were even trying to support the
product or just tell you that there weren't any bugs, it was all
your own install and personal issues.
--
Sincerely,
Brad Velander
"Simon Peacock" <nowhere@to.be.found> wrote in message
news:4264bb72@news2.actrix.gen.nz...
And that is the secret of EDA. Its a small market so if you
make it too
much like other companies... then users can swap
I have been working with Protel for many years.. 15 or more...
and each time
they do a major release it has more bugs than windows 2.
That being said, service packs come out thick and fast.. some
add new
features, others fix 'issues' as there are no bugs anymore
So if you find it buggy.. make sure you install the current
service pack.
Its very important.
Simon
What is you opinion on Protel 99SE SP6? Some say that it was quite stableAnd that is the secret of EDA. Its a small market so if you make it too
much like other companies... then users can swap
I have been working with Protel for many years.. 15 or more... and each time
they do a major release it has more bugs than windows 2.
That being said, service packs come out thick and fast.. some add new
features, others fix 'issues' as there are no bugs anymore
So if you find it buggy.. make sure you install the current service pack.
Its very important.
Simon
Op Tue, 19 Apr 2005 19:30:43 +1200 schreef Simon Peacock:
And that is the secret of EDA. Its a small market so if you make it too
much like other companies... then users can swap
I have been working with Protel for many years.. 15 or more... and each
time
they do a major release it has more bugs than windows 2.
That being said, service packs come out thick and fast.. some add new
features, others fix 'issues' as there are no bugs anymore
So if you find it buggy.. make sure you install the current service
pack.
Its very important.
Simon
What is you opinion on Protel 99SE SP6? Some say that it was quite stable
and most bugs fixed on the release of SP6. What was/is your experience
in this regard?
Franklin
I would have to say its still the preferred CAD package at work. Its only
because I'm on the beta that I use DXP at home.
Protel has an annoying habit of releasing the code when its near enough...
Any company used to dealing with them probably buys the upgrade and sticks
it on the shelf for several service packs. you get the upgrade fairly cheap
that way. I had Protel 99 that way.. didn't even use it.. and only started
with 99SE at SP5. I don't see my current company upgrading to DXP until
there are a few more service packs. and the one DXP license the we have was
brought because it came with 99SE
Without SP6 I wouldn't touch 99SE ... but its rock solid (mostly) I've never
used the auto-router and only done basic simulation. I have run a trace
simulation on the PCB and then checked the calculated capacitance against
the RF test gear at work and the numbers came out close enough.
99SE is really a CAD package.. its not a text editor, its not a spread
sheet, auto-routing and simulation aren't its strong points and auto-place
is a non-starter. I've also heard bad things about the libraries but all
libraries I've ever used are hand built and every component is checked by
two people.. so I've never used any of Protels libraries... Oh.. and hidden
pins in a schematic.. never used them.. they are more of a hindrance than a
solution.
SCH and PCB will work until the cows come home.. with any kind on board...
power supplies, 22 Gig RF you name it.. its possible sometimes you are
drawing with fills and not traces... but it works a treat.
There are a few bugs in the ERC from 99SE. Nothing serious, It wasn't until
I had DXP and ran a clean 99SE schematic to find a dozen errors with DXP
that I checked the settings.. same settings in both yielded different number
of errors. And DXP got it right! these aren't major errors.. just inputs
connected to outputs etc.
There are also some things in 99SE that will always make it crash.. I can't
remember exactly.. no point in asking for a fix any more... just avoid it if
it happens
If you can find it, the developers kit allows you to write Delphi DLL's...
I've one written to generate a BoM and have never touched the default BoM in
the 8 years since.
I have also always used the DDB for better or worse I have found that Protel
defaults cause the least grief..
It is also very graphics card sensitive... ATI = instant death. Something
to do with drivers (probably). Matrox Millennium or G400 were the card of
choice. 1/2 gig of ram and the best processor you can afford are really
minimum.
The 3D is a toy but there are third party interfaces to solidworks.
DXP seems to want 1 gig RAM and rummers from Altium are that it will run
40 - 80% faster on a 64bit Athlon. But it is 32 bit code and can't use a
dual processor (not that a dual processor wouldn't be useful)
One of the best part of Protel 99SE is that the older licenses are
transferable. DXP or the 99SE licenses can't be sold unless the whole
company is sold.
so that's the one page summery. I evaluated all CAD tools under $20,000
back in '97 ish and I thought it was the best then. My opinion hasn't
changed much... but I haven't been playing with the others lately.
Simon
Thanks for your comments/hints/tips/advice.
Thanks for your comments/hints/tips/advice.
Regards,
Franklin
Franklin,
I concur with Simon's comments re P99SE SP6. Still running it
myself at work, maybe we will upgrade to DXP in a year or two.
--
Sincerely,
Brad Velander
"Illusion" <reply@here.plz> wrote in message
news:jnbmowx7x428.1ie66dpu3ikum.dlg@40tude.net...
Thanks for your comments/hints/tips/advice.
Regards,
Franklin
I've dragged all the pop up windows to the side of the screen where theySimon,
From the bit I have played with thus far, I am concerned
about all of these pop-up windows interfering with the actual
visible work area. Haven't gotten that far into it, I have only
converted and integrated our libraries so that I could start
playing, then the flood gates opened and I am swamped with real
work.
I have already warned my work that theres about a month of library workWhat a chore the library conversion was, our libraries had
1300 errors or warnings to sort out. A lot of garbage issues from
past employees that weren't too concerned with integral libraries
and library management. But it was a good exercise to get me more
familiar with our library details and now I feel a little more
reassured about the integrity of the libraries I inherited last
year.
Well 99SE had padstacks.. top, bottom and everything else. DXP has top,Padstacks? What padstacks? P99SE didn't have padstacks, at
least not what I think of as padstacks (PADs) and hate with a
passion. or do you just mean better control and features similar
to the P99SE pads.
We have standardised on VSS for FPGA .... mainly because it didn't directlyVersion control is nothing that interests us,
we have our own very well documented and controlled development
process and systems. Gotta be for avionics product approvals,
completely traceable. We have a development software management
system but it is not a version control product as far as I know
(maybe it is and we just don't use it in the same fashion as the
other popular vc packages). I don't think that it plays nicely
with any other programs.
Well I would have to say I'm growing fond of DXP.. the
search/replace is
bloated now... but theres talk about putting back the simple
search engine
of 99SE... the new features and the smart pdf is way cool ...
the split
plane handling is better, the pad stacks are better and version
control is
exactly what's needed... so I won't be changing back to 99SE at
home in a
hurry. Especially if I start StartLite Design back up again
Simon
quite reliable.Op Tue, 19 Apr 2005 19:30:43 +1200 schreef Simon Peacock:
And that is the secret of EDA. Its a small market so if you make it too
much like other companies... then users can swap
I have been working with Protel for many years.. 15 or more... and each time
they do a major release it has more bugs than windows 2.
That being said, service packs come out thick and fast.. some add new
features, others fix 'issues' as there are no bugs anymore
So if you find it buggy.. make sure you install the current service pack.
Its very important.
Simon
What is you opinion on Protel 99SE SP6? Some say that it was quite stable
and most bugs fixed on the release of SP6. What was/is your experience
in this regard?
I have 2 seats of 99SE. One at "work", the other at "home". It is
The interface is different that I expected (I'm not a PCB designer) andso who is the biggest fool... the one who sells the software.. or the
one
who brought it ?
"F1AUAZ" <f1auaz@kekeboubouille.cbi> wrote in message
news:42627c7b$0$308$a3f2974a@nnrp1.numericable.fr...
What do you think of: Protel DXP2004 = very buggy software = very
strange
behaviour = shit ?