PCB Design/Layout Software

recommendations? Have a look at ExpressPCB. They have a free schematic cad program and a free board layout program. You order boards directy from them, on line, and their prices are not bad. It's great for small boards and small runs. Bob

Try using Electronics Workbench, Iuse it to test all my projects. L8TR, Mod

A very good freeware package that I have used for several years is Eagle can either get support from Eagles good news group or the Yahoo group I setup located at Cheers
Wayne

Folks sure do throw arond that word *free* a lot. This is properly called Hobbyist Demoware. (I almost said hobbiest.) No *functions* have been crippled, but the free version does 80mm x 100mm 2-layer boards maximum. For many folks that is enough. A biz (legally) needs to plunk down $50 to use it to make products.
To get 160mm x 100mm & 4 layers is $200 (layout module); the demo Schematic Editor will still work (sorta --batch files to swap registered/demoware password).
Full usability is $400 per module; licence only what you need or go hog-wild. ...but yeah. It's good stuff. At this point someone usually mentions the not-like-usual-Windoze-apps interface (which takes some getting used to).
OTOH, gEDA/PCB is/are gratis (and libre) and will run under CYGWIN (or natively under Linux--again, free): ?q=gEDA+PCB+cygwin&start=0&filter=0 *-libre+Eric+Raymond

I am looking for something basic to use at home for small projects. I have
downloaded a few examples, PCB Wizard I like, Eagle Layout Editor seems too
much. Has anyone used the PCB Wizard product? Any other recommendations?
I am also using the student version of CircuitMaker, which is GREAT! I
understand at one time it had with it a product "TraxMaker"? but sure can't
find it in the version I have?
Thanks!
Jim Douglas

Eagle is by far the best package out there. The rest is mostly junk which fools people into thinking it's easy to use just because it has a Windows-like interface. Eagle does require some learning but if you read the tutorial manual you will be fine and in the end you will be much more productive with the Eagle interface.

A very good freeware package that I have used for several years is Eagle can either get support from Eagles good news group or the Yahoo group I setup located at Cheers
Wayne

I took a look at WinQcad recently and thought it had some possibilities. However, no matter how good it is, I've ruled it out due to my recent experience with asking a question on their bulletin board. My post to their board was removed by the program author because he didn't understand the question, there were errors with the grammar, and the message was posted to the wrong category. No attempt was made to ask for clarification, and no users could have possibly responded since none where allowed to see the message. The author mentioned through email that if he doesn't understand what a message is asking that none of the users would either. I don't mean to flame WinQcad...I just wanted to mention my one and only experience when asking for input. Your mileage may vary.
WayneL wrote: group I recommendations? GREAT! I

I hate that stuff, I have sent messages to some things like that and they never show up. I asked and they said "Most users would not be interested in that!", I said bullshi%%!!

Yeah, the experience is still bugging me. Granted, the bulletin borad does belong to the author, but the bulletin board link does say "discuss the PCB software with other WinQcad users". That's kinda hard to do when the arrogant SOB author removes posts.
Mark
Jim Douglas wrote: interested in Yahoo message projects.

The Cadsoft guys handle this by having 2 newsgroups: 1 ostensibly for user-to-user and 1 ostensibly for asking the company guys.