Mechanical CAD for the Mac?

Does anyone know of any decent mechanical CAD packages for the Mac? I do all my design work there and have schematic capture and PCB layout packages, iditors, web, etc. on my Mac and would like to get a CAD package that runs there as well. Are there any suggestions?

thanks, DLC

Reply to
Dennis Clark
Loading thread data ...

There's not much.

When Apple went to PowerPC, they also went from an 80-bit FPU to a 64-bit FPU. This made mechanical CAD packages get different answers on the Mac. So most of the mechanical CAD vendors dumped the Mac at that point.

John Nagle

Dennis Clark wrote:

Reply to
John Nagle

John Nagle wrote: John,

At last count I found over a dozen, while that might not be much, it certainly isn't the dead zone. Also, IEEE 754 details double precision FP as 64 bits. Internal representations can be any size of course if you are interested in higher accuracy, but you suffer speed trade offs, and those bit lengths are software, on the CRAY (last time I looked) had larger than 64 bit FPU units (they are 128.) Most of the mechanical CAD vendors don't even put their stuff on a PeeCee, they are UNIX based where the real number crunchers are. Although the newer Macs and PeeCees are coming out with the RISC HP/Intel collaboration chips which should change their minds in the next few years. I know that .Net on a PeeCee carries it to 102 bits and I've read that the PowerPC in the Mac to

151 bits. But I can't confirm either.

However, I doubt that the Mac was dropped due to inferior FP capabilities, I know IBM, they just wouldn't do that.

later, DLC : There's not much.

: When Apple went to PowerPC, they also went from an 80-bit : FPU to a 64-bit FPU. This made mechanical CAD packages : get different answers on the Mac. So most of the mechanical : CAD vendors dumped the Mac at that point.

: John Nagle

: Dennis Clark wrote:

: > Does anyone know of any decent mechanical CAD packages for the Mac? : > I do all my design work there and have schematic capture and PCB layout : > packages, iditors, web, etc. on my Mac and would like to get a CAD : > package that runs there as well. Are there any suggestions? : > : > thanks, : > DLC

Reply to
Dennis Clark

Dennis Clark wrote: DOH!

I garbled that a bit. Comes from late night posts... I meant: ONLY the Cray had more than a 64 bit hardware FPU last time I looked.

The PeeCees are getting the new HP/Intel chips, the Mac obviously uses the 64bit PowerPC core in their computers.

Sheesh. It must have been the rush to go watch Kim Possible on the boob tube that turned that post into a boob.

Anyway, if anyone has any suggestions for a decent mechanical CAD package for the Mac I'd appreciate it. Hopefully this won't turn into the usual religious Mac vs. PeeCee war...

have fun, DLC

: John Nagle wrote: : John,

: At last count I found over a dozen, while that might not be much, it : certainly isn't the dead zone. Also, IEEE 754 details double precision : FP as 64 bits. Internal representations can be any size of course if : you are interested in higher accuracy, but you suffer speed trade offs, : and those bit lengths are software, on the CRAY (last time I looked) had : larger than 64 bit FPU units (they are 128.) Most of the mechanical : CAD vendors don't even put their stuff on a PeeCee, they are UNIX based : where the real number crunchers are. Although the newer Macs and PeeCees : are coming out with the RISC HP/Intel collaboration chips which should : change their minds in the next few years. I know that .Net on a PeeCee : carries it to 102 bits and I've read that the PowerPC in the Mac to : 151 bits. But I can't confirm either.

: However, I doubt that the Mac was dropped due to inferior FP capabilities, : I know IBM, they just wouldn't do that.

: later, : DLC : : There's not much.

: : When Apple went to PowerPC, they also went from an 80-bit : : FPU to a 64-bit FPU. This made mechanical CAD packages : : get different answers on the Mac. So most of the mechanical : : CAD vendors dumped the Mac at that point.

: : John Nagle

: : Dennis Clark wrote:

: : > Does anyone know of any decent mechanical CAD packages for the Mac? : : > I do all my design work there and have schematic capture and PCB layout : : > packages, iditors, web, etc. on my Mac and would like to get a CAD : : > package that runs there as well. Are there any suggestions? : : > : : > thanks, : : > DLC

: -- : ============================================================================ : * Dennis Clark snipped-for-privacy@frii.com

formatting link
* : * "Programming and Customizing the OOPic Microcontroller" Mcgraw-Hill 2003 * : ============================================================================

Reply to
Dennis Clark

============================================================================

*

============================================================================

============================================================================

*

============================================================================

Reply to
Blueeyedpop

John Nagle wrote: John,

I just can't resist a challenge. Personality flaw. You got me thinking about these FPU things and I did some research and am a bit better informed than before. Pentium hardware has 102 bit extended FP in hardware FPUs. (Which is weird, they use up 128 bits, but only 102 are for FP.)

68000 series chips, including the '881 and '882 had 80 bit FPUs. PowerPC G4 and G5 chips have 128 bit FPUs.

I figure that the Mac lost vendors due to their usual ineptitude at selling their product and market share math, they didn't lose it by not having enough resolution in their FPUs however.

Now on with the CAD stuff. Too bad I'm a total tyro about using mechanical CAD packages, I've no clue what I need and what I don't. That is the main reason for my question - Not what packages are there, but what ones are worth their salt and what ones are a good value for the $$.

thanks all, DLC

: There's not much.

: When Apple went to PowerPC, they also went from an 80-bit : FPU to a 64-bit FPU. This made mechanical CAD packages : get different answers on the Mac. So most of the mechanical : CAD vendors dumped the Mac at that point.

: John Nagle

: Dennis Clark wrote:

: > Does anyone know of any decent mechanical CAD packages for the Mac? : > I do all my design work there and have schematic capture and PCB layout : > packages, iditors, web, etc. on my Mac and would like to get a CAD : > package that runs there as well. Are there any suggestions? : > : > thanks, : > DLC

Reply to
Dennis Clark

PolyTech Forum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.