Anyone try using PCB Artist (from 4pcb.com)?

[m00dawg]

EagleCAD works fine most of the time but it sure would be nice if I could just design one big board (similar to the MB-6582 board) in some cases, such as for a rackmount version of the MB-6582. I have been able to create a mod-matrix board in EagleCAD without having to get too creative (looks like it will be compatible with the MB-6582 one just with the addition of screw holes) but that won't easily do for the other sections. I thought about buying the non-profit version but even that would not allow me to one single board.

I noticed that 4pcb.com offers some PCB design software. It does not appear to be limited though I have not tried it yet. I was curious - has anyone else given this a go? If I went for a large board I would likely go with 4pcb.com instead of batchpcb.com since I might not be saving all that much at those sizes anyway (and I can have multiple copies to either bulk order out to people or use in case I mess something up).

Thoughts?

[nILS]

It's the new standard in PCB CAD! At least their website says so. *cough*

Oh and the full version is 1599€.

[m00dawg]

The full version of Eagle or PCB CAD?

I may try PCB CAD just to see how good/bad it actually is. The possibility of being able to make larger boards, though I won't need to use very often, is intriguing. I thought about buying the non-profit version of Eagle but even that limits board sizes to 4" x 6". I actually don't mind spending more on board fabbing but dropping over a grand for Eagle is excessive :)

[nILS]

I used "PCB CAD" as a generic name for "printed circuited board computer aided design" and not a product name. The "professional" thing that 4pcb is pushing is called "Pulsonix" and costs 1599€.

I haven't tried "PCB Artist" which apparently is "the best free layout software". Not really a claim to fame if you look at the other free options ;)

[m00dawg]

Yeah I know there are a few other options (batchpcb.com actually has a few recommendations beyond Eagle) that I'm thinking of trying. Anyone have any suggestions?

[nILS]

I tried pretty much everything that was available 2ish years ago. And... well... I am still using eagle (which I don't really like). Claw your way through all of them, that's prolly the best thing to do. Make a core module or the likes in every app, that'll give you enough time to figure out how stuff works and whether or not you like the app :D

[m00dawg]

Yep that was my thought. I guess I'll start with the ones BatchPCB recommends (there is one that runs under X11 so I can use it on OS X so that's a plus).

Man EagleCAD...I bet that cost you quite a bit to buy a full license to. Ouch.

[nILS]

I have a uni license :)

[m00dawg]

Ah. I miss those discounts. I guess I could go back to college but the full price of EagleCAD would surely be less than a semester :)

[ilmenator]

Try KICAD then, it's rock solid, and the learning curve is not much steeper than on EAGLE. Plus, it is unlimited in every aspect of PCB design.

[findbuddha]

There's also KiCad

[nILS]

Also, try KICAD :whistle:

(...which I hate even more than Eagle)

[m00dawg]

Hey! I found this cool thing called KiCAD that I think I'm going to try!

(fun aside, thanks for the suggestion - I'll definitely take it for a spin!)

[m00dawg]

So I tried KiCAD and PCB Artist so far. KiCAD is plausible though not near as fluid as eagleCAD. Figuring out how to get my board populated with my schematic was a bit of a chore. I was using it on a Windows VM under OS X (VMWare Fusion) so that could be part of it.

PCB Artist is better at some things but their component library is confusing and slow. I was looking for an 8x1 SIL but only found 2-5x1 and also no DILs. Supposedly adding your own components is easy but I haven't figured it out. Never did find an 8x1...

Still on the list is GEDA. Going to install Ubuntu Desktop as a VM tomorrow to see how GEDA goes and how KiCAD works under Linux instead of Winders. I suspect I'll have some of the same VM annoyances but do not have an extra box to throw Linux on easily (I guess I could dual boot my Winders box...).

Long story short, so far Eagle is the winner but I don't know if that's just because it's what I'm used to. The interface was quirky at first but I like it's so easy to move/rotate and stuff. No need to click+drag, etc. On the other hand, group selection is really annoying. So is the price :) I would almost spring for the non-profit standard version if the allowable board dimensions were just a tiny bit larger.

The question is if Eagle is really good enough to live with either not making larger boards or having to spend $$$ doing it over things that are free. I'm hoping my cheapness ultimately wins out :)