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Laying out big boards
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AlanP



Joined: Mar 11, 2014
Posts: 746
Location: New Zealand
Audio files: 41

PostPosted: Mon Mar 21, 2016 12:47 am    Post subject: Laying out big boards Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

I use Eagle for my PCB work (the free version.) I'm well used to it, and the ease of going between PCB and schematic, plus the very tightly held forward/backward annotation, and my existing libraries (some custom parts, some useful synth libraries I've picked up) are all very useful. I know quite a few keyboard commands, and I get around pretty quickly with it.

But.

The 80x100mm board limitation is INCREDIBLY frustrating when you want to do something like laying out a big sequencer!

I tried looking at DipTrace, KiCAD, I think gEDA as well.

DipTrace's UI is bloody awful. You have to constantly manually change copper layers, and you can't see more than one copper layer at once.

KiCAD's schematic -> PCB process is awful, plus there is no schematic-PCB link afterwards, like with Eagle.

gEDA... my memory is vague, plus with how OSS moves, it's out of date.

What do other people use to do big PCB layouts? If the licensing wasn't so brutal, then I'd just buy a licence for a bigger PCB size, but paying anywhere from $500 to over $1,000 just for a software package is not worth it to me, for a hobby.
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Grumble



Joined: Nov 23, 2015
Posts: 1294
Location: Netherlands
Audio files: 30

PostPosted: Mon Mar 21, 2016 1:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

I am lucky! At work we use Cadence (Orcad Capture and PCB Editor)
And our admin figures that I can only work at one pc at the time, so he allows me to work with the package at home as well!
Once you get the hang of it, it works like a charm, but it will take some time to work with it.
I have no experience with other programs other than Cadstar, but that is a long tome ago...
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LFLab



Joined: Dec 17, 2009
Posts: 497
Location: Rosmalen, Netherlands

PostPosted: Mon Mar 21, 2016 2:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

I hear you about the licensing strategy of Eagle, you really need two or three steps up to get rid of the eurocard limit, but by then you really have a lot of stuff you don't need (multilayer etc.), very expensive.

I found KiCAD to be frustrating (it has been a while though they might have improved), that link between schematic and layout is what makes Eagle great IMHO.
Couldn't understand Diptrace. Tried Fritzing but yeah, seriously?
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Boerge



Joined: Sep 02, 2009
Posts: 80
Location: Germany

PostPosted: Mon Mar 21, 2016 5:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

There is (was?) a tool called RimuPCB, could not find the origin homepage anymore, but Google knows a lot of sites where you can download it. I don't use it, but IIRC Juergen Haible did recommend it (on SDIY mailing list?). But maybe it's out of date and the company has gone...
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