PCB CAD Programs

[Dave McGuire]

On Jun 15, 2007, at 9:31 PM, Richard A. Cini wrote:
>     I’m working on a 6502 project and I have a PC board CAD  
> recommendation
> question. I tried out the software that comes with ExpressPCB and  
> it’s kind
> of bogus. There’s no autorouter, which is exactly what I need (even  
> if it’s
> a basic router).

   Actually it's quite good.  I've done three commercial products  
with that software, running it under a Windows emulator on an adult  
computer.  No autorouter though, that's very true.  But many  
autorouters are more trouble than they're worth, IMO.

>     Does anyone have any recommendations for a reasonably priced  
> schematics
> capture and layout program for either Windows or Mac OSX that can  
> autoroute
> do boards up to say 6” x 8”? When I say reasonable, I’m thinking  
> $250 or
> less.

   I now use PCB (for X11) which is fantastic, even for very large  
multilayer boards.  Its autorouter is better than it was, but it's  
still...an autorouter.  I do my layouts by hand.  It's time  
consuming, but then there's that whole "pride in workmanship" thing.

             -Dave

-- 
Dave McGuire
Port Charlotte, FL