Post by thread:[PICLIST] free CAD package

Good day to all. I just got the most recent update to my CAD package and now see that there is a limited but fully functional free version available. There is a bit of a learning curve associated with it but it generates excellent schematics and board layouts. The package is called 'CADINT' and is available from web sites in both the USA and Europe. The US web site is http://www.cadint.com ; the European site is http://www.cadint.se . The free / demo version is limited to 250 pins (layout) and manual routing only. It is about 13 MB in size but is also available on CD. My history with this package dates back to the early '80's when it was known as EE Designer. Although I have tried several other packages, Cadint and EE Designer are what I use to generate the layouts and schematics for my company's products. I don't want this to come off sounding like an advertisement - I don't have a vested interest other than as a very long time user. I haven't mentioned this before during all the other CAD threads because, at US $4000 for the version that I have, its just way too expensive for most users. But now that I see that they are offering a 250 pin version for free, its just too good a deal to keep quiet about. In a nutshell: 250 pins - downloaded: free 250 pins - shipped on CD: $10 non-commercial - 500 pins: $90 Other variants are available. I hope this helps someone out there. dwayne Dwayne Reid <spam_OUTdwaynerTakeThisOuTplanet.eon.net> Trinity Electronics Systems Ltd Edmonton, AB, CANADA (780) 489-3199 voice (780) 487-6397 fax Celebrating 17 years of Engineering Innovation (1984 - 2001) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Do NOT send unsolicited commercial email to this email address. This message neither grants consent to receive unsolicited commercial email nor is intended to solicit commercial email. -- http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different ways. See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details.

hi, Dwayne I'm just wonder, your law are so crude when you are using some hacked or old real CAD software ? There are guys who looks into your computer for software ? You can't use an old but good and tested CAD software ? A dos ORCAD4 or Tango2 looks much better than this one ( just thinking to autorute or number of pads ) Sincerely yours, Vasile On Mon, 5 Mar 2001, Dwayne Reid wrote: {Quote hidden}> Good day to all. > > I just got the most recent update to my CAD package and now see that there > is a limited but fully functional free version available. There is a bit > of a learning curve associated with it but it generates excellent > schematics and board layouts. > > The package is called 'CADINT' and is available from web sites in both the > USA and Europe. The US web site is http://www.cadint.com ; the European > site is http://www.cadint.se . > > The free / demo version is limited to 250 pins (layout) and manual routing > only. It is about 13 MB in size but is also available on CD. > > My history with this package dates back to the early '80's when it was > known as EE Designer. Although I have tried several other packages, Cadint > and EE Designer are what I use to generate the layouts and schematics for > my company's products. > > I don't want this to come off sounding like an advertisement - I don't have > a vested interest other than as a very long time user. I haven't mentioned > this before during all the other CAD threads because, at US $4000 for the > version that I have, its just way too expensive for most users. But now > that I see that they are offering a 250 pin version for free, its just too > good a deal to keep quiet about. > > In a nutshell: > 250 pins - downloaded: free > 250 pins - shipped on CD: $10 > non-commercial - 500 pins: $90 > Other variants are available. > > I hope this helps someone out there. > > dwayne > > > Dwayne Reid <.....dwaynerKILLspam@spam@planet.eon.net> > Trinity Electronics Systems Ltd Edmonton, AB, CANADA > (780) 489-3199 voice (780) 487-6397 fax > > Celebrating 17 years of Engineering Innovation (1984 - 2001) > > * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * > Do NOT send unsolicited commercial email to this email address. > This message neither grants consent to receive unsolicited > commercial email nor is intended to solicit commercial email. > > -- > http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different > ways. See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details. > > -- http://www.piclist.com#nomail Going offline? Don't AutoReply us! email listservKILLspammitvma.mit.edu with SET PICList DIGEST in the body

At 09:22 AM 3/6/01 +0200, Vasile Surducan wrote: >hi, Dwayne >I'm just wonder, your law are so crude when you are using some hacked >or old real CAD software ? There are guys who looks into your computer for >software ? You can't use an old but good and tested CAD software ? >A dos ORCAD4 or Tango2 looks much better than this one ( just thinking to >autorute or number of pads ) Hi there. My CAD days started in 1985 or so with a package who's name completely escapes me right now - might have been 'Smartwork'. It was just SO bad. Jagged traces in only 2 sizes. Pcad was available but we could not afford it. My partner discovered EE Designer I from Visionics and I began to use it. It was OK - somewhat clunky but it sure beat the old Bishop graphics puppets and mylar and crepe tape and Xacto knife that I had spent the previous 5 years using. Then EE Designer was upgraded to EE II. That is still the package I do much of my design work in. It is VERY fast, runs under DOS or in a DOS box (I'll keep 8 or 9 files open when I am working on something complex). The most important thing is that I have 15 years worth of libraries to call upon. EE Designer III came out 1991 or there abouts. The version I use is dated 1992 and I use it to generate the Gerber files for the boards I have manufactured. Somewhere along the way, the investors and owners in Visionics split up. One company is now called 'Norlinvest' and they make the package called Edwin. I tried it - and gave it up. The other company is called Cadint. Here is the main thing about EE Designer: it works. It doesn't crash - ever. I regularly attend seminars and demonstrations of the various CAD package vendors that come around - I still remember looking at the latest Tango (5 or 6 years ago) and thinking "My gosh! EE Designer has had that capability for years!". I have legal copies of MicroSim's products as well as a full copy of MAX EDA from Maxroute and Orcad. I spent 3 months sending bug reports to Orcad before I gave up on the package. But I have to question your motives with your comments. You can get a free version of IVEX that goes up to 100 pins. You can spend US $30.00 and upgrade it to 250 pins. It crashes all the time. It costs you time. Easytrax works just fine for many people. It, too, is free. But EE Designer and Cadint run circles around it - both in terms of speed and the quality of board layout that you get from it. Eagle looks OK as well. I seriously considered purchasing it. But I just couldn't see the benefits over what I was currently using. Its just not as good. I'm open to criticism. If you spend some time with the package and really don't like it, I'd be interested in your comments. Not to cause arguments, but instead to be added to a list of things to keep in mind when suggesting CAD packages to beginners and students. In fact, I'll funnel feedback to Cadint, as well. Finally, my post was in response to the flood of 'who makes a decent, free CAD package' messages that we get on the list regularly. Personally, I think that a free version of Cadint is a pretty good thing. Remember - I've paid many thousands of dollars over the past 15 years for both EE Designer and Cadint. I didn't have the option of a free and legal CAD package when I started. When I discovered that Cadint was offering a FREE and LEGAL 250 pin version, I was elated! And I thought that the members of the PICLIST should be the first to know about it. Back to you, Vasile. dwayne Dwayne Reid <.....dwaynerKILLspam.....planet.eon.net> Trinity Electronics Systems Ltd Edmonton, AB, CANADA (780) 489-3199 voice (780) 487-6397 fax Celebrating 17 years of Engineering Innovation (1984 - 2001) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Do NOT send unsolicited commercial email to this email address. This message neither grants consent to receive unsolicited commercial email nor is intended to solicit commercial email. -- http://www.piclist.com#nomail Going offline? Don't AutoReply us! email EraseMElistservspam_OUTTakeThisOuTmitvma.mit.edu with SET PICList DIGEST in the body

re-send to the list because of missing tag. Good day to all. I just got the most recent update to my CAD package and now see that there is a limited but fully functional free version available. There is a bit of a learning curve associated with it but it generates excellent schematics and board layouts. The package is called 'CADINT' and is available from web sites in both the USA and Europe. The US web site is http://www.cadint.com ; the European site is http://www.cadint.se . The free / demo version is limited to 250 pins (layout) and manual routing only. It is about 13 MB in size but is also available on CD. My history with this package dates back to the early '80's when it was known as EE Designer. Although I have tried several other packages, Cadint and EE Designer are what I use to generate the layouts and schematics for my company's products. I don't want this to come off sounding like an advertisement - I don't have a vested interest other than as a very long time user. I haven't mentioned this before during all the other CAD threads because, at US $4000 for the version that I have, its just way too expensive for most users. But now that I see that they are offering a 250 pin version for free, its just too good a deal to keep quiet about. In a nutshell: 250 pins - downloaded: free 250 pins - shipped on CD: $10 non-commercial - 500 pins: $90 Other variants are available. I hope this helps someone out there. dwayne Dwayne Reid <dwaynerspam_OUTplanet.eon.net> Trinity Electronics Systems Ltd Edmonton, AB, CANADA (780) 489-3199 voice (780) 487-6397 fax Celebrating 17 years of Engineering Innovation (1984 - 2001) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Do NOT send unsolicited commercial email to this email address. This message neither grants consent to receive unsolicited commercial email nor is intended to solicit commercial email. -- http://www.piclist.com#nomail Going offline? Don't AutoReply us! email @spam@listservKILLspammitvma.mit.edu with SET PICList DIGEST in the body

Dwayne, I'd like to second your recommendation. Like you, I cut my teeth with puppets. I've used PCAD and ORCAD, both decent packages. I use CADINT here at work (unlimited version) and at home (non-commercial version), the ONLY difference being pin count limitations. I've also watched a lot of other people use other packages and NOBODY has better integration between schematic capture and pcb layout. The learning curve is a bit steep and the manuals are not very good (getting better) but once you get the hang of it you can really move. A full set of Gerber, Drill and log file outputs is a few clicks away, zipped and ready to go. I like the fact that the free version and their top of the line versions operate identically (only a single learning curve). Regards, Dave Dwayne Reid wrote: > > The package is called 'CADINT' and is available from web sites in both the > USA and Europe. The US web site is http://www.cadint.com ; the European > site is http://www.cadint.se . > > The free / demo version is limited to 250 pins (layout) and manual routing > only. It is about 13 MB in size but is also available on CD. > -- http://www.piclist.com#nomail Going offline? Don't AutoReply us! email KILLspamlistservKILLspammitvma.mit.edu with SET PICList DIGEST in the body

I'm working with cad's from 88. I'm agree with you, but as Dwayne said, when you know all trick's with one and you're happy with, any change may be disastruos. So I like to do schematics in Orcad, but old dos one,( the newest windows version are just like natural calamities), and pcb's with Tango. (which have all the gerber, log and drill files you've mentioned ) But you make me curious, let's try a download from this site ! Cheers, Vasile On Tue, 6 Mar 2001, David Minkler wrote: {Quote hidden}> Dwayne, > > I'd like to second your recommendation. Like you, I cut my teeth with > puppets. I've used PCAD and ORCAD, both decent packages. I use CADINT > here at work (unlimited version) and at home (non-commercial version), > the ONLY difference being pin count limitations. I've also watched a > lot of other people use other packages and NOBODY has better integration > between schematic capture and pcb layout. The learning curve is a bit > steep and the manuals are not very good (getting better) but once you > get the hang of it you can really move. A full set of Gerber, Drill and > log file outputs is a few clicks away, zipped and ready to go. I like > the fact that the free version and their top of the line versions > operate identically (only a single learning curve). > > Regards, > Dave > > Dwayne Reid wrote: > > > > The package is called 'CADINT' and is available from web sites in both the > > USA and Europe. The US web site is http://www.cadint.com ; the European > > site is http://www.cadint.se . > > > > The free / demo version is limited to 250 pins (layout) and manual routing > > only. It is about 13 MB in size but is also available on CD. > > > > -- > http://www.piclist.com#nomail Going offline? Don't AutoReply us! > email RemoveMElistservTakeThisOuTmitvma.mit.edu with SET PICList DIGEST in the body > > -- http://www.piclist.com hint: To leave the PICList spamBeGonepiclist-unsubscribe-requestspamBeGonemitvma.mit.edu