Post by thread:What PCB software.....ACCEL????

Great comments, Doesn't surprise me, but nice to hear from an actual user. Does anyone use ACCEL - AEDA or PCAD (I'm told they are very similar anyway) I would really appreciate some users comments - pro or con, before I buy. {Quote hidden}> ---------- > From: Caisson[SMTP:spam_OUTcaissonTakeThisOuTTELEBYTE.NL] > Sent: Monday, July 13, 1998 4:57 AM > To: .....PICLISTKILLspam@spam@MITVMA.MIT.EDU > Subject: Re: What Schematic/PCB software to use - some additional > comments > > > Van: marcel <marbelKILLspamXS4ALL.NL> > > Aan: .....PICLISTKILLspam.....MITVMA.MIT.EDU > > Onderwerp: Re: What Schematic/PCB software to use - some additional > comments > > Datum: maandag 13 juli 1998 2:52 > > > > Hi back from holiday's about to do some pcb stuff i did look at there > > webpages > > is verry interesting but does anybody work with Electonicworkbench > > from interactive.com it is schematics spice and pcb design > > i work on an apple machine but software fore this work is expensive for > apple > > > > and i think outdated any body with recommendations? > > To my amasement EWB uses the PCB software from ULTIBOARD. I have to work > with that stuff (UltiCap & UltiBoard). I _STRONGLY_ advice anyone to stay > away from this un-developped, un-debugged and overrated piece of software. > > They have not even learned in 12 _YEARS_ to write a decent tutorial/ > reference manual. The PCB version I've got has got a win95 help-file ... > Allmost all subjects are still 'under construction' and the rest just > states that they found the best sulution to {whatever}. What the solution > is/was they don't state ... > > Be perfect when you use Ulti Cap/Board stuff, because to edit something > that is already on the board is a heck of a job. Ever tried to move a > 45-degree ange wire ? Seen it degrade to a stair-case ? Well, I have. > Nowerdays I think i'ts easier to remove the trace & to re-draw it. > > I could go on-and-on :-( > > Greetz, > Rudy Wieser > > P.s. > They (UltiBoard) have got a Help-desk. The want You to upgrade to the > next version, or to wait for the next-even-better version. :-((( >

I use ACCEL here at work. For what you pay, I am not very impressed. The library function is not the most friendly, there are bugs (although we do use v12, maybe 14 is better) and the included autorouter is garbage. I imagine that the Spectra router is better but that would bring the sofware cost up to 40 000 canadian. I have played with the protel demo and it seems to be pretty good although there have been reports of a lot of bugs. The autorouter is actually poretty good. I haven't tried the simulation part but have played a bit with the PLD portion and it seems to work OK. Some of the PCB editing functions are a bit strange and unintuitive but then again, I'm used to using PCAD. The ORCAD package is supposed to be pretty good from what I've heard from people here who were doing an evaluation. It now integrates very well with the PSPICE package since orcad bought Microsim. The orcad package is about the same cost as ACCEL. Hope this helps, Matthew Essar Montaigne, Mike wrote: {Quote hidden}> Great comments, Doesn't surprise me, but nice to hear from an actual user. > Does anyone use ACCEL - AEDA or PCAD (I'm told they are very similar > anyway) > I would really appreciate some users comments - pro or con, before I buy. > > > ---------- > > From: Caisson[SMTP:EraseMEcaissonspam_OUTTakeThisOuTTELEBYTE.NL] > > Sent: Monday, July 13, 1998 4:57 AM > > To: PICLISTspam_OUTMITVMA.MIT.EDU > > Subject: Re: What Schematic/PCB software to use - some additional > > comments > > > > > Van: marcel <@spam@marbelKILLspamXS4ALL.NL> > > > Aan: KILLspamPICLISTKILLspamMITVMA.MIT.EDU > > > Onderwerp: Re: What Schematic/PCB software to use - some additional > > comments > > > Datum: maandag 13 juli 1998 2:52 > > > > > > Hi back from holiday's about to do some pcb stuff i did look at there > > > webpages > > > is verry interesting but does anybody work with Electonicworkbench > > > from interactive.com it is schematics spice and pcb design > > > i work on an apple machine but software fore this work is expensive for > > apple > > > > > > and i think outdated any body with recommendations? > > > > To my amasement EWB uses the PCB software from ULTIBOARD. I have to work > > with that stuff (UltiCap & UltiBoard). I _STRONGLY_ advice anyone to stay > > away from this un-developped, un-debugged and overrated piece of software. > > > > They have not even learned in 12 _YEARS_ to write a decent tutorial/ > > reference manual. The PCB version I've got has got a win95 help-file ... > > Allmost all subjects are still 'under construction' and the rest just > > states that they found the best sulution to {whatever}. What the solution > > is/was they don't state ... > > > > Be perfect when you use Ulti Cap/Board stuff, because to edit something > > that is already on the board is a heck of a job. Ever tried to move a > > 45-degree ange wire ? Seen it degrade to a stair-case ? Well, I have. > > Nowerdays I think i'ts easier to remove the trace & to re-draw it. > > > > I could go on-and-on :-( > > > > Greetz, > > Rudy Wieser > > > > P.s. > > They (UltiBoard) have got a Help-desk. The want You to upgrade to the > > next version, or to wait for the next-even-better version. :-((( > >

On Mon, 13 Jul 1998 08:57:55 -0400, you wrote: >Great comments, Doesn't surprise me, but nice to hear from an actual user. >Does anyone use ACCEL - AEDA or PCAD (I'm told they are very similar >anyway) >I would really appreciate some users comments - pro or con, before I buy. ACCEL EDA is the name for the group of products including PCB, Schematic etc. PCB comes in 2 versions Tango and PCAD, the former being a cut-down version that's fine for all but the biggest boards (>6 signal layers, >400 components) I use ACCEL Tango PCB. I spent a long time looking at different packages including Orcad, Microsim and Vutrax, and it stomped on all of them hands-down for the type of work I do. It is extremely quick & easy to use - , I've rarely needed the manual or online help, and never had to use their tech support! It's very reliable and bugfree - maybe crashed twice in 2 years of almost daily use. However in the last release (V13) they removed a lot of the functional limitations from the Tango version and hiked the price a lot. I was lucky as I bought V12 and got the upgrade, but I'm not sure I'd pay the current price for it without taking another hard look at what else is out there. I think Tango PCB is now about UKP2000 - there is a new release imminent, so there may be price changes. It has a simple autorouter but for the reasonably small PCBs I do, even the best routers would be a waste of time, so I can't comment on this aspect, other than there are several routers including specctra available for Accel. ____ ____ _/ L_/ Mike Harrison / White Wing Logic / RemoveMEwwlTakeThisOuTnetcomuk.co.uk _/ L_/ _/ W_/ Hardware & Software design / PCB Design / Consultancy _/ W_/ /_W_/ Industrial / Computer Peripherals / Hazardous Area /_W_/