Re: P-CAD unsuitable for networks

From: xxx (ping_at_msn.com)
Date: 12/13/04 

Date: Mon, 13 Dec 2004 00:21:54 -0500

See comments input below

>I'm shopping for an inexpensive CAD system for a small startup doing
>microprocessor-based servo stuff. I need fine-line multilayer for the
>digital stuff, and copper pours and weird copper structures for analog
>work.

You get what you pay for: The better ones are

Orcad Layout+capture
Pads
P-CAD "Windows version"
Protel.

>I asked a buddy about P-CAD (what he uses) and he reports these serious
>deficiencies:
>
>> You can't save some things in pcad till all of the errors are gone. It
>> has been that way for a long time and the support people don't seem to
>> have much of a clue.

Sounds to me that your buddy is the one that should get a clue.
There is one P-CAD, Called Pcad Master Designer. This was a dos
based product and one of the best pcb tools of all time. There is
a windows version not to be confused with the dos version called P-CAD
its sold by Protel, it used to be sold by accel technologies and
came from Accels Tango pro product.

While the dos version of master designer is no longer sold the windows
version is pretty popular. In both versions you can save pcb's,
schematics, library parts at any time. The system is designed to
protect you from yourself with stringent error checking. This is
to your advantage.

>> It is a real pain if you are making a large library part you can't
>> stop and save and come back to it later. It also does not always tell
>> you that the file you just tried to save was to a read only directory
>> and it did not really do anything. It also trys to reconnect to all of
>> the files you have used recently so you can't move them. same with
>> printers, if you remove a printer it has used recently you may not be
>> able to get it to run. or it will at least take quite a while to
>> startup....I have seen on the order of more than 10 minutes.
>
I have never seen any of the above items you mention. The problems you
indicate are more akin to the operating system than the actual cad
package.Or simple user operator error.

>This is of course unacceptable. I'm of the "save-early-save-often" school,
>because one can never predict acts of god that clobber one's work. I don't
>want to lose hours of work because of this kind of thing.

Are you really looking to purchase a cad tool or are you a sales drone
from a competing cad vendor.

thank You. X711