Re: advice on selecting new PCB design package

Listed from trash to gold:

Proteus v6.9
Hobbyist-grade capture and layout. Their claim to fame for hobbyists is
their interactive microcontroller simulation integrated in the capture
package. Capture is OK, layout "works", is all I'll say.

Eagle v4.16
Very nice little hobbyist-grade package. The interface is a little odd
but it gets the job done and the price is very reasonable. No frills,
just works good doing basic boards.

Electronics Workbench (MultiSim) v9 with UltiBoard & UltiRoute
I loved Electronics Workbench when I was a student and I still like
MultiSim but using it for capture and layout is just wrong. It's moved
out of the hobbyist-grade ranks but the layout section, called
UtilBoard, is a mess. The router is a joke. I have to say that I really
like the user interface for UltiBoard but the program is slow even on a
faster machine and...well, it's just a mess. They have a downloadable
v9 demo, try it for a laugh.

Pulsonix
A decent package with a fair price. The autorouter is acceptable. Not
bad at all. Suspect the software company has one principle
programmer/owner. Also comes with a one-man promoter and cheerleader
called Leon. Don't know his relationship with Pulsonix but the guy pops
up everywhere on the net with a good word for Pulsonix. (Google
keywords "Pulsonix" & "Leon" on the web and in the groups.)

OrCAD v10.5
Very respectable, professional package with the best autorouter
available. You could do a lot worse.

PADS 2005
A very respectable package. The low-end of the high-end packages. A
terrific value for the money but not cheap.

If money is not a problem, go with PADS. If it is, check out Orcad or
maybe Pulsonix.

.

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